Perhaps your wedding, prom, or summer vacation is in 21 days and you need to drop a few dress sizes. Of course, the first thing that will linger in your mind is how fast you ought to drop these pounds. If you go online, you will likely bump into numerous articles on how you can shed even 21 pounds in 21 days. Before you act on these findings, first keep in mind what it takes to lose weight safely.
No matter how urgent it is, the goal should be to lose weight safely. If you adopt a rapid weight loss program, you may end up losing more than just the extra pounds. You just might lose your muscles, water, and bone.
To avoid all this, just try the safe 21-day fat loss challenge. It incorporates various safe weight loss programs that help you lose weight both safely and sustainably. Read on and discover these programs and the pounds that you can drop after this 21-day fat loss challenge.
Does The 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge Work?
Absolutely! The problem is that you may have tried other weight loss challenges and none may have worked before. As such, this too may appear to be a complete and utter lie. Contrary to this, this challenge can certainly help you lose some pounds within these 21 days.
The effectiveness of this 21-day fat loss challenge arises from its incorporation of different weight loss programs. As we all know, cutting out sugar, carbs, or alcohol are not the only mandatory practices for weight loss.
Weight loss calls for a calorie deficit, regular exercise, and the consumption of a nutritious, balanced, and healthy diet. If you do not couple all these altogether, then chances are you will struggle to lose or maintain your weight.
This should tell you that it is possible to lose weight in 21 days. What matters is which practices you incorporate to help you with this. Those practices should be well-rounded, especially if you want to drop specific pounds in these 21 days.
Read More: Lose 7 Pounds In 7 Days: Getting Real About What It Takes To Drop A Pound A Day
How Much Weight Can You Lose With The 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge?
When it comes to weight loss, you are usually asked to set realistic goals. By this, experts mean you need to set attainable goals. You will see some people aiming to lose 21 or 30 pounds in 21 days. Although it is possible, it is not healthy and therefore not recommended.
Instead, experts advise you aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds weekly (9). Three weeks total to 21 days. Therefore, aim to lose somewhere between 3 to 6 pounds within 21 days. Such a goal should not be strenuous, meaning it is both safe and realistic.
For rapid weight loss you can aim at losing more than this. Again, experts do not recommend this and advise you try such a weight loss program only under medical supervision.
The 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge
The 21-day fat loss challenge is a program that aims at helping you lose pounds within 3 weeks. You may have seen some 21-day weight loss challenges online. Some may have concentrated solely on dieting, others on exercise or both.
For this program, we will be incorporating various practices to assist you in shedding fat safely and fast. All these practices guarantee you a healthy and sustainable weight loss program. Nonetheless, do consult with your health care provider before you start this challenge.
Usually, experts recommend a weight loss challenge that meets the following criteria (2):
- Includes an exercise program
- Is created by an accredited or credentialed professional
- Advocates for the consumption of nutrient dense and varied foods from all food groups
- Advocates for portion control
- Promotes slow and steady fat loss
- Calls for the design and planning of weight loss meal plans
- Includes healthy weight loss snacks
- Calls for a calorie deficit
- Recommends drinking plenty of water
- Does not rely on supplements
Our 21-day fat loss challenge meets all these criteria. As such, it will help you lose weight gradually and in a healthy manner. By using it you may be able to fully incorporate it into your life for more steady and long-term results. Let us evaluate various practices emphasized in this challenge.
The 21-Day Fat Loss Challenge Meal Plan
Finding the perfect weight loss diet plan can be daunting and overwhelming. Without professional help, you may feel afraid of adding the wrong food products or using the wrong food measurements in your recipes.
As we all know, making too many poor choices in dieting can account for extra calories that may compromise your fat-loss journey. In this challenge, you are asked first to determine your lifestyle. This is so important because it influences your daily calorie intake.
Weight loss is all about burning more calories than you are consuming. If you know how active you are or what your lifestyle is, you will be able to design a reduced-calorie meal plan. Experts acknowledge that an average woman needs 2, 200 calories daily and men 2, 700 (7).
Working with this average, you must design a meal plan that accounts for fewer calories than these limits. The best weight loss meal plans will promote all food groups. They will not ask you to cut out any one food group.
Instead of this, such plans will contain all food groups to help you attain all your nutrients. Here is a checklist you can use to determine the perfect 21-day meal plan for you:
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Is It Realistic?
