How to Lose 30 Pounds in 3 Months With a Diet Plan

Losing 30 pounds in three months is a lofty goal, but is achievable if you've got the grit, determination -- and a lot of weight to lose. A three-month deadline puts your rate of loss at an average of about 2 1/2 pounds per week, just slightly above the ideal range of 1 to 2 pounds per week that's recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can safely lose weight at this faster rate, as long as you choose a diet plan that emphasizes diligent portion control, healthy food choices and exercise. Always check with your personal physician before beginning a diet-and-exercise program to be sure it's appropriate for you.

Potential for Losing 30 Pounds in 3 Months

Weight loss happens when you reduce your calorie intake below what you burn. To lose 30 pounds in three months, you'll have to create a deficit of 8,750 calories per week -- or about 1,250 calories per day. For the average adult, who requires about 2,000 calories per day to maintain the current weight, a 1,250-calorie deficit is unhealthy and unsustainable because it would leave just 750 calories on which to live. Registered dietitian, Joanne Larsen, on her website AsktheDietitian.com, warns against eating fewer than 1,200 calories per day because of the potential for nutrient deficiency, poor energy and muscle loss. In general, men need more calories per day than women, even when trying to lose weight.

But, the larger you are, the more calories you burn, so, if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, chances are you burn more than the 2,000-calorie-per-day average.Consult with your physician or use an online basal metabolic calculator, which estimates your daily calorie maintenance needs, to ensure you burn at least 2,450 calories daily. This ensures you can safely trim the 1,250 calories daily to lose 30 pounds in three months.

Exercise to Assist in Weight Loss

If trimming the required number of calories is not possible for your frame, combine eating less with increased physical activity. Exercise boosts your daily calorie burn significantly. Aim for 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic work -- such as brisk walking -- on most days to burn more calories, along with regular strength training to maintain muscle. You can then reduce calories by only 500 to 1,000 per day to achieve the goal deficit of 1,250 calories per day.

How much of an increase in caloric burn you get from physical activity depends on your size and the intensity of the exercise. Note that if you're already physically active and maintaining your weight, you'll need to add more exercise duration or intensity to create a deficit that promotes loss. Consulting a personal trainer is helpful for recommendations about what types of exercise will benefit you the most and be safe for your current level of physical fitness.

Choosing a Weight-Loss Diet Plan

A sensible weight-loss plan teaches you reasonable, maintainable habits so you'll stay in control of your weight your whole life. Drastic measures may bring immediate results, but they're more likely to lead to serious consequences, such as low energy, muscle loss, irritability, diminished immunity, inability to concentrate and binges. If you don't learn to manage your eating and exercise, chances are you'll gain all 30 pounds back -- and possibly more. Go with a plan that's sensible, doesn't ban entire food groups, and is appropriate for your lifestyle and schedule. For example, a plan that requires lots of nightly cooking when you work 12-hour days and have children may be unsustainable and set you up for failure.

Diet plans that provide a tool for monitoring -- whether it's a food journal, a counselor or online tracker -- help keep you from straying, too. To lose a significant amount of weight in a relatively short period, like three months, accountability is key.

Sample Diet Plan

How many calories you eat to lose the 30 pounds in three months is really tailored to your size, calorie needs and activity level. A sensible approach, though, usually includes eating a 2- to 4-ounce serving of protein, at least 1/2 cup of whole grains or starchy vegetable, 1 to 2 teaspoons of an unsaturated fat, and 1 to 2 cups of leafy or nonstarchy veggies at each meal. Quality protein foods include white fish, chicken breast, lean steak, white-meat pork, tofu and egg whites. Opt for brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa and 100 percent whole-wheat bread for whole grains or sweet potatoes, winter squash or peas as starchy vegetables. Leafy and nonstarchy vegetables include lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, green beans, asparagus. For healthy, unsaturated fats, choose olive and avocado oil, nut butters, raw nuts or seeds and avocados.

Your daily meal plan might consist of an egg white omelet with chopped peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes and a slice of whole-wheat toast topped with 2 teaspoons of almond butter; a tossed spinach salad with chicken breast, quinoa, olive oil and cucumbers; and flank steak, wild rice and steamed broccoli for dinner.

Although you're trying to lose weight quickly, you can still indulge in snacks. Make them nutrient-rich choices, though, that are portion-controlled to keep calories low. Low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit -- especially berries, which are low in calories -- whole-grain crackers, hummus and almonds are some options to choose from. The number of calories you eat at snack time depends on your daily calorie limits.

