If I Had 30 Days to Lose Belly Fat, Here’s Exactly What I’d Do (Step-by-Step Plan)

0:00 Have you been avoiding the mirror because nothing feels comfortable anymore? Are you frustrated because no matter how many crunches, detox tees, diets you try, your stubborn belly fat just won't go away. Look, I've been where you are. This is me at my absolute heaviest, over 235 lbs. And this is your girl now. 75 lbs down and literally in one of the best shapes I've ever been in my entire life. And I am just getting started. But I need you guys to clearly understand one thing. You cannot spot reduce fat. Okay? There is no amount of crunches, no secret herbal tea that you can take that's going to directly just eliminate fat from your belly. But here's the good news. You don't have to

0:45 absolutely kill yourself with extreme versions of cardio or starve yourself like a rabbit to feel confident in your body. If I only had 30 days to completely transform, this is the exact plan I would follow. By the end of this video, you'll have an exact stepbystep road map that feels doable and builds you up, not break you down. And I want you guys to promise to yourself here, right now, that you are ready to start. drop it's her turn in the comments below with the start date that you're going to do this challenge because it's a promise to yourself and that is what this is all about. It's your turn to feel confident and in control. If you're new here, welcome. I am Alyssa. I am a fitness

1:32 content creator and my main goal is for women and men to just feel confident in their bodies and know that it's possible through phases and actionable steps that you can do these things naturally. So, if that is something that you're interested in, you are in the right place. And I just want to thank all my subscribers. I recently hit over 16,000 subs, which is absolutely insane. If there are 16,000 people here with me, I am forever grateful. And if you are new to this channel, welcome. And if you have been here for the two years I've had this channel, welcome back. All right, you guys, let's get into the very first phase. Phase one is going to be clean the slate. The first few days, you

2:18 guys, of this phase is really just about setting the foundation by eating clean and calming your body down. Belly fat thrives, okay? It thrives when your body is inflamed and stress out. Foods that are loaded with high sugar, fried oils, and just artificial junk that you can't even pronounce just add fuel to the fire. What you are going to do in these first five days is like the title of the phase, clean the slate and really just give your body a real chance to recalibrate. You need to cut out processed foods, you guys. Sugary drinks and greasy snacks to replace those foods with lean proteins, colorful veggies,

3:05 and healthy fats. And you need to drink more water. Hydration is key. Your body cannot burn fat when it's dehydrated. Plain and simple. And you guys, this does not mean perfection. You may have bad days. You may slip up. But in these first five days, I really need you guys to lock in and focus. Make swaps where you can and really focus on addition, not restriction. This mindset is really going to help you kind of make this more of a lifestyle thing. for example, instead of just cold turkey, you've seen this video and you're just like, you know what, no more chips for me, which is great, by the way, but sometimes the hot and cold can lead to you not being consistent. Instead, add some carrots, add some hummus to your snack and watch

3:52 what happens, okay? It really does help with a mindset shift. And if you're like so many people, including me, once upon a time ago, and you just really struggle and you're just like, "Hey, I can't stop the sweet cravings," add some fruit, which is naturally sweet, with some cinnamon or some nut butter. It's going to hit that sweet spot and actually nourish your body. If you're telling me, "Look, I don't have time to cook any healthy meals." I need you guys for 35 minutes for one of the days through the week that you have time to prep two to three basic things. I'm talking about super basic things like chicken breast, steamed broccoli, which takes no time at all, and just mix and match during the week. By cutting out sugary, processed

4:38 foods, you are stabilizing your blood sugar and you're reducing your insulin spikes that cause the fat storage to be around your belly. And then hydration is really just going to continue helping flushing out all of those toxins that are in your body. And I want to be honest with you guys, this first phase is going to be extremely difficult for some of you. A lot of people do not realize how deep they are into their addictions with processed sugary foods. But I really want you to tackle this first phase because it's going to give you so much perspective. When I was early on in my fitness journey, I was disciplined AF in the gym, right, consistently, but my eating was absolutely terrible and I was basically just

5:24 maintaining my weight the entire time because I was eating terrible. I was still drinking sugary drinks. I still was eating all this candy and stuff and I was so frustrated not understanding why my body wasn't changing. Nutrition, you guys, is 80% of the battle. And food is a direct link to how we feel. And if you have doubts, if you don't think that it really makes a difference, if you're like, "Oh, I'm not even eating that bad." Humor me and do this phase one. Just start the phase one and really take a look at what you are eating. I feel like so many of us mindlessly just consume. When you stop that and you really take track of, hey, I'm putting this in my body, you will

