How long should one take to lose weight? Experts recommend losing 1–2 pounds (0.45–1 kilograms) per week by following a healthy weight loss plan (3). The 8-week diet plans are structured to help you shed a reasonable amount of extra fat within the timeframe given.
There are numerous reduction diets, some of which promise quick weight loss in just a few weeks. However, fad diets are not recommended because they may be too restrictive and not sustainable, therefore not effective in the long run or even harm you (1). 8-week diet plans may help you achieve your weight loss goal or kick-start your weight loss journey. Here is everything you need to know before you start following any of the 2 months meal plans.
What Are An 8-Week Diet Plans?
This is a weight loss eating plan that specifies the foods you should eat to develop muscles as you shed extra pounds in about 2 months (11). It follows a 40-30-30 formula of carbs-protein-fat, with more calories eaten on active days, less on recovering periods to prevent the metabolism from slowing down (11). The recommended foods also provide the essential nutrients to fuel you up for the accompanying workouts. It is important to note that this is outside the macronutrient distribution range recommended by the Institute of Medicine, which recommends 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates.
How To Lose Weight In 8-Week Diet Plans?
Healthy and effective weight loss involves following a balanced weight loss diet and engaging in physical activity (5). To lose weight in 2 months, create a diet and workout routine that you could enjoy and look forward to following. Such enthusiasm will keep you on the right weight loss track.
Read More: Six Meals A Day Diet Plan: Will It Actually Keep Your Metabolism Humming?
How To Create Effective 8 Week Diet Plans?
If you want to lose weight in 2 months, you must learn how to plan well and avoid mistakes that could diminish your efforts. A good weight loss diet plan for women and men begins with calculating all the variables involved. Factors such as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), macronutrients, calories, and activeness levels are brought into account to lay the foundation for your plan (2). This helps you identify the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities you can exploit to make your weight loss efforts a success.
Calculating Your Calorie Intake
Before working on your diet plan, you need to know your required daily caloric intake to determine how much you would need on a weight loss diet. To do so, you should use the Harris-Benedict formula, which multiplies your daily BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) with your daily activity, and the result is your caloric intake per day (2).
- Men: [ 66 + (6.2 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.76 x age)] x Level of activity points
- Women: [ 655.1 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age)] x Level of activity points
This equation uses points for different levels of activity.:
- 1.2 points – very little to no exercise
- 1.37 points – lightly active person
- 1.55 points – moderately active
- 1.725 points – very active
- 1.9 points – extra active
For example:
A 20-year-old, 155 pound, 70-inch-tall, very active young man would estimate his average calorie intake as follows:
- [ 66 + (6.2 x 155) + (12.7 x 70) – (6.76 x 20)] x 1.725= 3063 calories
If you do not wish to do the math yourself, you can use one of the many calorie calculators online.
Once you have the daily calorie intake, you can determine the most appropriate carbohydrate, protein, fat ratio to aim for. With this information in mind, you can now create a well-structured, simple meal plan to lose weight for the next 8 weeks.
The Meal Plan
Are you searching for what to eat when following the 8 weeks diet plan? Buy the following to prepare meals to include in your simple meal plan to lose weight.
The shopping list:
- Waffles
- Whole grain bread
- Whole egg
- Fruits and other ingredients for a fresh smoothie
- Egg whites
- Skimmed milk
- Flaxseed
- Fruits and vegetables
- Low fat cheese
- crushed walnuts
- Fresh Greek yogurt
- Turkey bacon
- Greek salad
- Smoked turkey breast
- Chicken breast
- Mixed greens
- Avocado
- Potato chips
- Grass-fed beef
- Turkey salad
- Low fat cottage cheese
- Quinoa
- Shrimp
- Lean pork
Lean and toned up body isn’t just a far-fetched fantasy. Check out the BetterMe app and watch it propel your weight loss journey into high gear!
A Sample 8-Week Diet Plan
There are several ways to plan your 8-week diet. Some people create a diet plan for each week while others divide the eight weeks into four-time frames, each lasting two weeks. Since there is no right or wrong approach between these two methods, select one that will work best for you. Here is an example given by Muscleandfitness (10).