Weight Loss Pitfalls

Your daily calorie needs are calculated according to your size. As your size shrinks with weight loss, your calorie needs change. To keep losing weight, you'll need to adjust your calorie intake downward every time you lose five to 10 pounds. Larsen notes that for every five pounds lost, you'll need to decrease your intake by 25 to 50 calories. So, if you successfully lose weight when eating 1,600 calories per day at first, once you lose 15 to 20 pounds, you may have to reduce your intake by an additional 100 to 200 calories to keep dropping weight.

Even if you don't reach your goal weight in three months, know that small changes can make a big health impact. The CDC notes that even losing 5 percent of your total body weight can lead to improvements in blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure.

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Physical activity improves quality of life

Do you want to add years to your life? Or life to your years?

Feeling your best boosts your zeal for life!

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150-minutes of moderate activity each week. An easy way to remember this is 30 minutes at least 5 days a week, but three 10-minute periods of activity are as beneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session. This is achievable! Physical activity may also help encourage you to spend some time outdoors.

Here are some reasons why physical activity is proven to improve both mental and physical health.

Physical activity boosts mental wellness.

Regular physical activity can relieve tension, anxiety, depression and anger. You may notice a "feel good sensation" immediately following your physical activity, and most people also note an improvement in general well-being over time as physical activity becomes a part of their routine.

Physical activity improves physical wellness.

Reduced Risk Factors

Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. One study showed that adults who watch more than 4 hours of television a day had a 46% increased risk of death from any cause and an 80% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Becoming more active can help lower your blood pressure and also boost your levels of good cholesterol.

Physical activity prolongs your optimal health.

Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about 7 years longer than those who are not active and are obese. 

In addition to the health benefits listed above, moderate exercise, like brisk walking, can have other health benefits such as:

• Improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease
   
• Keeps weight under control
   
• Helps in the battle to smoking
   
• Improves blood cholesterol levels
   
• Prevents and manages high blood pressure
   
• Prevents bone loss
   
• Boosts energy level
   
• Helps manage stress
   
• Releases tension
   
• Promotes enthusiasm and optimism
   
• Counters anxiety and depression
   
• Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly
   
• Improves self-image
   
• Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities
   
• Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends
   
• Reduces risk of developing CHD/CVD by 30-40 percent
   
• Reduced risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and by 27 percent in those who are highly active
   
• Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children and counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.) that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life
   
• Helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer for seniors

So why not see for yourself? Once you find creative ways to fit physical activity into your life, we think you'll agree that the effort to get moving is worth it! 

Good balance requires mental and physical fitness

Balance can’t be taken for granted past a certain age; it must be maintained — both in mind and body.

General physical fitness and targeted exercises to improve balance can prevent falls. But so can staying mentally active to maintain brain health. A sharp mind helps you to think — and stay — on your feet.

“We need careful planning of our movements, decision making, reaction time, and attention,” says Brad Manor, PhD, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Mobility and Falls Program at the Harvard-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston. “Staying mentally active is very important to avoiding falls.”

We depend on several body systems for keeping us upright. The inner ear, which senses head motions, has an important role. So does the body’s somatosensory system, which relays the feeling of the ground beneath your feet. And, of course, vision tips you off to obstacles around you. The brain takes in all this information, plans out movement, and carries it out. “Balance is a complex system,” Manor says. “Especially as we get older, cognition becomes a big part of it.”

Manor and his fellow researchers are conducting studies to evaluate the balance benefits of tai chi, a form of exercise that involves moving gently through a series of poses. Tai chi improves balance because it works with both the mind and body.

Classes in tai chi and a related exercise system, qigong, are widely available. The American Tai Chi and Qigong Association provides a search engine for finding tai-chi and qigong classes in your area. 

You could also perform daily “standing balance” exercises. These include repeated moves that involve standing on one leg while gently lifting the other. A personal trainer can also help you learn a balance-improving routine.

Maintaining mental fitness, remaining physically active, and practicing tai chi, qigong, yoga, or some other mind-body exercise can help you keep your balance and avoid stumbling. But if you do lose your balance, recovering requires muscle power. Power is the ability to exert force quickly — the kind of conditioning an experienced ballroom dancer uses to “push off” during quick steps and returns. Rapid, forceful exercises like hopping and side stepping help to build power. For beginners, classes or trainers are valuable to learn how to exercise for power safely.

