January sees millions seek new ways to shed festive pounds, and while some plans sound too good to be true, hard work can produce significant results in as little as 30 days with the right effort.
A woman from Cleveland, Ohio revealed on TikTok how she changed her physique in just over two months through determination and discipline.
Mary Renée documented her progress with photos taken on March 12th and May 15th to prove the results of her efforts, crediting a simple but demanding approach.
This involved being committed to an intense 30-day 'bootcamp' to push her to her limits before easing into a more manageable long-term routine.
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Mary detailed her 30-day bootcamp in a clip
|TIKTOK
"Basically, what I did was a 30-day bootcamp and after 30 days, I lightened things up to more of a lifestyle change," she explained.
Mary said she has five years of on-and-off strength training experience and knew precisely what results she wanted to achieve.
She would get out of bed at 5am to spend two hours walking on the treadmill at speed four, covering between seven and nine miles most days – to ensure she'd hit her minimum target of 10,000 steps.
"I work from home, so the first 30 days were quite miserable," she admitted.
After finishing her morning cardio, she'd head to work, then return to the gym for strength training.
Her weight routine involved five sessions weekly, split between two upper body days and three lower body days, with ab exercises following every workout.
"Yes, it sucked, but I did not take a single day off," she said.
Her nutrition plan proved the most challenging aspect of the entire programme, she admitted.
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It involved maintaining an extreme calorie deficit for the full 30 days and consuming virtually nothing but protein from whole food sources.
"For 30 days I stuck to my deficit and didn't have a single sweet or snack," she explained.
"I didn't drink. I didn't put myself in any tempting positions, and I didn't cheat for 30 days, and that was by far the hardest part."
Her meals consisted entirely of chicken, salmon, shrimp, eggs, yoghurt and cottage cheese on rotation.
She deliberately avoided any processed protein products like powders, bars or protein-enhanced snacks.
"Nutrition is more important than your workouts. I promise you that," she insisted. "There are no cheats or shortcuts."
Once the intense 30 days were behind her, Mary shifted her focus to building habits she could maintain for the long haul.
Although she no longer has a specific step count target, she still makes a conscious effort to stay active and keep moving throughout her day.
Mary prioritised whole food protein sources
|TIKTOK
She has also eased the calorie counting but still prioritises hitting her protein targets through whole foods, which naturally keeps her eating healthily.
"I do get my protein from whole foods, so that keeps my meals relatively healthy," she explained.
One thing that hasn't changed is her dedication to lifting weights – she still hits the gym five times weekly with the same upper and lower body split. She has scaled back her ab work to two or three sessions, however.
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