How to Create a 3-Month Weight Loss Plan That Can Actually Work for You

By: Suzanne Kvilhaug

A lot can happen in 3 months.

A quarter of a year is a great time period to create weight loss goals, devise a plan, and go all in. It’s just long enough to see results but short enough to feel like you can actually stick to a plan for the whole time.

I can speak from experience on this one as my body completely changed in a span of 3 months. Yes, I was already what people would consider a healthy weight. Yes, I already knew how to lose weight and maintain it but, like most people, I was stuck. Stuck at a weight I was happy with yet I always had this inner desire to lose some more.

Losing more weight would mean that I would finally be the size that I wanted to be for as long as I can remember. That size you don’t really think is possible but would make you happy to be at least for one chapter of your life. Everyone has their own dream vision of themselves and sometimes the opportunity to make it a reality does materialize.

Whether you’re looking to lose weight for the first time or working to get the body that you’ve always wanted- here’s some insight on how to make a smart and effective plan that can work for you.

Create Your 3-Month Weight Loss Plan

Your 3-month plan should include elements which encompass nutrition, physical fitness and mental and emotional wellness. By covering all of these bases you’ll be able to establish a routine that actually works, because it is comprehensive, and not just 3 months of steamed broccoli.

Your State of Mind

Resist making a lot of rules

If you lose weight in 3 months by following strict rules, you’ll probably end up gaining a lot of it back after. It’s the classic scenario of setting yourself up to fail. Once the rules you created are no longer in place, the likelihood of returning to unhealthy eating habits is high. There may be some people who thrive off of strictly defined rules. But if you find rigid criteria stifling, you’ll probably drop them as soon as you hit your goal. Of course there need to be some guidelines to succeed, but being too restrictive can backfire. Keep your policies open - like eat less sugar, eat more vegetables, drink more water, move more and so on. Focus on sustainable lifestyle changes more than commandments.

Be honest about what you can’t give up 

When it comes to dropping unhealthy foods from your diet, everyone has a different ability. It’s true, some people can quit food that isn’t good for them and never be tempted again. But other people say they’ll stop eating something but find themselves sneaking that “forbidden thing” again pretty quickly.

Being honest with yourself about what you can or can’t give up can help you set realistic goals. And if you really want to finally give up certain foods that you haven’t been able to kick, be prepared to struggle a little. Write out a list of foods you know that you should give up in order to lose weight then try your hardest to limit them. It’s ok to treat yourself once in a while, because total deprivation can also lead to overindulgence (see strict rules above) but taking an active role in minimizing unhealthy treats has multiple benefits.

Not only will you lose weight, you’ll feel stronger mentally and more empowered to win your inner battles against unhealthy habits. Once you get used to it, and push through the discomfort and time it takes to adapt, you’ll know how to apply your discipline to other unhealthy habits and really, all areas of your life.

Don’t set up goals based around what the scale says 

Dun dun dun. Stepping on the scale can ignite a lot of negative emotions. It can make you feel depressed or obsessive and it’s not even the best way to measure overall progress. Imagine feeling all of those negative emotions for nothing! You can weigh yourself occasionally to know the number, but don’t base everything around it. Pay attention to how your clothes fit and measure yourself before and after you start your plan to have a 360 view of what’s happening. You may end up gaining muscle, losing fat and losing inches - yet the scale alone wouldn’t reflect any of that improvement.

Your Diet

Don’t Obsess Over Counting Calories

Not all calories are created equally. Even though counting calories can work, you don’t want to end up being a slave to a number and making your days feel like a never-ending math equation. Tracking calories can be helpful for understanding how quickly they add up, or for thinking more about portion sizes. But don’t be the guy who misses half a lunch conversation because you’re busy trying to log your Caesar salad. Use calorie tracking as a guide, not a bible. Eating doesn’t have to be that complicated, or annoying, to be successful. Generally speaking, if you choose to eat healthy whole foods, counting calories isn’t required.

Find your favorite healthy foods and use them in different Ways

Do you hate certain foods that most people would consider the “right” thing to include in a weight loss diet? Don’t do it! Figure out which healthy foods you really love and find different ways to use them. Be wary of set plans with set food choices. Individualize your plan as much as you can! You’d be surprised how many things you can do with healthy ingredients once you do a little research. If you choose to eat foods that look good on paper, but you don’t enjoy at all, it’s unlikely you’ll stick with it - plus you’ll be miserable. Rarely do people successfully lose weight when they’re unhappy. Regardless of old myths, there are ways to lose weight that don’t include joyless eating.

