How to Lose 5-10+ Pounds in 30 Days (Step by Step Guide)

Part 1: Get Started With Clarity

If you are a Christian guy and you want to lose 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days without stepping foot in a gym, this guide is for you.

We’ll cover everything you need to know in 12+ steps - from how to define your reason why and the specific inputs you need to focus on in each week for the next month.

Let’s jump in!

1) Define your why

If you’re reading this, you probably already know your goal, which is to lose 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days.

But the first step I recommend is to define why weight loss is important for you.

At some point in the next 30 days you are not going to want to put in the work.

So defining the reason why you’re doing this in the first place will remind you why you started this journey.

Here are some possible reasons:

• To have more energy to serve your wife

• To have more energy to play with your kids

• To have more energy to work in your vocation

• To set an example for your family

• To steward the body God gave you

• To get a handle on desires that might be controlling you (food, laziness, etc…)

• To make make the next decade of your life better than the last from a health perspective

• To not be as self-conscious about how you look

• To fit and feel better in the clothes you are wearing

• To be able to have more energy to serve those in your church

• To sleep better at night

• To set yourself up to be able to be active for your grandkids

My reason why is to have more energy for my family and strength to serve others.

Find your reason why by asking these two questions:

1. Ask “why do I want to lose weight?” 3-5x. The answer you’ll uncover is typically hiding a few layers deep.

2. Ask “what happens if I don’t make any changes in the next year?”. This uncovers the consequence you’re trying to avoid of not making change.

Here are some tips to guide you through this process.

Spend time on this, but not too much time

Starting with this step is really important because it gives you clarity.

But spending too much time on these questions can be a distraction from putting in the work.

Block out about 30-60 minutes for this step, then try to move on.

Get input from your spouse (if married)

This does a few things.

First, your wife might have some insight into blindspots that you can’t see.

Secondly, bringing this out into the light gives you a layer of accountability and encouragement from your wife.

Get the gist of your why right

One of the pitfalls with this step is over-analyzing the why.

This not only can distract you from putting in the work, but also can be a cause for discouragement, especially if you’ve struggled with managing your weight for a while.

This first step is not a test you need to get an A+ on.

You just need to get a general sense of direction as to why this is important for you in the first place.

The most clarity comes when you’re actually putting in the work.

Pray

The Lord cares for you.

He created your body after all (Psalm 139).

Prayer is a humbling process that reminds you that you depend on the Lord in all of your labors.

Plus, you might uncover some things you’ll need to confess to Him.

Submitting your reason before the Lord is one step you can take to commit your work to Him in trust that He will establish your steps (Proverbs 16:3).

2) Write this down

Once you’ve defined your why, write it down somewhere.

Follow this formula when writing this down: Goal + Reason Why

Here’s what mine looks like:

“I want to lose 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days so that I can have more energy to serve my family and strength to serve others”.

Put it somewhere you can see it.

The more public, the better. That creates more accountability.

• Write it in a journal

• Put it on a sticky note on your computer monitor

• Write this on a wall calendar

• Put a note on your fridge

• Put a note on your pantry

• Send a text to other guys in your church telling them this is what you’re working on

• Make a post about this on social media

You don’t need to do all these things. Just pick one or two that you know works best.

Writing this down does a few things.

Serves as a reminder

Life is busy.

At some point in the next 30 days, you might encounter a challenge that takes a high priority (sick kids, challenging week at work, etc…).

And the tendency in those moments is to forget other important things.

Serves as an encouragement

Losing weight is hard.

At some point in the next 30 days, you might become discouraged.

Looking at the reason why you started this in the first place gives you the little boost you need to keep going.

Increases the chances you’ll succeed

People have studied the impact of writing your goals down.

This one shows that writing your goals down helps you increase the chance of succeeding by 42%.

Even if you’re skeptical of studies like this (like I am), writing this down somewhere visible so you can see it certainly won’t decrease your chances of succeeding.

3) Weigh yourself

Now that you’ve defined your why and written it down, it’s time to collect data.

Weigh yourself and write that down next to your goal + reason why.

So it might look something like this:

“I want to lose 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days so that I can have more energy to serve my family and strength to serve others.

