How to lose a stone in a month the smart way
Follow my tried-and-tested fat-loss advice that saw me ditch my 40-year-old dad-bod and land on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine. Because if you want to know how to lose a stone in a month the quick and easy way you’ve come to the right place, says New Body Plan creator Jon Lipsey
If you’re looking for information on how to lose a stone in a month (that’s 6.35kg) there’s a sea of “advice” out there. The trouble is, almost all of it is complete nonsense.
At best, it doesn’t work. At worst, it can damage your long-term health.
At New Body Plan we only focus on the fastest and most effective ways to lose fat and get in shape. That means no fads and no gimmicks. Just simple advice that works in the real world.
So if you want to know how to lose a stone of fat in the quickest and easiest way possible, use my tried-and-tested advice. It worked for me, so I know it will work for you.
And to make it as easy as possible for you to follow and apply to your own life, I’ve broken your fat loss goal down into four parts. And the more of my tips you can apply to your life, the faster you’ll drop the weight. Even better, if you continue to use my methods, you’ll keep it off for good too. Here’s what I’m going to cover:
• How to lose a stone: FAQs
• How to lose a stone: Strategy tips
• How to lose a stone: Training tips
• How to lose a stone: Nutrition tips
• How to lose a stone: Lifestyle tips
FAQs: How long does it take to lose a stone?
When you want to know how to lose a stone, you’re really also asking ‘how long is this going to take?’. And that’s perfectly reasonable. The truth is that there is no fixed time. That’s partly because it depends on a bunch of factors. Those variables include age, fitness experience, current weight and your genetic body shape. But if you follow the advice below then it would be realistic to lose a stone in eight weeks. If you really wanted to push hard, have a few of those variables in your favour, and avoid the common fat-loss mistakes, then you could do it in six weeks.
Why can’t I do it faster than that?
It would be great if you could lose a stone in a couple of weeks but that’s not realistic or safe. To lose a stone in a couple of weeks you’ll need to do something drastic that’s detrimental to your long-term health. Such as a dangerous detox diet or ultra-low calorie diet. In short, you’d probably have to starve yourself. Or you’d have to do an amount of exercise that could lead to injury.
Significant calorie restriction and rapid fat loss can also suppress your metabolism. When you then increase your calorie intake (by going back to eating normally) your body is less efficient at using the energy. And that can contribute to bounce-back weight gain and a miserable cycle of yo-yo dieting.
Do I need to go on a restrictive diet?
Not necessarily. And we’ll come to our nutrition advice later in the story. But one of the big mistakes people make when researching how to lose a stone is latching on to dodgy diet advice. You’ll see lots of promises relating to super-restrictive eating systems. In short, those systems are bad for your mental and physical health. They deprive your body of nutrients and they foster an unhealthy psychological relationship with food.
Do I need to exercise for hours?
This is another common trap people fall into when they try to work out how to lose a stone. It’s their belief that they have to do long runs or two-hour gym sessions. The reality is that you probably need to put in fewer exercise hours than you expect. We’ll go into more depth on optimal exercise frequency later in the story.
How to lose a stone in a month: Strategy tips
Set a fat-loss timeframe
You know how to set a goal. And you want to lose a stone. The next step is to set your timeframe, so you can track your progress. A great option would be eight weeks. But if you want to go a bit more aggressive, shoot for six weeks.
Commit to the process
We’ve coached thousands of guys through fat-loss transformations (here are some of our top fat-loss success stories). The ones who do best are the ones who commit and say “I’m all in”. And you know what? That actually makes life easier for you. When you’re all in, you don’t have to have constant battles with yourself about whether you are or aren’t going to do that exercise session.
Believe in yourself
This isn’t us getting touchy-feely. There is research to suggest that self belief will positively influence outcomes. So if you want to know how to lose a stone then this is something to remember.
How to lose a stone: Training tips
Follow a resistance training plan
If you want to lose fat fast, a resistance plan trumps long, slow cardio. Resistance training is basically any exercise that involves moving a load. That could be your bodyweight or it could be dumbbells. It trumps cardio because it can simultaneously challenge your cardiovascular system and your muscles. You’ll burn fat, you’ll build muscle and you’ll look great.
Incorporate high intensity interval training
You know how we talked about resistance training taxing your cardiovascular system in the previous tip? Well, that’s done most effectively when you do high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. This is basically periods of intense work interspersed with short periods of rest. It burns loads of calories during your session. Even better, you continue to burn extra calories even after your session has finished.
