This article is part of the Guide To Sustainable Fat Loss, a series that includes articles on key topics and a precise protocol to help you lose inches and keep them off, reduce cravings, shape and tone body and muscle, address hunger and fat loss hormones, improve sleep and mood, and much more.

You can find a complete index to this series at the bottom of this article.

In this article we cover the exact foods, supplements and protocol you’ll be following during the 30-Day Fat Loss Challenge.

Your Fat Loss Protocol Diet

There are key foods and nutrients that help us to burn body fat while building up our lean muscle for shape, and addressing hormones and energy levels.

And there are foods that not only prevent fat loss, but ensure body fat creation, which we'll need to stay away from.

Here we dive into all of these foods and nutrients, and how and why we'll be eating or avoiding them.

We also go over how to calculate and count calories for this protocol.

One key is on whole food sources, also known as "one ingredient" foods. These are the foods in the deli and the produce section, not processed, boxed or packaged foods containing 15-30 different ingredients.

It's the packaged foods that have made fat loss so hard, so we'll be avoiding those entirely.

Whole foods allow us to eat "less," while getting much more nutrition from what we eat. This is so much the case that while you will be consuming less calories on this protocol, you will likely not be able to eat all of it on a daily basis.

That's the beauty of real food.

Alright, are you ready?

Let's jump in.

WHOLE FOODS & KEY NUTRIENTS

On this protocol we’ll only be consuming whole foods — no packaged, processed foods or processed sugars, not because of how many calories they have, but because of what they do to our hormones, making it harder to lose fat and keep it off.

There will be no protein bars, protein powders, or collagen powders. These will only get in our way on this protocol.

We need real foods and they need to be organic. We need real fruits, real vegetables and real meats — organic and grass-fed.

This grass-fed point is important. Animals fed with corn and soy have a different fat profile than grass-fed animals. They have high omega 6 fat levels which causes fat creation, whereas grass-fed animals are high in omega 3 fats which help fat loss.

You will also be consuming more protein than you are used to and most likely will not be up to that at the very beginning. This is because the amounts of processed sugar and foods, and lack of enough protein that most people have had for decades, have lowered most people’s ability to fully digest proteins.

Digestive Enzymes: For this you will be taking digestive enzymes. These ensure the proteins and fats you consume are fully broken down so they can be used, which you will need to get through this successfully.

Omega 3: We will also need you taking Omega 3 fatty acids. I cover more on why these are necessary later on, but they are the one fat source that contributes to fat loss and counters another fat source. Note this is not Omega 3-6-9, but only Omega 3.

Cruciferous Vegetables & Green Salads: These have many functions, providing key nutrients to our cells and our microbiome (gut bacteria), as well as fiber for proper elimination.

But there is one more function of cruciferous vegetables most people don’t know about. They help to remove excess estrogen from the body (a hormone that heavily impacts fat loss).

In fact, their benefit is so much that you will not be counting calories from any cruciferous vegetablesor leafy greens in your macros. (You would count carrots, radishes and other vegetables still.)

Your meals must include at least one large salad (lunch) and one large serving of cruciferous vegetables per day. And for this, any dressing should be a vinaigrette — while you will need to count the calories for the olive oil, it is going to help you with fat loss.

And if you want more… have more, without adding them to your calorie count. That’s how important they are.

TRANSITIONING TO A WHOLE FOOD DIET

There is a transition period of a few days to a few weeks where your body readjusts. This is both to burning more fat than carbohydrates (sugars) for energy, but also hormonally.

During the first part of this you will experience cravings for processed food or sugary foods. These are usually the heaviest between days 2-5. During this time your energy levels may go down a little bit, you may have trouble sleeping, and your mood may shift easily.

This is just withdrawals. Keeping in high protein, healthy fats and plenty of PerfectAmino is what will help you through this the fastest. So don’t skimp on these.

Gut Restore can also help is these cravings are significant.

You will come out of it if you keep going. And you will be very happy that you did once you see how you feel.

And… if it seems that the cravings are too much of a problem, let's step back and look at the real problem here, okay?

What are you going to wear at the end of this? And how are you going to pay for a whole new wardrobe?