1/18/25 weight = 237 pounds”

During the next month, I recommend weighing yourself once every Friday.

You can weigh yourself everyday if you want.

But I mostly want you to focus on the inputs.

Part 2: Inputs for Week 1

A 5-10+ pound weight loss goal in a month is an outcome. We can’t control outcomes.

But we can control inputs.

In this next section, I’ll walk you through the inputs you need to focus on so that you can lose 5-10+ pounds in the next 30 days.

I would strongly encourage you to follow this roadmap one week at a time.

Resist the urge to skip ahead.

Each of these activities will be challenging enough, and after working with clients I’ve found it best to focus on just one thing at time.

Week 1: Walk 60 minutes every day

• Week 1

• Time needed: 60 minutes/day

• Est. pounds lost in month: 2-4+

Walking?

What about fancy diets, HIIT training, long exercise sessions, and metabolic reset methods?

Well, sorry to disappoint you. But I’ve found that simplicity is one of the foundations to consistency.

And walking is one of the best free methods you can do right now to start losing weight.

And here are the reasons why.

There’s data supporting walking for weight loss

Your body burns calories primarily by 4 different ways.

1. Doing nothing. Your body burns calories for normal internal processes. This is called your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

2. Non-exercise movement. Think things like walking, chores, moving around during the day. This is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

3. Digesting food. Your body burns calories to consume food. This is called Thermal Effect of Food (TEF).

4. Exercising. Your body burns calories when you exercise. This is called Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT).

But what’s interesting is the amount of calories your body burns by these activities.

1. Doing nothing: 70% of your body’s calories are burned this way

2. Non-exercise movement: 15% of your body’s calories are burned this way

3. Digesting food: 10% of your body’s calories are burned this way

4. Exercising: 5% of your body’s calories are burned this way

This doesn’t minimize the important of exercise at all. Exercise impacts all of these processes.

But this does emphasize how important it is to move more throughout the day.

Walking 60 minutes every day will expose excuses

Excuses will be the biggest obstacle towards progress in your weight loss journey.

Committing to 60 minutes of walking everyday will immediately cause the most common ones to rise to the surface.

And you can deal with these excuses without introducing the new ones that come up with starting a resistance/strength training routine at home or at the gym.

To overcome excuses, you’ll need to start thinking in terms of solutions instead of problems.

All you need to do is ask “how can I” when your excuse rises to the surface.

Here’s how to do this with the most common ones:

Schedule

• I don’t have time to walk 60 minutes everyday —> how can I walk 60 minutes everyday?

Family

• I can’t walk 60 minutes everyday because of my family’s schedule —> how can I include my family in this activity?

Work

• I can’t walk 60 minutes everyday because of my work schedule —> how can I walk 60 minutes everyday while I work?

Self

• I will give up walking 60 minutes everyday because I struggle with following through —> how can I make walking 60 minutes more enjoyable so that I start looking forward to it?

Weather

• It’s too cold/hot/humid to walk 60 minute everyday —> how can I make the temperature easier for me to handle when I walk for 60 minutes?

Also, it’s helpful (and rather convicting) to remember that the sluggard in the book of Proverbs regularly made excuses.

Some of them were quite over the top -

The root of excuse making is typically fear.

And God can help you here by giving you courage.

Most sedentary workers do not walk enough

Sedentary work is correlated with weight gain.

And most guys who work a sedentary job walk 4,000 - 6,000 steps everyday.

Targeting 60 minutes of walking helps get the daily step number closer to 9,000 - 10,000+ each day.

Here are all the ways you can make walking 60 minutes per day easier:

• Split the 60 minutes up: 4, 15 minute walks, 2, 30 minute walks, etc…

• Listen to your favorite podcast while walking

• Listen to your favorite music while walking

• Pray while walking

• Take your wife with you (I’m sure she will love that)

• Take your kids with you (I’m sure they will love that too)

• Take your dog with you too (I’m sure he/she will love that too)

• Go for a walk before you start work each day

• Go for a walk at the end of the day after work

• Go for a walk while listening to a conference call

• Go for a walk while making work calls

• Get a walking pad that you can use for your desk and walk while you respond to emails (affiliate link)

• Get a new pair of walking shoes to make it more enjoyable

• Get a new jacket (if cold outside where you walk)

There are all kinds ways to do this.

