Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred Diet – A Complete Guide

The 30-day Shred Diet was created by celebrity fitness instructor Jillian Michaels. It is a 30-day fitness challenge to push your body to shed excess fat and get a more toned and shredded body. The Shred Diet also helps you become agile and fit. Read on to get a complete overview of the 30-day Shred Diet, its benefits, side effects, and more tips. Swipe up!

What Is The 30-Day Shred Diet Plan?

A number of popular diet and weight loss plans are actually devised by dietitians, health gurus, and fitness experts. One such contender is the 30-Day Shred Diet plan. It is not exactly a diet plan, but more of a fitness program aimed at hardcore fitness enthusiasts.

It is devised by celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels and includes an exercise DVD that contains circuit-training workouts, each 20 minutes long. Michaels, however, recommends nutritional and dietary changes as well. It is by no means easy to follow the regimen, considering that it is devised by a lady who is also called “America’s Toughest Trainer.”

Jillian Michaels used to be an obese kid, but since her teen years, she has devoted herself to keeping herself fit. Her tenure at The Biggest Loser made her a household name. She has released six fitness books and nine fitness DVDs. She also runs a health website that gets approximately 1.6 million monthly visitors.

Basics Of The 30-Day Shred Diet

Michaels is a role model for those who want to get rid of their bloated bellies. She is a successful entrepreneur, an efficient reality show trainer, a popular talk show host, a NESTA, AFAA, AFPA and Kettlebell Concepts certified professional, a bestselling fitness author, and a great motivator. With so many feathers in her cap, this Daytime Emmy-nominated fitness expert-cum-wellness coach is considered a complete brand in herself.

The initial days of her 20 years in the fitness industry were not so smooth. Michaels had to struggle a lot with her body weight. Hard work, true dedication, and strong determination helped her immensely in reaching her goals and made her dream come true. It is her personal journey towards fitness and wellness that inspires millions of people. She is now one of the most inspiring personal trainers in America.

The 30-Day Shred program, according to Michaels, will help you lose 20 pounds within a month. There are three levels in the program. Each level is harder than the previous one. You have to complete each level within 10 days and then move on to the next. The workouts are based on her Strength/Cardio/Abs 3-2-1 training circuit. The DVD also comes with a cool-down and warm-up session for each of the levels.

Michaels loves to share her weight loss secrets with other people who are dying to go from ‘flab’ to ‘fab.’ According to her, it’s all about the perfect combination of a healthy diet and selected ab exercises. While ‘Jillian Michaels 3 DVD Set’ can guide you through the workout regimen, we are here to unlock the exclusive ‘belly-bloat-banishing meal plan’ of this American fitness guru. If you also want to eat like Jillian for getting into shape, here is what you need – Jillian Michaels’ diet plan!

Jillian Michaels Diet Program

Jillian Michaels’ Breakfast

Michaels believes that stocking up on carbohydrates through a proper breakfast is essential for kick-starting a whole new day and retaining energy for long.

1. Her favorite breakfast food is Ezekiel English Muffins. They are made of whole grains and are high in carbohydrates. She consumes two muffins with almond butter, which gives her a whopping 500 calories.
2. Michaels also includes fresh whole fruits in her breakfast. They contain lots of nutrition, which are required for a perfect healthy start.
3. Organic yogurt is another staple item in her breakfast. It is rich in probiotics, which make the process of digestion easier and help the body absorb the nutrients more efficiently. She mostly loves to consume Oikos Greek Yogurt as it is full of protein and tastes wonderful.
4. Michaels stays away from bacon as well as other food items that are high in salt.

Jillian Michaels’ Lunch

1. When it comes to lunch, fish is Michaels’ first choice. It is a great source of protein and contributes to healthy muscle mass. Salmon carpaccio is what she likes as her main lunch item. It can be any other type of fish too.
2. She loves to eat veggies for lunch. Fresh veggies are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and many other nutritional elements that are required to provide proper nourishment to the cells and combat unwanted body fat.
3. Salad is a must for Michaels’ lunch. She includes cucumbers, green bell peppers, lettuce, and several other greens in it. She considers lettuce as one of the best natural food items that promote weight loss. It is full of water, which keeps you filled for long and controls
4. Michaels totally avoids French fries and other similar items as they contain large amounts of oil and salt. She also steers clear of cheese.

