What Does 20 Pounds of Fat Look Like
Let’s be honest: we’ve all at one time or another wondered to ourselves what 20 pounds of fat looks like in terms of everyday objects.
It can be hard to quantify things like muscle and fat without seeing a picture of them, and that’s not something you want to do if you don’t have a stomach of steel.
20 pounds of fat looks like a lawn mower, a water cooler, and a sledge hammer. It’s no easy feat to burn 20 pounds of fat, so any attempt to do so is admirable and worthy of respect. The health benefits of losing that much weight are significant, as are the psychological benefits.
Losing 20 pounds is a big deal, yet it can be hard to imagine just what that looks like and what it can mean for your body.
In this article we’re going to provide some examples of 20 pound objects that most people will be familiar with, as well as what burning 20 pounds of fat can do for you and how to go about this ambitious weight loss goal.
20 Pound Objects
This is it: the moment you’ve been waiting for – what everyday objects weigh the same amount as 20 pounds of fat?
A Sledge Hammer
One of the most satisfying objects on this list that weighs around 20 pounds is the sledge hammer.
The next time you pick up a sledge hammer, you can both get a feel for what 20 pounds of fat feels like while also imagining using it to knock down any doubts you have about yourself losing the weight.
A Lawn Mower
A push lawn mower is another object that weighs roughly the same as 20 pounds of fat.
So when you’re mowing the lawn next, take a moment to stop and lift the mower up – it shouldn’t be easy, and that’s testament to how significant a 20 pound weight loss can be.
A Water Cooler
A feature of just about any office workspace, the water cooler can be a daily reminder of how much weight you want to lose if 20 pounds is the goal.
We wouldn’t recommend you try to lift it, though, unless you want to risk an office water spillage.
An Electric Bike
If you have an electric bike parked in the garage, go out and lift up the frame and get a feel for it.
This one is powerful, because the bike may just be one of the tools in your weight loss arsenal that helps you shed the pounds.
A Car Tire
Think back to the last time you changed out one of your tires and picked up the spare in the trunk, it was heavy, right?
Well, this is exactly the amount of weight you would lose if you burned 20 pounds of fat.
Significance of Burning 20 Pounds of Fat
Burning 20 pounds of fat is a big deal, regardless of how much the person weighs in the first place.
However, the change of appearance will depend on the person’s frame, and how they lost the weight.
For example, someone who’s short and overweight could lose 20 pounds of fat, drop a few clothes sizes, and appear to be a new person.
Someone who’s taller and overweight might not notice as big a difference, and may stay at the same clothes size, but not always.
A big part of weight loss is how you decide to lose the weight.
If you do so purely through cardio and diet, you will certainly be slimmer than before, but there’s a chance you might retain some skinny fat depending on various factors.
To avoid this, many people choose to mix cardio exercise with strength training.
If you work on developing muscle at the same time as losing body fat, you will look lean and muscular after the weight loss and could avoid pockets of skinny fat.
Plus, doing both cardio and weight lifting or another form of strength training as you lose weight will lead to a much more complete transformation in your appearance.
How to Burn 20 Pounds of Fat
There are various ways to go about burning 20 pounds of fat, but it’s generally recommended by medical professionals that you don’t try to lose too much more than two pounds of fat a week.
If you want to know where to start and how to go about losing the weight as quickly as possible, you can try the following:
Stay Hydrated
One of the most important things to bear in mind for any weight loss program is to stay hydrated.
It’s a simple weight loss trick: the more water you drink, the fuller you’ll feel without eating unnecessary calories.
Track Calories
While it may seem tedious, if you have an ambitious weight loss goal, it’s imperative that you track your calories.
If you don’t, you might underestimate how many calories you get with a handful of nuts for example and even if you eat healthy you might not be at the caloric deficit you need to lose weight consistently.
Watch Your Macros
Stay away from carbs, and load up on protein.
It sounds simplistic, but if you follow this advice for every meal, you should find the pounds fall off.
Protein is extremely satiating, so it’s a great way to keep you full throughout the day without excess snacking.
Carbs aren’t the enemy, as some people would have you believe, but processed carbohydrates are low in nutrional value.
Lift Weights
Cardio is great for losing weight, nobody is questioning that, but lifting weights is surprisingly effective for hitting your weight loss goals.
Speed up your metabolism and train your body to use food as energy and you’re well on your way to a healthier body.
Plus, who doesn’t want to look a little more muscular and see if those abdominal muscles can’t be uncovered with consistent training?
Prioritize Sleep
A disrupted night of sleep will impair your decision-making ability the next day, which means you’re more likely to reach for the chocolate bar instead of the apple.
Don’t make that mistake by making sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
Frequently Asked Questions About 20 Pounds of Fat
What does losing 20 pounds do for your body?
20 pounds is a big deal, so losing that much fat can do a world of good for your body.
Even just ten pounds can feel like a huge weight lifted and can help you drop a clothes size depending on your frame, so just imagine how good losing 20 pounds would feel.
Losing 20 pounds of fat can accelerate your progress towards your weight loss goals and help you hit your desired weight.
How long does it take to lose 20 pounds of fat?
If you were to follow medical advice, and stick to losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week, it would take you around 10-20 weeks to lose 20 pounds of fat or 3-6 months.
However, it’s possible to lose ten pounds in a single month, so if you were really strict with your diet and exercise you could push yourself to lose 20 pounds of fat in just a couple of months.
But generally if you haven’t embarked on a weight loss program before you should play it safe and try to shed the weight a pound at time.
Will losing 20 pounds cause loose skin?
Fortunately, losing 20 pounds of weight normally isn’t enough to cause loose skin.
Generally, you don’t need to worry about loose skin unless you lose 40 or 50 pounds of fat, or more.
Losing 10 or 20 pounds fat is a much more achievable goal and while it can lead to a dramatic change in your appearance shouldn’t result in loose skin.
A Final Word From Energetic Lifestyle
Losing a sledge hammer or lawn mower’s worth of body fat is a big deal for anyone.
Now that you have some ideas of everyday objects that weigh the same as 20 pounds of fat, you should have a newfound appreciate for how big a feat it is to lose that much weight.
