How to Lose 40 Pounds in 2 Months

Dropping 40 pounds in two months is no easy feat. It takes self-discipline, determination, and consistency to lose this much weight in such a short period. If you have the necessary resolve and willpower, our tips will help you achieve your goal.

In this article, we provide tips on diet and exercise, give you an 8-week step-by-step guide to losing 40lbs, share ideas on losing weight without exercise, and break down the reality behind metabolism. There’s something for everyone here no matter your current fitness level.

If you are ready to lose those extra pounds, let’s get to it!

18+ Helpful Tips On How to Lose 40 Pounds in 2 Months

General Weight Loss Tips

Losing weight is about more than just diet and exercise. There are other tools the will help you lose weight and keep yourself on track.

Weigh Yourself

Before going all out, the first step is to check how much you weigh. Simply step on a calibrated scale, and write down your current weight. This step is crucial to weight loss because it will help you track your progress better, and come up with tangible ways about how to lose 40 pounds in 2 months. The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning before you consume anything, and with little or no clothing on. Also, it is best to check your weight weekly rather than daily. This way we are less inclined to feel disappointed if our weight change is not immediate.

Commit to Change

The hardest part of the weight loss journey is staying committed to your decision. You have probably told yourself countless times that you will lose weight, but never really followed through. But if you are asking yourself “how can I lose 40 pounds quickly?”, committing yourself to change means being willing to sacrifice everything unhealthy in your life and exchanging it for something your body needs.

Tell your friends and family about your goals and ask them to encourage you through the process. Use social media to share your goal and progress to remind yourself of the commitment. Finally, beyond just the goal of losing 40 pounds in 2 months, set yourself a reward. Committing to this kind of change deserves a celebration when you finish, doesn’t it?

Join a Weight Loss Program

Some people may need guidance throughout their weight loss journey. There are organizations that offer weight loss programs to teach people how to live a healthier lifestyle without feeling deprived. Some programs prepare low-calorie meals for you, while others will teach you how to prepare healthy meals. Those are secondary steps though. This is a plan you can comfortably manage on your own, provided you remain steadfast on your commitment.

Keep a Journal

Studies show that people who use a journal to track their calorie intake lose more weight and keep it off than those who do not. This is because writing down everything you put in your mouth will make you feel more accountable to every decision that you make. It also helps you notice the patterns in your diet, and to see which changes are working. Alternatively, download an easy-to-use health app for your mobile.

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated is important in weight loss and in maintaining a healthy body. Water keeps your body systems in top shape. Your stomach is kept full in between meals keeping your mind off casual snacking.

Diet Tips to Lose Weight

We are what we eat. A key component of weight loss is we need to consume less and burn more. But what is good to eat and what isn’t? Are there strategies we can use to help us manage our diets or do we just have to starve? Check out the following tips about eating.

Plan Your Meals

If you do nothing else, planning out your daily meals will help you control the food you have around you. By having a plan, you avoid the mid-afternoon crunch of trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. This is also a great way to manage food costs and ensure you aren’t overbuying ‘just in case’. It also gives you a shopping list for your run to the grocery store so you aren’t simply wandering the isles and impulse shopping. Bonus tip: go grocery shopping after a meal to help avoid ‘hunger shopping’.

Eat Less Carbs, and More Lean Proteins

According to research, eating a low-card diet is one of the most effective ways of losing weight and improving your health. Cutting down on carbs reduces water weight and bloating, and that explains why people who start their weight loss journey with a low-carb diet start noticing results in as little as two days.

On the other hand, eating plenty of proteins helps reduce appetite while at the same time boosting your metabolism.

From the first week, eliminate or reduce starchy carbs and sugars as much as possible. Replace them with low-carb vegetables, while increasing intake of lean meats, eggs, and fish. You may consider increasing the amount of proteins in your diet, for example, adding a tablespoon of hemp or chia seeds to your breakfast cereals.

Drink Unsweetened Coffee and Green Tea

A study found that caffeinated coffee supports weight loss by raising energy levels and calorie burning. It boosts metabolism by between 3 and 11 percent. Besides, coffee contains almost zero calories and will make you feel fuller without eating.