Jillian Michaels’ Dinner

1. Michaels is a huge fan of fish and tries to include it in dinner.
2. She also eats grilled chicken from time to time to give herself a boost.
3. Vegetables, especially spinach or asparagus, are an indispensable part of her dinner. In fact, asparagus is a must in her weight loss diet. She prefers these veggies to be cooked with garlic and lemon to get a wonderful flavor.
4. For dinner, Michaels tries to reduce her carb intake and replaces her food ingredients with organic options wherever possible. Pizza is a big ‘no-no’ for her.

Jillian Michaels’ Snacks

1. 1. Michaels makes sure that her afternoon munchies are healthy. She either eats crunchy carrot sticks with hummus or opts for baked corn chips and salsa.
2. If she wants to please her taste buds with something different, fruits and nuts top her list. She just loves to have raw almonds or Brazil nuts with a fresh orange in the evening.

Jillian Michaels’ Dessert

Jillian Michaels’ diet menu cannot be complete without a dessert! She has dark chocolate in-between meals. She gets 200 calories of her entire calorie intake through these yummy bars. It helps her a lot in shedding excess belly fat and getting washboard abs.

Here is a 4-week Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Diet plan for you. Follow this plan to lose water weight and fat and get a slim and chiseled body.

Sample Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Diet Menu

Before you start this diet, click pictures of your body from different angles for future reference. Here’s your Week 1 diet menu.

Week 1 

	Breakfast (8:00 -9:00 a.m)	Lunch (12:00 – 12:20 p.m)	Snack (3:30 – 4:00 p.m)	Dinner (7:00 p.m)
Day 1	1 Toast and 2 eggs	Avocado and turkey wrap	Apple, berry, banana smoothie	Turkey kebabs
Day 2	Yogurt, berries, almonds	Grilled Sirloin salad	An orange and 4 almonds	Chicken satay
Day 3	Bananas & low-carb waffles	Mexican pizza	Protein bar	Black bean chili
Day 4	Toast with almond butter	Vegetable pita and hummus	Turkey jerky	Baked salmon
Day 5	Oatmeal with pecan nuts and apples	Tuna salad	Hardboiled egg and apple	Black bean burrito and roasted chicken
Day 6	Ezekiel English muffin	Chickpea burger	Veggies and hummus	Honey lemon chicken breasts
Day 7	Egg white breakfast wrap	Tuna salad	17 in shell pistachios and an orange	Shrimp veracruzana

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 1

By the end of Week 1, you would have lost a lot of water weight. This, in turn, will make you appear slimmer, and you will be motivated and focused on your weight loss goal. Here’s your Week 2 Shred diet menu.

Week 2 

	Breakfast (8:00 -9:00 a.m)	Lunch (12:00 – 12:20 p.m)	Snack (3:30 – 4:00 p.m)	Dinner (7:00 p.m)
Day 8	Ricotta cheese and pineapple	Grilled chicken / tofu salad	Baked corn chips and salsa	Mediterranean pizza
Day 9	Cream cheese and bagel	Salmon and blueberry salad	Watermelon	Mahi Mahi taco
Day 10	Sausage and baked sweet potato	Grilled vegetable salad	1 pear and 10 in-shell pistachios	Baked chicken and veggies
Day 11	Egg white breakfast wrap	Chickpea burger	popcorn	Chicken satay
Day 12	Oatmeal with apples and pecan nuts	Hawaiian chicken salad	Veggies and hummus	Mahi Mahi taco
Day 13	Yogurt, berries, and almonds	Turkey and avocado wrap	Protein bar	Roasted salmon
Day 14	Cheerios with banana or berries	Mexican pizza	Turkey jerky	Black bean chili

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 2

Your body will start mobilizing the fat. Your body’s metabolism will improve, and you will start to feel more energetic. You will love your new lifestyle and will look forward to Week 3.

