Losing weight is a challenge. Most people lose steam relatively early in the journey because they expect overnight results. When it doesn’t happen as quickly as we hoped, we have the tendency to feel discouraged, and we may even give up.
If this is you, you’re not alone! Most men and women have this experience. After struggling to lose weight only to gain it back, it’s easy to call it quits. You might be going through this post because you recently started following a weight loss plan. Perhaps you’re checking in to see if you’re on the right track. Either way, you’re likely wondering, “how much weight can you lose in a month?”
Like many of us, you might be looking for a magic bullet to lose weight fast. However, as wonderful as that would be, the best way to lose weight is to shed the pounds gradually. Doing so gives you a far better chance of keeping the weight off in the long run.
Magic Number To Lose Weight Sustainably
Medical experts agree that healthy weight loss is a slow and steady process. You should focus on losing about 1-2 pounds weekly, or 5-10 pounds per month. It’s not about following a stringent diet plan or exercise program, but committing to a complete transformation in your lifestyle. This demands that you eat right and engage in regular physical activity.
After losing your desired weight, you need to maintain the healthy lifestyle you adopted to keep it off in the long run. So, you will still have to continue choosing healthy foods over unhealthier options and scheduling some time to engage in physical activity.
Path To Healthy, Sustainable Weight Loss
As noted above, losing about 1-2 pounds weekly is an achievable goal. Most folks fail to achieve their health goals because they set unrealistic expectations for themselves.
Working to lose 10 pounds a week is an overwhelming goal. You’ll overwork your body. Worse, you’ll be frustrated when you fail to hit your target, thinking that losing weight isn’t meant for you.
But aiming to lose 1 pound weekly is a realistic goal that requires you to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and focus more on eating healthy foods.
In terms of caloric intake, you should reduce your intake by approximately 500 calories daily. Working out more will help to increase your energy expenditure. This leads to a situation where your calorie expenditure is more than your calorie intake, ultimately leading to weight loss.
What Does It Mean To Lose Weight Rapidly?
Rapid weight loss happens when you lose more than 20 pounds weekly for several weeks. To achieve this, you’ll need to lower your calorie intake.
While losing weight at this rate isn’t healthy or sustainable, individuals who achieve this goal usually follow rapid weight loss diets. Here’s what this diet looks like.
What a Rapid Weight Loss Diet Entails
If you’re obese and looking to shed off some pounds quickly, you may have to follow a rapid weight loss diet. This diet will lower your calorie intake and help you lose up to 2 pounds weekly.
But, in most cases, these diets aren’t recommended by health experts. When using any rapid weight loss diet, you should consult a doctor first, or follow the diet under the direction of a health provider.
The diet that helps you lose weight rapidly should only be used for a short period. This means that after losing weight, it’s advisable to return to normal eating, where you eat a balanced diet to nourish your body with the nutrients it requires to function optimally.
Depriving your body of key nutrients is never a good idea!
Using Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD)
The rapid weight loss diet demands that you stick to a very low-calorie diet (VLCD). This diet requires you to consume as low as 800 calories daily to lose approximately 3-5 pounds weekly. Most VLCSs involve taking meal replacements like shakes, formulas, bars, and soups. These are meant to ensure the body still gets all the required nutrients.
VLCDs aren’t recommended for everybody. They are only used by individuals struggling with obesity. The diets should only be used under the strict supervision of a health provider.
VLCDs should only be used for a limited period– not more than 12 weeks.
Using Low-Calorie Diet (LCD)
Another diet that can help you lose weight faster is the low-calorie diet. In this diet, you’re allowed to consume about 1000-1200 cal daily for women and 1200-1600 cal for men.
LCDs are preferable to VLCDs for individuals looking to lose weight fast. Nonetheless, you still need to consult your doctor before trying this diet.
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting also works to help you lose weight within a short period. It’s a traditional calorie restriction and has recently hit the headlines for being an effective weight loss strategy.
There are different ways to fast, but following a safe fasting technique is strongly recommended. Popular fasting techniques include the alternate-day method, 5:2 system, 24-hour fast, and more.
Time-Restricted Eating
Time-restricted eating is a fasting technique that has also been widely accepted as an effective method of burning fat and shedding several pounds within weeks or months. This fasting technique involves limiting your eating window.
For instance, when following the 16:8 plan, you only limit your eating window to 8 hours and abstain from eating for 16 hours. You can drink unsweetened tea and water during the fasting period.
Lose Weight in 30 Days – What It Requires
It’s tempting to think that losing weight in 30 days means that you should make significant lifestyle changes. But let’s make one thing clear – to lose weight sustainably, you must adopt a lifestyle that you can follow over the long haul.
Simple lifestyle changes will make the process bearable and worth your time and effort. Making small changes daily will impact your overall weight loss challenge.
