How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months: 5 Simple Steps

How to Lose 20 lbs in 3 Months – Introduction

If you need to know how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months, you’re in the right place!

Following the five simple steps outlined below, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after just 30 days —and even more after three months.

This approach isn’t about quick fixes or fad diets but sustainable changes supporting your overall health and well-being.

Have you ever said in frustration, “It’s so hard to lose weight; I hardly eat anything!”? I know how you feel. I struggled with being overweight from the age of 10 — pretty much all my life. It took me 50 years to finally make sense of the confusion around dieting and weight loss. I’d hate for you to wait that long!

Why not leverage my decades of experience to help yourself? Invest in yourself starting today to achieve and maintain a healthy weight for your height over the long term.

The New York Times mentions me as a weight-loss blogger — alongside a well-known character actor — when the owners of Tudor City Café in New York City described their most memorable customers.

That’s where I developed the Hashi Mashi Diet and Training Plan, which included this breakfast item on their menu to the left. This simple approach—focusing on real food instead of processed foods—along with strength training, helped me lose 75 pounds in 6 months.

Quick Links (Show/Hide)

• How to Lose 20 lbs in 3 Months – Introduction
• Explaining the 5 Simple Steps
  • Step 1: Establish a Regular Meal Routine
  • Step 2: Get Up and Move
  • Step 3: Real Food is Your Friend — Clean Eating
  • Step 4: Meal Suggestions and Template
  • Step 5: Your Stomach is Not Meant to Be Full
• My Weight Loss Transformation
• 3-Month Weight Loss Plan PDF
• Footnotes

The 5 Simple Steps to Lose 20 lbs in 3 Months

Step 1: Establish a Regular Meal Routine

The foundation of consistent fat loss begins with establishing a regular meal pattern.

You may have heard different opinions on how to lose weight—some people swear by low-carb diets, while others believe that intermittent fasting is the way to go.

With so many conflicting opinions, it might seem like weight loss is more complicated than rocket science.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Let’s simplify the process with easy steps to help you transform your body from fat to fit.

Start by taking action:

• Step on a body composition scale and write down your current weight along with today’s date.
• This will be your starting point.
• Continue using a reliable scale to track your weight loss progress regularly.

Set realistic expectations:

• If you have about 30 pounds to lose, you can expect excellent results in 3 to 4 months.
• For 50 or 60 pounds, it may take closer to 6 to 7 months.

Losing weight at a steady pace is key.

In 12 weeks, aiming to lose 8 pounds per month is a reasonable and safe goal, aligning with the guidelines of 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.

¹⁶

Establish Your Meal Routine:

Here’s a simple example:

• 8 am – Breakfast
• Noon – Lunch
• 3 pm – Snack
• 7 pm – Dinner

Remember, consistency is crucial.

Do not attempt to lose more than 2 pounds weekly—slow and steady wins the race.

Even losing one pound a week is a great success!

Why Is a Regular Meal Routine So Important?

When you skip meals, your body goes into stress mode.

It’s like your body is unsure when it will receive its next meal, so it holds onto fat reserves tightly, thinking it needs to save energy for the future.

Here’s why that’s not helpful for weight loss:

• Fat Retention: One pound of fat stores about 3,500 calories¹⁷.
  • If your body believes it’s in a state of scarcity, it will be reluctant to release those fat stores.¹⁸
• Muscle Loss: Instead of burning fat, your body may use muscle tissue for energy, especially during prolonged calorie restriction, because muscle is more metabolically active and requires more calories to maintain.
  • While a pound of fat burns only 2 to 3 calories daily, a pound of muscle burns around 6 to 10 calories daily.¹⁹
  • In times of perceived scarcity, your body might opt to conserve energy by breaking down muscle tissue rather than fat.

But you can prevent this by teaching your body that holding onto fat is unnecessary through consistent nourishment and proper exercise.

How? You do this by training your body to expect fuel at regular times.

Consistent meal times stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day, and your body gets used to this pattern.

With each consistent meal you provide, you enable your incredible body, the master alchemist, to transform the fuel you consume, shedding the old layers of fat and revealing a leaner you.