Bench Angle and Muscle Activation

Have you ever wondered about differences in muscle activation when the bench press is performed at a variety of angles? A report printed in the European Journal of Sport Science (2015; doi:10.1080/17461391.2015.1022605) may satisfy your curiosity.

The goal of the small study was to determine whether changing the bench angle would alter activation of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid and triceps muscles during the barbell press. The study featured 14 “trained” men, all about 21 years old. Each performed six reps at 65% of one-repetition maximum with the bench placed at 0-, 30-, 45- and -15-degree angles. Five minutes of rest separated sets. Muscle activa- tion was measured via surface electromyography. To ensure uniformity in time under tension, participants completed each repetition to the ticks of a metronome.

Here are a few highlights from the researchers’ findings:

UPPER PECTORALIS MAJOR

• Greater muscle activation occurred in the concentric phase than in the eccentric phase at all angles.
• During 26%–50% of muscle contraction, activation was greater at 30 and 45 degrees.

LOWER PECTORALIS MAJOR

• Greater muscle activation occurred in the concentric phase than in the eccentric phase at all angles.
• Muscle activation was greater at 0 and -15 degrees than it was at 30 degrees throughout the entire contraction.

ANTERIOR DELTOID

• Muscle activation was greater in the concentric phase than in the eccentric phase at 30 and 45 degrees.
• Muscle activation was lower at the -15-degree angle.

TRICEPS

• Muscle activation during the concentric contraction phase was greater in the 30- and 45-degree positions than in the decline position.
• Bench angle resulted in no difference in activation during the eccentric contraction.

“The results of this study support the use of a horizontal bench to achieve muscular activation of both the upper and lower heads of the pectoralis major,” the authors noted. “However, a bench incline angle of 30° or 45° resulted in greater muscular activation during certain time points, suggesting that it is important to consider how muscular activation is affected at various time points when selecting bench press exercises.”

In conclusion, the authors supported the use of both horizontal and 30-degree bench angles to maximize muscle activation. “The use of a decline or 45-degree incline bench would have little to no added benefit,” they said.

Quick Fixes for Sore Muscles

A vigorous fitness routine sometimes comes at a price: muscle soreness. Try these pre- and post-workout muscle treatments to ease the pain and speed recovery following a tough workout.

There’s nothing like the sense of satisfaction (and the sensation of all those endorphins) after a tough workout. But as you trudge home from the gym, you know something else is probably coming, too —muscle soreness. “Fitness-related muscle soreness is so common it has a name, delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS,” says Samantha Clayton, ACE- and AFAA-certified personal trainer, Olympic sprinter, and women’s sprints coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. “DOMS sets in a day or two following a strenuous fitness routine and is caused by microscopic tears within the muscle tissue created during your intense exercise activity.” This bittersweet reminder of how hard you pushed yourself actually serves a biological purpose during the workout recovery period. “Your body responds with pain so you don’t over-train while it heals itself,” Clayton explains.

If you have drastically changed your workout routine or amped up the volume or intensity of your fitness regimen, DOMS can’t be avoided, but there are some simple treatments that can help lessen the blow and help you feel better, faster. Try these tips to bounce back with ease.

Sore Muscle Treatments: During Your Workout

The best way to prevent soreness and injury is prevention, so add these elements to your game plan:

Stretch it out. “Before your workout, an extended warm-up and stretch routine will fully prepare your body for exercise and reduce the effects of DOMS,” Clayton says. “Take the time to perform gentle dynamic stretches [stretches that involve movement] before your fitness routine and follow up with static stretches [stretches you hold],” she says. Swinging your legs and gentle walking lunges are two examples of dynamic stretches.

Warm up before weight training. “I see so many people jumping straight to the weight rack when they get to the gym, but loading your muscles without adequate preparation not only increases your chances of getting severe DOMS, it also puts you at risk for a pulling a tendon, ligament, or muscle during your workout,” Clayton says. Doing the cardio portion first really warms up your muscles. If you’re doing a weights-only workout, add a heart-pumping element to your warm up, such as jumping jacks or jump rope, to prepare your muscles for hard work.

Hydrate. “Hydration is important before and throughout your workout to prevent cramping and decrease inflammation (and muscle soreness) after exercise,” says Sara Edwards, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. And despite what beverage companies want you to believe, water is the best choice for most exercisers. If your fitness routine leads to excessive sweating, either because you are exercising in hot weather or working out vigorously, you might want to also replace electrolytes and sodium by drinking a sports beverage in addition to hydrating with water, adds Dr. Edwards. Just keep it low-calorie to avoid drinking back all the calories you just burned.

