How I lost 30 lbs in 30 days

It seems everyone nowadays is trying to find easy ways to lose weight. The problem is, that's it's not as easy as most would like it to be. Everyone wants that magical pill or weight loss video. Many marketers have made millions on people who just did not lose the weight, either because their program was too difficult for most people to get in the rhythm of or just too strenuous on the body. First off 99% of the weight loss pills don't work. The pills are usually meant for those with abnormally big appetites or severely obese people. In those cases, pills do sometimes work, but usually only if they are prescribed by a doctor, not some television promoted infomercial pill. The exaggerated success of weight loss videos is growing more each year. Most of the weight loss videos are discouraging because you, often, are looking at someone that is in fifty times better shape than you are. These videos are made for people who are already in decent shape. These videos tend to have a negative effect on people who simply want to lose fat, not build masses of muscle. The difficulty of these videos cause many people to waste money buying the DVDs, only to quit less than a week into the workout regimen. For example: P90X is a difficult workout. I have done it. I didn't stick with it for the sole reason that it is just not my type of workout. It is difficult. It left me sore each day I did it and effected everything else I wanted to do for the rest of the day and some time next day. You are always in doors, sweating your brains out, sore the next morning and barely able to walk. That isn't my ideal choice of workout and shouldn't be a last resort for you.

Losing weight doesn't have to be hard. The common misconception about losing weight is that you have to sweat profusely and feel the burn the next morning. I'm here to tell you, that is just a myth. You don't have to sweat your brains out or be so sore that you can't perform your job well the next day. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 160lbs now. I started out weighing 235lbs. Over a period of 3 months I was able to lose 75lbs just by doing the simple workout technique that I am going to show you. Most say that dieting is the key to weight loss. In some aspects it is, but I didn't change a single thing about my diet and I'm not really the role model healthy eater. I love hamburgers, pizza, chicken and sweets. I still was able to lose 75lbs doing this simple workout routine.

P.S. The previous statements do not mean "Go out and eat greasy foods all day, every day. Think wisely before you pig out. It is alright to eat more than you should every so often, but remember, consuming mass amounts of food will not help you lose weight under any circumstance.

The #1 mistake that most people make is setting a workout routine that includes the same thing every single day. They walk 3 or 4 miles for about an hour each day. You will see results, but eventually it will level off. The key to keep losing masses of weight is extending your workout. Instead of walking 3 miles every day, start off walking 3 miles then move up to 4 miles then start walking 3 miles and try jogging a quarter mile then half a mile. I will lay out a daily routine that is easy to do. You won't be sore the next morning. You won't be too out of breath that it hurts your lungs. And the best of all it's free.

30 steps in 30 days to lose 30 lbs

You want to do a minimal of 45 minutes to 1 hour of cardiovascular exercise per day

Day 1 - Walk 4 miles. Don't just slowly walk. Take a watch and time your miles. Make sure you are averaging 1 mile per 15 minutes. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 2 - Walk 4 miles. This time try to rotate your waist left to right, This works out your abs while you are walking and will help burn fat off of your abdomen. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 3 - Walk 4 miles, jog a quarter mile. Some may not be able to gut out the quarter mile. if so that's ok. Jog as far as you can. Try to jog for at least 2 minutes, this usually calculates up to a quarter mile. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour 5-10 minutes

Day 4 - Same as day 3. For those that couldn't gut out the quarter mile on day 3, make sure you at least gut it out today even if you have to jog 1/8 of a mile in two intervals. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour 5-10 minutes

Day 5 - Walk 3.5 miles, jog half a mile. This day you need to start off jogging. Jog for a quarter mile, if you can, then walk 3 miles. After 3 miles of walking try to jog the other quarter mile then walk the last half mile to cool down. Again for those that find it difficult to do the full quarters just break it down into one-eighth mile intervals between your walking miles. Estimated time of workout: 1 hour

Day 6 - Walk 3.5 miles, jog half a mile. Basically the same thing as day 5. Start out jogging a quarter mile. This time use the waist swinging technique while you are walking. Try to do it for at least 1 of your walking miles. Do the remainder of the workout as the steps of day 5. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 7 - Walk 3.5 miles, jog three quarters of a mile. Once again, start off jogging your quarter mile. Walk two more miles after that, then jog another quarter mile. Walk another mile then jog the final quarter mile and cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour 5 minutes. Side note: I say to do cool down walks because you don't need to go directly to the easy chair or couch or car seat right after jogging. Your heart needs time to adjust back to normal rate. Stopping suddenly could cause your blood pressure to drop quickly. So make sure you cool down for at least five to ten minutes.

