How Long To Lose 80 Pounds: Steps To Rev Up Your Weight Loss Safely

The Question Of General Interest: How Long To Lose 80 Pounds?

Losing a significant amount of weight can sometimes feel like a far and unreachable goal. Some people give up halfway through because they set their expectations too high, and when they don’t get immediate results, they feel like they are unable to lose weight. It is important to remember that slimming is a very rewarding process, but it is gradual and requires a considerable amount of effort and time. Those who decided to shed lots of pounds should have enough determination and patience, as they won’t slim down overnight. It is great to aim better, but before starting to follow a weight loss diet and workout plan, you need to figure out how long your slimming process lasts. So, although the answer to the question, “How long to lose 80 pounds?” may vary individually, there is a general recommended time frame.

Read on to find out what affects your weight loss pace, how long does it take to lose 80 pounds, is it safe to lose 80 pounds in 4 months, how to lose 80 pounds at home, and what foods to avoid to lose 80 pounds.

What Affects Your Weight Loss Pace?

Every person shed pounds at a different pace. So, to figure out how long to lose 80 pounds personally, you need to understand what affects the number of calories that you burn daily.

Your weight loss pace depends on lots of factors, including the following (1):

• Age – The older a person gets, the fewer calories they burn.
• Sex – Women burn fewer calories than men.
• Initial weight – The higher a person’s initial weight is, the more calories they burn.
• Choice of diet – Diet plays one of the most prominent roles in your weight loss pace. The more calorie-restricting the diet is, the faster you lose weight.
• Choice of exercise – Just like diet, exercise plays a crucial role in your weight loss. The more time and effort you spend on exercise, the more calories you burn and the faster you lose weight.
• Body composition – People with more muscles burn more calories than those with less muscles. 

As all these factors play a role in the number of calories that you burn, they all should be taken into consideration when you create a weight loss plan. You can use a calories burned calculator to figure out how many calories you burn daily. It can also be used to calculate the number of calories you burn performing certain physical activity. This information will help you properly organize your diet and workout routine, which will allow you to lose weight while being able to enjoy the healthy food of your taste and performing exercises that you like the most.

How Long Does It Take to Lose 80 Pounds?

Losing weight is great, but if done in a wrong way, it may not only significantly harm your health, but also lead to weight regain in the future (9). So, the main question that people should ask instead of how long to lose 80 pounds is how long to safely lose 80 pounds. You already know that each person loses weight at a different pace. Even one person can lose weight faster or slower, which is affected by their choice of diet and exercise.

If they significantly restrict their calorie consumption and spend hours at the gym, they should lose weight faster than they would if they only slightly decreased their calorie intake and went for a 30-minute walk each day. In the latter case, they would also lose weight, but slower compared to the first variant. That is why the best option is to stick to the recommendations of experts.

Specialists state that the healthy weight loss pace is 1-2 pounds (0.45-1 kg) per week (2). Based on that information, you can calculate that to lose 80 pounds healthily, you will need approximately 10 months. Such a weight loss pace is the best option, as it helps you gradually change your lifestyle, maintains and even improves your health, and offers you a sustainable result.

Now, if your initial weight is significantly higher, at first, you will lose weight faster, however, with time, shedding pounds will become more difficult. So, you might lose 6-8 pounds (3-4 kg) per week during the first month, or even more, and as you get closer to your ideal weight, you may be able to lose only 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week, as on average such pace is considered safe. However, you should always consult a dietitian, before and during your weight loss.

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Is It Safe To Lose 80 Pounds In 4 Months? 

Some people are wondering, “Is it safe to lose 80 pounds in 4 months?”. And the answer is, depending on the case. To understand how fast and drastic this weight loss pace is, let’s calculate how many calories you should burn a day.

One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories (3), so 80 pounds is equal to 280,000 calories. Now, let’s divide that number by the approximate number of days in 4 months, as most months have either 30 or 31 days, let’s take a 30.5 for a month, which together equals 122. Now 280,000/122 = 2,295. So, if you want to lose 80 pounds in 4 months, you will have to burn 2,295 calories a day. This number is extremely high, and you should never restrict your caloric intake like that on your own. Such a weight loss pace is quite dangerous and is not recommended, unless a person has a severe case of obesity, and stays under the supervision of a dietitian or a  doctor throughout the whole process (8, 13).

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How To Lose 80 Pounds At Home?

If you have consulted your doctor and they approved your decision to lose weight, it is time to get down to slimming. As you may already know, the basis of weight loss is caloric deficit, so you should burn more calories than you consume. It can be reached with the help of a healthy diet and regular exercise (11).