Work out with correct form. “Being aware of your posture during your workout can prevent unnecessary DOMS,” Clayton says. “Select your weights based on your form first because you will benefit more and experience less soreness by lifting 50 pounds correctly than by lifting 100 pounds incorrectly.”

Sore Muscle Treatments: Immediately After Your Workout

Resist the urge to collapse in the nearest chair. Instead, to help muscle recovery:

Jump in an ice bath. “Almost every college and pro sports team locker room has an ice bath, and athletes are strongly encouraged to jump in after a tough workout for a 10- minute soak,” Clayton says. Clayton encourages amateur athletes to do the same because cold baths have been found to significantly reduce muscle soreness — particularly when compared to resting or no intervention after a workout, researchers at University of Ulster in Northern Ireland concluded after reviewing the results of 17 clinical trials.

Heat up later in the day. A few hours after an intense fitness session, apply a heating pad or other heat source. “Muscle tightness is a cause of increased pain for many people, and stimulating the blood flow and loosening up sore muscles with heat can help speed up the healing process,” Clayton says.

Reach for pineapple or tart cherries. “Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapples, has anti-inflammatory benefits comparable to those of anti-inflammatory medications,” Clayton says. Recent research has also unveiled the hidden anti-inflammatory powers of tart cherries or tart cherry juice, which has also been shown to significantly reduce inflammation in the body. You can also purchase supplements containing bromelain at a health food store or online.

Sore Muscle Treatments: The Day After

Use your sore muscles. “The day after your workout, use the same muscles in a non-resistant way to avoid soreness,” says Michael Terry, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, associate professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, and team physician for Northwestern University athletics in Chicago. “For example, if you have slightly sore muscles from skiing, take a bike ride the following day.”

Ice during recovery. Though an ice bath may help stave off muscle soreness immediately after a workout, applying ice topically will help ease the soreness that sets in the next day. “Icing decreases inflammation in sore muscles,” Edwards says. “We used to think muscle soreness following a workout was due to a buildup of lactic acid, but now it’s thought to result from inflammation — ice helps reduce this inflammation,” she says.

Indulge in some self-massage. “Massage is a great treatment for sore muscles,” Clayton says. She adds that if your muscles are really sore after a tough workout, the thought of someone touching them may make you scream. “If this is the case, self-massage may be a better sore muscle treatment, so you can control the pressure,” she says. For this, she suggests a massage stick or a foam roller — “these techniques will relax sore muscles and stretch them to relieve tension.”

What helps your muscles bounce back after a tough workout? Tell us in the comments.

8 Ways to Focus on Getting Fit

You know you should exercise more, but that won't always get you going. Here's how to devise and stick to an exercise program.

Forty percent of all chronic diseases can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating a healthy diet and working out regularly. Yet Americans have become increasingly obese and sedentary. “People just aren’t making the connection between unhealthy lifestyle choices and disease risk,” says Alice Burron, MS, spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise and author ofFour Weeks to Fabulous. Doctors often try to change people’s attitudes by emphasizing the health benefits of exercise. But a recent study at the University of Missouri, published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that telling people why exercising is good for them doesn’t motivate them. People don’t “think” themselves into being more active and working out, the researchers concluded after studying data on close to 100,000 participants.

The researchers, led by Vicki Conn, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate dean for research and Potter-Brinton professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, also concluded that rather than focus on why patients should exercise, health experts should be emphasizing how to exercise. They believe that many people would exercise more and lose weight if they knew how to fit working out into their busy schedules.

Personalizing Your Exercise Goals

Burron says the chance of starting and sticking to an exercise regime increases if people personalize their decisions. “For example,” she says, “if they have a close friend or family member who has suffered from heart disease, stroke, diabetes or cancer, and they resolve to make healthy lifestyle changes to prevent the same fate, success almost always follows.”

Wanting to be a role model for your children or others in your life is another good motivation. “I want to teach my four children how to eat well and stay active for life,” she says. “Also, being in the fitness industry, everyone watches me closely — my weight and what I eat. I have to be a good example so that I am believable and people will follow my lead.”