6:10 notice things like, hey, I've had chips maybe like four or five times this week with almost every meal or a snack when I get home. You guys do not need that. And you are going to feel the difference when you are prioritizing whole foods in this phase. Here's a hot girl tip. Start each morning you wake up with some lemon water first thing, okay? It's going to hydrate you, detox your liver, and really just set the tone for your day. Think about it like when you first wake up in the morning. What do most of us do? A lot of us grab our phones or we go to the kitchen for something, right? Start your mornings in this phase with just some water, glass of water, just you and the water. And I promise you, you guys are going to start to feel the

6:56 difference. Phase two is going to be find your fuel formula. Let's keep it 100, you guys. Your body is ready to burn fat, but your meals need to fuel you correctly. This phase is all about finding your perfect plate. Not complicated calories, just a really simple formula that's easy to follow. It's the 50 25 rule. For all the people who aren't great at math, stay with me here. This is very simple. 50% of your plate, you guys, needs to be colorful vegetables. Okay. And if you're saying, "I don't really like vegetables." Find one that you like. We all have one that we can tolerate. Find out what yours is. This is really great for fiber in your digestion. 25% of the plate is going to

7:42 be protein, okay? Chicken, fish, tofu. This is going to be tremendously helpful for you to build muscle. The last 25 of your plate, you guys, is going to be healthy carbs and fats. Sweet potatoes, avocado, wild rice. This plate formula is going to keep you full for longer periods of time, reduce cravings, and help your digestion run smoother, which is going to fight inflammation and bloating. This rule is very simple, you guys, and it's easy to really kind of like picture your plate. If you're like, "Hey girl, this sounds all cool and everything, but I'm always hungry. It doesn't matter what I'm eating." I really want you guys to load up then on extra vegetables. Get some more spinach.

8:29 Get some more kale. It's really like a freebie for your plate and you can eat a lot of it and it still be very good for you and low in calories. If you're like, "Healthy food is so boring." I don't want to hear that because you can jazz some vegetables up. Okay, seasonings go a long way. Fresh garlic, you guys. Paprika, a basamic glaze can really change the game. Healthy does not have to mean bland. Protein also helps preserve your muscles during fat loss. That's the key. A lot of people, if you're losing a lot of weight rapidly, you kind of start looking a little bit frail. That's where protein comes in. If you are lifting weights and eating protein, you're going to have muscle. Here's a hot girl tip. Keep frozen

9:14 vegetables stacked. I get it. We all have a lot going on. Sometimes you're like, "Hey, I don't feel like taking out the vegetables from the fridge, cutting them up, putting them in the pan." Get frozen vegetables and fruit. You still get all the nutrients and it cuts down the time. I keep frozen broccoli in my fridge all the time on nights where I have to cook and I'm kind of tired. I don't really feel like going all out. Take that frozen broccoli out the freezer, boil it, and in 10 minutes, you guys, I have a highly nutritious meal for dinner. You guys, so we are halfway into the phases. If you are enjoying this video, make sure you like, comment, and subscribe. Make sure you guys follow me on Instagram, Fitless Lifestyle, and Tik Tok, FitList.lifefestyle.

10:00 And you guys will get to see on my socials that I post a lot of my workouts, behind the scenes, like my daily day stuff. So, if you're interested in that, make sure you give your girl a follow. All right, let's get into the very last phases. Phase three, you guys, is going to be activate your burn. Here's the truth about movement and belly fat. You do not need hours upon hours of cardio. This is such a common misconception. What actually is going to transform your body, you guys, is strength training. There is a time and place for cardio. I do cardio. I'm more of a hybrid athlete. I'm training for high rocks right now. So, I do do cardio. But my 70 lb weight loss, I was mostly weightlifting. I was only doing cardio maybe once, twice a week, 10 to 15, 20 minutes max. Most of my weight loss was coming from me being in a

10:45 calorie deficit and building muscle through resistance training. If you are new to this channel, you may not know this, but the people who have been here, they know what I'm about to say. You need to be weightlifting focused on progressive overload. What progressive overload is is it's increasing the weight or increasing the reps week to week. I have an app that is free, so I do not want to hear anything, okay? It's called Rep Count. I'll put the image on the icon screen right here, and I'mma show you guys. This is my phone. This is the app. It's completely free. And I literally will track what my workouts are that I'm doing daytoday. So if it's a leg day and I am doing glute bridges, the previous week I can see how

11:32 many glute bridges I did at what weight. So when it's the following week and that shows up, I'm like, okay, last week I did 10 glute bridges with a 20 lb weight. This week I'mma aim to do 11 glute bridges with a 20 pound weight. Or I'm going to increase the weight, do a 25 pound weight, and then I'mma do 10 glute bridges again, but just a higher weight. That's what progressive overload is. You are increasing the weight or the reps week to week. And if you have an app like Rep, which is free. I'm not sponsored by them. This is just something I actually use. It's going to change the game. There's so many women who are going to the gym. You are moving your bodies, but you are lifting the

