Can you lose 30 pounds in 30 days? Weight loss is something many of us struggle with. Whether you’re losing weight to better your health, increase your lifespan, or just so you can fit into that new dress or pair of jeans, shedding those extra pounds can be a pain and fast weight loss is often preferred.
In this article, we’re going to look at the possibility of losing 30 pounds in 30 days. Is it something that can be done? And if so, is it safe to do so and can your doctor recommend it? We’ll also let you know the quickest way to lose weight and give you a simple sample menu to help you come up with a 30-day diet for weight loss.
Can You Lose 30lbs in 30 Days?
No, you can’t. Contrary to what some fitness expert or diet guru may have claimed, there is no safe way to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. But why is this? The truth is that in order to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you’d need to lose 1 pound a day for 30 days and this is almost impossible and incredibly unsafe to attempt. Here’s how to look at it:
- On average, a normal man or woman looking to maintain his or her weight consumes 2,500 or 2,000 calories a day respectively.
- 1 pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so to lose 1 pound a day, you’ll need to burn 3,500 calories daily.
- Creating a 3,500-calorie deficit would require dangerously low food intake and extreme exercise routine. A great example by Medicinenet.com says that for you to burn 3,500 calories a day, you would need to starve yourself the entire day and exercise enough to burn the remaining calories, which is of course impossible. You cannot fail to fuel your body and still expect to work out (6).
- The only way for anyone to burn 3,500 calories a day is if they consume more calories than this a day and work out for hours to burn them – a feat that is only possible for some athletes and Olympic competitors (7).
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How Much Weight Can an Average Person Lose in 30 Days?
On average, a person can lose between 4 and 8 pounds in 30 days. This is in line with the CDC guidelines that suggest that a gradual and steady loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is best and sustainable for long-term weight loss (14).
While this may look like a small and insignificant number, you must remember that weight loss requires patience, and over time the numbers will add up, eventually getting to 30 pounds in total (or even more).
Can you lose 30 pounds in 60 days? Similar to how you can’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days, you can’t lose the same amount of weight in 60 days. However, you can try to aim for a more achievable number of 8 to 16 pounds in 60 days, which equates to losing 1 to 2 pounds a week for two months.
Can Losing Weight Too Fast Make You Sick?
Non-life-threatening side effects of fast weight loss include headaches, hair loss, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, and constipation. Women who lose weight too quickly may find themselves plagued with menstrual irregularities (12) or amenorrhea, a condition where they lose one or more periods.
While the condition is caused by multiple factors from hormonal imbalances to medication, pregnancy and menopause, low body weight, excessive exercise, and stress, all factors caused by fast weight loss can prompt it (1).
Some other more severe side effects that can result from trying to lose 30 pounds in 30 days include:
Gallstones
These are pieces of solid material that form in your gallbladder and cause immeasurable pain when they block the bile duct, something that generally requires immediate medical attention. Losing weight too fast is one of the risk factors associated with the growth of gallstones (5).
Malnutrition aka Nutritional Deficiencies
A common theme in any fat loss diet that you may come across in a bid to lose 30 pounds in 30 days is that they are incredibly low in calories.
While such diets can help you lose weight, they fail to provide you with enough food energy to survive, and they also cut out a lot of foods, further failing to provide your body with all the nutrients it needs.
Nutritional deficiencies lead to a slew of illnesses and complications such as anemia, mental disorders and illnesses, digestion problems, skin issues, and defective bone growth (11).
Slow Metabolism
Extreme calorie deprivation from a bad fat-loss diet causes your body to slow down its energy use and expenditure to save you from perceived starvation (10). Once this happens, your metabolism slows down, meaning that you keep having a hard time burning calories and you may even realize that you’re putting on weight instead of losing it.
Muscle Loss
As stated above, any fat loss diet that claims to help you lose 30 pounds in 30 days is most probably not providing your body with enough food.
When you don’t eat enough, your body needs to turn to other sources for energy to keep you and your body going. Without enough calories, your body will start to get its energy by siphoning it from your muscles, which leads to muscle loss (10).
BetterMe app will provide you with a host of fat-frying fitness routines that’ll scare the extra pounds away and turn your body into a masterpiece! Get your life moving in the right direction with BetterMe!