Week 3 

	Breakfast (8:00 -9:00 a.m)	Lunch (12:00 – 12:20 p.m)	Snack (3:30 – 4:00 p.m)	Dinner (7:00 p.m)
Day 15	Bagel and cream cheese	Salmon and blueberry salad	Almonds and an orange	Turkey kebabs
Day 16	Toast and 2 eggs	Grilled vegetable salad	Protein bar	Honey mustard chicken
Day 17	Pineapple and cottage cheese	Seared tuna salad	Sunflower seeds and watermelon	Chicken soup
Day 18	Egg white breakfast wrap	Vegetable salad	Apple berry banana smoothie	Mediterranean pizza
Day 19	Oatmeal with pecan and an apple	Mexican pizza	Baked corn chips and salsa	Black bean burrito and grilled chicken
Day 20	Banana and waffles	Chickpea burger	Fruit bowl	Shrimp veracruzana
Day 21	Yogurt, berries, and almonds	Vegetable pita and hummus	Turkey jerky	Roasted salmon

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 3

By the end of Week 3, you would have lost much of the water weight and fat. Your body will appear slender and toned. Moreover, you will start feeling confident about yourself. You will be more excited about Week 4.

Week 4 

	Breakfast (8:00 -9:00 a.m)	Lunch (12:00 – 12:20 p.m)	Snack (3:30 – 4:00 p.m)	Dinner (7:00 p.m)
Day 22	Cheerios with banana or berries	Seared tuna salad	Protein bar	Turkey kebabs
Day 23	Toast and 2 eggs	Vegetable salad	An orange and 4 almonds	Mahi Mahi taco
Day 24	Ezekiel English muffin	Grilled sirloin salad	Pear and peach	Black bean chili
Day 25	Bagel and cream cheese	Salmon and blueberry salad	Watermelon	Chicken satay
Day 26	Sausage and baked sweet potato	Grilled vegetable salad	An apple and a hardboiled egg	Grilled chicken and vegetables
Day 27	Ezekiel English muffin	Chicken salad with mango and avocado	Apple berry banana smoothie	Honey lemon chicken
Day 28	Pineapple and ricotta cheese	Vegetable pita and hummus	Baked corn chips and salsa	Shrimp veracruzana
Day 29	Bananas and waffles	Avocado and turkey wrap	Veggies and hummus	Mixed veggie pizza
Day 30	Cheerios with banana or berries	Grilled sirloin salad	Plum and apple smoothie	Black bean burrito and BBQ chicken

How You Will Feel By The End Of Week 4?

Click pictures of your body from different angles and compare them with the ones you took before starting this diet. Look in the mirror; look closer – you will see a confident, active, and badass woman who can achieve anything that she sets her mind to. Congratulations!

Does Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred Diet Work? What Chrissy Arsenault, RDN, Says

Chrissy Arsenault, RDN, says, “The 30-Day Shred diet involves calorie control, macronutrient balance, and portion control. This diet is based on achieving a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss through reduced food intake and increased exercise through the program, which makes it an effective program vs. relying on just exercise or reduced calorie intake on its own.”

According to her, “Overall, the foods encouraged in this diet are nutrient-dense, provide a balance of macronutrients, and also contain adequate protein per meal to help focus on fat loss and not muscle loss when losing weight.”

How To Practice The 30-Day Shred?

Michaels believes in making use of every single muscle in the human body to shed the excess flab and attain a toned body as well as aid in muscle gain. The workouts are tough, but you will not need any heavy investment or equipment. Take some weights, spend 20 minutes to perform the moves, and be consistent about it to get the desired results. You also need to wear comfortable attire and shoes.

Is It Suitable For People With Obesity?

While a lot of women and men from various age groups have benefited from this weight loss plan, it may not be ideal for everyone. You should get your fitness status and health conditions checked by a doctor to be clear about your suitability for this rigorous workout plan. Not everyone loses 20 pounds of weight in a month after trying this plan, but losing up to 15 pounds is a common experience.

Tips To Make The 30-Day Shred Plan Effective

You can very well buy the DVD and try the moves at home, but careful planning is required if you want to get maximum results from this program. Here are a number of handy tips that you can utilize to succeed in this regard:

1. Measuring Before And After

Before you begin the program, take a tape and measure your waist, chest, hips, and thighs. You may write down the found measurements. These can be compared with the changes you find after completion of the program one month later. This can help you understand how well you have fared.