Think About What you Drink

A lot of calories can come from drinks, from your morning coffee to your end-of-day glass of wine. Becoming more selective about what you drink can help cut some unnecessary sugars from your diet. Water is always going to be the best choice of beverages because it supports overall good health. A general policy when it comes to drinking water to lose weight is to use the 8x8 rule - which is to have eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Drinking more water helps with weight loss and helps replace other less good-for-you drinks. You can also make coffee better for you by eliminating cream and sugar. That may sound horrible, but there are some benefits to drinking black coffee that go beyond reducing your calorie intake.

Decide on a number ratio 

You can’t possibly make the decision to eat 100 percent healthy 100 percent of the time. Well, you can try, but you’ll see quickly that it’s not possible, attainable or even necessary. A lot of people follow the 80/20 rule when they’re trying to make healthier choices, but you should find your own personal ratio.

Feeling ambitious? Try for 90/10. 90 percent of the time you make healthy choices and 10 percent of the time you eat whatever it is your heart wants. By having a ratio in mind, you can reel yourself in after a big splurge or a day of unhealthy eating. And psychologically it keeps you from feeling like you can never eat something that wouldn’t be included in a standard diet plan. 

Consider an entirely new way of eating 

If you’ve heard that a different way of eating is known for helping with weight loss, now is the time to take a closer look. Whether it’s keto, plant-based eating, intermittent fasting or even just meal prepping, three months is a reasonable time period to try something new to see if it can work for you long-term. This is especially applicable for people who don’t need to lose a ton of weight but want to lose what feels like stubborn weight. A new way of eating could be just what your body needs to finally start shedding the weight you didn’t think you ever could. 

Your Body

Get Some Exercise

Working out isn’t everyone’s thing. Some people love exercise and consider it an essential part of their routine. For others, the gym holds about the same appeal as the dentist’s office. Losing weight without working out is technically possible. But if you focus only on creating a calorie deficit through food consumption, you may drop pounds, but you’re not really getting healthier. Any type of physical activity is going to help with your weight loss, even if it’s just a daily walk at lunch or a little morning yoga. A home workout streaming subscription can also help make it easier to get access to a variety of exercise styles to help you find something you like that you think you can stick with.

Find hobbies/things to do so you are distracted

Physical activity can often disguise itself as fun, and boredom can easily sabotage even your best weight loss efforts. Tackle both by creating a list of things to do that you make you happy. Having scheduled plans with friends, or for solo activities, can be extremely useful when you’re trying to lose weight. Come up with several ideas for activities to keep you busy during your down time before down time actually happens. It’s much harder to get motivated when you’re already in the middle of a Netflix binge and looking for snack. Bowling anyone? 

Pay attention to how your body reacts to food

This is a biggie. People assume that if something is healthy, it should automatically be part of their plan. Not necessarily. Everyone reacts differently to food and sometimes your body may just not feel right after eating certain foods. Filling your diet with foods that don’t agree with you can set you up for discomfort, unhealthy cravings and more.

Before you decide what food to include in your 3-month plan, consider doing a major trial and error experiment. For the next 24-48 hours after you eat something- pay close attention and ask yourself certain questions. Is this digesting well? Does this cause bloating? Do I feel heavier or lighter after eating this? Do I experience any type of food sensitivities to this? There are many elements to food, digestion and weight loss and knowing what agrees with your body can be a game changer.

Let your health be your motivation

Obsessing about weight loss to look better can start to feel a little vain and get tiring after a while. And do you ever notice that when your focus is completely on losing weight to look better it happens slowly or rarely at all? For me personally, I wanted to work on healing my gut so my overall health would improve. As I put my energy into making choices based on that, I genuinely forgot most of the time that I was also working to lose weight.

If losing weight, or creating good habits that are often associated with weight loss, can make you a healthier person - make that your reason why. Fitting into an old pair of jeans is nice, but the desire to create a better life is motivation with staying power.

Starting a new weight loss plan? Compare Diet Plans of 2020!

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