Here are other ways that you can motivate yourself to lose weight and exercise regularly:

• Make specific goals. Don’t just say, “I want to lose weight.” Better: “I want to lose 20 pounds in a year.” Your goal needs to have specific timeframes and be something where you can measure your progress, Burron says.
• Be realistic. Never expect to lose 20 pounds in two weeks or even three. Set goals that are realistic with the effort and commitment that you can give to them, Burron says. Also, make sure you have the resources available to achieve your goals. Don’t choose swimming as your form of exercise if you don’t have access to a pool, or running outdoors when it’s going to be freezing outside for the next few months.
• Set reminders. Post sticky notes where you will see them, reminding yourself of the benefits of exercise and sticking to your goals.
• Schedule your workout. Put time for exercising on your calendar, just as you would a doctor’s appointment or work. You can use your phone to set an alarm when it’s time to get moving.
• Put it in writing. Keep a journal with your goals for the week along with your results. After working out, write down what you did and for how long. When you look at the numbers and see progress, it will encourage you to keep going.
• Consider the obstacles. Think about what might get in the way of your going for a brisk walk or biking at least three times a week. “Then come up with a plan to overcome these obstacles,” Burron says. For example, if you have small children that you can’t leave and have no one to watch them, buy a good stroller or bike so they can come along. Weather getting you down? Find a fitness center with child care or create a home exercise routine that you can do when the kids are napping or at school.
• Get a partner. “If you have the tendency to bail from exercise at the last minute, finding a partner who can keep you accountable might be a good strategy,” Burron says.
• Talk to a trainer. It’s important that your exercise routine be made of activities you like. The more you like them, the more motivated you’ll be to do them. However, you may need a personal trainer to teach you how to properly do the exercises you’ve chosen and set up a routine that you can live with easily.
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Making lifestyle changes is similar to remodeling your house, Burron says. “It will go much better if you have a plan.” Even making small increases in your physical activities will be beneficial to your overall health.

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The Lifelong Benefits of Exercise. - Blog(Imti Azz Ahmed)

Stop procrastinating and start exercising! The benefits of physical fitness are too great to ignore.

Feel younger, live longer. It's no slogan — these are actual benefits of regular exercise. People with high levels of physical fitness are at lower risk of dying from a variety of causes, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Physical Fitness: What the Benefits of Exercise Mean for You

There's more good news. Research also shows that exercise enhances sleep, prevents weight gain, and reduces the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even depression.

"One study found that when breast cancer survivors engaged in exercise, there were marked improvements in physical activity, strength, maintaining weight, and social well-being," explains Rachel Permuth-Levine, PhD, deputy director for the Office of Strategic and Innovative Programs at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

"Another study looked at patients with stable heart failure and determined that exercise relieves symptoms, improves quality of life, reduces hospitalization, and in some cases, reduces the risk of death," adds Dr. Permuth-Levine. She points out that exercise isn't just important for people who are already living with health conditions: "If we can see benefits of moderate exercise in people who are recovering from disease, we might see even greater benefits in those of us who are generally well."

Physical Fitness: Exercise Basics

Physical activity doesn't have to be strenuous to produce results. Even moderate exercise five to six times a week can lead to lasting health benefits.

When incorporating more physical activity into your life, remember three simple guidelines:

1. Exercise at moderate intensity for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes spread over the course of each week.
2. Avoid periods of inactivity; some exercise at any level of intensity is better than none.
3. At least twice a week, supplement aerobic exercise (cardio) with weight-bearing activities that strengthen all major muscle groups.

Physical Fitness: Making Exercise a Habit

The number one reason most people say they don't exercise is lack of time. If you find it difficult to fit extended periods of exercise into your schedule, keep in mind that short bouts of physical activity in 10-minute segments will nonetheless help you achieve health benefits. Advises Permuth-Levine, "Even in the absence of weight loss, relatively brief periods of exercise every day reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease."

Set realistic goals and take small steps to fit more movement into your daily life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking to the grocery store instead of driving. "The key is to start gradually and be prepared," says Permuth-Levine. "Have your shoes, pedometer, and music ready so you don't have any excuses."

To help you stick with your new exercise habit, vary your routine, like swimming one day and walking the next. Get out and start a baseball or soccer game with your kids. Even if the weather doesn't cooperate, have a plan B — use an exercise bike in your home, scope out exercise equipment at a nearby community center, or consider joining a health club. The trick is to get to the point where you look at exercise like brushing your teeth and getting enough sleep — as essential to your well-being.

Remember that physical fitness is attainable. Even with small changes, you can reap big rewards that will pay off for years to come.

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