Embarking on a weight loss journey can feel daunting, but with a structured plan and the right mindset, significant progress is achievable in 60 days. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you lose weight, build healthier habits, increase energy, and feel more confident.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Weight Loss
Weight loss is often confused with fat loss. To change the way your body looks, you need to focus on losing fat and NOT losing muscle. The rate of fat loss can be expressed as an overall percentage of loss relative to your weight loss. The goal would be to have 75% of every pound lost come from fat loss.
The basic principle behind weight loss is creating a calorie deficit, meaning you consume fewer calories than your body burns. However, drastic calorie cuts can lead to fatigue, crankiness, and potential binge eating. A safe and sustainable deficit is around 500 calories less than your maintenance intake per day, facilitating a loss of approximately 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Realistic Expectations
Aim for a weight loss of 0.5-1% of your body weight per week. For example, someone who is 250lbs could expect to lose anywhere between 10-20lbs of weight in a 60-day period.
It’s essential to understand that 2-3 lbs of weight loss a week is a healthy and sustainable rate. This means a target weight loss of between 16 and 24 pounds within 60 days.
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Why 60 Days?
While sustainable weight loss is a long-term process, 60 days provides a perfect window to build lasting change. It takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit, according to a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology. The challenge format offers structure and a clear timeline, keeping you focused and accountable. Slow and steady weight loss is more sustainable and healthier for your metabolism and muscle mass, preventing the yo-yo effect.
Phase 1: Jump-Start Your Weight Loss (Weeks 1-2)
This initial two-week phase focuses on jump-starting your weight loss journey, aiming for a safe and healthy loss of up to 6 to 10 pounds (2.7 to 4.5 kilograms). The emphasis is on establishing lifestyle habits conducive to weight management.
Adding Healthy Habits
Incorporate five healthy habits into your daily routine:
- Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Mindful Eating: Not eating while you watch TV.
- Daily Movement: Moving your body for 30 minutes a day.
Breaking Unhealthy Habits
Identify and break five unhealthy habits that contribute to weight gain.
Bonus Healthy Habits
Adopt five additional healthy habits to further support your weight loss efforts.
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Phase 2: Live It! (Weeks 3-8)
This phase transitions into a lifelong approach to health, focusing on sustainable practices. Continue to see a steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilograms) a week until you reach your goal weight.
Making Informed Food Choices
Learn more about food choices, portion sizes, and menu planning.
Incorporating Physical Activity
Engage in regular physical activity and exercise, sticking to healthy habits.
Essential Nutrition Information
To lose weight, you have to eat less. Fewer calories in means less fat stored. Combine this with exercise, and you’ll be burning fat and increasing the speed of your weight loss. But what do you eat?
Balanced Meals
Focus on balanced meals. Try the perfect plate approach, which encourages you to make every plate ½ vegetables, ¼ carbs, and ¼ protein.
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Avoiding Processed Foods
Processed foods often have lots of sugar, salt, and refined carbs. Instead, check the ingredient labels and avoid any with hidden or added sugar. Ideally, they should have whole grains. Whole grain bread, cereal, and oatmeal are all great starting points.
Protein Sources
For protein, choose lean turkey, white meat (avoiding the skin), lean beef, tuna steaks, fresh salmon, and even pork tenderloin. You can also get protein from dairy products such as Greek yogurt, low-fat milk, eggs, and low-fat cottage cheese.
Complex Carbohydrates
To prepare your own meals, use brown rice, whole grain pasta, dried lentils, or quinoa/other whole grains.
Fruits and Vegetables
Of course, vegetables and fruit are fairly easy, just choose the fresh ones not pre-packed.
Limiting Desserts
Skip the desserts, use the above foods and the free 1-day meal plan, and fill your plate according to the perfect plate approach. You’ll still enjoy your food, and you’ll notice the difference in your waistline.
