Do you have an event coming up that you’d love to slim down for? A wedding, a ball, or a high school reunion? We aren’t talking about 5 to 10 pounds here. That can be easily done with simple calorie restriction. But if you have some serious fat to get rid of and are on a time limit, or just want to get it done quickly, then this is for you. I’m not going to lie and say this will be easy because it won’t be. You can’t do nothing and watch the pounds fall off and anyone who tells you so is a scammer. With a bit of time and a lot of motivation, however, you can drop 30 pounds in 30 days, and here’s how.
Fasting. Yep, you heard right. Don’t worry. I’m not going to suggest you fast for 30 days. That would be too extreme for even the most committed dieters. You only need to fast for 7 days and then follow the re-feeding plan and if you are an adult of average to slightly above average weight, you’ll lose 30 pounds in 30 days. If you weigh more, you’ll lose more, and if you weigh less, you’ll lose less.
Preparation
It is highly unlikely that you can decide to do this the night before and stick with it the whole plan. You need to mentally prepare. Pick a date, preferably about a week in advance, as your start date. This will give you time to mentally prepare. It will also give you time to prepare your body. You’ll want to stock up on vitamins and minerals and avoid fats and sugars. Your body will detox during the fast and you can make things a lot less painful by avoiding sugars and fats. If you drink caffeinated beverages, now would be the time to stop. Your body will also be depending on the stored vitamins in your body so you want to make sure you aren’t deficient. The night before the fast, eat a small meal consisting of lean meat and plenty of veggies. No carbs, period.
The Fast
This will be the hardest part, both physically and mentally. You may drink as much water, decaffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated tea that you’d like. That’s it. Nothing else. No diet soda either. This phase lasts 7 days. The first 3 days will be the hardest and you’ll most likely experience fatigue, hunger, dizziness, and headaches. You’ll probably have cravings and you’ll have to watch other people eat while you chug water. You’ll also need to exercise during this phase, which will be the last thing you want to do. The exercise is mandatory, however. If you aren’t planning on exercising, then there’s no point in doing this. So, how much exercise? You’ll need 2 hours of low-moderate intensity cardio a day and 30 minutes of strength training at least 3 days a week. Appropriate cardio includes light jogging, swimming, or uphill hiking. Low impact aerobics is a good choice as well. This phase should result in a 15 pound loss, with approximately 6 to 9 of those pounds coming from fat, depending on your current body fat percentage.
The Refeed
Once you are finished with your fast, you’ll need to slowly introduce your body to food in a way that will not overwhelm it and which allows you continued weight loss. This is where the re-feed comes in. The week following the fast, you should consume no more that 250 calories a day. That’s practically nothing, but remember, your body has been used to literally nothing for a week so this is plenty for it. Your calories should come in the form of fruit and vegetable juice, broth, and sugar free gelatin. The juices should be juiced at home so you can be sure they do not contain added sugar and you can be more precise in counting the calories. If you do not have a juicer/blender or are uncomfortable making your own juices, an alternative is an instant breakfast powder, like Carnation Instant Breakfast. You can combine it with 1 glass of fat free milk and divide it into two servings, half for breakfast and half for lunch. For dinner, some broth and a serving of sugar free gelatin may be eaten. This is a good choice because it’s high in more essential nutrients that fruit and vegetables, but it is harsher on the digestive system so keep that in mind. Weeks 2 and 3 have a caloric intake of 500 and 750 calories respectively. During these weeks, you may eat anything you’d like as long as you don’t go over the calories set forth by that week. Keep in mind though, that rice, bread, and non-fatty foods will be easier tolerated at the beginning of the reintroduction of solid foods. Exercise is to be continued during this phase as well. At the end of the re-feed, you should have lost about 15 pounds, with 7 to 11 of those pounds coming from fat, for a total of 30 pounds in 30 days.
Maintenance
It’s all fine and dandy to lose weight, but there isn’t really a point to it if you’re just going to gain it back. After you finish week 3 of the re-feed, it is safe to increase caloric intake by 500 calories a week until you reach your maintenance level. So, week 4 would be 1250 calories, week 5 would be 1750 calories, etc. My maintenance level is about 2700 calories a day so it took me about 7 weeks total to reach it, in where I lost another 3 to 4 pounds. I continued my exercise during this phase, but cut back the cardio to 1 hour 4 to 5 days a week. Strength training stayed the same.
So, that’s it. You should be 30 pounds lighter and more in control of your eating habits. Congrats. If you have questions, please see my sister article, Fasting F.A.Q.s.
Disclaimer: Please note I am not a physician and all information comes only from personal experience and the experiences of others who have tried this. Always speak to your physician before engaging in any new diet or exercise program. People with heart conditions, diabetes, schizophrenia, a thyroid condition, a tendency towards anorexia or bulimia, any type of chronic illness, or very thin persons should not attempt this program unless approved and strictly monitored by a physician.