Your body is incredibly adaptive—when you set a regular meal pattern and teach it to expect fuel consistently, it will respond accordingly, helping you move towards your weight loss goals.

How to Release Your Body Fat

If you take away one idea from this article, consider this one:

• Establish a regular meal pattern of healthy eating habits.

Eating regular meals will make your body more willing to release fat.²⁰

Three meals and a snack worked wonders for me.

I dropped 20 pounds in 3 months, and after introducing weightlifting to my routine, the transformation accelerated to 75 pounds in 6 months.²¹

Today, I maintain this weight loss.

You have to experiment a bit to see what works for you.

But clearly, having a regular meal routine is the foundation of your body transformation.

You might need three meals and a snack or two snacks.

Make sure that your body gets some fuel every 3 or 4 hours.²²

Never Be Hungry

You should never feel hungry.

While it might seem tempting to fast and skip meals in hopes of burning fat faster, this approach can backfire.

Fasting can lead to muscle loss, dehydration, and, worse, a potential binge when you finally eat again.

Instead of shedding fat, you might only lose water weight and muscle tissue.

The better approach is to establish a regular meal pattern—whether that’s eating 3, 4, or 5 times daily—so your body knows when to expect food.

This consistency helps your metabolism function optimally and supports sustainable fat loss.

Take a moment now to plan your meal times based on your daily schedule.

Setting specific meal times is crucial to reaching your weight loss goals.

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Step 2: Get Up and Move

Another key to sustainable weight loss is incorporating regular movement into your daily routine.

A simple 30-minute walk each day is a great start to burning calories.

To lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit—burning more calories than you consume each day.

Once you’ve established your regular meal times, adding physical activity to your routine is important to help your body burn more energy.

Is the best way to do this by starving yourself or eating less?

Absolutely not.

Your body needs energy to function correctly, and your brain relies on glucose to think, remember, and learn.

Should you rely solely on protein powders instead of real food?

Again, the answer is no.

While protein powders can help build and repair muscle, they should not replace the essential carbohydrates your body needs for energy.

The most effective way to burn fat is to train your body with regular movement.

Incorporating exercise into your routine signals your body to use energy, which can help shed excess fat.

Your Body is Built to Move

Sitting around all day signals to your body that minimal energy is required.

But when you engage in 30 minutes of cardio five times a week, your body starts to understand that it needs to burn fat for energy.

Aim for moderate-intensity cardio, around 65% to 75% of your target heart rate to maximize fat burning.

How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate:

1. Subtract your age from 220 to get your maximum heart rate.
2. Multiply that number by 0.65 to find the lower end of your target heart rate.
3. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.75 to find the upper end of your target heart rate.

For example, if you’re 50 years old:

• 220 – 50 = 170 (maximum heart rate)
• 170 x 0.65 = 110 beats per minute (lower end)
• 170 x 0.75 = 128 beats per minute (upper end)

So, for effective fat burning, aim to keep your heart rate between 110 and 128 beats per minute during your cardio sessions.

The key takeaway: Burn fat by asking your body to burn more calories through movement.

Make it a priority to do some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 to 6 times a week.

(American Heart Association, CDC, World Health Organization)

Your physical activity can include:

• Treadmill
• Elliptical
• Assault bike
• Rebounding
• Calisthenic exercises like pushups and pullups
• Rucking
• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Basic barbell strength training

Before starting, please complete the CSEP PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) and consult your physician to ensure you’re ready to exercise.

Don’t Eat Less — Establish an Eating Schedule and Move More

You’ve probably heard that weight loss boils down to just four words: eat less, move more.

While this idea has some truth, it doesn’t offer a clear, actionable plan.

What does eat less mean to someone who is significantly overweight or struggling with weight loss?

People might say, “I hardly eat anything today, but I still can’t lose weight!”

Sound familiar?

Maybe you’ve even said it yourself—I know I have.

Telling someone who already feels like they’re eating very little to eat less isn’t helpful.

Establishing a consistent eating schedule, as recommended in Step 1, paired with regular physical activity, is far more effective.

Your body knows it will be fueled at set intervals when you eat regular meals.

Combine this with increased energy demands through movement—whether it’s cardio, strength training, or stretching—and your body will begin to release stored fat to meet those energy needs.