Eating Disorder Risks
While it is normal to feel hungry when you’re trying to lose weight, people who take it to the extreme (which happens a lot in most “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” fat loss diets) are prone to developing an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa – a serious mental health condition that affects appetite and distorts people’s perceptions of their body, which causes them to see themselves as overweight when they’re not.
Extreme dieting can also trigger bulimia nervosa, where people binge (eat excessive amounts of food in one sitting) then purge themselves through self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative use.
We discuss the dangers of quick weight loss in this post: Lose Weight For Wedding: Fast And Safe Ways.
How Much Weight Loss Is Too Rapid?
Any weight loss that exceeds 1-2 percent of your body weight per week is considered too rapid by most health professionals. Here are other signs to watch out for with an unhealthy drop in weight:
- Lack of energy – your body should still be able to function at its optimal when you’re losing weight. If your energy level drops, this could be a sign that you’re not doing things right.
- Low-grade fever – losing weight quickly can cause hormonal changes that could make you feel as if you’re fighting an infection, which causes your body temperature to rise.
- Feeling cold all the time – your body is programmed to generate heat, but when you eat less than it needs, it cannot produce enough heat, which leads to feeling colder.
- Irregular periods – as mentioned earlier, fast weight loss can cause women to miss their period or have a heavy flow that could lead to further health issues.
- Mood changes and irritability – extreme dieting is stressful on your body. This stress causes mood swings that come along with being hungry all the time, which makes you feel irritable. In addition, losing weight quickly can cause hormonal imbalances that may lead to mood changes.
Read more: 8 Weight-Loss Tea Options With Science to Support the Pound-Slashing Claims
How Much Weight Loss Is Safe?
According to the National Institutes of Health, losing 10 percent of your body weight should be the initial goal of a weight loss program (9). This means that if you weigh 200 pounds, it would be okay for you to lose 20 pounds in a period of 10 to 16 weeks.
If your goal is to lose 30 pounds, this would take you around four and a half months, which may seem like an eternity. However, it’s essential to prioritize your health and pursue sustainable weight loss methods rather than quick fixes that could lead to severe health issues in the long term.
Here are some signs that your weight loss program is healthy:
- You’re not starving – the fat-loss diet you choose should provide enough food energy to help you function and not leave you feeling hungry all the time. It should also allow you to eat a balanced diet that includes all the essential nutrients and vitamins your body needs.
- Your body measurements change – instead of fixating on how much weight you’ve lost, pay attention to your body measurements. As you lose fat and gain muscles, your body size will change, even if the scale isn’t moving much.
- You feel better – a healthy weight loss program should help you lose weight and improve other aspects of your health such as your mental health, energy levels, and overall well-being.
- It’s sustainable – the ideal weight loss program should be a lifestyle change rather than a temporary fix. It should teach you how to make healthy choices and habits that will help you keep the weight off in the long term.
Check out our Intermittent Fasting Exercise For Safe Weight Loss And Muscle Preservation guide that has more information on sustainable weight loss methods.
What Is the Quickest Way to Lose Weight?
The quickest way to lose weight is through a combination of a calorie deficit diet and exercise. By cutting 500 to 1,000 calories a day from your typical diet, you end up removing 3,500 to 7,000 calories a week from your meal plan, which equates to 1 or 2 pounds of fat(3).
At the same time, exercise helps your body burn more calories during and after your workout. Combining these two factors helps put your body at a calorie deficit, which is the quickest way to lose weight (8).
BetterMe app will provide you with a host of fat-frying fitness routines that’ll scare the extra pounds away and turn your body into a masterpiece! Get your life moving in the right direction with BetterMe!
Sample of a Lose 30 Pounds Meal Plan
Below is a simple 6-day plan to help you lose weight. Please note that this meal plan will not help you lose 30 pounds in 30 days, but it is a guideline to help you eat healthier and more wholesome foods, which will ultimately help you achieve your weight loss goals.
If the calories per serving are above your recommended daily calorie intake, make sure you alter the servings or recipe to help you eat at a calorie deficit. It’s important to remember that a good fat-loss diet does not cut out any foods and includes all the five major food groups (13).
