Is It Possible To Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days?

Weight loss has always been a stumbling block for many. This issue is being postponed all the time, till it becomes too big to be left unnoticed. When you finally accept it as a problem, you yearn to deal with it as soon as possible, using all the possible and impossible methods, and start asking “How to lose nasty 30 pounds within 30 days”. We are going to look into this issue to understand if eating fewer calories can help and whether this idea is actually worth the effort. Let’s dig deeper.

Is It Possible To Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days?

It may be possible if you have superhuman abilities. It may sound too skeptical, however, there are a few reasons behind it:

1. Losing 30 pounds in 30 days means losing a pound every day. Every pound is approximately 3500 calories to burn every single day. Just to help you imagine it:

Your basic caloric needs ≈ 1200-1500 calories, to help you function. So, you are left with 2300-2500 calories to burn. Running a marathon (42.2 km) or training vigorously for 3-4 hours will help you burn such a number of calories (approximately).

So, to lose a pound daily, you need to spend 4-5 hours exercising with no cheat days.

2. Quick weight loss is quite dangerous for your body, as it’s a stressful and exhausting period. Besides, there’s a high chance to stop and break loose.

3. In such a short period you won’t build an adequate eating habits. So, after losing the extras you are about to get everything back.

If You Cannot Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days, How Much Weight Can You Lose In A Month?

The first and foremost thing to define: Do you want to lose weight or fat?

Healthy weight loss is never about a speeding regime. On the contrary – slow and steady wins the race. You need to learn the basics of healthy nutrition and a physically active lifestyle.

According to the recommendations, healthy weight loss may vary between 1-2 pounds a week, which is 3500-7000 calories a week. [1] So, the healthy weight loss will be everything between 4-8 pounds a month. Sure thing, these numbers are quite approximate, as we all lose weight differently, besides, at the very beginning you’re gonna lose excess water, which will create an illusion of quick success. But be attentive – water loss and fat loss aren’t equal.

Dangers Of Attempting To Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days

Is it possible to lose 30 pounds in a month? If you decide to exhaust your body and mind, then yes, you can probably reach this unreasonable and senseless aim. However, you need to keep in mind the following complications:

• Gallstones

Gallstones are formed in the gallbladder. It stores and releases bile, which helps your digestion. Gallstones come in different sizes – from a grain of sand to a golf ball. You may not even know that you have stones unless they block the bile duct (a medical case).[2]

The precise reasons for having gallstones are still not defined, however, many cases are observed when the person goes to extremes with weight: either too heavy or too skinny. When you go on an extremely low-calorie diet, you cause harm to your digestive tract because from “I-eat-whatever-I-want” you unexpectedly turn to a “one-apple-a-day” diet. Obviously, your stomach will not benefit from it.

• Malnutrition Aka Nutritional Deficiency

Nutritional deficiency takes place when a person doesn’t consume enough food to cover all the vitamins, and macro- and micro-nutrient needs. [3] Aiming to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you put your health at risk, as you deprive your body of essential help. The most common deficiencies are:

• Iodine
• Iron
• Vitamin D
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B2

While the lack of just a few nutrients may not be noticeable and can be corrected by proper nutrition, crash diets will have a more harmful effect: starting with with brittle nails and hair, ending up with more severe issues. 

• Slow Metabolism

If you decide to lose 30 pounds in 30 days be ready to reach just the opposite effect. When following fad diets, you dramatically lower your calorie intake. As result, your body is deprived of energy and starts looking for ways to make up for this deficiency. What’s the first on the list? Right, your muscles. Instead of burning fat, you lose water and muscles. How is it connected to your metabolism? Muscles use more energy for their performance. With a muscular body, you have a higher level of resting metabolism so that you don’t do a lot, and still burn calories. And vice versa, fat tissue doesn’t need a lot of calories, so your metabolism gets lower, burning fewer and fewer calories. What do you get at the end? Inability to lose weight and more chances to build up the lost pounds quicker.

• Muscle Loss

As we have already mentioned, the more muscles – the faster your metabolism is. When losing muscle mass due to unreasonably poor nutrition, you lower the metabolism dramatically, which, in return, will make you gain more weight. Quite a surprising yet unsatisfying turn of events, isn’t it?