Green tea, on the other hand, helps in fat burning and overall weight loss. It raises energy levels and burns up harmful belly fat by up to 17 percent.

Eat Raw Fruits or Veggies Before Every Meal

Consume at least two raw fruits and/or veggies before every meal to help you feel fuller without the guilt. Doing so will make you eat less during meal time without making you feel hungry right after. Fruit juices do not count because they are high in sugar and contain empty calories that will only make you gain weight. If eating raw fruits and/or vegetables is not possible, then you can drink a glass of fresh vegetable juice.

Split Your Food Intake into Four 300-Calorie Meals a Day

Remember, your goal is to find out how to lose 40 pounds which means we’re going to have to reduce our food intake. However, a good tip is to break up your meals into smaller 300-ish calorie meals 2 to 4 hours apart. You can eat less than four meals a day, but make sure that you do not go beyond that. The main reason behind this incredible tip is that you are consuming less per day without feeling hungry in between. This will help you avoid binge eating because you are never hungry.

Cut Down Your Calorie Intake

Remember, your goal is to find out how to lose 40 pounds which means we’re going to have to reduce our food intake. Weight loss is 80 percent diet, and 20 percent exercise. The less food you eat; the more pounds you will lose.

Starvation, however, is off the list as it will only lead you to binge eat and fail. Depriving yourself of food for too long can have the reverse effect on weight loss over the long term. Sticking to around 1,200 calories should see the weight come off consistently, especially when combined with the other tips in this article.

A simple trick to help stick to your calorie goal and avoid overeating is to break up your meals into smaller 300-ish calorie meals 2 to 4 hours apart. You can eat less than four meals a day, but make sure that you do not go beyond that. The main reason behind this incredible tip is that you are consuming less per day without feeling hungry in between. This will help you avoid binge eating because you are never hungry.

Another simple suggestion to reduce your calorie intake is to eliminate condiments and sauces. These calorie-dense food products may add flavor but they are often full of sodium and sugars. If you want to enhance your food’s flavor introduce some spices.

Eat Whole Foods Only and Avoid Processed Junk

When trying to lose weight fast, it helps to eat simple diets made up of whole foods. Whole foods are naturally filling, and will make it easier for you to eat less calories without going too hungry.

Ensure that you eat mostly single-ingredient whole foods, and avoid foods that are processed.

Choose Home Cooked Meals Over Eating Out

There is no room for error when you have a goal to lose 40 pounds in just two months. You’re already watching what you eat, so why would you eat a meal prepared with unknown ingredients?

Eating out can destroy your diet easily. Choose to eat home-cooked meals as you have control over the ingredients and serving sizes. It will also help you save more money in the long run. Make sure to keep each meal balanced with the right amount of fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

If you do want to enjoy a meal out during this period, keep it simple. Look for meals with lots of vegetables or high in protein. If there are sauces, ask they be on the side or not included at all. And definitely avoid the carbs and starches.

Try Intermittent Fasting

Another popular option is intermittent fasting. This framework attempts to mimic our ancestors’ hunter-gatherer eating cycles where food is not always available. The theory is that our bodies are designed to support us through times of food scarcity, thus we gain weight. By frequently introducing short periods of fasting, we force our bodies to use the stored fat on our bodies.

Intermittent fasting has three common methods:

• 16/8 – Pick 8 hours in which you eat (e.g. noon-8pm) and you fast for the other 16 hours.
• 5:2 – you consume half the calories you need 2 days a week (e.g. if your calorie goal is 1200 per day, you would only eat 600 calories twice a week).
• 24 hours – Once or twice a week you fast for 24 hrs.

The trick to this is to avoid binge eating during the non-fasting periods. This is why it is useful to set a calorie goal and manage towards that on a daily basis. If you can keep your calories consistent, then this can be a good way to get your body to start using its stored fat for fuel.

Exercise Tips to Lose Weight

Muscles are more active metabolically and burn more calories than fat does. So it stands to reason that if we strengthen our muscles, we will burn more calories. This doesn’t mean you need to become a competitive weight lifter, but the more activity you can add to your day, the faster you will lose that 40 pounds. Here are some tips to get you back in the habit.