Day One
Meal 1 – Oat porridge
Ingredients: 50 g frozen raspberries, ½ orange (juice a quarter of it and slice up the other quarter), 75 g porridge oats, 50 ml milk, ¼ large banana, 1 tbsp smooth almond butter, ½ tbsp goji berries, ½ tbsp chia seeds.
Nutrition info: Calories: 533. Fats: 19 g. Protein: 17 g. Carbs: 66 g.
Meal 2 – Quinoa salad
Salad ingredients: ½ cup uncooked quinoa, 113 g cherry tomatoes, ½ large cucumber, ¼ cup red onion, 141 g chopped spinach, 1 large ripe avocado, a handful of chopped cilantro, feta cheese to taste (optional).
For the dressing: 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 garlic clove, ¼ cup olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe makes 4 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories for one serving: 313. Fats: 23.5 g. Protein: 6 g. Carbs: 22.8 g.
Meal 3 – Sandwich and vegetables
Sandwich: ½ pack of sticky brown rice, 1 nori sheet, 2 tbsp cream cheese, 1 tbsp chopped green onions, 28 g smoked salmon, ¼ cup sliced cucumbers, ¼ cup matchstick carrots.
Vegetables: 113 g broccolini, ⅛ tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, ½ cup steamed edamame in pods, ½ tsp toasted sesame oil.
Nutrition info: Calories: 413. Fats: 13 g. Protein: 23 g. Carbs: 51 g.
Meal 4 – Baby carrots
¾ cup
Nutrition info: Calories: 40. Fats: 0 g. Protein: 1 g. Carbs: 10 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,299. Fats: 55.5 g. Protein: 47 g. Carbs: 149.8 g.
Day Two
Meal 1 – Breakfast wrap
Ingredients: 1 tsp homemade chili paste, 1 medium-sized egg (cooked), 1 tsp rapeseed oil, 50 g kale, 7 cherry tomatoes, ½ small avocado, 1 wholemeal tortilla wrap.
Nutrition info: Calories: 366. Fats: 21 g. Protein: 16 g. Carbs: 26 g.
Meal 2 – Green strawberry smoothie
Ingredients: 80 g ripe strawberries, 80 g baby spinach, ½ small avocado, 150 ml yogurt, 1 small orange.
Nutrition info: Calories: 226. Fats: 13 g. Protein: 8 g. Carbs: 16 g.
Meal 3 – Farro-egg salad
Ingredients: 2 cups water, 1 cup green beans, 1 tbsp wine vinegar, ¾ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 cups cooked farro, 2 cups kale, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 14 g feta cheese, 1 hard-boiled egg, 6 g prosciutto, 1 small orange.
Nutrition info: Calories: 440. Fats: 20 g. Protein: 17 g. Carbs: 52 g.
Meal 4 – Stuffed zucchini
Ingredients: 1 halved zucchini, a dash of olive oil, and a sprinkle of chopped coriander leaves.
Stuffing: 125 g lean minced lamb cooked with ground cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.
Sauce: ¼ tbsp olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 200 g chopped tomatoes, ¼ tsp sugar.
Nutrition info: Calories: 200. Fats: 12 g. Protein: 16 g. Carbs: 8 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,232. Fats: 66 g. Protein: 57 g. Carbs: 102 g.
Day Three
Meal 1 – Egg and avocado on toast
Ingredients: 2 fried eggs, 2 toasted slices of whole grain bread, 1 small avocado, 1 tsp lime juice, sea salt, chili flakes, black pepper to taste, parsley or coriander to garnish.
Nutrition info: Calories: 509. Fats: 32.7 g. Protein: 22.2 g. Carbs: 35.4 g.
Meal 2 – Vegan pasta
Ingredients: 226 g linguine noodles, 1 tbsp olive oil, ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup canned coconut cream, ¼ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp chili powder, ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese, 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, 5 fresh basil leaves.
This recipe makes 4 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories for one serving: 471. Fats: 26 g. Protein: 11 g. Carbs: 53 g.
Meal 3 – Prawn salad
Ingredients: ½ wholemeal pitta, ½ tbsp rapeseed oil, 1 tsp Tabasco, 1 tsp low-sugar, low-salt ketchup, 1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise, 1 tbsp fat-free natural yogurt, ½ lime, 60 g cooked king prawns, 1 lettuce, ¼ small cucumber, 4 cherry tomatoes.
