How Much Weight Can You Lose in Four Months If You Go to the Gym 3 Times a Week?

You've set a goal to lose weight by going to the gym over the next four months -- which is a definite step in the right direction in terms of overall health and longevity. While exercising will help you meet your goal, the amount of weight you'll lose in that four months will depend on a number of factors, including the time and intensity of your workouts, the types of exercise you do, and what you do when you're not working out.

  1. Type of Exercise

    • The term "going to the gym" can mean a lot of different things, and the exercises you choose will make a big difference in how much weight you can lose in that four months. If you're plodding along on a treadmill at a slow walk, you're going to burn far fewer calories than a person who's running at a fast pace. Some higher-calorie-burning exercises you might do at the gym include high-impact aerobics, running or stair climbing. Exercises on the lower end of the spectrum include walking, tai chi or ballroom dancing.

    Comparison

    • Let's take a look at how much weight you might be able to lose, choosing one exercise over another. If you weigh 160 pounds and you run on the treadmill at a 5-mile-per-hour pace, three days a week for one hour, you'll burn about 606 calories per session for a total of 1,818 calories per week. You need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume in order to lose 1 pound, so assuming you don't increase your food intake, you'll be able to lose about 1 pound every two weeks. With about 17 weeks in that four months, you'd lose about 8.5 pounds in that time. If you chose low-impact aerobics instead, which burns about 365 calories per hour of exercise, you'd burn 1,095 calories for the week -- meaning it would take you slightly more than three weeks to lose 1 pound, for a total of about 6 pounds in four months. Weight also makes a difference. A 200-pound person will burn more calories than a 160-pound person doing the same exercise at the same intensity.

    Burning More

    • As you can see, the intensity of your workout is a big factor in how much weight you can lose in that four months, though choosing a more intense exercise is not the only way to increase the number of calories you burn during each session. Exercising for longer periods is one way to increase the number of calories you burn. Also consider strength training, such as lifting weights or doing resistance exercises. Not only is it an important part of any fitness routine, but muscle burns calories more efficiently, so building muscle will also contribute to the amount of weight you can lose. Weight training is also a calorie-burning exercise, burning about 365 calories per hour for a 160-pound person.

    Other Factors

    • Other factors will impact how much weight you can lose. Cutting calories is a big one. By shaving 250 calories from your daily intake or choosing more nutritious, lower-calorie foods, you could cut about 1,750 more calories per week -- which could help you lose another pound every two weeks. Your stress level can also be a big factor. When you're stressed out, your body releases a hormone that causes you to store fat. Similarly, not getting enough sleep can cause your body to store fat. If these are issues for you, you might do well to attend a class such as a yoga or tai chi at your gym, which could help you in your weight-loss journey.