Like your weight loss goals, your meal plans also have to be practical. Do not go for a keto meal plan when you have never tried one before. Similarly, do not try a vegan meal plan while you know you cannot resist various animal products.
Such small aspects in these meal plans may force you to quit down the line. With this in mind, craft a practical meal plan that incorporates all your favorite meals. Again, it has to be practical in that it accommodates your eating style (8).
If you tend to be quite busy, this probably means that you frequently eat out. In most cases, you have a high chance of ending up making poor eating choices when you eat out. A good meal plan will not restrict you from eating out given such a schedule. Instead of this, it will accommodate your dining-out patterns at least once in a while.
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Is It Sustainable?
If you want something long-term, then you will need to consider if you can work with such diet plans for the foreseeable future. Do not be willing to only try these weight loss meal plans for the 21 days only. For better weight management, you can embrace them into your lifestyle to avoid gaining all the lost weight back.
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Does It Match Your Exercises?
As mentioned earlier, this fat loss challenge is well-rounded, meaning it will also incorporate various exercise programs. There are different exercise regimes that you can consider in this challenge. They range from aerobic, strength training, HIIT to cardio programs.
The goal is to find a 21-day fat loss challenge menu that helps you keep up with your regime. It must match your exercise level and provide you with sufficient energy for your workouts. Choose types of exercise that you enjoy doing so that it doesn’t feel like a chore.
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Is It Affordable/Manageable?
The other aspect that you have to consider before trying a diet plan is if it is affordable or manageable. Some meal plan ideas online may involve ingredients that you have never used in your kitchen. They could be quite expensive, depending on your grocery shopping budget.
Other meal plans may call upon for different cooking methods that may take a longer period of time. If you are busy these meal plans might not be the best idea. Similarly, if you are on a strict budget, such expensive menus might not suit you.
Experts recommend that you design a meal plan that focuses on your staple foods that are affordable and easily available to you (3). Starting with staples can make you comfortable with the weight loss diet plans. With time, you may try switching things up a bit and trying different diet plans.
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Does It Promote Weight Loss?
You also have to ask yourself if the meal plans you are considering can support your fat loss journey. The only way you can establish this is by evaluating how many calories each menu accounts for.
Remember that you have to focus on a calorie deficit to lose weight. So, you will have to burn lots of calories to reduce a noticeable amount of fat. Seek the help of an accredited dietitian to help in determining the most appropriate weight loss diet plans.
21-Day Fat Loss Meal Plan Ideas
The criteria described above will come in handy when you are creating your 21-day weight loss diet plan. To help you further, we have compiled some meal plan samples showcasing how you can incorporate all food groups. Take a look at them:
Sample 1
Perfect Keto Meal Plan Idea
This keto meal plan idea is from Medical News Today’s website (10). It is a great consideration if you are on a keto meal plan.
- Breakfast: Two eggs fried in butter with avocado and blackberries.
- Lunch: Grilled salmon with a salad mixed with tomato and leafy green vegetables.
- Dinner: Chicken breast with green beans and cauliflower mash.
- Snack: Cheese and bell pepper slices or some kale chips.
Sample 2
Perfect Plant-Based Meal Plan Idea
The following sample is also obtained from Medical News Today’s website (5). The diet plan is purely plant-based, making it an excellent option if you want a plant-based meal plan.
- Breakfast: An almond, flax, and wild blueberry smoothie.
- Lunch: A bowl of rosemary balsamic roasted vegetables.
- Dinner: Apples with almond apricot sauce.
- Snack: Basic hummus, salt and cinnamon kale chips, or peanut butter banana protein bars.
Sample 3
Basic Weight Loss Meal Plan
Also from Medical News Today’s website, this diet plan idea promotes weight loss. It is as follows (1):
- Breakfast: Smoked salmon and egg on a whole-grain bagel with a watercress portion, a medium low-fat mocha drink.
- Lunch: A bowl of bean and vegetable soup drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, one slice of whole-grain seeded bread, a portion of lightly steamed vegetables such as garden peas, broccoli, or carrots, and a fruit portion.
- Dinner: Greek mac and cheese casserole, a steamed broccoli portion (you can also choose asparagus or any other preferred green vegetable). Have some Greek yoghurt with either nuts or berries for dessert.
- Snack: A portion of hummus and raw vegetables for dipping, two oatcakes or two rice cakes spread with two tablespoons of peanut butter and topped with some apple slices.
