Lose 5 Pounds of Fat in 30 Days
If you missed our last email that went out, we asked you what your fitness goals were for 2021 so we could offer some tips on how to achieve them. We will discuss the responses from these in the coming weeks but for right now, we will address the most common response, which was to lose body fat. Today I'm going to provide you with some valuable tips on how you can drop a few pounds of fat in just 30 days. The right way! If you’re looking to lose fat in the next 30 days, then you’ll want to read this whole article.
Not only am I going to provide you with some great tips, but I’m also going to give you a step by step process that will show you how to make this work for you. For those of you that would like a little more guidance and accountability, be sure and check out our next 30 day fat loss transformation group challenge which will be coming next month. Or you can email us if you want us to create a customized 30 day plan for you.
Alright, let’s get into this. First off, I think it's important to clarify. You'll get out of this what you put into it. If you're half committed over the next 30 days, you'll get half results. If you really want to make a change, especially in a short window of time, you should strive for 100% compliance. As you start to achieve the results you want you can then ease up on the commitment level and start working toward a more balanced lifestyle. If at any point this becomes confusing or you decide you want assistance in your quest, email us. That's what we are here for.
5 FACTORS FOR FAT LOSS
There are 5 important factors that you're going to have to control during this 30 day, fat conquering quest:
Mindset
Nutrition
Sleep
Water intake
Exercise
GET YOUR BODY FAT TESTED
Before you get started, you'll want to know exactly what your current body fat is. There is an old saying “You cannot change that which you do not measure”. If you want to make a change, get it tested because the scale and the mirror will lie to you.
Fortunately for you, we have an awesome new machine at the gym called the InBody. The InBody provides a quick and accurate body fat analysis, as well as your current lean body mass. You can schedule yours anytime by emailing us.
MINDSET
Once you have your body fat test back, it’s time to start developing the proper mindset. Mindset is one of the most important factors to address before you start a program. The right mindset will pull you through even the most difficult of times, while the wrong mindset will have you quitting in the first few hours. Before you start this program, it’s important to be mindful of where you are putting your focus.
Everyone who starts a program, challenge, or a diet does so with the greatest of intentions. Before they start they envision all the things that they want to gain from it. A new body, six pack abs, or healthier lifestyle. However, a few days in and the weak-minded will change their focus from what they will gain, to all that they are giving up- the booze, the sweets, etc. Ironically, these are all the things that they realized they needed a break from in the first place. Focusing on all the things you can’t have will lead to failure. Maintaining your focus and energy on what you will gain in just 30 days will keep you motivated and pushing toward your goal.
We have 30 days. Focus on what you will gain from the completion of this. Write those things down. Remember them when things get tough, because they will. But, you will emerge on the other side not only proud of what you have accomplished, but also with a renewed self-confidence, knowing that you can complete tasks that you commit to.
NUTRITION
Since our goal is set on fat loss, we need to create a caloric deficit. This means that you need to consume less food (energy) than you are burning off. But there is a sweet spot here. If you cut your calories too much you're probably going to start losing muscle rather than fat, lowering your metabolic rate, or your ability to burn calories.
One simple method that you can use to calculate a caloric deficit for fat loss is to take your body weight and multiply it by 12. For example, if you weigh 175 pound you would multiply that x 12 = 2100. So your calories would be set at 2100 calories per day. Now there is a caveat to this. If you've been someone that has been consistently under eating for months or years, consuming 1000 calories a day, chances are pretty good that this won’t work for you. You’ll want to reach out to one of our coaches so they can “reverse diet” you out of this harmful place that you've put yourself in.
Another important element to this is to make sure you are eating an adequate amount of protein. Typically we suggest 1 gram per pound of body weight. For example, if you weighed 175 pounds, you would want to consume 175 grams of protein.
Once you have your calories set, you'll need to hit them every day. There are no "off or cheat days" over the next 30 days.
SLEEP
Sleep? Why are we even talking about this? Well, according to a 2010 study from the University of Chicago Medical Center, cutting back on sleep can reduce fat loss by up to 55%. That’s a big deal.
Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation can cause pre-diabetic symptoms in perfectly healthy individuals. In other words, lack of sleep can hinder our ability to tolerate carbohydrates. Other studies have shown that sleep deprived individuals tend to overeat an average of 300 calories a day and are grouchy AF. Long story short, get your sleep. These are the optimal sleep requirements for each group.
Kids need 9-11 hours
Teens need 8-10
Adults 7-9
Elderly 7-8
Athlete 9-10
WATER INTAKE
We all know that lack of water can cause dehydration and death but being just a little under your daily water requirements can lead to poor digestion and long term health issues. Water is what flushes our system and promotes long term health. Staying properly hydrated will improve kidney function, keep that skin looking good, and maintain proper bowel function. How much water should we drink? Typically half your body weight in ounces. If you exercise and sweat a lot, you should add 17 to 20 ounces per hour of exercise. So again, using our 175 pound person as an example, you would be drinking 85 ounces per day.
EXERCISE
Exercising regularly is one of the foundations of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, lowers your risk to a number of diseases, and improves mental health.
But did you know that exercise can even strengthen your immune system? According to a study in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, exercise increases blood and lymph flow as your muscles contract, which increases circulation of immune cells, and the rate at which they circulate the body. Exercise helps to recruit those immune cells to find pathogens such as viruses, and destroy them.
In fact, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, participants that exercised five or more days of the week, lowered the number of upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold, by more than 40%.
But… if you are one of our members you probably already know all of these benefits. You’re experiencing them first hand! All you have to do is show up consistently and give your best effort, and you can check this one off the list.
Our classes have the perfect balance of strength and conditioning to stimulate fat loss, build lean muscle, and improve the cardiovascular system. We recommend attending at least 3-5 days per week. If you can't make it to our classes you can email us and ask about our personalized home workout programs.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol is a hard “no” for the 30 days. Alcohol is a very concentrated source of calories- nearly twice as dense as sugar- yet it has no nutritional value. To make things worse, it completely changes the way your body processes food. Alcohol is a toxin which means it has to be metabolized first. Any food you have eaten will have to wait until the body has completely burned off all alcohol, before it can start to metabolize your food. This increases the chances of your storing your meal as fat.
Alcohol can be a lot of fun but if you really want to get results over the course of this 30 days then cut it out for the duration. You can schedule your booze cruise for after the 30 days, and toast to how good you look.
PLAN OF ACTION
To summarize everything:
Schedule a body fat analysis so you know where you are starting from.
Mindset: Focus daily on the positive changes that you will get from this commitment. Forget the negative.
Nutrition: Hit your calories every day.
Sleep: Get 8 hours every night
Water: Drink half your body weight in ounces
Exercise: Attend our classes 3-5 days per week
We’ve had clients achieve tremendous results in 30 days from implementing these tips. If you’re ready to make a change, you can either follow these tips or join our next 30 day fat loss transformation program.
If you’re looking to get started immediately, or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to one of our coaches or simply email us. We can create a personalized nutrition and exercise plan to fit any schedule.
See you at the gym!
Disclaimer: The information presented here has been formulated based on our experiences in working with our clients, however, certain medical and lifestyle conditions may put you outside of the scope of this information. As always, you should consult your medical professional before starting any exercise or nutrition program.