7 Things I Would Do To Lose 5 Pounds Per Month
Want to get healthy but not sure where to start? Here are 7 things I would do to lose 5 pounds per month. (As a personal trainer and nutrition coach!)
Hey there!
I’m Chantal. I’m a mom, personal trainer, nutrition coach, and the owner of this site. I’m also the creator of the nutrition course designed to help you stop yo-yo dieting and finally master mindset for sustainable weight loss. It’s nice to “meet” you!
If you’ve never been here before, you should know that I have been writing this blog for eight years now, starting right before the birth of my second child. I originally got into fitness because I struggled with mental health for YEARS and didn’t like the way that antidepressants made me feel.
I had hired a personal trainer after having my first baby, and I loved the way exercise made me feel for the rest of the day. When I found out that exercise has been scientifically proven to be as effective as SSRIs (antidepressants), I was hooked.
That’s the short story – but the point is that I have been focused on fitness and nutrition for many years now. I have tested just about everything I’m going to share with you here. Everything that I have learned from the many classes I’ve taken, books I’ve read, and experiences I’ve had comes down to just a handful of major concepts.
The reality is that losing weight is simple in theory, but it’s not always EASY. It really is easy math (burn more calories than you’re consuming), but trust me when I say that I KNOW it’s not that simple when your lifestyle has gotten away from you.
I absolutely know that if your mental and emotional state isn’t in the right place, it’s hard to implement the things you know you should be doing to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
However, if you’re serious about getting fit and you think you’re ready to start some new habits, what I’m sharing with you here are things I would recommend to 99% of people.
So – let’s get to the things I would do to lose 5 pounds per month! (Which, by the way, is a healthy goal for most people.) 🙂
7 Things I Would Do To Lose 5 Pounds Per Month
1. 10,000+ Steps Per Day
If you don’t already have a daily step goal (and a way to track steps), I highly recommend having one!
Why? Overall, daily movement is arguably more important than the impact that a 30-60 minute workout could have. (Although both are important!) Your expenditure of calories throughout the day is going to add up to much more than what you could spend in a few minutes of exercise.
Is 10,000 steps an arbitrary number? Yeah, sort of. They say that sitting is the new smoking because it’s bad for circulation, among other things. But the idea is that if you’re not moving enough throughout the day, you’re missing the opportunity to get stronger and burn more calories without a whole bunch of extra exercise.
If you can’t do 10,000 steps, work your way up to 6,000 and increase it over time. I highly recommend having a walking pad or treadmill at home to make it easier to reach this goal – especially in the winter months or if you have little kids at home. Here’s how I easily hit 10,000 steps every single day.
This is seriously one of the easiest things to focus on if you’re not moving enough and want to lose weight. Try to hit 10,000 steps at least 5 days of the week, and you’ll be well on your way to losing 5 pounds per month.
P.S. If you work from home, the setup above is an absolute must!
2. 100+ Grams of Protein Daily
I wish someone had told me this a long time ago, but you really should NOT ignore your protein intake – especially if you want to lose weight and lean out.
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Protein has fewer calories per gram than carbs. (Carbs have 9 and proteins have 4.) That means that you are getting more bang for your buck when you focus on protein. You literally are eating fewer calories per unit.
Additionally, protein takes more energy to metabolize than simple carbs. (This is called the thermic effect of food.) It takes your body more calories just to process protein. Your “caloric burn” is just higher. So not only do you “spend” fewer calories when you consume protein, you “burn” more when you metabolize it!
When you increase your protein, you will find that you feel full longer and your desire to eat subsides! Most people who are eating enough protein eat less overall because they are satisfied (without the bloat of simple carbs)!
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Eating more protein is such a simple way to give your fitness journey a boost. Aim for at least 100 grams of protein per day, or read this post to learn how to calculate your individual Recommended Daily Allowance for each macronutrient.
3. No Sugary Drinks or Candy
Sorry, but if you want to lose weight, it’s best to cut back on sugar overall. Why? Because sugar, when not used immediately for energy, will simply end up stored as fat in your body. (It may give you a short energy burst, but most people aren’t eating sugar and then going for a run.)
I know it’s hard. Sugar addiction is a real thing – but if you truly want to lose weight, you’ll need to start cutting back or cutting added sugar altogether. If you’re ready to get started, I would begin with obvious stuff like drinks and desserts. To satisfy your cravings, switch to dark chocolate and fresh fruit.
