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Fitness and nutrition experts explain how to lose 40 pounds for good
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You’ve decided to lose 40 pounds—a substantial goal, but one that’s completely doable with the right diet and exercise regimen (and some good old-fashioned consistency). In this article, we’ll explain how long it’ll take to lose 40 pounds and dive into the best diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes you can make to drop 40 pounds the healthy way—and keep it off for good. We also spoke to personal trainers, nutritionists, and fitness experts to give you the best advice to reach your goal. Keep scrolling to get started!

How to Drop 40 Pounds

To lose 40 pounds, maintain a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day while cutting sugar, simple carbs, and “bad” fats from your diet. Aim to get about 300 minutes of moderate cardio and do 3 strength training sessions per week. With these changes, you can lose 1-2 pounds a week (or 40 pounds in 5-10 months).

Section 1 of 6:

Dietary Changes to Lose 40 Pounds

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  1. 1
    Make permanent, healthy dietary changes instead of following fad diets. “What I don't encourage is something that has an end date,” says clinical nutritionist Tara Coleman. “So that means diets that say ‘I'm gonna do this for 30 days,’ or ‘I'm going to do this for X amount of time,’ or ‘as soon as I get to my goal weight, then I'm going to do something else.’ For the average person, something with an end date isn't a solution, to be perfectly honest.”
    • Registered clinical exercise physiologist Eric Martinez adds, “Find a diet that you enjoy, something that's healthy, that you enjoy eating, and you could do on a regular basis. Forcing yourself on a diet never works out. You want to find things that are healthy that you enjoy and do that more often.”
  2. 2
    Maintain a consistent caloric deficit to start dropping pounds. “Controlling your caloric intake is the number one way to lose weight. It is impossible to lose weight if you don't have that in place,” explains fitness trainer Laila Ajani. “For most females, [consuming] 1,300 calories a day would work if you’re doing some exercise. For males, 1,600 calories a day is often a deficit.” Generally, maintaining a deficit of 500 calories a day leads to losing ½ to 1 pound a week for most people. [1]
    • Remember, not all calories are created equal. “ Calorie counting without taking into consideration the quality of calories is a common mistake,” warns board-certified family medicine specialist Pouya Shafipour, MD, MS. Opt to ditch calories from junk food and sugar rather than complex carbs, protein, and fruits and vegetables.
    • For example, “If we’re talking about fat, [you] have to look at what [your] intake is calorie-wise, making sure that [you’re] eating foods that are low in fat and calories,” certified personal trainer Danny Gordon explains.
    • Warning: Do not eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 a day for men. This is the minimum recommended daily amount to maintain adequate nutrition and bodily functions. [2]
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  3. 3
    Keep track of your calorie intake with a tracking app. “I usually use an app. There are several good apps out there,” Ajani says. “My favorite is MyFitnessPal . It has a really big database so you can find a lot of foods at restaurants and frozen foods. You can also enter in your own recipes, so it's a really easy way to track calories.”
  4. 4
    Trade high-calorie, sugary drinks for water. “Sugar isn’t a food group, so go ahead and cut that one as best you can,” explains certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist Katie Dunlop. One super-easy way to do this is to swap sugary and/or high-calorie drinks like soda, sports drinks, and alcoholic beverages for water (it’s 0 calories and keeps you hydrated !). Other low-cal beverages, like tea or coffee without sugar or cream, are also A-OK.
  5. 5
    Swap simple carbs and sugar for complex, satiating carbohydrates. There are 2 types of carbs: simple carbohydrates (processed carbs with little nutritional value) and complex carbohydrates (minimally processed carbs that take longer to digest and are packed with fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins). Complex carbs keep you satiated for longer and provide more nutritional value, while simple carbs are digested much faster and can make your blood sugar spike. [3]