Exercise at Least 5 Days a Week

Exercising regularly at a local gym or at home will help you burn more calories and fire up your metabolism. It is so effective for weight loss that you continue to burn calories even hours after your exercise. However, bear in mind that exercising alone will not make you lose weight.

You’ll need to be a lot more active when you’re not exercising at the gym in order to burn some extra calories. Your activity throughout the day plays a key role in weight loss.

For example, there is a huge difference between a job requiring manual labor and sitting at a desk job regarding calorie burning. You can burn up to 1,000 calories doing a manual job, which is not the case at an office desk.

If your life is mostly sedentary, to burn more calories you’ll need to adopt some simple changes in your lifestyle. Walk or bike to work, take regular walks outside, use the stairs more, and stand more during the day. Target at least 30 minutes of continuous activity each day and you’ll end up burning more calories effortlessly.

Weight gain is a rather complex procedure which could be as a result a combination of hormonal controls, genetic makeup, environmental factors, diet composition, and so much more.

But while some people may lose weight more quickly than others, everyone can lose weight if they consume less calories than they burn. The idea is to create an energy void by taking in fewer calories, or burning more through physical activity. To lose weight faster, you should consider both.

Lift Weights More Often

By the fourth and fifth weeks, you will have lost a measurable amount of weight. Your body will be tired, but now you can include more energy-giving supplements in your diet because you’re burning a lot more calories. It is time to step up, not relax. You set a goal to lose 40 pounds in 2 months, it’s time to amp things up.

Weight lifting is a form of resistance training which leads to weight loss in much the same way as aerobic training. It helps you maintain or add muscle mass and strength. Increase the intensity of your workouts by gradually increasing the amount of weight or adding more repetitions. You can also look at variations on different lifts or by using resistance bands instead of weights.

Remember, weight lifting is only a part of your regimen. Continue to include other workouts targeting the whole body. Full-body training workouts also help lower your body’s carb deposits and water weight, leading to a quick weight decline.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Another quick weight loss fix is high-intensity interval training. Engaging in 5 to 10 minutes of HIIT is five times more effective than regular exercise. Like lifting weights, HIIT quickly reduces muscle carb stores and boosts metabolism and fat-burning hormones, which are essential aspects of weight loss.

HIIT is basically taking a normal cardio routine but doing it as intensely as possible in short sprints. HIIT can be performed up to four times a week as part of your training plan, but it requires you to give 100% while you’re doing it. Safe sprints, however, should not last beyond 30 seconds.

You can try the following protocols which can be done outdoors, on a treadmill, rower, or a cardio machine.

• Sprint 1: 10 x 20 seconds with 40-second rests
• Sprint 2: 15 x 15 seconds with 30-second rests
• Sprint 3: 7 x 30 seconds with 60-second rests
• Sprint 4: 20 x 10 seconds with 20-second rests

Low-Intensity Training: Long and Slow

Maybe HIIT isn’t for you or strenuous exercise isn’t possible. No problem. Low-intensity training works just as well, but you just need to work at it longer. For instance, going for a short run or walking the same distance, the difference in energy usage isn’t huge because a brisk walk takes longer. Time evens things out.

So even if you aren’t able to go for a 5k run, try going for a brisk walk. Or try doing slow laps in a pool. The important thing is to get your body moving. Find activities you enjoy and that fit into your daily routine. Low-intensity exercise is a great way to help build up your endurance and keep your body moving.

And if you do enjoy the high-intensity workouts, don’t forget to add in a bit of low-intensity training. It helps your body recover from its exertions while also keeping your joints and muscles working.

Four Workout Strategies

We’re not all created equal in our time or our ability to complete a workout. Here are four strategies you can employ to get your body working on a regular basis:

• Perform any high-intensity workout for 20 to 40 minutes, twice a day, four days a week;
• Busy people can perform the workout for only 10 minutes, but should be done up to six times a day, and at least four days a week;
• Try out a sport, like swimming or cycling, as long as the workouts involved is intense;
• If high-intensity training isn’t possible, look at low-intensity options and do them as long as possible several days a week.

The Link Between Metabolism and Weight Loss

People often blame their weight on a slow metabolism, but is metabolism responsible? And if so, how can you rev it up to get more calories burned?