Day 8 - Walk 3.5 miles, jog three quarters of a mile. Do everything the same as you did on day 7, except now we want to pick up your walking speed if you haven't already. You should now be getting into better shape and rhythm of the workout. You always want to improve on what you did the previous day, so if you were averaging 15 minutes per mile, try cutting 1 minute off of that. This will reduce the time of your workouts and also increase your normal heart rate. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 9 - Walk 3.5 miles, jog three quarters of a mile. Today we are going to start out jogging. This time you need to jog at least a quarter but try to jog closer to half a mile. By this time if you have followed the previous steps you should be able to get close to that. If you aren't able to do that just jog as long as you can without wearing yourself out. Walk 3 miles then run the remainder of the three quarter miles you didn't do to start off then cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 10 - Everybody needs a day off right? No! I thought so when I started but willed myself to workout every single day. Today you want to do the same as day 9. Exact same. So it's kind of like a day off. it's the only day that you haven't added something to the workout. You can choose to add more, but that is totally up to you. If you have made it up to this point you will most likely add something to the workout because you know you can accomplish it. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 11 - Walk 3 miles, jog 1 mile. Today is the biggest turning point because now you can say you ran a mile. Start your workout jogging half a mile or as close to that as you can. Walk 2 miles then try to jog the remainder of the mile that you have left. If you weren't able to knock off the remainder of the mile walk 1 more miles then finish off your jogging. Cool down with at least a quarter mile walk in this case. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour 5 minutes

Day 12 - Walk 3 miles, jog 1.5 miles. You will start making the workout from here on out. Start off jogging as long as you can without wearing out. Try to knock of three quarters of a mile. In any case you should be able to jog three sets of a half mile at a time by now. Space it out by at least jogging half a mile walking a mile jogging another half mile, walking another mile, jogging the last half mile and walking a last cool down mile. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour 10 minutes

Day 13 - Walk 2 miles, Jog 2 miles. Start off jogging. We want to be jogging three quarters of a mile starting out. If you are not able to go three quarters of a mile just yet then just jog half of a mile. Jog a half mile or three quarters of a mile then walk half a mile. Jog another half mile and repeat this process until you have finished the workout. It goes: Jog .75 or .5 walk .5 jog .75 or .5 walk .5 jog .5 walk .5 jog .5 (only if you didn't jog the (2) three quarter mile intervals first) walk .5. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 45-50 minutes

Day 14 - Same thing as day 14 except today you need to you need to gut out that first three quarters of a mile jogging. Other than that follow the same technique only having to jog .25 miles on your last rep. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 45-50 minutes

Day 15 - Walk 2 miles, jog 2.5 miles. Start off jogging three quarters of a mile. Walk half a mile. Try to jog another three quarters of a mile. You should be able to do this easily by now. Walk half a mile then jog half a mile and repeat last step to finish out. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50-55 minutes

Day 16 - Walk 2 miles, jog 2.75 miles. Start out running 1 mile. This should be easy to do as your lungs have expanded by now. After that, walk half a mile then jog three quarters of a mile. Walk half a mile then jog half a mile then walk another half mile. Jog your last half mile and cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 55 minutes

Day 17 - Walk 2 miles, jog 3 miles. Start out running 1 mile. After that walk a mile then jog another mile. Walk a half mile then jog half and repeat. You don't have a specified cool down today, but that doesn't mean to immediately sit down. If you want to walk another half mile, do so, but you can simply do knee lifts for a couple minutes or walk back and forth or anything that keeps you on your feet until you stop breathing heavily. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 18 - Walk 2.5 miles, jog 3 miles. Start off jogging a mile. Walk for a mile then jog another mile and repeat. After the last mile you will need to cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 19 - Walk 2 miles, jog 3 miles. Start of jogging and try to jog 1.5 miles. If you are able to do that, walk a mile and repeat. If you are not able to do that yet, Jog 1.25 miles walk .5 jog 1.25 walk 1 mile jog .5 walk .5. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 20 - Walk 2 miles, jog 3. Today we want to make sure we jog 2 sets of 1.5 miles. So basically the same steps as day 19, but try to do the two sets of 1.5 mile jogs instead of the alternative. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 1 hour

Day 21 - Walk 1 mile, jog 3.5 miles. If you were able to do day 20 then you should be able to do this easily. Start out jogging 1.75 miles then walk half a mile and repeat. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50 minutes. As you can see, we are cutting down the time our workout consumes. It's always nice to have a shorter workout and this is possible if you can perform at higher levels.