And here are 12 practical ways just to get more steps in throughout the day.

Try a few and see what works best for you.

P.S. If you need some walking inspiration, here’s the worshipful wonder of walking

Part 3: Inputs for Week 2

Now that you’ve been walking for a week, here’s what to do next.

Continue walking for 60 minutes every day

• Week 2

• Time needed: 60 minutes per day

• Est. pounds lost in month: 2-4+

Drink water, tea, coffee, and milk only for 6 days/week

• Week 2

• Time needed: 30-60 minutes (once)

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-2+

The next thing to focus on is your liquid calories.

Here’s why we start here first.

TDEE (again) and how to calculate it

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the amount of calories your body burns every day.

As we covered, there are 4 parts to TDEE (doing nothing, non-exercise movement, digestion, and exercise).

But now let’s see if we can calculate your target TDEE.

Here are two of my favorite free online calculators.

• TDEE Calculator 1

• TDEE Calculator 2

When you put in your biometrics, these calculators will tell you what your TDEE is.

Calculate yours.

Mine is about 2500-2800.

Don’t overthink this step. TDEE calculators are 1) not exact and 2) are estimates based on generalities.

If you have an office job, I’d recommend putting in sedentary even though you’re walking everyday (you’ve only walked consecutively for a week).

Here’s the general rule of thumb for weight loss:

• Eating 250 calories less than your TDEE will result in a 0.5 pound weekly weight loss

• Eating 500 calories less than your TDEE will result in a 1 pound weekly weight loss

• Eating 1,000 calories less than your TDEE will result in a 2 pound weekly weight loss

And one of the best ways you can start consuming less calories is to stop drinking them.

The average American adult 20 years or older drinks 500 calories per day

Chances are, you’re drinking 500 calories per day.

About 18-20% of your daily calories probably comes from what you drink.

These calories come from a variety of sources:

• Alcohol

• Sodas

• Fruit juices

• Lemonades

• Flavored milk

• Sugary coffee creamers

• Energy drinks

Cutting these out will save you hundreds of calories, without tracking a single calorie or macro.

6 days per week, drink from this list:

1. Water

2. Tea (unsweetened)

3. Coffee (black)

4. Whole/raw milk (1 cup limit)

On the 7th day, drink whatever you want.

This 6/7 principle is borrowed from the Sabbath feasting principle in Leviticus 23.

There are 8 feasts listed in Leviticus 23.

7 of these are annual (Booths, Passover, etc…).

And one is weekly. The Sabbath.

After working with lots of clients on their eating, I’ve found this kind of 6 days on/7 days off principle works the best for introducing restriction and balance at the same time.

Here are some tips for drinking from this list 6 days a week:

• Drink 8oz of water first thing after you wake up

• Drink 8oz of water with each meal

• Drink 8oz of water before you snack

• Drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning

• Enjoy some added milk to your coffee

• Add some milk to a protein smoothie

• Stop drinking coffee 10-12 hours before you go to bed

What about non-caloric drinks, sweeteners, or mixes?

So, what about things like diet sodas, stevia sweetened drinks, flavored mix packets, and the like?

From a caloric perspective, these things don’t add extra calories.

So technically, you’re free to drink them this week.

But my challenge for you is to also cut these out for 6 days the next week.

First, there’s data that suggest that diet sodas and artificial sweeteners are not good for you.

But, the primary reason I’d encourage you to try cutting it out this week is because of how addicting some of these sweet tasting drinks can be.

These drinks are designed to make you want more of them.

Here’s 1 Corinthians 6:12.

The main principle here is that just because you can lawfully do something, doesn’t mean you should do it.

Especially if that something could direct your desires and control you.

The immediate context in 1 Corinthians 6:12 is a preface to address sexual immorality (which is a very addicting desire).

But drinks can also be addicting.

Just try drinking water, tea (unsweet), coffee (black), and some milk this week…

And see what happens.