Strength training, in particular, plays a crucial role because maintaining muscle requires more energy.

By building a strong, active body, you create the conditions that encourage sustainable fat loss.

Don’t Starve to Burn Fat — Start Moving!

Burning fat through consistent movement is far more beneficial for your body than depriving it of food.

When you starve yourself, you rob your body of the energy it needs to function correctly.

Your body, which works tirelessly to keep you healthy, deserves better.

Rather than skipping meals or dramatically cutting calories, focus on fueling your body regularly (as mentioned in Step 1) and incorporating physical activity into your routine.

You’ll burn fat and protect your muscle mass, improve your metabolism, and feel more energized.

Make it a priority to establish a movement routine at least 5-6 days a week.

And remember, it’s equally important to give your body at least one day of rest each week for recovery.

Now, you’ve established two pillars of sustainable weight loss:

1. Regular meal patterns keep your body nourished.
2. Consistent physical activity keeps your body energized and burning fat.

How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months by Walking

Many people wonder if losing 20 pounds in 3 months is possible without intense exercise.

The good news? Yes, it is.

Walking can be your solution if you’re not a fan of gyms, lifting weights, or intense workouts.

Walking is a simple, accessible way to alter your body composition and start burning calories.

By incorporating a 30-minute walk into your daily routine, you can begin to see significant changes.

Find opportunities throughout your day to walk, such as:

• Walking to the bus stop or train station
• Listening to an audiobook or a favorite playlist while walking
• Practicing mindfulness or gratitude during your walk
• Taking a stroll to the store or around your neighborhood

If you’ve been more sedentary than usual or under increased stress, now is not the time to reach for unhealthy snacks.

Instead, commit to a daily walk, and watch your body begin to transform.

Even if you’re indoors or live in a climate that makes outdoor walks challenging, indoor options such as an air bike, treadmill, or elliptical can offer the same benefits.

No gym is needed—just consistent walking and healthier food choices.

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Step 3: Real Food is Your Friend — Clean Eating

The fuel you give your body matters when it comes to weight loss.

Carbohydrates, especially those from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, are the preferred energy source.

In many cultures, traditional carbohydrates have been staples for centuries:

• Asia: Rice is a primary fuel source.
• India: Dal Bat, a combination of rice and lentils, is common.
• South America: Sweet potatoes and beans are widely consumed.
• Europe: Potatoes and buckwheat (Kasha) are staples.
• Middle East: Pita bread and hummus provide energy and nutrition.

The point? Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy.

Natural, unprocessed foods are powerful tools in your weight loss journey.

Stick to these wholesome options, and your body will thrive.

Are Carbs Bad?

You may have heard people claim they need to avoid carbs to lose weight.

But cutting out carbs entirely can leave you feeling weak, hungry, and deprived—something I’ve experienced firsthand.

The truth is, carbs aren’t evil—you just need to eat them in moderation and pair them with movement.

Carbs provide essential fuel, especially for your brain, which uses about half of the glucose in your body.

Instead of demonizing carbs, balance them in your diet.

Protein for Building, Not Fuel

While carbohydrates are your energy source, protein is essential for building and repairing tissues.

Don’t rely on protein for energy; instead, eat it to help your muscles recover and grow, especially if you are incorporating strength training into your routine.

Here’s a quick guideline:

• Carbohydrates should make up 45% to 65% of your daily calories.
• Protein should comprise 10% to 35% of your calories.
• You need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.

You can easily meet your daily protein needs with whole foods.

For example, a cup of oatmeal has around 7 grams of protein, two tablespoons of peanut butter provide 8 grams, and a cup of lentils offers 16 grams.

While protein powders are convenient, they aren’t necessary if you include balanced, protein-rich meals like these.

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Step 4: Meal Suggestions and Template

The key to eating healthy and losing weight is to keep it simple.

No need for fancy recipes or complicated meal plans—just real food, real meals, and a routine that works for you.

Below are some easy meal ideas to get started, plus a flexible meal template so you can mix and match based on what you like.

What’s a Good Breakfast?