Seriously! It's time to get online and start finding that suit or dress or pair of jeans or new shirts to wear when this is done!

Let's get our priorities straight here. These are the real problems.

THE DIET:

We know that to burn fat we will need to cut calories to below what our body normally needs in a day.

Some will say these calories are too low.

They’re not.

In fact, many people do 3, 5 and 7 day fasts, where they eat nothing at all, and they are perfectly healthy.

And each pound of body fat contains over 3,000 calories in it, more than most people need in a day. So if we’re burning those… you’re getting plenty of calories.

It just may not feel like that at first because you have hunger hormones out of balance and most likely some harmful bacteria and candida that will be crying out for sugar.

Cutting calories is necessary to reverse the hormonal situations which are causing this false hunger and preventing fat loss. It just won’t happen any other way.

Besides, this diet does do it faster than most. So you’ll get through the cravings stage pretty fast.

But realize something else. You’ve most likely been consuming processed foods for a long time. Your digestion is very possibly not up to snuff. You have been relying more on sugars than fats or proteins.

All of these things add up to your body consuming much more “food" than it actually needs, while at the same time not getting the full nutrition it needed from that food.

On this protocol, consuming only whole foods with digestive enzymes, you will most likely be giving your body much more nutrition that it normally gets despite eating less calories than normal.

This is so much so that your biggest problem will probably be getting it all in.

Most people aren’t accustomed to this much whole-food protein these days. It satiates much more and you may not even make it to your full amount needed every day, in which case just get as close to it as you can.

So here we go.

SUPPLEMENTS:

PerfectAmino: You will be taking at least one serving for every 50 lbs of body weight while on this protocol plus one more serving. So if you weigh 150 lbs this would be 3 servings + 1 more = 4 servings.

If you experience extreme cravings on any specific day, take another serving of PerfectAmino on top of this — it will help considerably.

Your first two servings will be first thing in the morning before any food. Your next servings will spread throughout the day, up to 3 hours before you go to sleep, preferably between meals.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Take at least one gel cap for every 40 lbs of body weight unless there is fatty red-meat seafood each day (wild caught salmon is the best).

Digestive Enzymes: Start with 1 capsule per meal, but raise it to 2 capsules if you’re still experiencing digestive issues of any sort, and 3 per meal if still experiencing digestive troubles.

That's the end of the required supplements: PerfectAmino, Omega 3, and Digestive Enzymes. However, the following are also very helpful, and in some cases necessary, depending on each individual person:

Electrolytes: If you experience any bloating from water retention, take electrolytes, one serving per day. Water retention comes from too high sodium (salt), and the electrolytes balance that out. This will also help with any headaches or fatigue.

Sleep: If you have any trouble sleeping, take the Sleep supplement. A majority of fat loss occurs during the first few hours of sleep each night.

Eliminate: While the cruciferous vegetables should ensure there is no constipation, if there is at some point during the 30 days, or before starting, then take Eliminate as per instructions on the bottle.

Greens: Along with Leafy Greens and Cruciferous vegetables, these can only help.

CALCULATING YOUR FOOD: PROTEINS, CARBOHYDRATES & FATS:

We have some calculations to make now.

Below, you will find the exact amount of Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats you will be consuming per pound of body weight.

So you will first weigh yourself. Then you will take that number and multiply it by the amount of grams listed for each:

Carbohydrates: (your body weight) x 0.2 grams

Protein: (your body weight) x 0.9 grams (Note: this does not include PerfectAmino)

Fats: (your body weight) x 0.42 grams

Here's an example:If you weighed 150 lbs you would have:

Carbohydrates: 150 lbs x .2 = 30 grams

Proteins: 150 lbs x .9 = 135 grams

Fats: 150 lbs x .42 = 63 grams

Now we find whole food carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the amounts above for our daily food.

You may feel this is too little food. But how long has it been since you had a whole-food diet? It fills much more than you think, especially this amount of protein.

You may not even be able to consume it all daily. In that case, ensure you keep the protein levels high and take your digestive enzymes with each meal.