• Extreme Hunger

A low-calorie menu can be really tasty and light – vegetables, salads, lean meat, etc. It’s quite a good approach. However, such a diet isn’t nutritious, it doesn’t provide proper satiety. Hence, after an hour or two, you will start looking for something to snack on. Sure thing you will try to tame your hunger, but your stomach will loudly let you know that you need to eat, not to mention the dizziness and fatigue.

By the way, if you keep being hungry for as long as you can bear, you’re bound to have stomach problems. So, before diving headlong into the fatigue, exhaustion, and health-killing regimen, think about the consequences. how to lose 30 pounds in a month without exercise

What Is The Quickest Way To Lose Weight?

So, how to lose 30 pounds in one month? Don’t try to lose 30 pounds in a month.

Can you lose 30 pounds in a month? It’s quite a disputable and doubtful option; however, you can lose weight in the end due to health problems – not the best way though. 

If you want to lose 30 pounds in the quickest way possible – don’t try to do it quickly and there are reasons for that:

1. With a supersonic weight loss you will not acquire new eating habits, so, after a month there’s a high chance to get back to your comfort zone food-wise and regain everything back, and even more.
2. Quick weight loss isn’t about burning the fat storage, it’s more of a water excess and muscle mass loss. That’s why for the first several days when you see positive changes on the scales you’ll mistakenly believe in the success of your methods. Yet, it’s not the way it’s gonna work.
3. A Super low-calorie diet is definitely not the best choice when you consider losing weight. The most reliable way – a healthy diet and exercise.
4. The easier you go, the more chances you have with positive results. The weight loss will not be stressful, which is very important in terms of motivation, and, your body will take it easy, letting the excess go.
5. Include cardio and weight training in your daily routine. You will see how your body changes – fat tissue is getting smaller and muscles start to show up.

Sample Of A Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days Meal Plan

Instead of wondering how to lose 30 pounds in a month, learn to eat at a moderate pace, only when you feel real hunger. Don’t let your emotional appetite get control over your eating habits, because it will make your jeans shrink suddenly.

The following menu is not super filling, it will probably be half of your typical portion; however, it’s a balanced approach when you want to create a calorie deficit, but don’t want to start a starvation diet. The approximate total number of calories – 1300. This menu is not a strict law to follow, it’s more of a guide, to help you understand the portion size and amount of food you need daily.

General tips:

1. When planning your menu for losing weight, be attentive to carb intake, and try to focus more on complex carbs (sweet potato, brown rice, lentils, etc.), as they don’t cause spikes of blood sugar levels and you feel satiety for a longer time.
2. Avoid foods with high amounts of sugar, as you will feel hungry after ≈ 30 min. Having constant sugary snacks will provide you with lots of calories which will not be worked out.
3. Cut back on too salty foods – it makes your cells retain more water, so you will feel like a balloon.
4. Include more lean protein into your meal plan – chicken breast, non-fatty fish, low-fat dairy products, poultry, etc.

Day One

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
1 slice French toast – 65 grams – 149 kcal 1 cup of fresh blueberries – 148 grams – 84.4 kcal 1 cup of skim milk - 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 small orange (2-3/8" dia) – 104 grams – 49 kcal	½ cup of cottage cheese low fat – 81.5 k 1 tbsp fat free dressing - 14 grams - 6.6 kcal 1 whole wheat roll - (1 oz) or 28 grams – 74 kcal	1 cup of strawberries – 144 grams - 46.1 kcal	3 oz. grilled or broiled cod fish – 85 grams - 89.3 kcal 1 cup of rice noodles, cooked – 176 grams – 192 kcal 2 tsp butter or margarine – 10 grams – 71.6 kcal 1 cup of apple sauce – 244 grams – 105 kcal 1 cup of mixed vegetables – 182 grams – 118 kcal