Week 1 And 2
Breakfast:
- 1 whole egg
- 1 medium apple
- 4 egg whites
- 3 oz chicken breast
- ½ cup green pepper
Lunch:
- 1 cup broccoli, steamed
- 4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
- ½ cup brown cooked rice
- ½ large grapefruit
Dinner:
- Spicy Citrus Shrimp with Quinoa
Snacks:
Morning:
- Coconut-Lime Chicken Bites with Baked Zucchini Fries
Afternoon:
- 10 almonds, chopped
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup blueberries
Bedtime:
- ½ tablespoon peanut butter, natural
- 20g whey protein isolate
Daily Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories: 1,480
- Protein: 169g
- Carbs: 119g
- Fat: 40g
Week 3 And 4
Breakfast:
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg whites
- 3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- ½ cup green pepper
- 6 almonds (as a side)
Lunch:
- 1 cup broccoli, steamed
- ½ cup brown cooked rice
- ½ large grapefruit
- 4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
Dinner:
- Chicken Kabobs with Mediterranean Brown Rice
Snacks:
Morning:
- Purple Sweet Potato Parfait
Afternoon:
- 10 almonds, chopped
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup blueberries
Bedtime:
- ½ tablespoon peanut butter, natural
- 20g whey protein isolate
Daily Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories: 1,437
- Protein: 164g
- Carbs: 124g
- Fat: 34g
Week 5 And 6
Breakfast:
- ½ cup oatmeal, uncooked
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 20g chocolate whey protein
Lunch:
- ½ cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup broccoli
- 4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
Dinner:
- Sweet Chili-Lime Barbecue Chicken with Cucumber Salad
Snacks:
Morning:
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ large grapefruit
- 3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- ½ cup green peppers, chopped
Afternoon:
- Baked Sole with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa and ½ cup brown rice
Bedtime:
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 6 egg whites
Daily Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories: 1,311
- Protein: 152g
- Carbs:122g
- Fat: 24g
Week 7 And 8
Breakfast:
- ½ cup oatmeal, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed
- 20g vanilla whey protein
- Dash of cinnamon
Lunch:
- 1 cup broccoli
- 4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
- 4 oz cooked sweet potato
Dinner:
- Barbecue Tilapia with Mango Salsa and 1 cup asparagus
Snacks:
Morning:
- ½ large grapefruit
- ½ cup egg whites
- 3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 2 oz avocado
Afternoon:
- Beef Lettuce Wraps
Bedtime:
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 6 egg whites
Daily Nutritional Breakdown:
- Calories: 1, 343
- Protein: 169g
- Carbs: 144g
- Fat: 37g
With the knowledge of the ingredients required, you can modify or develop a personalized 8-day diet plan with the help of a qualified dietitian. A tailor-made weight loss diet may be the best for you because it is truly meant for your body type, age, level of fitness activity, and genetics, among other factors that play a role in weight loss. You may include supplements in your diet- they would be used regularly to help you maintain a healthy body, as recommended by an expert.
Read More: Top Healthy Foods To Eat Every Day: Diet Staples That Are A Must-Have In Everyone’s Kitchen
Note:
What works for one person may not work for you. You should avoid:
- Eating too little. Your body needs enough macros to provide energy for the day’s activities. According to HumanKinetics, eating too little may make the body choose your muscles as an alternative fuel source, reducing your performance during exercise and resulting in loss of muscle mass (12).
- Too little fat intake. Just because you are shedding your fat reserves does not mean you should eat too little fat. Like other macronutrients, fats play essential roles, such as the production of hormones. According to research, adding healthy fats to your diet also stimulates the production of hormones for appetite control (6).
- Rapid cut down on carbohydrates. A rapid cut down on carbs may cause a sudden depletion of energy as the body struggles to replenish its glycogen reserves, causing fatigue and mental dullness (13). To avoid this, eat enough carbs and reduce the overall intake in a slow, gradual process.
- Drinking too little water. Water is essential in a cutting diet, and you need plenty of it for improved performance. Besides, drinking enough water fills you up after meals and improves satiety. It also keeps you hydrated during workouts.
8-Week Workout Plan
An 8-week workout plan should accompany your 8-week diet plan. Throwing in a few exercises regularly will help you burn some extra calories- even simple activities like bike riding, swimming, and jogging may help accelerate your weight loss efforts. Note that an effective workout plan grants you the ability to boost your performance while exercising, burning fat, and quick weight loss take you closer to the bodybuilder physique that you desire.