• A cup of oatmeal with berries or a banana
• Greek yogurt with nuts and fresh fruit
• A sprouted grain muffin or whole wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced fruit
• And, of course, the Hashi Mashi breakfast that helped me lose 75 pounds in 6 months—a vegetable omelet with avocado and hummus

What’s a good breakfast for weight loss? Hashi Mashi!

How about Lunch?

• Whole wheat pita with hummus, vegetables, and grilled chicken or tuna
• A vegetable soup with whole-grain pasta or brown rice
• A turkey or tuna sandwich with leafy greens on whole-grain bread

Simple turkey sandwich with avocado – Simple lunch

Any Snacks?

• A banana or apple with a handful of raw almonds
• Plain yogurt or a hard-boiled egg
• Raw vegetables and hummus

And What’s for Dinner?

• Grilled salmon or chicken with roasted vegetables and quinoa or sweet potato
• Stir-fried vegetables with tofu or lean protein, served with brown rice or buckwheat kasha
• A hearty lentil or bean soup with a side of cooked vegetables

Beans, Chicken, and Spinach

Easy Meal Template

Use this basic template to guide your meal choices, making it easier to stick with healthy eating:

• Morning: Fruit and whole grains, paired with a protein like eggs or yogurt.
• Afternoon: A vegetable-based dish with a protein like chicken, fish, or beans and a whole grain like brown rice or quinoa.
• Snack: A combination of fruit and nuts for energy and satiety.
• Evening: A light dinner with vegetables, a lean protein, and a whole grain or starchy vegetable like sweet potato.

Avoid eating after 7 or 8 pm to help digestion and sleep quality.

Hydration: Drink plenty of water—2 liters for women and 3 liters for men daily, as NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) recommends.

Staying hydrated helps prevent overeating and keeps your body functioning optimally.²³

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Step 5: Your Stomach Is Not Meant to Be Full

Most people eat until they are completely full, but that habit is one of the biggest reasons for weight gain.

Your stomach is not designed to be stuffed—it’s designed to feel satisfied, not overloaded.

Think of your body like a high-performance vehicle.

When you overfill the gas tank, it spills over, wastes fuel, and damages efficiency.

The same happens when you eat too much.

When you eat until full, your body must expend extra energy to digest excess food, and that energy usually gets stored as fat.

This is especially true when you consume more calories than your body can burn.

Eat Until You Are Satisfied, Not Stuffed

One of the simplest and most powerful habits you can adopt is stopping when you feel 80% full.

This practice, called Hara Hachi Bu in Okinawan culture, is linked to longer life and lower body weight.

It teaches your body to recognize satiety signals before you reach the point of discomfort.

When you eat slowly and mindfully, your brain has time to register that your stomach is satisfied.

This usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes, so eating too quickly tricks you into thinking you’re still hungry.

Try this:

• Take smaller bites and chew thoroughly.
• Put your fork down between bites.
• Drink water before and during meals.
• Pause halfway through your plate and ask, “Am I still hungry or just eating because food is here?”

You’ll be surprised how often you find that you’ve had enough.

The 80% Rule in Action

Applying the 80% rule isn’t about restriction—it’s about awareness.

When you stop before you’re full, you allow your digestive system to process food efficiently and avoid the fatigue that often follows heavy meals.

Instead of feeling bloated, you’ll feel light, alert, and energized.

Over time, this small habit dramatically affects your waistline and overall health.

Your metabolism improves, your blood sugar stabilizes, and your body learns to trust that it will always receive nourishment—so it no longer clings to fat for survival.

Respect Hunger and Satiety

Learning to listen to your hunger cues is one of the most important skills for long-term weight management.

Eat when you’re truly hungry, not when you’re bored, anxious, or tired.

Drink a glass of water before meals—many people mistake thirst for hunger.

And remember this simple rule:

• Eat when you’re hungry.
• Stop when you’re satisfied.

Your body will reward you for it with better energy, digestion, and fat loss.

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My Weight Loss Transformation

Below is a side-by-side comparison of my progress.

The first image was taken when I started my journey on June 21, 2012.

The following photo shows the changes after following these steps for six months.

6-Month Weight Loss Transformation

Here’s a little secret: My hair was dyed in the ‘before’ picture.