Day Two

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
1 bagel - 57grams – 146 kcal 1 tbsp of low fat cream cheese – 15 grams – 30.1 kcal 1 cup of orange juice (freshly squeezed) - 248 grams – 112 kcal	6 oz. fat free fruit yogurt - 170 grams – 161 kcal 1 cup of strawberries – 144 grams - 46.1 kcal Apple	2 oz. hamburger 95% lean meat - grilled or boiled – 56 grams – 97.4 kcal 1 hamburger bun – 120 kcal 1 tbsp of ketchup – 15 grams – 14.6 kcal ½ tomato, sliced – 61.5 grams – 11 kcal 1 cup of skim milk – 245 grams – 85 kcal ½ green pepper, sliced – 74.6 grams – 15 kcal	An apple or a pear	1 cup of cooked pasta - 140 grams – 183.4 kcal 1 tsp olive oil with garlic on pasta – 4 grams - 39.8 kcal 2 tsp butter or margarine – 10 grams – 71.6 kcal 1 mixed green salad – 36.7 kcal 1 tbsp of fat free dressing - 14 grams – 6.6 kcal ½ cup of cooked green beans – 62.5 grams – 21.9 kcal 1 slice Italian bread – 30 grams – 81 kcal

Day Three

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
½ English muffin – 28.5 grams – 64.5 kcal ½ grapefruit – 123 grams - 51.7 kcal 1 egg poached – 50 grams – 71 kcal 1 cup skim milk - 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 large pear – 230 grams - 133 kcal	2 oz. turkey breast or lean ham – 56 grams – 58.2 kcal 1 large whole grain pitta bread – 64 grams – 170 kcal 2 sliced carrots small (5-1/2" long) – 100 grams – 41 kcal 1 cup of skim milk - 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 peach large (2-3/4" dia) – 175 grams – 68.3 kcal	1 cup of cooked pasta - 140 grams – 183.4 kcal 1 large mixed green salad – double portion of salad from Day 1 – 73.4 kcal 1 tbsp of fat free salad dressing - 14 grams – 6.6 kcal

Day Four 

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
1 cup of strawberries – 144 grams - 46.1 kcal 1 cup of orange juice (freshly squeezed) – 248 grams – 112 kcal 1 egg poached – 50 grams – 71 kcal 1 cup skim milk - 245 grams – 85 kcal	2 rice cakes – 18 grams - 69.7 kcal 2 tsp of reduced fat peanut butter – 10 grams – 52.1 kcal	1 cup vegetable soup – 245 grams – 53.9 kcal 1 mixed green salad (day 1) – 36.7 kcal 2 tbsp of fat free salad dressing - 28 grams – 13.2 kcal 6 fat-free, low-sodium saltine crackers – 30 grams – 118 kcal 1 cup of skim milk - 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 apple small (2-3/4" dia) - 149 grams - 73.5 kcal	1 medium baked potato – 173 grams – 161 kcal 1 mixed green salad (day 1) – 36.7 kcal 5 oz. of flounder or other white fish (baked, broiled or grilled) – 140 grams – 164 kcal 1 tbsp of fat free salad dressing - 14 grams – 6.6 kcal ½ cup of cooked broccoli – 44 grams – 15 kcal

Day Five

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
1 tbsp fruit spread or maple syrup – 20 grams - 52.2 kcal 2 round pancakes (4" dia) - 76 grams – 172.6 kcal 1 cup of skim milk – 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 sliced peach - 130g - 50.7 kcal	1 salad with mixed greens (day 1) - 36.7 kcal 1 tbsp fat free dressing – 14 grams – 6.6 kcal 3 oz. tuna fish, light, canned in water, without salt, drained solids – 85 grams - 98.6 kcal 6 fat-free, low-sodium saltine crackers – 30 grams – 118 kcal 1 apple small - 149 grams - 73.5 kcal	½ oz milk chocolate – 14 grams – 75 kcal	1 ½cup cooked pasta – 210 grams – 275 kcal ½ cup of spaghetti sauce, meatless – 126 grams – 60.3 kcal 1 mixed green salad (day 1) – 36.7 kcal 1 tbsp fat free dressing - 14 grams – 6.6 kcal 2 cracker standard snack-type, regular – 12 grams – 60.6 kcal