2. Consistency

Diligence and consistency are absolutely required when you want to shed pounds while adhering to this plan. Based on your daily schedule, you will need to allocate some time every day for exercising. It will require less than an hour. It can be done either at night or morning or at any other suitable time. However, it is required that once you start working out at a particular time of the day, you stick to it.

3. Healthy, Balanced Eating

Any weight loss program requires the followers to stick to a healthy diet.

While Michaels is not very particular about what you can and cannot eat, she asks the users to stick to the basics of healthy eating. Throw away fat-laden processed and fast foods from your kitchen cabinets and fridge. She lists out what type of foods you can and cannot eat on the DVD.

4. Preparing The Body

A lot of people who buy the DVD and try the moves fail because they do not schedule enough time to watch and develop the moves in advance. Before you start any of the three levels included in the DVD, watch them several times and practice the moves. This will save time and reduce the risk of injury. Eventually, you will be able to complete each level properly.

5. Stretching Helps

At the beginning of the 30-Day Shred program, Michaels tells you to perform dynamic stretching. It helps in opening up your muscles. However, doing this just before the sessions may lead to sore muscles, and you will find it hard to carry on.

To fare better, you should ideally stretch your pectorals, triceps, biceps, and calves. You need to do static stretching before beginning the 30-Day Shred Workout. This will bring down the risk of getting sore muscles and injuries.

6. Stop Starving Yourself

Michaels does not tell you to starve because you want to lose a significant amount of weight in one month. A lot of people think they need to eat less than what they do while adhering to the diet. Eating less than required may result in muscle loss and fat retention. This is definitely not what you want.

You need some carbs to get energy, but just do not go into overdrive with the calorie restriction. You can stay in a calorie deficit and still eat full healthy meals. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits along with whole wheat products while practicing portion size control. Discard refined flour-based foods.

7. Hydrating The Body

Before trying the workouts, hydrating the body is very important. Ensure that you drink plenty of water and homemade fruit juices. Each day, you are likely to lose plenty of body fluids through sweating while practicing the workouts.

8. Flexibility

Some people may need more than 10 days to complete each phase, while some have even stretched it to 50 days. While the trainer does not recommend doing so, you need to understand your body and take things slow if you want.

9. Make It Comfortable

The exercises are anything but comfortable, so you should ensure there are other possible means to make you feel better. Wear padded sneakers to guard your feet. It would be a good idea to use a thick mat on the floor. During the workout, it is natural to feel thirsty. Hence, keep a water bottle nearby.

Following Michael’s Principles On Diet

It is a tough task to follow the celebrity trainer’s fitness and workout regimen, but you may adhere to her eating habits to make the most out of the 30-Day Shred program.

Michaels does not believe in entirely depriving the body of foods that are calorie heavy. While avoiding processed foods is advised, she does indulge in chocolates sometimes. She eats crackers and candy bars but ensures they do not contain too many chemicals, fake flavors, preservatives, etc. As long as you take care of these aspects, there is no need to cut down on other foods. Basically, eating foods the body can process is what works.

To work out hard and regularly, one’s body will need a lot of energy. For this, she drinks plenty of protein shakes and eats Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. A good balance of fat, protein, and carbs in every meal keeps her energized.

Advantages Of The 30-Day Shred Diet Plan

1. The short duration of the workout is a boon for everyone. Even men and women leading hectic lifestyles can squeeze 30 minutes a day into their schedules. Michaels is also flexible about timing. You are free to choose any time of the day as per your schedule.
2. The plan has helped thousands of obese men and women to achieve rapid weight loss.
3. It works well for those who do not have access to the gym. You don’t have to pay gym fees.
4. The stages involve a number of compound moves that benefit your body. They combine more than a muscle group, and you end up mixing various moves like squats and shoulder presses. Hence, you eventually end up burning more calories.
5. When you adhere to the strenuous weight loss plan, you get other benefits too. Apart from achieving a slim body, you will find your endurance and stamina shooting up significantly within a month. Alexzeevy, a blogger, recounted her experience of doing Jillian Michaels’s shred diet. She said, “ I only lost 2 kilos, but while it might sound disappointing (don’t we all love numbers?), my body actually build muscle like it never did before. best of all, I went down two full sizes (i).”
6. In most diet and weight loss plans, you will find ways to cheat once in a while. As a trainer, Michaels is very stern – she has earned a reputation for being strict about her fitness lessons. However, those with lower fitness levels can find workarounds. One of the two ladies accompanying Michaels in the DVD shows moves that can be done easily by followers who find it difficult to do the tough moves by Michaels.