    • To lose weight, trade foods with simple carbs (like sugar, cookies, potato chips, and white bread) for ones with complex carbs (like whole-grain breads and pastas, starchy foods like potatoes, whole fruits, and oatmeal).
    • Does this mean you can never have sugar? No! “I usually recommend a 75/25 diet, meaning 75% of the diet is very healthy, and the other 25% leaves room for some reward foods such as dessert and alcohol,” explains Dr. Shafipour.
    • How many carbs do you need a day to lose weight? 45-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. If you’re eating 2,000 calories a day, for example, that’s 225 to 325 grams per day. [4]
    • However, everyone’s dietary needs are different. To find your ideal carb intake, use this Daily Recommended Intake calculator from the USDA.
  6. 6
    Get protein from lean sources like chicken, fish, and Greek yogurt. “Adding more protein to your diet can help boost your metabolism, burn more calories, and curb cravings,” Dunlop explains. Nutritious and lean protein sources include chicken, turkey, tuna, low-fat dairy products, soy products, nuts and seeds, beans, peas, and lentils. [5]
    • “Try to get your protein from your natural foods,” Ajani advises. “You're gonna have better absorption, and you don't have to spend money on protein drinks and shakes (the absorption is sometimes a little less with a liquid since it just goes through so quickly).”
    • How much protein do you need a day to lose weight? Aim to eat between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (.73 and 1 grams per pound). If you’re extremely overweight, base your daily intake on your goal weight. [6]
  7. 7
    Eat healthy fats from sources like salmon, seeds, and avocados. In addition to eating less fat, focus on the types of fat you’re consuming. “Good” fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while “bad” fats include trans fats and saturated fats. Here’s a breakdown of what you should and shouldn’t eat while you’re trying to lose weight: [7]
    • Fats sources to avoid: Packaged snacks and baked goods, stick margarine, vegetable shortening, fried foods, anything with hydrogenated vegetable oil, red meat, chicken skin, whole-fat dairy products, butter, ice cream, lard, and tropical oils (like coconut or palm).
    • Fat sources to include: Avocados, olives, nuts, peanut butter, healthy oils (like olive, canola, sesame, soybean, safflower, and peanut), seeds, fatty fish like salmon, soymilk, and tofu.
    • How much fat do you need per day to lose weight? Fats should make up 20-35% of your total daily calorie intake. [8] if you’re eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s 44 to 78 grams (there are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat).
  8. 8
    Add veggies to your plate to stay satiated and meet your nutritional needs. Registered dietitian Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN, suggests “adding more veggies to your plate to increase fiber intake. Fiber makes meals more satisfying, keeping you fuller for longer and helping to prevent cravings and grazing later on.” Plus, fresh produce like fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. Since you’re reducing calories, eating nutrient-dense foods is a must!
    • According to the USDA, about half of your plate at every meal should be made up of fruits and/or veggies. Focus on whole fruits and vary your vegetables for variety and nutrition. [9]
  9. 9
    Listen to your body and try to eat mindfully when you feel hungry. “Practice mindful eating when you eat your meals and snacks,” advises registered dietitian Amy Chow. “Slow down and enjoy your food. Avoid eating mindlessly and check in with yourself if you are actually hungry or just bored, stressed, or procrastinating.”
    • But, don’t try to “push through” true hunger all the time to save calories. According to obesity medicine physician Adrienne Youdim, MD, “The problem with ignoring hunger is that it compounds itself and when people wait too long and ignore their cues, they tend to get to a point of insatiable appetite,” which can lead to overeating.
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Section 2 of 6:

Exercising to Lose 40 Pounds

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  1. 1
    Aim for 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity cardio per week. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week to maintain your health. [10] “But if you’re trying to lose weight, you could go with 300 minutes weekly,” Martinez explains. To be moderate, your activity should elevate your heart rate, but still allow you to talk fairly normally.
    • Popular and effective forms of moderate cardio include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, or jogging.
    • Don’t try to push yourself too hard at first. “I recommend starting an exercise regimen of 15-30 minutes of exercise daily to improve cardiac health,” says Dr. Shafipour. “At the beginning of a weight loss program, I do not recommend intense exercise which can make people hungry and discouraged them from adhering to a diet.”
  2. 2
    Do strength training on 3 non-consecutive days per week. In addition to cardio, Martinez recommends “a minimum of three days a week of weight training at moderate intensity.” It’s important to give yourself a rest day between sessions, too. “I suggest people pick non-consecutive days for their lifting, like Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday,” adds Ajani. “Choose a time of day that works for your life, and put in 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or an hour—whatever you can afford in terms of time—and stick with it.”
    • Even though muscle weighs more than fat, it burns more calories at rest, meaning it’ll help you shed weight from fat in the long run. [11]
    • According to Dunlop, “Weights do not make you bulky! Adding resistance or weights can increase your lean muscle mass which will lead to greater calorie burn and better results.”
    • Again, don’t try to overwork yourself. Personal trainer Kevin Richardson says, “I think anyone doing any kind of resistance training should have at least four days off, three days on.”
  3. 3
    Add more non-exercise movement into your daily routine. “A daily movement practice is essential,” explains lifestyle coach Alyssa Chang. “I’m a big believer that we should be moving our body every day. It could be 2 minutes to upwards of an hour.” Yoga educator Susana Jones, C-IAYT, agrees: “Moving the body in general has such a cleansing and circulation-boosting effect. People's systems start to operate better, people's metabolism stabilizes, people's muscle tone increases, and their physical ability increases.” Here are some easy ways to move more during the day:
    • Walking or cycling to places instead of driving.
    • Using the stairs instead of the elevator.
    • Doing some stretching or yoga in the morning or evening.
    • Parking far from an entrance to a building to add more steps to your day.
    • Going for a leisurely stroll.
  4. 4
    Create a workout schedule to plan your week. “Setting up a schedule and putting it in your calendar” is super useful for staying disciplined, Ajani says. “I just wake up and follow my calendar. If there’s a workout that day, I'm going to do it… Unfortunately, motivation isn't something that sticks around all the time. So, [a schedule] becomes a discipline that's going to keep you going.”
    • Use whichever calendar system works best for you. “I think most of us these days use some form of calendar. Maybe it's a paper calendar. I use Google Calendar,” Ajani adds.
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Section 3 of 6:

How long does it take to lose 40 pounds?

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  1. 1
    Losing 40 pounds takes 20-40 weeks when you do it the safe and healthy way. According to medical consensus, losing 1-2 pounds per week through diet and exercise is a safe and achievable rate that leads to successful long-term weight loss (AKA, you’re less likely to gain it all back when you lose it gradually with healthy habits). [12] This means that it’ll take about 20-40 weeks (5-10 months) to lose 40 pounds.
    • To lose 2 pounds in a week, you’ll need to maintain a daily calorie deficit of about 1,000 calories. This means you need to burn 1,000 more calories than you consume each day (3,500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat). [13] We’ll explain how to do this in the sections below!
  2. 2
    It’s challenging—and potentially unsafe—to lose weight at a faster rate. To lose 40 pounds in less than 5 months, you’ll need to maintain a daily caloric deficit of more than 1,000 calories. For example, to lose 40 pounds in 13-14 weeks (3 pounds per week), you’d need to burn about 1,500 more calories than you eat per day.
    • Losing more than 2 pounds a week may be doable for some people, but might be unsafe for others (and is challenging to maintain long-term for most people).
    • When your diet becomes too restrictive, you risk losing muscle mass, slowing down your metabolism (making it even harder to lose weight), and depriving yourself of nutrients you need to stay healthy. [14]
    • If you attempt a more intense weight loss plan, remember to listen to your body and increase your daily calories if you begin feeling chronically moody, fatigued, weak, or if you notice you’re losing muscle mass. [15]
    • Don’t eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day for women or 1,500 a day for men. This is the minimum daily calories you need to maintain your health. [16]
  3. 3
    Your genetics, starting weight, and lifestyle all impact how fast you can lose weight. Everyone’s body is different, and you may experience faster or slower weight loss than another person following the exact same regimen. Here are some factors that might affect your weight loss rate:
    • Starting weight: Those who are very overweight or obese may lose weight from fat at a faster rate than those who are closer to their goal weight. However, this rate slows down as fat stores are depleted. [17]
    • Metabolism: Your metabolic rate determines how many calories you burn at rest. Some people have a naturally faster metabolism than others (but the good news is, you can increase yours ).
    • Lifestyle habits: Chronic stress, sleep deprivation, a sedentary lifestyle, and a poor diet can all slow down your weight loss.
    • Genetics: Having overweight parents increases you’re likelihood of being overweight. Your genes can also control where your body stores fat, how much fat it stores, and even your appetite. [18]
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Section 4 of 6:

Lifestyle & Mindset Changes to Lose 40 Pounds

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  1. 1
    Work on reducing your stress levels . “Generally, good stress management is actually really important for losing weight,” explains life coach Jeff Siegel. Martinez agrees: “When we're overly stressed, whether it's physical, emotional, or even mental, our body doesn’t recover well. We start getting burnout syndrome, which relates to high cortisol, which means that you're going to be holding on to fat.” Here are some easy ways to reduce your daily stress: [19]
    • Take breaks from social media and the news.
    • Cut back on smoking, vaping, and drinking alcohol (or consider quitting entirely).
    • Spend more time outdoors and with friends and family.
    • Keep a journal or pursue creative interests, like painting or making music.
    • Try breathing exercises . Jones recommends “breathing in such a way where you’re exhaling longer than you’re inhaling. It can have a very relaxing effect on the nervous system that prevents the body from clinging to fat cells, which happens when the body is in a stress response.”
  2. 2
    Try to get at least 7 hours of quality sleep per night. Sleep helps regulate the hormones that affect your hunger and appetite. When you’re sleep deprived, your metabolism can actually slow down, making it harder to burn calories (and increasing your appetite). [20] “Sleep is often overlooked,” according to Chang. “It's where our body restores muscle tissues and regulates the parasympathetic side of the brain, which allows us to go into the normal processes of resting and digestion.”
    • To get better sleep , try to go to bed and wake up around the same times each day. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and aim to reduce screen time 1 to 2 hours before bed. [21]
    • The good news is, adding regular exercise into your weight loss routine will increase your sleep quality, too!
  3. 3
    Remember you’re adopting a healthy lifestyle—not just training temporarily. Try to get out of the mindset that you only have to follow a diet or exercise routine for a set time to lose 40 pounds. If you want to keep the weight off long-term, permanent changes in your habits are key. “Remember that weight is a symptom of behaviors,” Coleman says. “If you focus on your eating behavior and make consistent changes, the weight will catch up quickly. I promise!”
    • Continue on to the next section for easy ways to turn new changes into lifelong habits.
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Section 5 of 6:

Staying Motivated & Consistent

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  1. 1
    Track your progress. Seeing the results of your hard work will help you push through the 5 to 10 months of your 40-pound weight loss journey. One easy way is to simply weigh yourself. You can step on the scale daily, weekly, or however often works for you—just do it consistently. The best time to weigh yourself is in the morning, after you’ve used the restroom but before you’ve had anything to eat or drink. [22]
    • Progress pictures provide a visual way to track your weight. “Take them in the same place under the same lighting, at the same time of day,” says personal trainer Adam Shuty. “Be honest with yourself, but you’ve also got to be very kind and gentle with yourself.”
    • Keeping a food diary can also help you monitor your diet. “The most important part of food diaries is going back to keep them consistently,” according to Coleman. “If you commit 100%, you might find that your ‘bad’ days really weren’t that bad or be able to recognize patterns that can help you create a more long-term solution.”
  2. 2
    Find a supportive community. Weight loss—especially long-term weight loss—is easier when you have supportive people in your corner! You could join a weight loss support group or pick a few close friends or family members to be your “accountability buddies.” They can help you stay on track with your diet or even work out with you to keep you motivated and engaged. Maybe most importantly, they can encourage you to keep going and remind you that you’re doing a great job!
  3. 3
    Break down your goals into smaller, easier-to-accomplish steps. It’s vital to “set small, attainable goals for yourself,” says Dunlop. Sometimes, embarking on the “perfect” weight loss journey feels like an insurmountable first step. To make things seem easier, try breaking down your big goals into basic steps you’re certain you can accomplish. For example:
    • Instead of cycling for 300 minutes during week one, aim to do several short, 15-minute sessions to get yourself in the habit of cycling.
    • Instead of going directly to the grocery to pick out your new healthy pantry, take some time to write out a list and plan some meals first so shopping isn’t overwhelming.
  4. 4
    Add in one new healthy habit at a time. “Don’t try doing it all at once. Build on your new healthy habits each week to create a lifestyle,” says Dunlop. For example, you could start cutting calories by cutting out sugary drinks and drinking more water for a week. The following week, you could start eliminating “bad” fats as well. Then the third week, you could start cutting out junk food and simple carbs. Before you know it, you’ll be eating clean without even thinking about it!
    • Incremental changes can help you develop a healthier relationship with food and exercise. When you start it all at once, it can feel like something you’re “forced” to do to get a specific result.
    • When you add in changes gradually, you get a better sense of how each change impacts your health and why it’s important.
  5. 5
    Celebrate your progress! When you hit a milestone, Dunlop suggests “planning a non-food celebration for your accomplishment.” For example, when you lose your first 10 pounds, you could treat yourself to a fancy date night or allow yourself to buy a gadget you’ve had your eye on. A reward adds some fun and levity to your weight loss journey, and it’s a great way to stay motivated and feel even more accomplished from all your hard work.
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Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions

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  1. 1
    How much walking do I need to do to lose 40 pounds? It depends on how long and intensely you walk, plus your unique physiology. For a 170-pound (77-kilogram) person, an hour of brisk walking burns about 371 calories. [23] At that rate, it would take about 9.5 hours of walking to burn one pound of fat. If you went from a sedentary lifestyle to taking five 1-hour walks a week, you would lose around 2 pounds a month (or 40 pounds in 20 months).
    • However, walking alone (with no change in diet) may not be very effective. To complement your walking, maintain a calorie deficit of at least 100 calories a day. [24]
  2. 2
    Is losing 40 pounds realistic? Yes! Losing 40 pounds is doable, and keeping it off long-term is very possible if you lose weight at a gradual rate of 1-2 pounds a week. However, your starting weight and body composition play a role, too. If you’re trying to lose 40 pounds as someone who’s already somewhat in shape, you may be pushing yourself into underweight territory (which is both hard to achieve and unsafe for your well-being).
  3. 3
    Can you lose 40 pounds in one month? No, it’s nearly impossible to lose 40 pounds in a month without weight loss surgery. You’d need to maintain a calorie deficit of about 4,666 calories per day to accomplish this (which is as unhealthy as it is challenging). Plus, you’re nearly guaranteed to gain back any weight you lose from crash dieting as soon as you resume eating normally (AKA, yo-yo dieting). [25]
  4. 4
    What is the easiest way to lose 40 pounds? The easiest way to lose 40 pounds is to maintain a healthy daily calorie deficit of about 500 calories and exercise regularly. [26] This results in an easy-to-maintain weight loss rate of about 1-2 pounds per month.
    • For some, weight loss medication like Ozempic or Wegovy can aid the weight loss process and make it easier. However, these medications may not be safe for everyone. Always consult your doctor before taking any weight loss drugs.
  5. 5
    Can you lose 40 pounds with medication? Yes, your doctor may prescribe weight loss medication to help you reach your goal of losing 40 pounds. These medications, called injectable GLP-1 medications, were traditionally used to treat type 2 diabetes, but are now often used to treat obesity (for example, Wegovy or Ozempic). [27] However, the best results come from a combination of medication and healthy lifestyle changes rather than medication alone.
    • The exact amount you lose (and how long it takes) depends on your starting weight, prescription strength, and other lifestyle habits. In one clinical study, participants lost between 5% and 10% of their body weight in 3 months. At 6 months, some participants had lost up to 20% of their body weight. [28]
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      Warnings

      • Do not follow fad diets that make “guaranteed” claims of rapid weight loss. Often, these diets are highly restrictive and cause you to lose mostly water weight, which doesn’t support long-term weight loss (you’ll gain the weight back once you resume a normal diet). [29]
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      3. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/maintaining-weight-loss
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      5. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/risks-of-losing-weight-too-fast
      6. https://www.sciencealert.com/expert-reveals-3-signs-you-might-be-losing-weight-too-quickly
      7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/calorie-counting-made-easy
      8. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
      9. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/factors-affecting-weight-health
      10. https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html
      11. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/weight-loss-and-sleep
      12. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379
      13. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-is-the-best-time-to-weigh-yourself
      14. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000894.htm
      15. https://www.today.com/health/walking-lose-weight-does-it-work-t184991
      16. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-people-diet-lose-weight-and-gain-it-all-back
      17. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065
      18. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-anti-obesity-medication
      19. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9486455/
      20. https://online.uga.edu/news/5-dangers-following-fad-diets/

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