Day Six 

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
1 cup of oatmeal, cooked with water – 234 grams – 166 kcal 1 tsp brown sugar - 4 grams - 11 kcal 1 cup of orange juice – 248 grams – 112 kcal 1 cup of skim milk – 245 grams – 85 kcal	1 apple small (2-3/4" dia) - 149 grams - 73.5 kcal	Sandwich with turkey: 1 oz. turkey breast – 28 grams - 29.1 kcal 1 tsp mustard or fat free mayonnaise – 5 grams – 4 kcal 1 cup of sliced cucumber –104 grams - 15.6 kcal 2 slices of whole wheat bread, thin – 66 grams – 183.6 kcal	1 cup of strawberries – 144 grams - 46.1 kcal	1 ½cup cooked pasta – 210 grams – 275 kcal 1 small baked potato – 138 grams – 128 kcal 1 tsp. butter or margarine – 5 grams – 35.8 kcal 1 cup of green beans – 125 grams - 43.8 kcal 1 mixed green salad - 36.7 kcal 2 tbsp fat free dressing – 28 grams – 13.2 kcal 1 cup fat free vanilla ice cream – 136 grams – 186 kcal

Day Seven

Breakfast	Breakfast Snack	Lunch	Lunch Snack	Dinner
2 waffle plain – 2 *33 – 206 kcal 1 tbsp of maple syrup – 20 grams - 52.2 kcal 1 cup of orange juice – 248 grams – 112 kcal 8 oz. of water or decaffeinated coffee without sugar – 0 kcal	1 apple small (2-3/4" dia) - 149 grams - 73.5 kcal	1 cup of skim milk – 247 grams - 86.5 kcal Vegetable salad 1 cup of shredded romaine or cos lettuce - 47grams - 8.0 kcal ¼ cup of chopped green peppers – 37.3 grams – 7.5 kcal ¼ cup of shredded cabbage – 17.5 grams – 4.2 kcal ¼ cup of chopped celery – 25 grams – 4 kcal ¼ cup of chopped carrots – 32 grams – 13 kcal 1 tbsp fat free salad dressing – 14 grams - 6.6 kcal 1 whole grain roll (1 oz) or 28 grams – 74 kcal	½ cup of sliced strawberries – 88 grams – 26.6 kcal 6 oz. fat free, fruit yogurt - 170 grams – 161 kcal Fresh juice - 6 oz - any taste	3 oz. sirloin steak, lean only, grilled – no fat added – 85 grams – 225 kcal 1 cup of cooked wild rice -164 grams – 166 kcal ½ cup of sliced cooked carrots – 78 grams - 27.3 kcal 1 pat of butter (1" sq, 1/3" high) - 5g - 35.8 kcal 1 mixed green salad - 36.7 kcal 2 tbsp fat free dressing – 28 grams – 13.2 kcal 1 small orange (2-3/8" dia) – 104 grams – 49 kcal

The Bottom Line

Weight loss may be a problem and a burden-like issue. If you have tried it several times with no results, you may be feeling demotivated and discouraged. However, the reason can be quite simple – the desire for quick results and “i-need-to-fit-into-this-dress” at any price. Fat loss challenge can be way more pleasant and positive if you just relax, accept the scientifically proven fact that it’s gonna take time, and follow the tips

1. Your nutrition shouldn’t become a rewarding thing or a source of joy. Just look at it as your fuel. Eat when you are really hungry, at that moment you will make do even with a piece of bread.
2. Move more. To lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit – burn more calories than you consume. A great way to reach it – move more, even fidgeting counts.
3. Start exercising – not to full exhaustion, but just to burn fat tissue and keep your body toned with lean muscle mass. You need to plan rest days, to make sure your muscles recover after the workouts and you have enough energy and motivation to continue.
4. Combine cardio and weight trainings for the best result – cardio will help to burn fat, and weight training – to build muscle mass.

Your weight loss journey can’t be just another annoying period so that you fit into a beautiful outfit or look good at a special event. It is a pleasant way of making your body healthier and lighter, along with becoming an active participant in life.

FAQs

Sources:

1. Weight loss: 6 strategies for success

2. Digestive disorders. Gallstones

3. Nutritional deficiencies