Metabolism and weight are linked, but contrary to what most people have been made to believe, weight gain is rarely caused by a slow metabolism. Your basic energy needs are directly influenced by metabolism, but it is what and how you eat and drink, and your physical activities that determine your weight.

Metabolism can be defined as the process by which the body converts food into energy through a complex biochemical process. Calories present in foods and drinks combine with oxygen to release the energy needed for the body to function optimally.

Individual basal metabolism is determined by several factors, including:

• Age – The amount of muscle will decrease with age and fat will begin to account for most of your weight, reducing the amount of calories your body will burn.
• Sex – Men naturally burn more calories than women because they have tend to have more muscle and less body fat.
• Body size – Larger individuals or people with more muscles will burn more calories.

The point is that your metabolism isn’t the sole contributor to your weight gain or loss. What our metabolism tells us is that as we get older and more out of shape, the harder it will be to lose weight and keep it off. Thus, once you’ve put in the effort to take off those 40lbs it is in your best interest to do your best to maintain the new lifestyle.

How to Lose 40 Pounds in 2 Months – Weekly Breakdown

The following weight loss plan is not safe to be followed beyond the given time frame, and is not recommended for persons with anorexia or other eating disorders or people with pre-existing conditions. The idea here is to shift your diet and ramp up your exercise in 8-weeks and isn’t necessarily sustainable beyond that period. Follow this plan at your own risk and listen to your body to avoid doing yourself injury.

That being said, let’s get into our 8-week weight loss plan!

Week 1

The first week is always the toughest, but the most crucial one which will make or break you. You’ll be subjecting your body to a totally new schedule, therefore, it is the decisions you make this week which will determine whether you can lose at least 10 pounds during the first two weeks.

So how do you start to lose 40 pounds quickly? There are a series of adjustments you’ll need to make to ensure you start on the right footing.

• Add proteins to your diet
• Eat whole, single-ingredient foods only
• Reduce intake of added sugar
• Drink lots of water
• Drink unsweetened coffee and green tea
• Eat a low-carb diet in small servings
• Do daily light training like jogging, walking, or cycling for at least 30 minutes

Track everything you eat or do in your journal. Don’t worry about stepping on the scale daily, leave that for a weekly check-in.

Week 2

The second week presents you with an opportunity to see how far you’ve come. Identify what has been working for you, and what has not. Build on the successes of the first week, but it is important that you do not become complacent.

Step on the scale and see what has changed. Update your journal and identify things you could have done better in the first week. Your eating habits must continue at this point and so should your exercises. However, a little more intensity is needed now that your body and muscles have been flexed:

• Add even more proteins in your diet
• Get rid of added sugars completely
• Continue your daily walking, jogging, or cycling for at least 30 minutes
• Include a 30-minute strength building workout either at home or at the gym
• Maintain a low-carb diet
• Keep yourself hydrated

Weeks 3 and 4

Congratulations! You made it through the hardest part of this 2 months. Two weeks are enough to get your body ready for an even more extensive regimen.

However, your goal is to lose 40 pounds in 2 months, therefore, it’s not time to let off the gas yet!

• In addition to your 30-minute walk/jog/cycle and 30-minutes of strength building, add 30 minutes of cardiovascular and resistance training
• Eat more fiber to help you with faster digestion and bacteria balance in your gut
• If you’re not getting adequate protein from diet alone, you can try whey protein supplements
• Consider including more spices in your diet such as Turmeric, Cayenne pepper, Cumin, and more.
• Try Lactobacillus based probiotics as there is some evidence they may help with weight loss.

Weeks 5 – 8

You’ve completed the first month! Well done, but the journey continues. Your body will have built up more muscle by now, and you’ll have adapted to the routine changes. Keep in mind, proteins remain king in weight loss. The next month is keeping up with everything you’ve done in the first month and do whatever you can to take it to the next level.

• Hit the gym like never before
• Gradually increase the weights used during strength training
• Do more high-intensity interval training
• Eat homemade foods only (exclusively proteins)
• Stay hydrated

Weeks 9+

That’s two months done! How do you feel? Did you achieve your goal? Whether you achieved your goal or not, consider the work you put in and keep going. Your body is leaner, meaner and ready to take you further.

