How Long Does it Take to Get in Shape?

Are you looking to transform your body before heading to the beach this summer? If you're wondering how long it takes to get into shape, you probably won't be surprised to know that it depends on how out of shape you are, but more importantly, it depends on how committed you are to weight loss.

I know what you’re thinking, I've been there. Now that spring is peeking around the corner you're probably anticipating the summer and wanting to drop a few pounds. This is a common issue with all of us. Just ask the members of FF30X!

Fortunately, although it may not be the best approach, it is possible to lose weight fast in time for your special occasion. However, both now and after you've lost the weight, you might want to consider adopting some of the guidelines listed below. It doesn't just answer the question of “how long does it take to get into shape?” You’ll also find out how to stay in that shape for good; something that is infinitely more important.

How Long Does It Take To Get In Shape?

The ideal rate of weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. Studies show that at this rate people are more likely to keep the weight off for the long term. However, it is possible to lose weight much faster than this. The trick is to focus on burning fat and building lean muscle.

Fat burning is an obvious aim. You want to remove the excess fat on your body. But, you may question why you want to try and build muscle at the same time.

Muscle burns more calories than fat. By building muscle, you’ll burn more calories every day, which will help you to burn fat at a faster pace.

At the other end of the scale, it is possible to lose a pound of fat every day. But of course, that rate is dangerous and would require a radical change in habits. If you’re hoping to lose weight at this rate, then you should seek professional help to ensure you do so safely.

The short answer to “how long does it take to get into shape?” is to calculate how much weight you want to lose and divide it by 2. That will tell you how many weeks it should roughly take.

Of course, you can speed this up by exercising more and eating less, but you need to keep these two elements in balance.

Setting Your Goal

A realistic goal which will also give you a timescale for losing weight is to lose 1% of your body weight each week. If you weigh 200 pounds, then you can expect losses of 2 pounds a week, but the weight loss will slow as your weight starts to go down.

At this point it is essential to adopt the right mindset; you need to believe you can lose the weight and stick to your new healthier eating and exercise regime. This can be difficult which is why you should join FF30X and get the support and motivation you need.

The real secret to losing weight, no matter how fast or slow you want to lose it, is having the right motivation.

You can feel motivated in the short term by a specific goal, such as the class reunion, or your opportunity to give a speech. But, you need to create a motivation that will carry you pass this event and ensure you adopt a healthier lifestyle for the long term.

Dramatic weight loss is possible. You simply need to make regular, small changes to your lifestyle. These changes turn into habits with time.

Weight Loss Possibilities

It doesn't matter what first motivates you to start losing weight. That motivation can be used to change your mindset and commence the small changes that will help you lose weight and become healthier.

But knowing that isn't enough! You need to know how to make these changes and lose weight! There are several steps you need to take, and you can start these today.

Fat Loss

Change what you eat, and you’ll lose weight. There is absolutely no doubt that reducing your calorie intake below your maintenance level will cause you to lose weight.

In short, eat less and you’ll lose weight. But, you need to do this properly if you want to remain healthy now and in the future. Check out the importance of food selection below to see what you should be doing.

Muscle Gain

We've already established that muscle burns more calories than fat. You’ll hear different arguments regarding how many extra calories are burned, but the simple fact is, any extra calories used will help your weight loss.

That’s why you need to add some resistance training into your workout, in addition to a cardio work. You can check out the best ways to get started with this in the conditioning your body section below.

Mindset

You need to believe that you can lose the weight. Visualizing yourself as slimmer can help with this. It's a common tactic used by many professional athletes.

Sleep

Sleep is the most essential function of your body.  When you sleep, your muscles recover and your hormone levels balance. Getting enough sleep, (between 6-8 hours a night), will reduce your appetite and help you to feel fuller during the day!

The Importance Of Food When Getting In Shape

In theory, it is possible to lose weight while eating junk food. After all, the basic proposition is that, to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your maintenance amount. However, eating junk food is not the best solution for your body.

One easy way to eat less is to cut out the processed foods. Processed foods are full of sugars and chemicals which are not beneficial to your body.

However, this doesn't mean you have to go without food! You need to become familiar with the perfect plate approach to food. Every meal should be a balanced plate; ½ vegetables, ¼ protein, and ¼ carbohydrates. This means you can eat most foods and keeping them in proportion will ensure you have the right level of nutrition.