12:17 same weight and you're doing the exact same reps every single time. You go in, you do three sets of 10 and you're like, "Whoop! Three sets of 10, same weight from last week. I'm good." Girl, progressive overload is how you build muscle. My physique right now, you guys, was built with strength training and increasing the weights or the reps. I am gotten so much stronger, you guys, because that is what I do and that is the key to growth. That is the key for building more muscle. It's so important. So, you guys really, really need to be focused on progressive overload when you are weightlifting. Building muscle, you guys, it boosts your resting metabolism. So this is the key. When you are doing

13:04 cardio, when I am doing running, when I'm on the stairmaster, I am absolutely burning calories while I'm doing those exercises. But when I go home, it stops. Weightlifting though, when I'm sitting on the couch with you guys like right now, but I've built muscle, I'm still burning calories at rest. I'm not doing anything right now but talking to you guys. Because I've built muscle, calories are being burned. That is the difference between strength training and cardio. Walking is also highly underrated. I walk every single day. I usually get around 10 to 12,000 steps depending on the day. And it is done wonders for me. I try to walk after I

13:50 eat. It just helps move my body, helps with my mental clarity, helps with my moods, and just helps lean you out. Walking is a great tool for fat loss. You do not have to be doing hours of cardio to lose fat. And walking, you guys, it's not just easy exercise. If you have high cortisol, the stress hormone, it lowers that, improves your digestion. The greatest thing about walking, you guys, it burns fat without stressing your body. I am a more of a hybrid athlete, right? I do high intense trainings, things like that that can be very intense on the body. That's not for everybody. Walking, you guys, it's not intense and it's still going to be helping you burn fat. No matter your fitness level, no matter if you haven't

14:36 been in the gym or working out in over a year, lifting weights, focus on progressive overload, and walking are the ultimate fat burning combo. If you guys are intimidated by weights, I hear you. Okay. I really want to encourage you though to work on not feeling that way. Especially as a woman, there is something truly powerful when you are in that weight room and you are lifting weights and you are getting stronger and you are seeing that you are not fragile. Okay? But if you are intimidated by weights, start small. No one is telling you guys to go into the gym today and lift a 50 lb dumbbell. No babe, start where you are at. Use resistant bands. Use light dumbbells. Confidence builds

15:23 over time. And that is the beauty of progressive overload because you start small. Week one, you see this phase and you're like, "Okay, Lissa, I'm locked in." You go to the gym. The very first week, you lift a 5 lb dumbbell because you're a little nervous. You want to get your body acclimated. 100%. Great. The next week though when you come back you either lift a 10 pound dumbbell or you increase your reps and that is how you build your confidence. Weightlifting has made me I was already pretty confident but weightlifting has made me my head just super big. Okay, because I can see I am not fragile. Your girl is strong. And you get to see the change of you lifting more and more weight months after months. It's just it makes you

16:09 feel invincible. It's a great feeling. And I think especially as a woman, it's so important for you to feel like you are powerful. You're not fragile. If you're telling me like, "I don't have time to walk. I have a full-time job. I have kids. I have things to tend to." Combine it with something that you already do. Right? If you have to clean the house, get a walking pad. I have one. Um it's also in my linked in my Amazon storefront. Wash dishes while you're on the walking pad, right? or play with your child on the walking pad. Combine what you need to already do for your house activities with walking. If you need to listen to something, if you need to prep for something, walk, listen to a podcast, write out your duties on a walk, but combine it with something that

16:55 you're already doing. This is called habit stacking, and it absolutely works. Here's a hot girl tip. Pair your walks with sunlight exposure. Morning walks boost your mood. And I know all of us, I live in California and I get that I am mostly blessed in terms of the weather. I know everybody doesn't live in regions like that, but if you can, if you have some sunlight, walk when it's sun out. You guys are going to see this does wonders for your mood and your mental health. All right, you guys. We're about to get into the very last phase. And before we do, if you are watching this and you're like, "Okay, I am ready. I'm sick of, you know, the stubborn belly fat. I really do want to make a change. Comment it's her turn with the date below in which you are starting because

17:42 it is giving you confirmation that you are ready this time that you are ready to make the changes and it keeps yourself accountable. All right, let's get into the very last phase. Phase four is going to be slay your stress. Stress is one of the number one sneak thiefs of fat loss. Elevated cortisol makes your body cling to fat, especially around the belly area. This phase, you guys, is all about stress management as a nonnegotiable part of your transformation. Really want you guys to prioritize you in this phase. And I want to say before we begin into this that for some women especially this phase is going to be very uncomfortable for you because you are so