Part 4: Inputs for Week 3

Continue walking for 60 minutes every day

• Week 3

• Time needed: 60 minutes per day

• Est. pounds lost in month: 2-4+

Continue drinking water, tea, coffee, and milk only for 6 days/week

• Week 3

• Time needed: none

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-2+

Put parameters around your most problematic foods

• Week 3

• Time needed: 30-60 minutes (once)

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-2+

Now that you’re walking and focusing on liquids, the next thing to do is focus on your food.

And we’ll do this by making focused changes that give you the most return for your time.

Here’s what you need to do.

1) Write down the 3-5 foods you’re eating regularly that you know are bad for you

As you read that, I’m sure several foods popped in your mind.

This is normal. We all have them.

Here are mine: tortilla chips, ice cream, pizza, and Chick-Fil-A (especially those fries…)

Here are some of the most common ones:

• Pizza

• Ice cream

• Candy

• Cookies, pastries, donuts, muffins, etc…

• Fast food

• Ultra-processed snack foods (chips, crackers, pretzels, sugary granola, etc…)

• Sugary condiments (ketchup, bbq sauces, etc…)

• White breads

Here’s a list of 100 of them if you’re struggling to come up with some.

Be as specific as you can about them.

For instance:

• If it’s McDonalds, don’t say fast food, say McDonalds.

• If it’s donuts, don’t say pastries, say donuts

• If it’s a Monster energy drink, don’t say energy drink, say Monsters.

The specificity makes it clearer for you what action you need to take.

2) Understand what these foods have in common

Here are two of the common patterns:

These foods likely have refined carbs

Carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy and they occur naturally. God made them.

Think things like fruits and vegetables. These are carbs.

Refined carbs are processed variations of carbohydrates that have had all the fiber, minerals, and vitamins removed, and what’s left is the stuff that makes foods taste better and last longer.

This would include sugars, high fructose corn syrups, white flour, candies, etc…

Diets rich in refined carbs are linked to heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.

These foods likely are addictive

Like drinks, some foods are highly addictive.

Refined carbs are quite literally designed to make you want more of them.

Here’s 1 Corinthians 6:12 again.

3) Pray

I’m not trying to over-spiritualize this.

But if there are foods that you know are addictive, it’s a fool’s errand to try to overcome them by your own strength.

Especially if you’ve been stuck in an addictive cycle for years.

It can take a long time to unravel this.

So best before you start to ask the Lord for help.

He will help you.

P.S. some accountability might help you here as well (wife, church, family, friends, etc…)

4) Assign boundaries

Now that you know what 3-5 foods you want to address, you know why you should address them, and you’ve prayed, let’s assign a boundary.

A boundary is just a proactive plan.

It’s a premeditated approach for each of the foods that you know are going to be problematic.

It allows you to make the decision ahead of time on what you’ll do.

Just like the drinks, what I’ve found to work best is schedule 1 day per week that you can enjoy the foods on your list.

And then don’t eat those foods for 6/days per week.

So for me, I try to eat the following foods one day a week (typically Saturdays for me):

• Tortilla chips

• Ice cream

• Pizza

• Chick-Fil-A

And, we try to make this fun as a family. We do a family movie night with pizza and ice cream once a week…. or take the kids out to Chick-Fil-A at night… etc…

5) Replacement foods

Think about the put off/put on paradigm from Colossians 3.

If you’re cutting out 3-5 foods that you know are problematic, what should you replace them with?

Here’s a list to help you get started.

By the way… these foods taste amazing. Part of this process is starting to uncover the healthy foods that you enjoy.

Proteins:

• Bacon, beef jerky, chicken, eggs, ground beef, lamb, liver, pork, turkey, salmon, shellfish, steak, tuna, white fish, whey protein powder

Vegetables:

• Asparagus, avocado, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, olives, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, salsa, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini

Legumes:

• Black beans, hummus, lentils, nuts, pinto beans, red beans, organic peanut butter

Fruits:

• Apples, bananas, berries, kiwi, grapes, lemon/lime, mangos, melons, oranges, pears, pineapples

Dairy:

• Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt (plain, unsweetened), raw cheeses, whole milk, butter

Unrefined grains:

• Whole oats, brown rice, wild rice, whole wheat bread, quinoa, whole-wheat flour

P.S. Here are 11 snacks you can graze on that follow this list.

