10 Steps to Lose 5 Pounds of Fat in 3 Months While Retaining Muscle

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Want to lose 5 pounds by summer?

I’ve been within a 10-pound weight range for the past 10 years, but I recently lost 5 pounds in three months. How did I do it? I lost the weight naturally without extreme measures. That means no intermittent fasting, no intense exercise, no juice diets, and no Keto diet.

As a woman, it’s harder to lose weight than it is as a man. We can’t simply cut out soda or alcohol and magically lose 10 pounds.

Tired with all those crazy tricks to lose 5 pounds? Here are 10 simple steps, or “rules” that I followed for three months to lose those last, stubborn 5 pounds.

10 Steps to Lose 5 Pounds in Three Months

1. Drink 96 Ounces of Water a Day

It’s easy for your body to confuse thirst with hunger. Drink water before meals and throughout the day and you may find yourself feeling less hungry.

Tips to Drink Plenty of Water

– Drink 32 ounces of water throughout my morning Pure Barre class. (It’s easy for me to drink water while working out.)
– Drink 32 ounces of water after Pure Barre, as I’m getting ready for work or driving to work.
– Fill up my 32 ounce water bottle at work, and drink it throughout the day. I make sure to drink at least 16 ounces of water during lunch.

I personally use a BPA-free water bottle from Rubbermaid. It’s light-weight and easy to clean in the dishwasher.

2. Eat 3 Meals a Day to Lose Weight the Right Way

I have coworkers who do intermittent fasting and juice diets, and it makes me cringe. Those techniques are NOT for me. I also get hangry when hungry. No good.

I have a solid breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and post-dinner snack daily. When I go too many hours without eating, I get tired and sleepy. My energy levels go down too.

Not convinced of the benefits of frequent eating?

Drawbacks to Fasting for Women

– Fasting slows down your metabolism. No good! This means your body starts to burn fewer calories daily.
– When you stop eating, your body starts to use muscle as energy instead of fat. This is very bad thing! You want to burn fat, not muscle when losing weight.

3. Keep a Simple, Healthy Diet to Lose 5 Pounds

There’s a reason people eat more at a buffet. Variety is good in life, but unfortunately, too much variety in your food also makes you eat more.

To lose 5 pounds and maintain my current weight, I keep a simple diet.

Added bonus: Following a simple diet makes grocery shopping easy.

Foods I Eat to Maintain My Weight

– Breakfast: Coffee with 1% milk and eggs or Chobani Greek yogurt.
– Mid-morning snack: Apples, strawberries, or almonds.
– Lunch: Lettuce with eggs, chicken, salmon, and sunflower seeds.
– Afternoon snack: Carrots, apples, strawberries, or almonds.
– Dinner: Large salad with lean steak, chicken, tuna, or salmon. Tip: I create my own dressing by mixing mustard with balsamic vinegar. Other toppings to add taste include: pepperoncini, salsa, and pickles.
– Post-dinner snack: Berries with protein powder (I love the Vanilla protein powder from Trader Joe’s) mixed with fat-free milk, microwaved brussel sprouts (I love the ones from Aldi), and more eggs.

Note on eating well to lose weight: Breads, pastas, and rice have never filled me up, so I avoid most grains. Gluten also makes me bloated and have bad gas, so I stay far away from bread.

My diet is extreme, so please don’t feel the need to follow it! Do what works for you. The key is to have enough vegetables and fruits to get your vitamins, protein to build and maintain muscle, and fiber to keep you full.

4. Have Protein to Maintain Muscle While Losing Fat

After working out, it’s important to eat protein to help replenish your muscles. I work out in the morning, and then have a Chobani yogurt or two when I get to work. If I’m working from home, I have three eggs with a large cappuccino or latte.

5. Plan Activities For Times May You May Eat Mindlessly to Lose 5 Pounds

I eat when I’m bored and lonely. To help prevent this, I made plans each night.

My Favorite Activities to Stay Busy

– a walk with a friend
-a dinner date
– Salsa or swing dance lessons
– grabbing a drink and dancing at a local bar

Other options include: taking a hot bath, curling up on the couch and becoming absorbed in a movie, editing photos, and painting my nails.

6. Find a Workout Class You Love to Lose 5 Pounds and Keep Weight Off

I swear by Pure Barre. I’ve been working out for decades, and nothing comes close to Pure Barre when it comes to toning and making my skirts fit well. To lose 5 pounds in three months, I went to Pure Barre 5 times a week, and then got additional exercise in the afternoon and evenings. Make sure it’s fun! Some of the activities I do are: 30-45 minute walks during lunch, a long evening stroll with a friend after work, tennis, racquetball, and sand volleyball.

7. Get Plenty of Sleep to Lose Weight in 3 Months

People often reach for food when they are tired. Make sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep at night. Take care of yourself. You deserve it!

8. Get Sunshine to Lose 5 Pounds by Summer

Sunshine makes me happy, and I eat less when I’m happy. (Strangely enough – I believe men tend to lose weight when they are unhappy, whereas women tend to lose weight when they are happy). To get enough sunshine, I make sure to walk outside during lunch.

Live in a cold climate? Try to at least sit by a window at work, or buy a light lamp. I also make sure to take Vitamin D.

9. Have Vitamins to Lose 5 Pounds in 3 Months

Have you ever been in a situation where you keep on eating and eating, and nothing is satisfying you? This may because your body is craving a vitamin, and the food you are eating is not offering it. Have a balanced diet to get your vitamins naturally, and supplement it with vitamins. Check out this article to discover the key vitamins I have daily. The main one is an adult multivitamin.

I also make sure to have steak once a week. (Vegetarians: please don’t hate.) There is just something about a good steak that makes me feel satisfied, so I often have lean filet steaks.

10. Weigh Yourself Daily to Stay on Track while Losing 5 Pounds

I don’t know how it’s possible, but I find that if I skip up for a day or two, and then weigh myself – the scale has gone up two or three pounds. Granted, it’s likely due to water weight (and not fat gain!), but I find it easy to quickly gain weight.

To keep myself accountable, I weigh myself daily. I don’t think the fat percentage is accurate, but I use the Yunmai scale with the app. I love it, because it shows trends over time (week by week, month over month, and year over year). I find it to be very motivating.

Use a Yunmai smart scale to weigh yourself daily, maintain weight, and lose 5 pounds in 3 months
Yunmai Smart Scale

Weight Loss Advice: Avoid Rapid Weight Loss Diets

As you work to lose weight for summer, please avoid all of those “lose weight in a week” diets. The scale may go down, but it will be a short-term weight loss with potentially dangerous consequences.

Problems with Rapid Weight Loss Diets

– Diets where you lose weight in 1 week are ineffective. The scale may go down, but it’s just water weight.
– Other diets help you lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks, but it’s by sacrificing muscle mass.
– Others may help you lose fat drastically, but then your body goes into starvation mode, your metabolism slows down, and you eventually gain the weight back.

Conclusion – You Can Lose 5 Pounds in Three Months If You are Patient

In conclusion, making minor tweaks and changes to your routine can be the trick to losing those last, stubborn five pounds.

What’s an easy trick that you’ve done to lose weight? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you! Keep checking in for more wellness articles too. Or better yet – subscribe to my newsletter below!

In the meantime, check out an article on how to make the most of your Pure Barre Workout.

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Lots of love!

Chrissy from the Jeans Fit and FitnessWithChrissy

 

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