18:28 used to pouring into other individuals and giving so much to other people. It's very hard sometimes to do the things that we need to do for ourselves. But I'm challenging you to do this wholeheartedly for you because if you aren't here, you can't help anyone. So you need to pour into yourself so you can be the best partner, the best mother, the best friend, the best employee for you. Okay, so let's get into these. I really want you guys to do around 5 to 10 minutes of mindfulness a day during this phase. Okay, things like the Cal app. There's multiple things that you can do. you can do free on YouTube listening to affirmations, but I

19:16 really just want you to do 10 minutes. And I know for the busy women out there, it can seem really difficult, but set a timer on your phone. Find 10 minutes on your lunch break. Find 10 minutes before bed. Find 10 minutes in the morning. But just have that time of mindfulness. You're meditating. You're visualizing your dream woman that you want to be. You have some music playing, but it's uninterrupted time for you. You're not on your phone. You're not scrolling. You're not replying to a text. You're not cooking something for you or someone else. It's just you time. And this has changed the game for me, you guys. My mornings are sacred, and I really do value them. I get up early, but I also make sure that I'm am not dealing with anyone else. I'm not tending to my

20:01 husband. I'm not ting to my dog. It's just me time. And that has completely helped me continue down this lifestyle because I feel like I am pouring into me and it feels good. I want you guys to journal, write in your notepad to really just release the clutter that is in your mind. Practice gratefulness. And I know that this sounds so cliche. You're like, "Oh my gosh, girl, it's cliche." But I promise you, the stuff works. So many times we have so much going on. so much going on in our life and it's just like we can never take a time to just breathe. Writing things out. I write to-do lists out all the time. It takes all the clutter, all the haziness that's in my mind and it just puts it on a

20:47 piece of paper and I you guys, I feel instantly relieved afterward because now I know what I have to do and I tackle it day by day, but it's not in my head anymore. Write it down. Write about what you're grateful for. Especially in midst of chaos, in midst of hard times, practicing gratitude really can just help center you. I get it. I've had some really extremely difficult times in my life, right? And sometimes the last thing you want to do is be positive because everything around you is just so chaotic. But I promise you, I have found just finding one to three things that you are just grateful for, even in the midst of the chaos or the negativity

21:34 that's happening, it can give you some perspective because even on your very worst day, I'm talking bottom of the tank filling, there is usually at least one or two things that you have that you can be grateful for. And that perspective, you guys, it just helps so much. Last thing, you guys, is you want to prioritize sleep. Sleep is so important. Everyone's different, right? Everybody doesn't need a whole lot of sleep, but more people need more sleep than what they're usually doing. I would aim for 7 to 8 hours every single night. Sleep is when the fat burning and muscle recovery happen, you guys. So, you need to prioritize sleep. If you're like, "I

22:20 don't know how to meditate. That feels very strange to me, girl. I don't even know what you're talking about." Start with two to three minutes of just deep breathing. That's it. I just want you to breathe. I want you to inhale and exhale for two to three minutes. Put a timer on. If you're like, "I'm so busy. I don't have time to de-stress." You need to prioritize the time. You guys don't need hours to do this. You just need a few minutes and it's going to make a difference. If you're a skeptic, try out try these phases out and I promise you, you guys are going to see a significant difference. Lowering your cortisol, if you have high cortisol, it just helps with lowering your fat storage. It's very simple. It helps reduce cravings and it gives you more energy for your

23:06 workouts. Here's a hot girl tip. Create a bedtime windown routine that you stick to. Think dim lighting, herbal teas, lowfi music, a no phone zone before bed, self-care, skincare rituals, whatever you need to do to make sure you're prepping yourself and your body for bedtime. I want to emphasize you guys that this these phases are to be implemented over time. You can't just do this for a week and be like, "Oh, well, I did it for about a week." No, this takes time. But if you start implementing these things into your life and you're consistent, consistency, you guys, you are going to feel significantly better. I promise. Okay,

23:53 these are the direct things I have done in my own life to get me to where I am currently today. Best shape of my life. You guys now have the plan you have been looking for. It's no gimmicks, no extremes, no monthly plan that you have to purchase, just real sustainable progress that actually works. Drop it's her turn in the comments to commit to taking control because you guys, this is your time. We are halfway into the year, you guys. It is your time. If not now, then when? Make sure you guys like, comment, and subscribe for us to keep glowing and growing together. This, you guys, is just the start of what you are capable of. And I cannot wait to see how

24:41 many of you guys decide to lock in and decide to commit to these phases. I will see you guys in my next video. Bye.