The second Friday in January is known as "Quitter's Day," or the date by which most people abandon their New Year's resolutions. If your goal was to drop pounds and you fell victim to this trend, the guilt might now be settling in, especially when you realize there are fewer than 100 days until Memorial Day (aka the start of shorts and bathing suit season). But fear not: Weight-loss expertEmily Wiseman says that with seven simple lifestyle tweaks, you can set yourself up for success and lose up to 20 pounds by June.
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1. Make a plan—now.
Shutterstock "This is exactly what I would do if I wanted to lose about 15 to 20 pounds by June," says Wiseman in a recent TikTok video, where she goes by @fitmom.method. "That gives us about 16 weeks, so if we did about a pound a week, 15 to 20 pounds."
Wiseman, a certified nutrition coach who specializes in helping moms lose fat in a realistic and sustainable way, first recommends creating a weight-loss plan.
It may sound simple, but she points out how easy it is to "continue putting it off Monday after Monday."
In her other videos, Wiseman speaks out against overly restrictive diets (she's not a fan of keto, for example) and waiting for the "perfect" time to start your new routine.
So, after learning about her other suggestions, your plan can include actionable steps that you can start right now, like moving for at least 30 minutes a day or swapping a sugary snack for something more nutritious.
2. Make sure you're in a calorie deficit.
ShutterstockNext, Wiseman says eating in a calorie deficit is "non-negotiable." Simply put, this means you're consuming fewer calories than you're burning.
"You cannot lose weight unless you're eating in a calorie deficit. Period," she notes.
To make this easier, she recommends using an online calorie tracker like TDEE, which helps you figure out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, "a measure of how many calories you burn per day," and subsequently, how many calories you should be consuming.
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3. Eat enough protein.
Shutterstock"Step three, we need to make sure we're getting in enough protein," says Wiseman, who points out that "protein" is a buzzword for a reason.
This is especially important if you want to "put on lean muscle and look lean and snatched and toned," she notes. If you're not getting enough protein through your diet, your body starts to break down muscle to get its supply.
Plus, as Cleveland Clinic explains, protein helps you feel fuller for longer, and it requires your body to use more energy for digestion, meaning more calorie burn.
One you set your calorie deficit numbers, Wiseman recommends that 30 percent of those calories come from protein.
4. Start strength training.
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Protein alone isn't going to get you that bikini bod, which is why Wiseman says you must include strength training in your weight-loss plan.
She advises getting rid of your five- or 10-pound weights and switching to something heavier, but if you're a beginner, you should absolutely start with light weights or even bodyweight exercises. From there, she suggests doing at least three workouts per week, all of which can be full-body if you're just starting out.
"Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so building muscle through strength training can rev up your basal metabolic rate (BMR)," Elizabeth Katzman, FDN, a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, somatic coach, and founder of Strong Choices, previously told Best Life.
5. Get in more steps.
iStockWiseman says numbers five and six are "probably the most underrated weight-loss tools." First is getting in more steps throughout the day.
"You cannot just be eating in a calorie deficit and just going to the gym for 30 minutes," and then sitting all day, she explains. "You need to be moving more."
Not sure where to start? Wiseman suggests tracking the current steps you're getting in a day and adding 1,000 to that. In the coming weeks and months, you can continue to increase your step goal.
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6. Drink more water.
ShutterstockPut that Stanley tumbler to good use. Wiseman notes that these popular bottles hold 40 ounces of water, so you should aim to drink three of them a day.
"This is gonna help keep you fuller longer, it's gonna help keep your digestion system working better so you're pooping more frequently, your skin's gonna look better," she shares.
7. Get enough sleep.
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"When we are sleeping, that is when our body recovers," Wiseman explains. "If we are not recovering, we're not gonna have enough energy the next day... We're not able to work out, we're not able to lift heavy."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should get between seven and eight hours of "quality" (read: uninterrupted) sleep per night.
