To lose 60 pounds in 3 months, you will need to be extremely dedicated and self-disciplined. You will also need to strictly follow an intermittent fasting plan and ketogenic diet while doing daily exercise that switches between high-intensity interval training and strength training.
Here are some key tips you can follow to achieve your weight loss goal:
How To Lose 60 Pounds in 3 Months: 7 Key Weight Loss Tips
1. Fasting
Intermittent fasting is the most effective rapid weight loss method that exists. As well as reducing your daily calorie intake, fasting will also deplete glycogen stores so that your body has to call on excess calories in the form of stored body fat for energy.
To lose 60 pounds in 12 weeks, you should follow two very effective fasting techniques. The first is the 16/8 method, where you fast for 16 hours every day and eat for 8 hours each day. Stop eating at 7 pm and begin again at 11 am the next day.
Every Sunday, you will also do a 24 hour fast. You will not eat from 7 pm on Saturday until 7 pm on Sunday. During that time, you should drink plenty of water and have a cup of bone broth at around 3 pm on Sunday.
2. Keto
The keto diet involves dramatically reducing your intake of simple carbs. On this 60 day plan, you will limit yourself to 50 grams of carbs per day. to do that you need to cut out all sugary foods, including unhealthy snacks like potato chips, soft drinks, and cookies.
The only healthy carbs you should be consuming are complex carbs from plant-based sources. These should include sweet potatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and green leafy vegetables. Focus on lean protein like baked fish, black beans, chicken, and eggs.
3. Go Alcohol-Free
If you think you can get away with a few drinks over the next 12 weeks and still lose 60 pounds, you’re dreaming. With 7 calories per gram, alcohol is a fat loss killer. The bottom line here is that you have either got to go cold turkey on alcohol for the next 3 months or forget the whole thing!
4. Get 8 Hours of Sleep Every Night
Lack of sleep will not only make you drowsy and moody, but it will also make you fatter. Sleep dramatically affects the actions of three hormones that are directly related to weight gain:
- Leptin
- Ghrelin
- Cortisol
Lack of sleep increases your body’s production of the hunger hormone ghrelin while suppressing that satiation hormone leptin. It will also increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and stress makes you eat more!
To control these weight control hormones you need to be averaging 8 hours of sleep each night. To achieve that, keep technology out of your bedroom, maintain a cool, dark environment and establish set times for going to bed and getting up in the morning.
5. HIIT
If you’re serious about reaching your 60-pound weight loss goal, you need to forget steady-state cardio and focus on high-intensity interval training. HIIT is the king of weight loss cardio exercises because it brings on the EPOC effect, by which your metabolism rate is ramped up for at least 24 hours after your workout is over for max calorie burn.
I suggest doing your HIIT cardio aerobic exercises on the field. Start with a 2-minute slow jog warm-up then sprint as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Now walk for 10 seconds. Simply repeat this sprint/walk pattern until you have done it 8 times. Finish with a 2-minute slow jog warm down.
You should do HIIT cardio activity every other day over the entire 12 week period of your 60-pound weight loss challenge.
6. Strength Training
Strength training will help you to firm and shape your body while also building vital muscle. Muscle has a far greater metabolic demand than body fat. So, the more muscle you have on your frame, the higher your metabolism rate will be and the more calories you will be burning off every day.
You should follow a 3X times per week strength training exercise plan on alternate days. Exercise your entire body each workout with compound exercises such as squats, bench presses, pull-ups, and barbell rows. Keep your rep range between 10 and 20 per set.
7. Drink 3 Liters of Water Daily
The bottom line on weight loss is to have a lower food intake that will achieve a daily caloric intake deficit. Drinking water will help you to maintain that calorie deficit. Drink 3 liters (0.66 gallon) of water on a daily basis.
In addition to drinking from a water bottle, make sure that you drink a full glass of water when you get up. Have another glass of water before each of your daily meals.
How To Lose 60 Pounds in 3 Months: Weekly Meal Plan
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 – skin removed (150 g), vegetable casserole | Lamb shanks (150 g), roast vegetables, fresh garden salad | Fresh fish (size of your opened hand), baked potatoes, Caesar salad | Roast Chicken – skin removed (150g), vegetable casserole | Roast pork (150g), roast vegetables, fresh garden salad | Fresh fish (size of your opened hand), baked potatoes, Caesar salad |
Final Thoughts
The challenge of losing 60 pounds in 3 months can seem daunting. The key to success is to focus on what you must do every day:
- Intermittent Fast
- Limit carbs to 50 grams daily
- Do HIIT Cardio every other day
- Do strength training 3X per week
- Prioritize sleep
- Drink 3L water daily
Do these things and your weight loss will be on autopilot.
Frequent Asked Questions
Is there a difference between weight loss and fat loss?
Yes, there is a difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss may include muscle and water weight, which you do not want to lose. Rather than using a scale, which only measures weight loss, rely on the mirror and a tape measure to determine your level of fat loss.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5959807/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31805451/
- https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/69/8/419/1827829?login=true
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2012.62
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29683919/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/