Train 3 or 4 times a week
How often should you go to the gym? You don’t have to train every day to effectively burn body fat. But you do need a minimum of three training sessions a week to make an impact. And if there’s any way you can push it to four sessions a week, you’ll see even faster improvements.
Follow a plan
If you wing it, you’ll fail. It really is as simple as that. We’ve never seen anyone get amazing results without a plan. To find the perfect plan for you and your goals, you can take my 30-second New Body quiz.
Plan sessions in advance
Once you’ve got your plan, schedule your sessions in advance for the week ahead. This is makes a monumental difference to your outcome. Trust us. It’s something you simply have to do.
The chest and tricep workout for a broader chest and bigger arms
How to lose a stone: Nutrition tips
Eat fresh food
When people think about how to lose a stone, they often think they’ll have to exist on salad. That’s really not the case. You can eat a lot of food. You should just try to make it fresh as oppose to processed food. Fresh food is basically food in its natural state, such as lean meat and wild-caught fish, organic or free range eggs, a variety of raw (not salted or roasted) nuts, and plenty of fresh or frozen fruit and veg. Try to cut back on highly-processed foods. A warning sign a food is processed in that it comes in bright packaging with long list of unpronounceable ingredients.
Cut back on alcohol
If you want to know how to lose a stone while sinking six pints a night, you’re out of luck. The good news, however, is that you don’t need to go teetotal. You just need to limit (and enjoy) what you drink. There’s no reason you can’t have one or two drinks a week while you’re on your eight-week plan. Another simple tip is to make smarter drinks choices. Go for lower calorie alcohol options, such as a G&T, and you’ll minimise the damage.
Don’t drink your calories
This one can make a big difference. If you drink a large latte and a can of cola a day, that adds up to about 500 calories. Simply swapping those two drinks for a white coffee and a diet soda could easily give you one pound of fat loss a week. The other reason to cut back on drinking liquid calories is that they are often low in nutrients. They also don’t make you feel as full as solid food.
Prioritise protein
This one is really simple. And it’s another example of how your strategy for how to lose a stone doesn’t have to be complicated. You tactic should be to include a good protein portion with every meal. That could be eggs and avocado on toast or protein porridge for breakfast (or one of these five delicious and nutritious fat-loss breakfasts). Then have chicken for lunch and fish for dinner. It will help you to feel full and build muscle.
Use the 80/20 rule
Progress doesn’t require perfection. And that’s where so many people go wrong when they try to figure out how to lose a stone. They aim for perfection and they set themselves up for failure. The truth is that, when it comes to diet, eating well 80% of the time will allow you to make progress. You then eat what you want the rest of the time. And if you want to ramp it up and accelerate progress, use the New Body Plan 90% Nutrition fat-loss strategy. Simply eat well 90% of the time and whatever you want for the other 10% of your meals!
Don’t ban anything
When you ban a food you become fixated on it. If you tell yourself you can’t have any chocolate for eight weeks, you’ll become obsessed by it. And eventually you’ll crack and binge (here’s how to avoid over-eating sweet treats.) If you’re using the 80/20 or 90% Nutrition approach you know you can have a bit every now and again. And when you’re in that mindset it becomes so much easier to manage.
7 ways to eat for fat loss and get a leaner and stronger body
How to lose a stone: Lifestyle tips
Sort out your sleep
When you sleep poorly your testosterone levels plummet and you’re more likely to store fat. But it’s not just length of sleep that matters. Consistency (going to bed a similar time each night) and quality count too. To sleep deeper for longer limit screen time and reduce TV watching an hour before bed. Make your bedroom dark, and keep your bedroom quiet and cool.
Reduce your stress
No-one actively seeks out stress. But there are a few things you can do to reduce it. And it is definitely one of the overlooked elements of how to lose a stone. If you’re able to find ten minutes a day to practise mindfulness, that will make a big difference. If that’s not your thing, taking a walk outside has been shown to reduce stress levels. Eating fresh food and exercising regularly will also have a positive impact on your mental health. There’s plenty of quick and easy ways to feel happier today.
The final word
If you follow the advice above then you can make a huge difference to how you look and feel in a short space of time. But there’s one final piece of advice that you need to follow. You need to know why you want to lose a stone in the first place. That reason will be personal to you. It could relate to how you look. It could relate to how you feel. Whatever it is, identify it and remind yourself of it every time you start a workout. Use it as the fuel that drives you towards your goal!
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