So, here are 2 simple steps that will help you healthily trim a couple of inches:

Step 1. Healthy Nutrition

Your diet is extremely important when it comes to weight loss. The type of food that you choose to eat may either promote weight loss and maintain or even improve your health, or make the whole process more difficult, and add to the risk of different diseases. That is why you should understand what foods are healthy and provide you with essential nutrients, and what foods can offer you only empty calories.

So, here are some recommendations on what you should eat and what foods you better keep at bay.

Read More: The Fundamentals of a Balanced Diet: Foods, Benefits, Weight Loss

What Foods To Eat To Lose 80 Pounds?

Your diet should include plenty of vegetables and fruits, as they are rich in nutrients and relatively low in calories. They are also packed with fiber, which helps you stay fuller longer.

Protein is also an essential part of any well-balanced diet. It promotes slimming by adding to your feeling of fullness. Great sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and beans.

Not all fats are bad for weight loss. Healthy fats, such as unsaturated fats are essential for you and your diet. You can find plenty of mono- and polyunsaturated fats in fish, nuts, seeds, avocadoes, olives, and some oils (corn, sunflower, soybean, olive, sesame, canola).

What Foods To Avoid To Lose 80 Pounds?

Some foods are generally known to be unhealthy, while others may be thought to be not that bad, while still harming your health and adding to your energy intake. That is why it is important to pay attention to the labels of the foods that you consume.

Here are some food components that you should avoid:

• Unhealthy Fats

Just as you should include unsaturated fats into your diet, you should try to avoid saturated and trans fats. These two types of fat are unhealthy and only add to the risk of such conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (10).

• Added Sugars

Simple carbs are not the worst thing that you can eat, however, when they appear in the form of added sugars is when the tables turn. Sweets, candy, sugary drinks, or any other type of food with added sugars should be avoided (12).

• Ultra-Processed Foods

Processed foods are foods that have been altered in the course of their preparation. Not all processed foods are bad for you, but such types as ultra-processed foods contain high levels of salt, sugar, and unhealthy fat. They are often low in nutrients and high in calories (6), which makes them one of the worst options for a diet.

Step 2. Exercise

Exercise is a great way to increase your energy expenditure and calorie burn. In combination with healthy nutrition, it will help you slim down and improve your overall wellness. Remember that any exercise is better than no exercise. 

• HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is very effective at burning calories and can be extremely beneficial for weight loss. 
• Resistance exercise is also great for shedding a couple of pounds and preserving your muscle mass.
• Cardio is a great option for beginners, as it provides a great variety of activity, with a great range of difficulty and intensity. Walking, running, swimming and cycling will not only add to your caloric deficit, but also significantly improve your health.

FAQs

• Can Intermittent Fasting Help Me Lose 80 Pounds?

Yes, it could, but sole intermittent fasting might not be very effective. Although intermittent fasting has proven to help people lose weight  (7), if you pack yourself with sweets and junk food during the eating windows, do not expect a healthy and impressive result. If you want to lose 80 pounds with the help of intermittent fasting, you should also stick to a healthy well-balanced diet and a regular workout regimen. That way you will be able to reach your goal, get fit, and even improve your health.

• Can I Lose 80 Pounds Without Exercise?

Theoretically, you can. The basis of weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. Usually, people create that energy deficit by reducing their daily caloric intake and increasing their level of physical activity. However, if you don’t want to or can’t perform exercises, you can create and maintain your caloric deficit by solely dieting and lose weight in such a way.

• How Hard Should I Exercise To Lose 80 Pounds?

There are no strict requirements on how intensely you should exercise in order to lose 80 pounds, especially if you have no time restriction and stick to a healthy diet that creates a caloric deficit. Any exercise is better than no exercise, and the more you do – the better (4). All you need is to regularly perform a physical activity that will burn fat and improve your wellness. The best option is to choose the type of exercise that you like the best and enjoy the time that you spend during this exercise. It can be walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis or football, doing yoga or Pilates, and basically any other type of physical activity that you prefer (5).

Conclusion

“How long to lose 80 pounds?” This question often pops up here and there online and causes a lot of disputes. As the amount of weight that you lose a week depends on lots of factors, including your age, sex, initial weight, body composition, and others, the answer to that question varies individually. If you want to stick to a healthy weight loss pace, then it will take you about 10 months to shed 80 pounds. This is quite long, but it is absolutely worth it, as it will help you change your habits, improve your wellness, and most importantly, make your weight-loss sustainable. Healthy nutrition and regular exercise are the keys to your successful weight loss journey.

Some people find 10 months too long and are wondering how to lose 80 pounds in 4 months, and ask if it is safe to lose 80 pounds in 4 months. Such a rapid weight loss is not recommended in most cases, however, if your doctor approves of such pace, and provides constant medical supervision, then it could be possible with the help of medical resources. But you should not strive for that result on your own, as it may be dangerous for your health. Before making any decisions concerning your weight loss or health, please consult a dietitian.