Day 22 - Walk 1 mile, jog 3.5 miles. Start off jogging 2 miles. Walk half a mile. Jog 1.5 miles and walk the remainder of the mile. I don't suggest alternative intervals because you need to be able to maintain a steady rate for the remaining 8 days. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50 minutes

Day 23 - Walk 1 mile, jog 4 miles. Today you will be jogging 2 sets of 2 miles with half mile walking intervals. I know it doesn't seem like you should be able to do this in just 23 days time, but you can if you have been following the workout, I guarantee it. Your body should be used to the strain and your muscles will be built up quite well to withstand it. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50-55 minutes

Day 24 - Walk 1 mile, jog 4 miles. Today you want to jog for as long as possible. We want to aim for 2.5 miles. If you are able to gut that out, walk half a mile, jog the remainder and cool off with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50-55 minutes

Day 25 - Walk 1 mile, jog 4.5 miles. Start off jogging 2.5 miles. After that walk half a mile then jog another 2 miles. Cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50-55 minutes. You may be asking yourself why I have the same estimates for the previous day. As you progress, day by day, you will start jogging at faster speeds without realizing you are doing it. This results in you trimming your workout length.

Day 26 - Walk 1 mile, jog 4.5 miles. By today you should be able to jog 2.5 - 2.75 miles. We want to jog closer to 2.75 miles to start the workout. Walk half a mile then jog the remainder and cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50 minutes

Day 27 - Walk 1 mile, jog 5 miles. Today we will do two sets of jogging 2.5 miles and walking .5 miles. As always start off jogging and cool off at the end with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 55 minutes

Day 28 - Walk 1 mile, jog 5 miles. By now you should be able to jog 3 miles without stopping. Start off jogging those 3 miles than walk a half mile. Jog the remainder and do your cool down walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50 minutes

Day 29 - Walk 1 mile, jog 5 miles. Today we want to jog 3.5 miles without stopping. Then walk half of a mile and jog the remainder of the 5 miles, ending with a half mile cool down. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 50 minutes

Day 30 - Walk half a mile, jog 4 miles. Today will probably be the hardest because your body isn't as used to this big of a jump because you have jumped 1 mile jogging distance, without stopping, over a 2 day span. However, this is a key step because after it passes, you will be able to do it the next day. Jog 4 full miles without stopping and cool down with a half mile walk. Estimated elapsed time of workout: 45 minutes

I know it may look hard. but I guarantee this is the easiest way you can lose 30 lbs in 30 days without paying a single solitary dime. The increment levels are easy to manage. After day 30 it's all up to you. By that time you should be at the weight you are satisfied with or well on your way to it. It is quite possible to lose more than 30 lbs by doing this workout. I lost 40 lbs the first month. The other 35 came within 2 months time only because I tapered off my workout with only running 5 miles a day. I'm not sure how much more one could lose if they were to increase the workout routine. I was just at the weight I wanted to be at, so I stopped increasing it. After you get to your desired weight feel free to trim the workout down to only 3 or 4 days a week. The reason for no off days during this 30 day span is to keep your body burning calories. Your body will be freaking out, telling itself that it has to use this stored fat to produce energy. You will even be burning calories when you are watching tv because your body continues to burn calories to preserve energy for the rest of your day. I completely transformed my body by doing this. I changed so much that people didn't recognize me.

As previously stated, what you do after this 30 days is solely on your shoulders. I did, in fact, change my eating habits because I figured eating healthier would only help me stay in shape and lessen the amount of time I needed to work out. I won't go off the deep end and say I stopped eating hamburgers and pizza all together, but I did start adding more vegetables and white meats to my diet.

You can choose to keep doing this routine and add to it and I'm sure you will continually improve your level of fitness. However, since you are in magnificent shape now, you can also go above and beyond if you want to get a nice six pack and toned muscles. There are, as previously stated, workout videos that do work, but they are hard. You, most likely, will be up for the challenge if you completed the 30 days. I have tried a couple that I can attest to and recommend.

The first workout DVD I ever tried, and completed, was the Biggest Loser Workout. It is hard, but manageable since you are now in cardio shape. Even better, you don't have to look at shredded bodybuilders doing the workout. The people on the video, excluding the trainers, are heavyset and inspiring, in my point of view. It's probably the cheapest effective workout you can buy and will tone you up.

A second option would be P90X. P90X is HARD in every sense of the word. There are things in the DVD that require you to push your body until you can't push anymore. It is a totally different routine than my workout and hard to stick to because your body is always sore. I have, however, now completed it and can attest to it's effectiveness. I still do my running and portions of the P90X, but it takes too much time to do both, so that may be what you want to do after completing it. The cost is higher, but it is more effective than the Biggest Loser workout.

If you liked this entry and are interested in joining Hubpages Sign Up now. It's fast and free. Hubpages.com will show you the simple ways that you can earn extra money while doing something that is fun.