This recipe makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories: 345. Fats: 16 g. Protein: 19 g. Carbs: 26 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,325. Fats: 74.7 g. Protein: 52.2 g. Carbs: 114.4 g.
Day Four
Meal 1 – Shakshuka
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ finely chopped yellow onion, 1 garlic clove, ½ tsp ground cumin, 226 g tomatoes (cut into halves), 4 large eggs (cooked with ingredients), ¼ cup chopped baby spinach.
This recipe makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories for 1 serving: 235. Fats: 16.5 g. Protein: 14 g. Carbs: 8 g.
Meal 2 – Salmon and noodle salad
Ingredients: 2 skinless salmon filets cooked, juice and zest of half a large orange (peel and chop the other half), 125 g French beans, 50 g mange tout, 75 g frozen peas, 75 g vermicelli rice noodles, 2 tsp red curry paste, 1 tsp fish sauce, 3 spring onions, half a pack basil or coriander.
This makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories for 1 serving: 517. Fats: 22 g. Protein:36 g. Carbs: 39 g.
Meal 3 – Chickpea-avocado sandwich
Ingredients: 4 slices whole-grain bread, 425 g canned chickpeas, 1 large ripe avocado, 2 tsp lemon juice, ¼ cup dried cranberries, salt and pepper to taste.
This makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories for 1 serving: 406. Fats: 13.5 g. Protein: 12.3 g. Carbs: 60 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,158. Fats: 52 g. Protein: 62.3 g. Carbs: 107.5 g.
Day Five
Meal 1 – Overnight oats
Ingredients: ¼ cup oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp honey, ⅔ cup milk.
Nutrition info: Calories: 365. Fats: 12 g. Protein: 12 g. Carbs: 57 g.
Meal 2 – Rice noodle salad
Ingredients: 100 g rice noodles, 300 g silken tofu, 1 carrot peeled and cut into thin ribbons, 1 zucchini cut into thin ribbons, thinly sliced radishes, 1 red pepper cut into matchsticks, some fresh basil.
Dressing: 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp agave syrup, black pepper to taste.
This makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories: 422. Fats: 18 g. Protein: 12 g. Carbs: 51 g.
Meal 3 – Shrimp zucchini pasta
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil, 453 g asparagus, 5 minced garlic cloves, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp sea salt, crushed red pepper to taste, ¼ tsp black pepper, 453 g peeled and deveined shrimp (cooked with listed seasonings), 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice, 2 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles, freshly chopped parsley for garnish.
This makes 2 servings.
Nutrition info: Calories: 321. Fats: 9 g. Protein: 37 g. Carbs: 23 g.
Meal 4 – Cashew chicken stew
Ingredients: 1 inch of fresh ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp avocado oil, ¼ cup onion, ⅔ cup raw cashews.
For the sauce: 3 tbsp coconut aminos, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 pinch of red pepper flakes, 3 tbsp cashew butter, 1½ tbsp honey, ¼ cup water.
For the chicken: 680 g chicken breast or thighs cooked, then add 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 heaped tbsp arrowroot starch, salt to taste.
Nutrition info: Calories: 289. Fats: 13 g. Protein: 31 g. Carbs: 11 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,397. Fats: 52 g. Protein: 92 g. Carbs: 142 g.
Day Six
Meal 1 – Breakfast sandwich
Ingredients: 6 whole-wheat muffins, olive oil, 2 avocados, 18 slices mozzarella, 3 tomatoes, balsamic glaze, 6 eggs (fried or hard-boiled) 12 slices prosciutto, ½ cup fresh basil leaves.
The above ingredients make 6 sandwiches.
Nutrition info: Calories for one sandwich: 373. Fats: 22 g. Protein: 15 g. Carbs: 31 g.
Meal 2 – Smoothie bowl
Ingredients: ½ banana, 1 cup mango chunks (fresh or frozen), ½ cup pineapple chunks, ½ cup unsweetened almond milk.
Nutrition info: Calories: 180. Fats: 2 g. Protein: 3 g. Carbs: 43 g.
Meal 3 – Vegan burgers
Tofu burgers: 400 g firm tofu, 100 g breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 3 burger buns.