Also remember, you can have as much cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens as you want and these are not included in the above calories.

And if you have any trouble, make sure to ask for help in the VIP Group. We help many people with this there.

APPROVED & DISAPPROVED FOODS:

CARBOHYDRATES:

We want all carbs to be from natural sources.

No processed or packaged foods, and definitely no canned sodas or energy drinks as these will stop you in more ways than one.

No corn or soy.

No breads.

And no high glycemic sugars such as pineapple, honey dew, watermelon, etc.

Anything else is fine.

FATS:

We want our fats to be healthy fats — no trans fats from packaged, processed foods.

Saturated fats are great, olive oil is great, avocados, nuts, butter, whole fat meats, wild caught fatty fish, cream, eggs, chia seeds, sea food.

No corn, soy, sunflower, safflower or sesame oils.

No Omega 6 oils.

PROTEINS:

We want our proteins to be Non-GMO and certified organic, free range, grass fed, grass-finished and wild-caught.

The reason we need them like this is because of what these animals are being fed and what that does to them: corn and soy.

The natural diets of cows, chickens and other livestock animals is grass, wildflowers, leaves, bugs, grubs, etc. NOT corn or soy.

Corn and soy are just much cheaper. But they completely change the Omega 6/3 fatty acid profiles of the meats and eggs from.

Omega 3 fatty acids lower cortisol and promote fat loss.

Omega 6 fatty acids raise cortisol and promote fat gain.

Animals fed their natural diet contain a balance of Omega 3 and 6.

Animals fed corn and soy (heavy Omega 6) have levels of about 17 or 20 Omega 6 to 1 Omega 3, making fat loss nearly impossible and ensuring weight gain no matter how much you exercise or try to diet.

This is one place that the type of food and how it impacts your hormones really trumps the amount of calories coming in.

NOTES:

No food after dinner — at least 4 hours before bed. 2-3 hours before bed take one more serving of PerfectAmino.

If you feel very hungry and absolutely have to have something, keep an apple nearby and have that.

But don’t skimp on the proteins, fats, or PerfectAmino. These are the three things that will make getting through your cravings the easiest.

In fact, start getting in your protein in the morning, it will make this process very easy.

Alright, that's it for that. If you have any questions, make sure to ask in the group.

Next we’re going to get into the workout you will be doing.

Go to The 30-Day Fat Loss Challenge Workout.

You can purchase any products you may need and save 15% when you sign up for a subscription, or save by getting a 30-Day Fat Loss Protocol Package.

And if you haven't already, make sure you join our PerfectAmino VIP Group, where you can ask all your health & fitness questions.

Index To The Guide To Sustainable Fat Loss:

Introduction & Getting Started:

1. Introduction To Sustainable Fat Loss & The 30-Day Challenge
2. The Key To Sustainable Fat Loss: Calories + Hormones
3. The 30-Day Fat Loss Challenge: Diet & Protocol
4. The 30-Day Fat Loss Challenge: Workout
5. Workout Videos To Ensure Proper Form

Week One: 

1. What Makes Fat Loss So Hard
2. Succeeding At Your Diet: Cravings, Hormones & What To Watch For
3. 90% Of Body Fat Is Made From Sugar — Not Fat
4. Reversing Insulin Resistance & Speeding Fat Loss

Week Two:

1. Hunger Hormones: What's Causing Cravings For Sugar & Junk Food
2. Digestion Is Key To Sustainable Fat Loss
3. Cortisol: The Hormone That Makes Fat Loss Nearly Impossible

Week Three:

1. How Poor Sleep Prevents Fat Loss
2. Estrogen Dominance Prevents Fat Loss In Women & Men
3. Raising Growth Hormone & IGF For Fat Loss

Week Four:

1. Hunger Vs Cravings: When To Transition Out Of Fat Loss
2. Transitioning From Fat Loss To Lean Body
3. How Our Corn & Soy Based Diet Prevents Fat Loss

Week Five:

1. Why Energy & Sleep Rise, And Stress Falls On The Fat Loss Protocol
2. End of The Fat Loss Challenge, On To Lean Body/Lean Bulk
3. The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Protocol