10 Steps for Planning a 60-Day Weight Loss Diet
- Know Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): Calculate your TDEE to estimate the calories needed to maintain your weight. Create a calorie deficit by consuming ~10% less calories than your TDEE per day.
- Track Your Weight Loss Twice Per Week: Weigh yourself every Monday and Friday, comparing Mondays to Mondays and Fridays to Fridays.
- Adjust Your Caloric Intake As Needed: If losing .5-1% of body weight per week, maintain current intake. If not, decrease calories by another 10%.
- Focus on Lean Proteins, Vegetables, and Whole Grains: Prioritize these foods for muscle retention, fiber, nutrients, and sustained energy.
- Drink More Water: Aim for one gallon of water per day to fight hunger, enhance training, and boost energy.
- Avoid Liquid Calories Like Alcohol, Soda, and Fruit Juices: These provide calories without satiety and often come from poor nutritional sources.
- Cook Your Own Meals: Control ingredients, portion sizes, and food quality by cooking at home.
- Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time: Pre-plan meals to avoid overeating, undereating, or skipping meals.
- Get At Least 8+ Hours of Sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for hormone regulation and preventing overeating.
- Take a Probiotic: Support normal gut function and digestion.
Exercise Plan for Weight Loss
To stay fit and healthy you need to be active. But which is better, formal workouts or daily movement?
Choosing a Workout Plan
You’ve got your food worked out. Now it’s time to start exercising. Remember, start slowly to avoid injury. Your aim is to complete all the following exercises. But you should do as much as you can to start with and build your endurance.
Cardio
Cardio is the first thing most people think of when trying to lose weight. Completing 30 minutes of cardio five times a week will help you to burn calories and lose fat. In essence, anything that makes you sweat while increasing your heart rate classifies as cardio. This could be cycling, running, swimming, or playing sports like football, squash, or even badminton.
Strength Training
Cardio helps you burn calories, improves your endurance, and helps ensure you have a healthy heart. But you also need to be doing strength training. In short, muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells. The greater your muscle mass, the easier it will be to burn fat and look toned. You should aim to have three strength training sessions a week, Again you’ll need to start light and gradually increase the weights you’re using. Here are some good exercises to start with:
- Barbell squats
- Weighted lunges
- Dumbbell bench press
- Tricep dips
- Pull-ups
- Push-ups
- Deadlift
- Farmers walk
- Planks
Your aim is to complete all of the above exercises three times a week. Each exercise should be done for 10-12 reps. Complete them as a circuit and take a 2-minute rest before repeating the circuit twice, creating three sets of 10-12 reps. You should start with a lightweight that enables you to complete all the sets, 5 lb is fine. Add a little more each week to increase the difficulty and build your muscles.
Flexibility Training
Before you exercise, you should warm-up, and warm down afterward. But, you should also consider doing a few flexibility exercises every day. These are often overlooked, although they are essential for a healthy, pain-free body. Try some basic yoga moves or palates.
8 Steps for Planning a 60-Day Weight Loss Exercise Plan
- Lift Weights At Least 3 Days a Week, Preferably 4-6 Days: Lifting weights is key to building and preserving muscle mass.
- Walk at Least 7,500 Steps a Day: Adopt an active lifestyle outside the gym.
- Train Muscle Groups No Less Than 2x Per Week, Sometimes More: Deliver enough stimulus to ensure muscle retention.
- Train in the Moderate to High Rep Ranges: Maximize calories burned while still building muscle.
- Incorporate Compound Exercises: Focus on exercises that work multiple muscle groups.
- Use Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight, reps, or sets over time.
- Limit Cardio: Too much cardio can hinder muscle growth.
- Prioritize Recovery: Allow adequate rest between workouts.
Your 60 Day Weight Loss Plan
In 60 days you can comfortably lose between 16-24 pounds, potentially more if you’re currently heavily overweight. To help you get started and achieve your goal of how to lose weight in 60 days, adopt the following approach.