But six months later, I no longer felt the need to hide the gray.

Getting leaner and stronger with real food and simple exercise gave me a confidence boost that no amount of hair dye ever could.

Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months – Summary

Establish your baseline

Get on a body composition scale, know your weight, and mark it down today.

1. Establish a regular meal pattern routine—three meals and one or two snacks daily, about three hours apart.

2. Start moving on a treadmill or walking—at least 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobic exercise, 5–6 times a week.

• Add deadlifts, squats, pushups, and jumping rope once you have lost enough weight and start weight training.
• Deadlifts work more muscles than just about any other exercise.
• And people of all ages can learn how to deadlift.
• Weightlifting requires only a small area and minimal equipment—most gyms have what you need.
• With a small amount of equipment, you can also set up a home deadlift studio in your basement or garage.

3. Real food (not processed) is your friend—even carbs.

• Stick to real food: vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, fruit, nuts, and seeds.

4. Use the meal template to create your menu.

• Instead of dieting or restricting, “crowd out” junk food by focusing on real food.

5. Eat up to two-thirds of your stomach’s capacity.

• Overeating creates a state of being overweight and acts like poison to your body.
• Don’t forget to measure your weight loss progress with a body composition scale daily.
• PS—Please share this article, How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months, with your family and friends!

Wrapping Up: How to Lose 20 lbs in 3 Months

Invest in and help yourself maintain a healthy weight for your height over the long term.

Can you lose 20 pounds in 3 months? Absolutely!

If you follow these five steps, you will be surprised how great you feel after only 30 days, let alone three months.

This article teaches you how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months — or four months if needed.

Once you feel more comfortable with your body weight, you can increase strength training.

Building muscle while losing a significant amount of weight will help reshape your body.

Losing weight alone will not transform your body shape.

To dramatically change your body, you need to build muscle.

The deadlift is one of the best ways to build muscle fast and even change your life.

Once you are ready to deadlift, use this beginner deadlift workout routine and 12-week program.

You do not need a barbell to deadlift—you can also use resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, or a trap bar.

What’s Next

Once you start losing weight, you will want to get leaner and stronger. Weightlifting is one of the most effective ways to build muscle and achieve both goals.

But which exercises should you focus on?

Find out why deadlifts are so good — they’re almost all you need to transform your body.

Related Posts:

• 7 Deadlift Fat Loss Results You Need to Know
• 15 Magical Benefits of Losing 20 Pounds
• The Top 15 Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work
• 27 Sensational Ways How Deadlifts Change Your Body
• Walking for Weight Loss Plan: Advantages, Benefits + How-To
• How to Weight Lift for Weight Loss: A Plan That Works

Footnotes:

1. Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index, United States 1960–2002 — CDC Advanced Data
2. What is Cardiovascular Disease? — American Heart Association
3. Type 2 Diabetes — American Diabetes Association
4. High Blood Pressure — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
5. Stroke — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
6. Obesity and Cancer: How Are They Connected? — American Cancer Society
7. Depression — National Institute of Mental Health
8. Osteoarthritis — Arthritis Foundation
9. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease — American Liver Foundation
10. Obesity and Kidney Disease — National Kidney Foundation
11. Defining Obesity — National Academy of Sports Medicine BMI Calculator
12. Obesity Definition — NASM
13. The Hamwi Method for Calculating Ideal Body Weight — NIH
14. Can Weight Loss Reverse Type 2 Diabetes? — Verywell Health
15. Attempts to Lose Weight Among Adults — CDC
16. Healthy Weight and Growth — CDC
17. Counting Calories — Mayo Clinic
18. Is “Starvation Mode” Real? — Healthline
19. How Many Calories Does Muscle Really Burn? — Verywell Fit
20. Meal Frequency and Timing in Health and Disease — NIH
21. Effects of Exercise on Body Composition — NIH
22. Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan — Mayo Clinic
23. Monitoring Hydration Levels — NASM
24. The Stomach — LibreTexts Medicine
25. How Does the Stomach Work — InformedHealth.org
26. Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De’ot 4:15 — Sefaria
27. What Happens When You Overeat? — MD Anderson Cancer Center