How to Lose 40 Pounds in 2 Months WITHOUT Exercise

Regimented workout plans can be a real challenge for people with busy schedules or if physical exercise is not possible. Or perhaps you’re starting from a body size where exercise is dangerous so you need to shed some weight to even start exercising. In this case, how do you lose 40 pounds fast without exercise?

It is possible, but it will not be as fast as incorporating exercise into your plan. Wherever possible, it is highly recommended to add some muscle strengthening exercises because muscle burns more calories than fat. It can be as simple as using some 5lb dumbbells to do arm lifts or some ankle weights to practice leg lifts from the sofa. Anything you can do is better than nothing.

However, if exercise is out of the question, then alongside the eating habits mentioned above, such as eating less calories, breaking your calories into smaller meals more frequently, and intermittent fasting, try the following tips.

Eat more fiber

Find fiber in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Unlike other foods, fiber is not digested in the small intestine, instead, it is moved to the large intestines where it gets fermented.

The benefits of fermentation to the body include;

• Slows digestion
• Increases fullness
• Prevents constipation
• Increases nutrient absorption and food transit time

For a quicker, healthier weight loss, consider eating fruits regularly, adding whole grains in your diet, and eating plenty of vegetables.

Tip: The skin in most vegetables is highly beneficial, as long as it is washed thoroughly before cooking.

Try probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria that help the body in digestion. A study conducted recently revealed that there are links between the brain function and gut, and also goes on to suggest that probiotics highly influence fat, weight, mass, and mood. They can also help in the prevention and management of obesity.

Probiotics are available naturally in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, kombucha, and miso.

Adding sugar, or diets that are high on sugar and fat alters the bacteria balance in the gut, minimizing the amount of good bacteria.

Get enough sleep

The value of sleep is underrated, especially for people in a rapid weight loss plan. Experts advising on how to lose 40 pounds within a short period emphasize the importance of adequate sleep.

A good night sleep is crucial for health maintenance and general health, while poor sleep causes disruption of essential hormones, including those responsible for metabolism. Ensure you get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

Reduce stress

High stress levels are also responsible for disrupting your hormonal balance. Stress triggers the body to produce glucocorticoids, hormones that increase a person’s appetite leading you to eat a lot and gain weight.

To avoid stress, try the following methods;

• Spend more time outdoors
• Stretch regularly
• Practice meditation
• Reduce intake of caffeine
• Avoid non-essential commitments
• Try yoga

Get more vitamin D

People with low vitamin D are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or even obese. Besides these conditions, other conditions linked to vitamin D deficiency include;

• Depression and anxiety
• Metabolic syndrome
• Types 1 and 2 diabetes
• Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

Get sufficient amounts of vitamin D from the natural sun as well as from some foods such as fatty fish, specific mushrooms, egg yolks, and fortified foods.

Important Reminders

The amount of weight that you will lose, and the length of time it will take will vary from person to person. People who are carrying more body fat may lose the first 20lbs in as little as three weeks. People with more existing muscle may find it harder to shed weight as they get stronger. There is no perfect one-program-fits-all solution for weight loss as we all start from different places.

Regardless of what happens (or doesn’t happen) in the first few weeks, your goal should be consistency in your approach to losing weight and strengthening your body. With consistency, you will be less likely to rebound after the 2 months are complete because you will feel better and you’ll find yourself looking forward to your daily physical routine.

Bottom Line on Losing 40lbs in 2 Months

If you wanted to know how to lose 40 pounds in 2 months, we hope this article has given you inspiration and a roadmap to getting there. We applaud your goal and hope you will continue to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. As you will have learned, losing 40lbs in such a short period is challenging, but completely doable. If you keep your focus, avoid trying to go full out on day one, and maintain a consistent balance throughout your journey, your body will be a different animal in the end!

Finally, listen to your body. If what you are doing is causing unnecessary pain or suffering, then stop before you do permanent damage. Also, if you have any preexisting condition(s), check with your doctor before you engage in any form of aggressive weight loss or training.

Here’s to your health and your re-energized body!

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