How To Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days: Meal Plan Included

Losing 30 pounds in 30 days is a challenging but achievable goal. To do it you should follow a 16/8 intermittent fasting plan, do HIIT cardio 4 times per week, and do weight training 3 other days each week.

Here are a few tips you can follow to hit that goal.

How To Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days: 12 Tips 

1. Do Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting should form the foundation of your 30-day weight loss plan. Follow a 16/8 plan where you have an 8-hour eating window each day and fast for the other 16 hours of the day. After 12 hours of fasting, your body will start eating into your fat stores to supply the energy you need to function.

I recommend starting your fast at 7 pm and going through until 11 am the next day. Then eat between 11 am and 7 pm.

2. Cut All Sugar

During your 8-hour eating window, you need to avoid sugar like the plague. The simple carbs in sugar will go directly to fat stores. Get rid of the obvious culprits like soft drinks, potato chips, cakes, and cookies. Be sure to read the labels for the hidden sugars in foods like tomato sauce, fruit juice, and canned soup.

3. Drink More Water

Drinking plenty of water is very important on your weight loss journey. As well as sipping from your water bottle throughout the day, have a full glass of water when you first get up. You should also drink a glass of water before every meal as this will help you to eat less. 

4. Focus on Protein

Protein is your best friend when it comes to losing weight. It will fill you up more than carbs or fats while also helping to build muscle. Muscle burns 5 times more calories than fat, so the more of it you have, the better.

Protein also has a high thermic value. That means that it takes a lot of calories to absorb and digest protein. Every meal should include a fist-sized portion of lean protein. Build your protein content around white meats like skinless chicken breast and turkey, black beans, Greek Yogurt, eggs, fish, and red meat.

5. Cut the Carbs

To lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you need to cut back on your carb intake. In fact, you should follow a keto diet-like eating plan where you keep your net carbs per day to under 50 grams. To do that you should only be eating complex carbs in the form of plant foods such as sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower. Replace brown rice with cauliflower rice. 

6. Prioritize Healthy Fats

As well as being beneficial for your cardiovascular well-being, healthy fats will help you to lose weight. Be sure to add a decent serving of fats to each meal. Some great foods to include are olive oil, avocado oil, walnuts, and coconut oil.

7. Get Plenty of Sleep

Your two most important weight control hormones, ghrelin and leptin, are greatly affected by your sleeping pattern. Ghrelin makes you eat more, while leptin makes you eat less. If you don’t get enough quality sleep, your ghrelin hormone will be increased and your leptin hormone decreased – that is a recipe for fat gain!

Lack of sleep also leads to cortisol release. Cortisol will lead to hunger cravings.

Make it a priority to get 8 hours of quality sleep every single night.

8. Cut Out Alcohol

If you are serious about losing 30 pounds in 30 days, you’ll have no problem nixing alcohol. With 7 calories per gram, alcohol is a weight loss nightmare. For the next 30 days, you must commit to going dry.

9. Do HIIT Training

High-Intensity Interval Training is the best form of cardio to lose weight. It involves doing quick bursts of cardio followed by short rest for repeated rounds. Do your HIIT training on the treadmill where you sprint for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Continue doing this for 8 rounds.

Do HIIT cardio workouts 4 times per week.

10. Weight Training

Working out with weights is a key part of the weight loss process. As well as burning calories, it will add lean muscle mass to your body. Every ounce of muscle tissue will dramatically increase your metabolic rate.

Do 3 weights workouts per week, following a full-body routine built around compound exercises like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.

11. No Salt

As well as cutting back on simple carbs, you need to cut out your salt/sodium intake. Salty foods will make you want to eat more while also sending your blood sugar levels sky-high. As well as the obvious culprits like salted peanuts, avoid sauces and soups with added sodium. 

12. Wear a Weight Vest When Working Out

When you are working out, whether it is during your HIIT cardio or your strength training, wear a weight vest. The extra weight that you are carrying will add about 10 percent to your calorie burn, making you a more efficient fat burner and getting you closer to your 30-day goal. 

Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days: 7 Day Meal Plan

Week One

M	T	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
2 hard-boiled eggs 1 apple	2 egg omelets with bacon	2 hard-boiled eggs 1 apple	2 egg omelets with bacon	2 hard-boiled eggs 1 apple	2 egg omelets with bacon	2 hard-boiled eggs 1 apple
A handful of almonds 1 piece citrus fruit	A handful of mixed nuts 1 piece citrus fruit	A handful of walnuts 1 piece citrus fruit	A handful of almonds 1 piece citrus fruit	A handful of walnuts 1 piece citrus fruit	A handful of mixed nuts 1 piece citrus fruit	CHEAT MEAL – Anything you want to a max 400 calories
Chicken breast (palm-sized), rice, sweet potato	Steak (palm-sized) broccoli, avocado, baked potato	Tuna Salad, asparagus, Yam	Chicken breast (palm-sized), rice, sweet potato	Steak (palm-sized) broccoli, avocado, baked potato	Chicken breast (palm-sized), rice, sweet potato	Steak (palm-sized) broccoli, avocado, baked potato
Whey Protein Shake (20 grams protein)	Whey Protein Shake (20 grams protein)	Vegetable smoothie	Whey Protein Shake (20 grams protein)	Whey Protein Shake (20 grams protein)	Vegetable smoothie	Whey Protein Shake (20 grams protein)
Fresh fish (size of your opened hand), baked potatoes, Caesar salad	Roast Chicken, vegetable casserole	Lamb shanks, roast vegetables, fresh garden salad	Fresh fish (size of your opened hand), baked potatoes, Caesar salad	Roast Chicken, vegetable casserole	Roast pork, roast vegetables, fresh garden salad	Fresh fish (size of your opened hand), baked potatoes, Caesar salad

Final Thoughts

To lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you will have to be supremely dedicated and self-disciplined. If you can provide those two qualities, the 12 tips here, in conjunction with our sample meal plan, will get you to that goal. So, why not start today? 

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