Sample 8-Week Workout Plan
Although there are several weight loss workout plans to follow for the 8 weeks, the bottom line is to exercise the entire body since spot-reduction is simply a myth. Here is a workout plan where the exercises are intended to target a specific muscle group and are performed each day, according to Muscleandstrength (9). This 5 days, recover or rest for 2 non-consecutive days
Day 1: Chest And Abs
3×10-12 work sets:
- Dumbbell Fly
- Weighted Dip
- Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Pec-Deck
- Cable Crossover or Pushup
- Hanging Leg Raise
3×15 work sets:
- Rope Crunch
- Side Bends or Decline Situp
3xfailure work sets:
- Planks
Day 2: Back
3×10-12 work sets:
- Bent Over Barbell Row
- Wide Grip Seated Row
3×8-10 work sets:
- Reverse Grip Pulldown or Straight Arm Pulldown
3xfailure work sets
- Neutral Grip Pull Ups
3×15 work sets
- Rack Deadlift
Day 3: Shoulders
3×10 work sets
- Upright Row or Seated Lateral Raise
- Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press
3×12 work sets
- Front Plate Raise
- High Rope Face Pull
Day 4: Arms
3×10-12 work sets
- Close Grip Bench Press
- EZ Bar Preacher Curl
- Overhead Rope Extension
- Hammer Curl
3×15 work sets
- Standing Cable Curl
- Reverse Grip Pushdown
Looking for a way to break the vicious cycle of weight loss and tone up all the jiggly parts? Watch the extra pounds fly off and your muscles firm up with the BetterMe app!
Day 5: Legs
3×8-10 work sets
- Squat
3×15 work sets:
- Single Leg Extension
- Leg Press
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift or Seated Leg Curl
- Lying Leg Curl
3×20 work sets:
- Standing Calf Raise or Seated Calf Raise
The workout time per session is between 45-60 minutes. The rest periods between sets will decline with time, for example, 2 minutes for the first 2 weeks, 90 seconds for weeks 3 and 4, 1 minute for weeks 5 and 6, and 45 seconds for weeks 7 and 8 (9). To get the most out of your workout plan:
- Try to alternate the sessions throughout the program.
- Give each session a reasonable amount of time for healthy weight loss.
- Do not try to hasten the process because it could lead to muscle loss.
The more time you spend on getting lean, the more muscle you preserve during the caloric deficit period. You can track your weight loss progress to ensure you are heading the right way using a scale, checking your body fat levels, taking body measurements, and how your clothes fit.
How Much Weight Can I Lose In 2 Months?
Now that you know what to eat and exercise to perform for 8 weeks to shed unwanted fat, it is natural to want to know the expected results. Following the expert’s suggestions in this article’s introduction, a healthy 8-week diet plan will help you lose up to 16 pounds within the 2 months (3). However, it is important to understand that you will not lose a consistent amount of weight each day. It is common for weight loss to plateau for a few days (7).
Healthy weight loss requires patience and hard work; therefore, do not fall prey to vigorous exercise programs and crazy, over-restrictive diets, like how to lose 25 pounds in 2 months, or other attractive promises. Sources reveal that a weight loss between 5-10% of your body weight could be enough to improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol controls, among other risk factors related to obesity (8).
The Bottom Line
You did not just wake up one day and find yourself overweight. Similarly, weight loss is a journey that begins with one step, which will lead to impressive results in the long run if you follow a healthy weight loss diet and do the appropriate workouts. A good cutting diet should help you lose weight without losing muscle mass; therefore pay attention when creating and following any 8-week diet plans and the workouts needed to spearhead your weight loss effort. Get the green light from qualified professionals, for example, your doctor, nutritionist, and personal trainer, before trying any of the eating patterns and exercises recommended.
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:
- 4 Reasons Why Fad Diets Are Bad for You (2018, readersdigest.ca)
- Calculating how many calories are burned in a day (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
- CLINICAL GUIDELINES ON THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION , AND TREATMENT OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN ADULTS The Evidence Report (1998, nhlbi.nih.gov)
- Exercise and Weight Loss (2017, healthline.com)
- Fats and Satiety (2010, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight? (2020, healthline.com)
- Just 5–10 percent weight loss has surprising health benefits (2018, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Spring Shred: 8 Week Fat Loss Workout Plan ((n.d, muscleandstrength.com)
- THE 8-WEEK DIET PLAN FOR SIX-PACK ABS (n.d, muscleandfitness.com)
- THE 8-WEEK SLIM DOWN DIET (n.d, muscleandfitness.com)
- THE BODY’S FUEL SOURCES (n.d,us.humankinetics.com)
- The Role of Glycogen in Diet and Exercise (2020, verywellfit.com)