Sauce: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, a splash of red wine, 230 ml tinned tomatoes, 3 tbsp date syrup, 2 tbsp tamari/soy sauce, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.
This makes 3 burgers.
Nutrition info: Calories for 1 burger: 443. Fats: 21 g. Protein: 17 g. Carbs: 44 g.
Meal 4 – Tuna lettuce wraps
Ingredients: 2 drops of rapeseed oil, two 140 g fresh tuna filets (seared), 1 medium-sized avocado, ½ tsp mustard powder, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp capers, 8 romaine lettuce leaves, 16 cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.
This serves two.
Nutrition info: Calories for 1 serving: 361. Fats: 17 g. Protein: 40 g. Carbs: 8 g.
Total intake for the day: Calories: 1,357. Fats: 62 g. Protein: 75 g. Carbs: 126 g.
FAQs
Is it unhealthy to lose 30 pounds in a month?
Yes, losing 30 pounds in a month is unhealthy and can lead to severe health complications. The means you’ll need to use to achieve such rapid weight loss would be both unhealthy and unsustainable.
Extreme dieting can also lead to serious health issues such as muscle loss, eating disorders, and hormonal imbalances. Extreme weight loss also places a lot of stress on the body, which can negatively affect your mental health.
Is 20 pounds a lot to lose in a month?
20 pounds in a month is also considered rapid weight loss and should be avoided as it may lead to severe health issues.
The recommended weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds per week (14), which amounts to approximately 4-8 pounds per month. Anything above that is considered too rapid and unhealthy.
How can you lose 30 pounds in 30 days?
You can’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days. It is incredibly unsafe and could land you in the hospital, but could also lead to death. If you want to lose 30 pounds, you should increase your weight loss timeline and make smaller, more achievable goals.
How can you lose 30 pounds in 30 days without exercise?
The painful and hard-hitting truth is that losing 30 pounds in 30 days without exercise is nothing more than a pipe dream. This is a marketing strategy that is used by some diet companies or weight loss pill companies to get you to buy their products.
Unfortunately, this will only lead to you trying dangerous diets and taking pills that could have dangerous side effects. To effectively lose weight (and keep it off long-term), physical activity is encouraged as it helps burn calories that turn into fat in the body when they’re not used up as a source of energy (1).
How can you lose 30 pounds in 30 days with exercise?
When you’re looking to shed those extra pounds, exercise is recommended as it helps increase metabolism, which helps your body burn more calories a day.
Exercise also increases your muscle mass and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day, whether you’re working out or at rest (4).
However, using exercise to lose 30 pounds in 30 days is unsafe and highly discouraged. As we already mentioned, to lose 30 pounds in a month, you would need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit each day, which translates to a 24,500-calorie deficit each week. The amount of exercise required in this situation would lead to overtraining, injury, and potentially life-threatening complications.
The Bottom Line
As we have demonstrated above, you can’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days, but you can lose 30 pounds over time with the proper diet and incorporating exercise into your plan. While it may be attractive, fast weight loss is incredibly dangerous to your health and is not recommended by health professionals.
If you’re interested in following the above tips or making changes to your diet, please consult a doctor before you attempt any weight-loss plan.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.
SOURCES:
- A busy cardiologist lost 30 pounds with this 3-day strength training routine (2023, businessinsider.com)
- Amenorrhea (2019, mayoclinic.org)
- Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics (2020, mayoclinic.org)
- Exercise and Weight Loss (2017, healthline.com)
- Gallstones (Cholelithiasis) (2020, webmd.com)
- How Can I Lose 1 Pound a Day? (2020, medicinenet.com)
- How Many Calories Do Olympic Athletes Need? (2016, npr.org)
- How To Lose 10 Pounds In A Month: 15 Tips For 30-Day Weight Loss (2023, womenshealthmag.com)
- Key Recommendations (n.d., nhlbi.nih.gov)
- Metabolism to Mental Health: 7 Ways Losing Weight Too Fast Will Backfire (2018, healthline.com)
- Nutritional Deficiencies (Malnutrition) (2019, healthline.com)
- Rapid Weight Loss (2019, webmd.com)
- What are the five food groups? (n.d., foodstandards.gov.scot)
- What is healthy weight loss? (2020, cdc.gov)