21-Day Fat Loss Challenge Workout
Another vital aspect of our 21-day fat loss challenge is exercise. Experts acknowledge that you can burn as much as 500 extra calories daily through proper diet and exercise (2). For this challenge, you are required to come up with an effective exercise regime.
If you are a beginner, the best thing is to get the help of an accredited fitness coach. They will help you create a realistic 21-day workout plan that can help with burning more calories. To ensure that you are working with an effective workout plan for this challenge, use the following criteria:
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Does It Promote Weight Loss?
While you may want to lose weight, some exercises may tend to improve your flexibility or balance. Exercises are divided into several categories. One of them is the aerobic exercise category.
Most aerobic exercises last for at least 20 minutes and are performed at a high rate as they promote weight loss (11). They also use most of the large muscle groups, helping with building muscle strength in various parts.
The other group is the anaerobic exercise category. It entails regimens such as weight lifting, interval training, isometrics, sprinting, and rope skipping. These exercises use fewer calories and are much better for building muscles and strength development (11).
Lastly, we have the agility training category. These workouts mostly help when it comes to the maintenance of control when you are speeding, slowing down, or changing direction. They might not help so much with your fat loss.
Try to classify your exercise regime in one of these three categories and then analyze it for promoting weight loss. This is the only way to determine if your workout plan will bear fruits after the 21-day fat loss challenge. Ideally you want to include a combination of all three workout types into your routine for maximum weight loss and health benefits.
Read More: Creating A Diet Plan: A Detailed Playbook On Finding Your Own Dieting Rhythm
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Is It Safe?
Earlier on we mentioned that every weight loss program has to be safe. Therefore, you will need to evaluate if your workout plan is also safe to perform. The best weight loss workout plan is one that does not increase your injury risk (4).
Instead of this it should help you lose weight safely, and with minimal injuries. One way a workout plan can achieve this is by formulating workouts that match your fitness level. A beginner who skips straight to advanced level workouts risks injuring themselves.
Such a workout routine is unsafe and should never be tried. If you are designing a workout routine by yourself, remember to have a talk to your instructor. They will help in pinpointing safe workouts based on your fitness level. Likewise, they will teach you the correct exercise forms to minimize your risk of injuries.
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Does It Fit My Schedule?
If you want a sustainable exercise regimen, look for the one that best suits your schedule. Simply because you want to lose weight does not mean that your other activities come to a standstill. They continue as usual.
What you can do is design an exercise routine and try to implement it during your free time. If you have decided to run to lose weight, then do this in your free time. It could be early in the morning before work or in the evening after you are done with your schoolwork.
Whatever the routine is, it will only work if it fits your schedule. Otherwise, you will likely keep postponing your workouts until the 21-day fat loss challenge comes to an end.
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Does It Suit My Body Shape?
You ought to do more than just pick the right exercise for your workout plan to help you shed fat. You also have to consider if it is the best regimen to transform your current body shape. People have different body shapes and they all transform perfectly with various exercises (6). Talk to your trainer to learn more about your body shape and what regimen works best for it.
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Does It Call For Small Or Rapid Changes?
Some workout plans may call for significant changes within the 21 days. This is especially the case if they are of high intensity. On the other hand, some plans may tend to promote what we call a “baby step concept.”
Such a concept means that it advocates for small and gradual changes. Experts tend to acknowledge that this is the best approach when it comes to weight loss. Such a slow and steady program can help you lose weight long-term.
The faster you want to see changes, the harder the workout plan will be. It is, therefore, up to you to determine what your goals are. If you want rapid weight loss, then know that your plan will be extra challenging.
However, for steady fat loss, opt for the steady workout plan that results in gradual changes. Eventually, you may end up sticking with such a routine, even after you are done with the 21-day fat loss challenge.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 7-day healthful eating meal plans for males and females proven by science (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
- 10 Tips for Finding the Best Diet That Works for You (2007, medicinenet.com)
- Create a healthy-eating routine you can build on (2019, mayoclinic.org)
- Ease Into a Workout Program to Prevent Injuries (2014, medicinenet.com)
- Everything you need to know about plant based diets (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Everything you need to know about the mesomorph body type (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
- How many calories do you need? (2017, medicalnewstoday.com)
- How to Design Your Own Diet (2009, webmd.com)
- How to Lose Weight Safely (2019, webmd.com)
- Keto diet: 1-week meal plan and tips (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
- What to know about exercise and how to start (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