Here’s a look at practical tips that will help you lose about 8-10 pounds in 30 days.
Change Your Grocery Shopping List
You’ve often heard that you are what you eat. Well, this is true, especially now that you plan to lose weight in a month. It’s high time that you change your grocery shopping list.
Planning in advance will ensure you know what to pick at the grocery store. Going to the supermarket without a plan could influence you to make unhealthy choices based on your eating habits.
If you’re really up for the 30-day weight loss challenge, decide that you will avoid junk and processed foods. It’s time to eat whole foods and, if possible, find time to prepare foods at home.
Avoid fried foods, chips, sweets, baked foods, processed meats, pizza, refined grains, and other processed foods.
Swap these items with fresh fruits and veggies, organic chicken, tofu, seafood, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain cereals, and protein powder. Include healthy fat options in your meals, such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, and nut butter. It’s okay to drink coffee and unsweetened tea during this period.
Drink Plenty of Water and Unsweetened Drinks
Any weight loss plan will recommend filling up with water, coffee, or tea. Sugary drinks aren’t recommended since they spike up your insulin levels, affecting your weight loss goal.
Steer clear of sodas, sports drinks, and other sugar-laden drinks. Keep your system hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and you’ll manage your cravings for these drinks.
It helps to drink about 1-2 glasses of water before your meals. This creates a satiating effect, and you’re likely to eat less.
Exercise Regularly
You can lose weight without exercise. However, the best way to speed up your weight loss goal is to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. If you can’t exercise daily, aim to exercise three times weekly.
Luckily, there are tons of workout programs that you can follow online and lose weight in 30 days. The ideal exercise program fits into your daily routine.
Add Variety to Your Workouts
Following the same exercise routines might seem like a great way to work out and expel the calories consumed during the day. However, the body can quickly hit a plateau because it adjusts and learns how to perform such workouts using fewer calories. To avoid hitting a plateau, have a variation of workouts.
Challenge your body by keeping it surprised. If you went for a jog yesterday, hit the gym and lift weights the following morning. You can ride a bike the day after that.
Avoid Eating Carbs
The body usually processes carbohydrates into sugars. Your goal to lose 10 pounds in a month demands that you avoid eating carbs. You should only eat carbs if you’re working out since the body needs energy, and even then, do so minimally. Foods to avoid in this category include pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, and cereals.
Dine Out Wisely
Research shows that dining outside your home environment is linked with weight gain. Even ordering those Chinese takeouts and other dishes might contribute to weight gain. But this doesn’t mean you should avoid dining outside because you want to lose weight.
You can still lose 10 pounds in 30 days by adopting healthy dining habits. For instance, pay attention to your portions. Instead of eating the entire plate served, divide the meal into two portions. Remember to drink a glass or two of water before eating your meal.
If you’re celebrating with family and friends, you might be tempted to reach out for a glass of wine. Avoid drinking alcohol when trying to lose weight. If you must drink, aim to reduce your consumption.
Snacking before going out to eat in a restaurant also helps prevent overeating. Eat a fruit or grab a handful of nuts and eat. This will tame your hunger pangs, and you won’t be craving to overeat.
Consider ordering a salad or soup before you eat your meal at the restaurant. Filling up with these healthy foods will trigger your stomach stretch receptors, making you feel fuller. The aim is to trick your mind and body into realizing that you’re not as hungry as you think.
Have a Support Team
Losing weight is not easy, and achieving your goal within a month is even more challenging. But you can lose weight if you have a strong support system. Research shows that social support is an integral aspect of losing weight.
Surrounding yourself with friends and family who can support you to commit yourself to sticking to the plan is crucial for long-term weight loss success. There are times when you will feel discouraged. When you step on the scale, and the numbers don’t drop as expected, you might think of giving up.
Your support team should shower you with emotional support during such low moments. They will motivate you and remind you of the benefits you will get at the end of the process.
Now that you intend to lose weight in 30 days, talk to your family about it. Make them know why losing weight is essential to you. Let them know that you will value their support during your difficult moments. This will ensure you don’t give up on your health goals when things get rocky.
Try Fasting
Fasting for weight loss isn’t a bad idea. It could be the answer to your weight loss success. Fasting is unique because it’s more than just a diet. If you follow an intermittent fasting (IF) plan, you will be skipping meals when you feel like it.
For example, you can skip breakfast if you’re not hungry in the morning. Skipping meals here and there and staying in the fasted state gives your body ample time to burn fat for energy. Do this more often, and you’ll increase the likelihood of losing weight.
Final Thoughts
The next time you ask yourself how much weight you can lose in a month, you should have lost several pounds if you follow the recommended pointers discussed in his post. Keep in mind that the ideal weight to lose in a month is about 4-8 pounds.
Be patient with yourself and commit yourself to the process. More importantly, celebrate the small accomplishments you make along the way.