If you feel tempted by all those benefits and are considering attempting the 30-day Shred diet plan, it is important to understand what your body needs first. Make sure you customize the plan to suit your unique dietary needs and preferences. Scroll down to learn more.

Customizing Your Plan

If you follow a plant-based diet, think about making the meal plan with quinoa or tempeh instead of chicken. You can also use other different kinds of meat if your choice of protein is meat. Those who want to curb lactose can replace dairy products with almond or soy milk and use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor in recipes. Replace eggs in baked products or savory meals with a mixture of flaxseed meal or chia seeds and water as a binding agent, if you like it that way. Including a range of legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils, can improve the amount of protein consumed while also enhancing flavor and texture.

Limitations Of The 30-Day Shred Plan

No weight loss plan is flawless, and this is also applicable for the 30-day Shred. Its major limitations are:

1. There is no denying that this plan is tough to adhere to. The duration may not be long, but the moves are tough for beginners. You can try Intermittent fasting or the 8-hour diet if you find the shred diet too restrictive.
2. Those with injuries and recuperating from surgery should not do it. The second phase is focused on the knees, and those with knee injuries will find it hard to follow.
3. Not all followers can lose 20 pounds, as promised by Michaels.
4. This is not for those who are extremely overweight. With this plan, you may lose 20 pounds or so.
5. Michaels says you should practice the plan six days a week. It sounds logical, but for most followers, this can be an overdose. It can lead to excessively sore muscles and body aches. A lot of people will not be able to keep up with the harder phases this way. Trying the moves four days per week is ideal for most followers.
6. The phases involve the use of dumbbells, but Michaels does not specify the weights. This can make things tougher for beginners. Some moves may require using heavier weights than others.

These are some limitations of the 30-day shred diet plan. Let’s find out its results in the following section.

The 30-Day Shred Diet Plan Results

You can lose around 20 pounds of weight with Jillian Michaels’s 30-day shred diet plan. However, the effectiveness of this dietary approach largely depends on several factors like a person’s fitness level, adherence to the exercise and diet plan, body composition, and lifestyle. While some people may observe rapid weight loss and muscle toning during the 30 days, others may end up with a more gradual improvement. However, it is recommended to consult with a healthcare provider starting any new diet plan to check whether it suits you or not, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can beginners follow the 30-day shred diet?

Yes, beginners can follow the 30-day shred diet plan. However, they should proceed cautiously and modify the intensity and portion amounts as necessary. To ensure a safe and successful experience, consulting with a nutritionist or healthcare professional before starting can be helpful.

How much weight can you lose with the 30-day shred?

You can lose about 20 pounds of weight with Jillian Michaels 30-day shred diet. Your weight loss will depend on your current weight and adherence to the plan.

How many calories do you burn doing the 30-day shred?

You can burn anything from 200-700 calories per day while on the shred diet.

How much weight did Jillian lose?

Jillian Michaels lost about 175 pounds on the shred diet.

What is the hardest Jillian Michaels workout?

While all her workout programs are difficult and require discipline, many claim her Bodyshred may be the toughest program she has ever created. It is a 60-day program that consists of 30 minutes of workout. This is further broken down into the 3 minutes of strength -training exercises, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of ab exercises.

Why is Jillian Michaels against Keto?

Jillian Michaels believes that the keto diet is a way of starving yourself and is bad for your overall health. She believes that following this diet can cause side effects.

Illustration: Jillian Michaels&039 30-Day Shred Diet – A Complete Guide

Embarking on the 30-day shred diet? Dive into the plan for the first week in this comprehensive video. Watch now to kickstart your journey toward a healthier you!

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