How to Lose 20 Pounds by Eating Soup

Soup makes up a part of many weight-loss diets for a reason -- it tends to be low in energy density. This means that you can eat a lot of soup without consuming that many calories, and the soup will help fill you up so you don't eat as much of other, higher-calorie foods. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, so losing 20 pounds will take at least 10 to 20 weeks.

Soup and Weight Loss

People who regularly eat soup are less likely to be overweight than those who avoid soup, according to a study published in "PLOS ONE" in September 2013. Also, having a small serving of low-calorie soup before a meal can support weight loss by helping you consume fewer calories during your actual meal. The is partly because soup is filling, but eating soup with a spoon also forces you to slow down, allowing your brain to signal satiety before you've raced past your optimal calorie count. Women should aim for about 150 calories per serving and men 200 calories when having soup as your starter course.

Type of Soup

Broth-based soups are better choices than creamy soups for weight loss, as they tend to be lower in calories. Look for a soup that is low in both sodium and calories for the best results, since consuming sodium can cause you to retain water and high-calorie soups won't be as effective for reducing the total amount of calories you consume at your meal. For example, ready-to-eat canned chicken noodle soup contains about 95 calories per cup, which is much lower than the 201 calories in a cup of New England clam chowder or the 231 calories found in the same amount of bean and ham soup.

Making your own soup will make it easier to control the amount of sodium, since all three of these canned options are high in sodium, containing between 31 and 41 percent of the daily recommended value.

When to Eat Soup

When using soup to help with weight loss, eat your soup about 30 minutes before you plan to eat your main meal. This will give you time to finish your soup and let your stomach register the food so you start to feel a bit fuller before you eat your main course. This should help you eat smaller portions of the more calorie-dense foods on your plate. For even better results, eat any other low-energy-density foods on your plate, such as non-starchy vegetables, before you eat your protein or starchy foods.

Other Considerations

Adding soup to the beginning of your meal won't help you lose weight if you don't consume fewer calories overall. You need to create an energy deficit of between 500 and 1,000 calories each day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, either by eating less or exercising more. You'll get even better results if you take other steps to lower the energy density of your diet besides just adding soup to the beginning of your meals. For example, you can replace some of the meat in mixed dishes with vegetables, drink water instead of high-calorie beverages and prepare your foods using methods that limit added fat and sugar.