P.S. A lot of people know that soda, ice cream, and candy have a lot of sugar. But I find that most people aren’t paying attention to other sources of added sugar, like salad dressing and yogurt.
4. Weight Lifting 3-4x Week
When you build muscle, you’re building a fat-burning, calorie-busting machine. That’s because not only does muscle expend energy more to maintain, but it also expends more to build. That means that even when you’re at rest, a person with more muscle will burn more calories than someone with only a little bit of muscle mass.
5. Swap Fries for Vegetables at Restaurants
Why this? I’ll tell you!
Not only are most restaurant fries filled with inflammatory oils, but they are also loaded in terms of calories. But there’s more!
I recently went through a whole bunch of health issues, and come to find out, my liver was sluggish, I had “adrenal fatigue,” and I also had estrogen dominance. In other words, my hormones were WAY off track, making it hard for me to put on muscle, have energy, and much more. (I also had hormonal acne, hair loss, night sweats, and a number of other symptoms. Read about it here.)
The suggestion to get a salad or veggies (sometimes I do coleslaw) instead of fries isn’t just about calories. It’s also about getting more veggies in. That’s because after my experience with hormonal issues, I learned from my doctor that certain vegetables can aid in balancing your hormones and detoxifying the liver.
Specifically, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage can help you get rid of extra estrogen and have a detoxifying effect. (If you have high estrogen, you’re likely to hold onto belly fat!) So – start swapping your regular sides for salads, coleslaw, or steamed broccoli when you go to restaurants.
6. Stop Eating After 6 PM
Many people argue the benefits of fasting. I 100% believe in it, and I used it to lower my liver enzymes. (If you want to learn about the science behind it, I highly suggest the book Fast Like a Girl by Mindy Pelz.)
However, the suggestion to stop eating after 6 PM is not really about fasting itself. It’s about getting out of your own way by getting OUT OF THE KITCHEN.
Almost every single one of my clients struggles with late-night snacking and emotional eating. They will do well all day with nutrition, then blow it with overeating in the evening.
So this isn’t necessarily about fasting and digestive rest – it’s about consuming fewer calories. Aim to be done with dinner (if you can) by 6 PM and try to stay out of the kitchen/pantry.
I struggled with food so much that, when I became a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I knew I had to create resources to help my readers through this. That’s why I created the Ultimate Nutrition Resources Bundle to help you make a plan to stay on track. Check it out and get to work!
7. Protect Your Mindset
Most people know that they need to move more and eat less to lose weight, but if you don’t do the mental and emotional work, it just doesn’t work.
I fully believe that mindset and self-awareness are the missing pieces for most people when it comes to getting healthy. It’s about learning how to stick to the plan even when your emotions are telling you to do something different. (If you’re a woman, you probably know what I mean!)
You HAVE to learn about WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, where your unhealthy habits came from, what your triggers are, and what little habits are sabotaging your progress. Then, you need to learn coping mechanisms and strategies to fight your old habits and KILL THEM while building new habits.
This is arguably the HARDEST thing about losing weight or getting healthy, and it usually takes the most time. But it is absolutely the best thing you can do for yourself.
So, how do you work on your mindset? I personally love to read all of the mindset books and listen to mindset podcasts. But I also share a ton of mindset tips in my nutrition course, where we also talk about emotional eating, do the deep work to get to WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, and even go into childhood trauma and triggers.
At the end of the day, if you don’t work on this part of being healthy, you may have short-term success. But you’re likely to just revert to your old ways if you aren’t equipped to cope with your emotions.
That’s it!
Final Thoughts on How to Lose 5 Pounds Per Month
If you want to get healthy but aren’t sure where to start, I hope this article gave you some direction. These are the seven things I would do to lose 5 pounds per month, though there are plenty of other healthy habit ideas you can implement to see progress.
No matter which habits you choose to focus on, remember that there is NOT a deadline on your health. No matter how long it takes, the important thing is that you don’t give up. There will be bumps on the road, but you’re worth every single bit of the journey!
If you’re ready to take things a step further and want extra support with simple, realistic nutrition, be sure to check out my Ultimate Nutrition Printables Bundle. It’s packed with easy-to-use tools to help you stay on track, feel confident about your food choices, and build healthy habits!
Until next time,
Chantal from Ironwild Fitness