6) Focus on diligence over hastiness

This is a principle from Proverbs 21:5.

Applying restriction to these foods is going to be very hard at first, especially if you’ve never regulated these before.

The principle behind this proverb can help you stay on track.

To illustrate Proverbs 21:5, think about weight loss like a big oak tree. You are trying to cut this oak tree down with an axe in your hand.

You are not going to cut this oak down with 1 chop.

You are not going to cut this oak down with 2 chops.

But you will cut this down if you keep chopping.

And you certainly won’t cut this tree down if you stop chopping.

The idea behind Proverbs 21:5 is that little chops (i.e. diligence) are going to take you where you want to go (plans). This is not going to happen overnight.

So when you make a mistake… just pick your ax back up again, and keep chopping.

Part 5: Inputs for Week 4

Continue walking for 60 minutes every day

• Week 4

• Time needed: 60 minutes per day

• Est. pounds lost in month: 2-4+

Continue drinking water, tea, coffee, and milk only for 6 days/week

• Week 4

• Time needed: none

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-3+

Continue with parameters around your most problematic foods

• Week 4

• Time needed: none

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-3+

Start eating more protein in one meal

• Week 4

• Time needed: 30-60 minutes (once)

• Est. pounds lost in month: 1-2+

Now that you’re continuing to walk, you’ve cut out liquid calories, and put some boundaries around the foods that are most problematic, let’s take the last step.

Protein.

Here’s what you need to do.

1) Find out which of your meals has the least amount of protein

Protein is one of the most important macronutrients (carbs/fats/protein) for weight loss.

There are a few reasons for this:

• Protein requires the most calories for digestion (think back to TDEE)

• Protein is satisfying and makes you feel full

• Foods packed with protein are just plain ole’ tasty (steak, chicken, pork, fish, etc…)

• Protein helps preserve muscle mass while losing fat

Most guys need to consume .7g - 1g of protein per bodyweight.

That’s a big step for most.

So what we’ll do to start is just pick one meal you’re probably consuming the least amount of protein and then focus on that this week.

Here’s the protein rule of thumb (or rule of hand…):

• A fist sized amount of protein is about 20-30 grams

• A hand sized amount of protein is about 40-50 grams

This is generally true for all kinds of proteins, including eggs, meats, etc….

So just think about your meals.

Is there a meal you are not eating at least a fist sized or hand sized amount of protein with it?

Pick that meal and move onto the next step.

2) Pick a protein you like and add it to that meal every day

There are so many types of proteins you can choose from.

But before I give you the list, I’m going to give you a simple hack called the 10:1 ratio.

10 calories to 1 gram of protein

The idea is that some foods have a better ratio of calories to protein.

Understanding this ratio can help you make better decisions on what foods to eat that allow you to consume more protein with less calories.

Here are 10 foods that exceed or are at this 10:1 ratio:

1. Tuna (4:1)

2. Cod (4:1)

3. Halibut (5:1)

4. Turkey breast (5:1)

5. Tilapia (5:1)

6. Shrimp (6:1)

7. Ham (6:1)

8. Plain Greek Yogurt (6:1)

9. Chicken breast (7:1)

10. Pork loin (7:1)

11. Cottage cheese (9:1)

12. Salmon (9:1)

13. Ground turkey (10:1)

14. Ground beef (10:1)

15. Ribeye steak (10:1)

Honorable mentions: eggs (11:1), beef jerky (11:1), lentils (12:1), and bacon (13:1).

For whatever meal you selected, ensure you are eating a fist-to-hand sized amount of protein everyday.

And for week 5… focus on the next meal.

And then for week 6… focus on the next meal.

In less than two months, you’ve addressed your entire diet.

Final Thoughts

Losing weight is not easy.

But if you stay consistent and use these strategies and steps, you’ll make your diligent way forward (Proverbs 21:5).

Hope this helps!

If you have a question or feedback for me - leave a comment on this post.