- Days 1-10: 10 minutes cardio of your choice every other day. Complete the strength training exercises every other day, (ideally opposing days to the cardio). Start with a 5 lb weight and see if you can hit 10 lbs by the end of 10 days. It’s OK just to do one set of each exercise.
- Days 11-20: 20 minutes of cardio every other day. Strength training exercises every other day. Continue increasing the weight and aim for 15 lbs at the end of this 10 day period. You should be aiming for two sets now.
- Days 21-30: 30 minutes of cardio every other day. Continue strength training aiming for 20 lbs by the end of your first 30 days. However, it’s more important that you do three sets. If this means that you can’t increase the weight yet that’s fine.
- Days 31-40: 30 minutes of cardio 4 days a week. Ideally, do two days, rest one day, then do another two, with two days rest. Strength training three times a week. Three sets should now be your norm, and you can start increasing the weight according to your abilities.
- Days 41-50: 30 minutes of cardio five days a week. Try three days on, one off, two on, and one more rest day. Three sets of 10-12 strength training reps, and keep trying to increase the weight you’re lifting. If you can do three sets of 10 reps, you’re ready to increase your weight, even if this means doing two sets of 10 reps and one set of 3 reps.
- Days 51-60: Keep going! You should have built a habit now, and you’ll want to keep doing your cardio and strength training, pushing yourself to lift more or run further.
Tools and Resources
Setting Goals
Creating a goal is as simple as deciding how much weight you want to lose. However, you should be aiming for 2-3 lbs of weight loss a week; your 60-day weight loss goal should be around the 25 lb mark. To be successful, you need to know your starting point and be aware that you can lose fat without losing weight.
- Weigh Yourself: The first step is to step on your scales and confirm your current weight.
- Check Your BMI: You should also check your BMI and measure key parts of your body, such as your waist, thighs, and even your arms.
- Track Progress Weekly: Knowing your starting point will help you to set your goals and monitor your progress. You should be checking BMI, weight, and body measurements every week.
Essential Equipment
- Kitchen Scales: In order to measure portion size and cook your own food, you’re going to need a good pair of kitchen scales.
- Meal Prep Containers: One of the best ways of sticking to a meal plan is to spend a little time preparing your meals in advance.
- Good Set of Knives: Investing in a decent set will make it easier for you to prepare your food and eat more healthily.
Groceries
Now that your kitchen is ready, you need to think about the food items you have at home and what you should be getting on your next trip to the grocery store. You also need to make sure you have the right groceries ready for you to discover how to lose weight in 60 days. This means no more processed foods.
Enlist Support
You can lose weight by yourself, but you’ll find it is much easier when you have the support of your friends and loved ones. When you’re willpower is flagging they will help you stick to your plan. It’s also a good idea to enlist the help of others going through the same process.
Supplementation
While not essential, certain supplements can complement your weight loss efforts.
Hydroxycut
Hydroxycut supplements are designed to complement your healthy lifestyle, not replace it. Hydroxycut products are formulated with the powerful weight loss ingredient C. canephora robusta (green coffee extract), which has been shown in two studies to support weight loss.
Real-Life Success Stories
Kelly and Trish Gibbs: A Short Pump husband and wife, Kelly and Trish Gibbs, started Weight Loss RVA in mid-July and in just 60 days they lost a combined 88 pounds! The Gibbs’ were struggling to keep up with their active kids and live the active lifestyle they desired. There were several program elements that appealed to us, including the fact that we were eating real foods and the natural weight loss supplements which help suppress appetite and reset our metabolism. And, the ongoing coaching support from a health coach and specific guidance on not only what to eat, but also our specific struggles is what sets this program apart from the others. Plus, we were very excited about the opportunity to lose a half a pound to a pound a day. After trying several other programs and only losing seven or eight pounds in a month or starving ourselves, the Weight Loss RVA program was very appealing.