5 Steps I’d Use to Lose 30 Pounds
5 Simple Steps to Restart Fat Loss Without Burning Out
Fallen off track and have 30+ pounds to lose? You’re not alone. Summer barbecues, holidays, long weekends… life piles up, and suddenly you feel further from your fitness goals than you’d like. The good news? Restarting doesn’t mean crash diets, punishing workouts, or burning out.
If I had to start again from scratch, this is the blueprint I’d follow. The aim? Keep it simple, sustainable, and effective.
1. Create a Calorie Deficit
Let’s not overcomplicate this. Fat loss requires a calorie deficit. That means eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight.
Yes, exercise helps, but it’s near-impossible to out-train a poor diet. Think of it like money: you can work overtime (exercise) to earn more, but if you’re overspending wildly (overeating), your debt (body fat) keeps piling up. The only way to reduce it is by spending less than you earn—creating a calorie deficit.
👉 Want help figuring out your ideal deficit? Try my free calorie calculator by clicking here. It’ll give you a clear starting point.
2. Focus on What You Can Add
Most diets make you feel like you’re being punishment: “No chocolate. No bread. No fun. No nothing.”
But cutting everything out rarely, if ever, lasts. A smarter approach? Focus on what you can add. Prioritising lean proteins, colourful fruits, vegetables, and fibre-rich carbs naturally phase out the ultra-processed stuff.
When you load up on nutritious whole foods, your body fills up faster, energy feels steadier, and cravings tend to calm down, all without forcing yourself to live in restriction mode.
Feels like magic, doesn’t it? Hogwarts would like a word.
3. Hit a Protein Goal
Protein isn’t just for gym bros trying to get massive. It’s crucial for:
Recovery and muscle repair
Hormone function
Keeping you fuller for longer
Here’s a simple formula:
Take your goal body weight (in pounds) and multiply by 0.7—that’s your minimum daily protein target.
Example: aiming for 175 lbs? That’s about 123g of protein minimum a day. Think chicken breast, Greek yoghurt, tuna, eggs, lentils, or protein shakes when convenient.
And no, eating that much protein isn’t going to magically turn you into The Incredible Hulk overnight. You only think it’s ‘a lot’ because you’ve been chronically under-eating it. If only it were that easy!
4. Strength Train Weekly
If I could only pick one form of exercise for fat loss, it’d be strength training.
Lifting weights 2–5 times per week builds muscle, boosts metabolism, and shapes your body in a way cardio alone never will (No shade on cardio though, it’s definitely great for heart health!) The key is progressive overload—gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets over time.
And let’s be honest: most people don’t just want to lose weight. They want to look and feel better, more confident, and more athletic. That’s what strength training delivers—while ensuring that whatever weight you do lose in a calorie deficit comes from body fat, not valuable muscle.
5. Set a Realistic Step Goal
10,000 steps a day is thrown around like it’s gospel. But truthfully? If you’re averaging 4,500 steps, jumping to 10k might feel discouraging.
A better approach: take your current daily average and simply add 2,500.
Average 4.5k? → New goal: 7k
Average 6.5k? → New goal: 9k
You get the gist
Simple, progressive, and far more realistic than chasing a random number invented decades ago for an ad campaign (a story for another article).
Bringing It All Together
None of this is easy. But it is simple.
If you’ve fallen off track, don’t waste time on gimmicks or extreme challenges (ahem 75 Hard ahem). Focus on a calorie deficit, fuel up with protein and whole foods, walk a little more, and lift consistently. Follow that blueprint and results will happen.
Although sometimes it can feel like momentum is everything. The longer you wait, the harder it feels.
If you want a clear structure to put this into action, start my Free 14-Day Fat Loss Kickstarter by clicking here. It’s an email-based program where I’ll guide you step by step for two weeks with workouts, nutrition advice, and simple daily habits, which is a similar framework I use with 1:1 online fitness clients to build momentum fast.
Speak soon,
Leo