Aim for 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, anything more becomes too time-consuming.

You can also prepare meals in advance. Meal prep ensures you have a healthy option available even when you have no time or don’t feel like cooking at the end of a stressful day.

An extra tactic to help you lose the weight is to try intermittent fasting. The aim is to eat just 500 calories two days a week. Ideally, these days should not be consecutive and, if possible, you should wait for the evening to eat.

By doing this, your body will enter a state known as ketosis. This encourages the burning of fat to create energy instead of carbohydrates from the food you eat. Ketosis will accelerate weight loss.

However, if you feel dizzy or faint during the day, especially when you first start intermittent fasting, you should eat something straight away.

Finding The Right Workout Routine To Condition Your Body

You know it’s possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat a week and the importance of building muscle to improve your fat burning abilities. But how much muscle can you gain in a week and what’s the best way to do this?

Research suggests that you can gain approximately ½ pound of muscle per week. This may not seem like a lot, but every step, no matter how big or small, is a step in the right direction.

Of course, if you’re losing 1 pound of fat and gaining a ½ pound of muscle per week, the scales are not going to show much difference on a daily basis. This is why it is essential to take a picture of yourself every week. It may take a few weeks, but you’ll soon start to see the changes.

You can also measure the circumference of your waist. This is not the area you usually build muscle, but if you’re losing fat, the tape measure will show you. If you’re not then your diet needs looking at again. Remember, cheating with the food you eat is only cheating yourself.

Here’s a great workout routine to start conditioning your body:

Lower Body

Start by doing squats, lunges, calf raises and box jumps. You can then move on and add dumbbells to the same exercises.

These exercises will target your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes and even your lower back.

The aim is to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. But don’t worry if you can't do that to start with. Just do as much as you can to exhaustion, and gradually increase your reps.

Don’t forget that you should only work your legs every other day. Your muscles need time to repair and heal. This will ensure that they grow bigger and stronger.

Upper Body

To keep your body balanced you need to work on the top half as much as the bottom half. Again, exercises should be done to exhaustion, aiming for 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Try exercises like the overhead press, lateral raise, bicep curls, pull-ups, and rows. Again, adding in dumbbells or kettlebells will make these exercises more effective.

The above exercises will condition your body, your muscle and bone strength will improve as your fat starts to disappear. Your body will become more defined, eventually becoming toned.

However, you should also add in some cardio work, such as fast walking, jogging, cycling or swimming. This will help to improve your fitness level and your fat burning efforts.

Discovering The Power Of Lifestyle Changes

You’re ready to start your challenge and discover just how long does it take to get in shape for you personally. Here’s a quick reminder of what you should now be doing:

• Remove processed foods from your diet
• Adopt the perfect plate approach to food
• Exercising regularly 
• Use the support of FF30X
• Get enough sleep

The great thing about getting in shape is that you can achieve your goal by making small changes to your lifestyle, as listed above. The overall aim isn't actually to lose weight but develop healthy habits.

If you focus on adopting a healthier lifestyle, then the excess weight will fall off, and you will be healthier and fitter every day for the rest of your life.

That’s the real power of changing your lifestyle. You won’t need to jump on and off diets or worry about your health, just adopting a healthier lifestyle will ensure you drop the pounds.

Of course, you can adopt a more extreme, calorie restricting version of the above lifestyle changes. This will help you to lose weight faster. However, you should be aware that the extreme form of these lifestyle changes will help you to reach a target weight, but keeping the lifestyle changes manageable will help to ensure the weight doesn't reappear.

Time To Evaluate Your Approach

The bottom line is simple; you can comfortably lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week with the help and support of the Fit Father Project. Take your first step towards a new you today by joining FF30X.

But don’t forget the real answer to how long does it take to get in shape will depend on how much weight you’re hoping to lose and the time you have available. It is possible to lose weight faster than 2 pounds a week. The fewer calories you consume, the faster the weight will come off.

But you need to balance your quest for how long does it take to get in shape with your desire to keep that weight off. Losing weight isn't about the speed at which you complete your challenge. It’s about adopting the right lifestyle changes that will enable you to keep the weight off.

By adopting the perfect plate approach to food, focusing on nutrition and adding a little exercise, you’ll become the man that you want to be, and you’ll stay that way for the rest of your life.

Your new friend & health coach,

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info for those who wonder how long it takes to get in shape.