Lean28

A 28-day fat-loss plan built from your own numbers

Enter your weight, height and trouble spots. You'll get daily calorie and protein targets, four weeks of meals, and a workout plan that gets a little harder each week.

  • Free, with no sign-up
  • Your details never leave your phone
  • Every formula cited

Your details

Takes about 30 seconds.

Your body
Sex
Height
Where is your most stubborn fat?

Pick up to two. We'll add extra training for these areas.

Your plan
Food
Where you'll train
Pace
Steady aims to lose about 0.75% of your body weight a week.

General information, not medical advice. For adults 18 and over.

How your plan is built

Three steps, each based on published research. The numbers link to the sources below.

  1. Estimate what you burn

    Your resting energy use comes from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation1, the most accurate of the common equations in a systematic review2. It's multiplied by your activity level to estimate your maintenance calories.

  2. Set a deficit you can keep

    You aim to lose 0.5–1% of body weight a week; slower loss kept more muscle and strength in a controlled trial5. The deficit is capped at 25% of maintenance and never drops below 1,200 kcal for women or 1,500 kcal for men. Loss slows over time as your body adapts16, so the 4-week figure is an estimate.

  3. Build food and training around it

    Protein is set at 1.8 g per kg of reference body weight to protect muscle34. Meals use minimally processed foods, since an ultra-processed diet led people to eat about 500 kcal a day more11, with fibre at 14 g per 1,000 kcal14. Training hits each muscle group at least twice a week8 and meets WHO activity guidelines9, with daily steps10 and sleep13 built in.

Questions people ask

How fast can I safely lose fat?

For most adults, 0.5–1% of body weight a week. That's about 0.4–0.8 kg (0.9–1.8 lb) a week for someone who weighs 80 kg. In a controlled trial, people losing weight more slowly kept more muscle and strength5.

Can I lose fat from just my belly or thighs?

No. In one trial, six weeks of abdominal exercises didn't reduce belly fat6; in another, training one leg for 12 weeks didn't cut fat on that leg more than the other7. Fat comes off your whole body in a calorie deficit. The area picker adds exercises that build the muscle underneath, so the area looks firmer as the fat goes.

How accurate is my calorie target?

Mifflin-St Jeor predicts resting energy use within about 10% for most people2. Treat your target as a starting point. Weigh yourself a few mornings a week; if your two-week average hasn't moved, eat 100–150 kcal less a day or add 2,000 steps.

Do I need a gym?

No. Choose Home and the plan uses bodyweight, dumbbells, a resistance band or a loaded backpack. Choose Gym to use machines and barbells.

Is there a vegetarian meal plan?

Yes. The vegetarian plan leaves out meat, fish and eggs and gets protein from Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, paneer, tofu, soya chunks, lentils and beans.

Who shouldn't use this plan?

Anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, with a history of an eating disorder, or managing a medical condition or medication such as diabetes or blood pressure treatment. Speak to a doctor or registered dietitian first.

Sources

Peer-reviewed studies and official guidelines behind every number in your plan.

  1. Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990;51(2):241-247. PubMed
  2. Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(5):775-789. PubMed
  3. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. PubMed
  4. Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(2):127-138. PubMed
  5. Garthe I, Raastad T, Refsnes PE, Koivisto A, Sundgot-Borgen J. Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2011;21(2):97-104. PubMed
  6. Vispute SS, Smith JD, LeCheminant JD, Hurley KS. The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25(9):2559-2564. PubMed
  7. Ramírez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Campos-Jara C, et al. Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(8):2219-2224. PubMed
  8. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697. PubMed
  9. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(24):1451-1462. PubMed
  10. Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e219-e228. PubMed
  11. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67-77. PubMed
  12. Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2012;13(3):275-286. PubMed
  13. Nedeltcheva AV, Kilkus JM, Imperial J, Schoeller DA, Penev PD. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(7):435-441. PubMed
  14. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. 9th ed. 2020. DietaryGuidelines.gov
  15. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies. Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for water. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(3):1459. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1459
  16. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. Lancet. 2011;378(9793):826-837. PubMed

Last reviewed September 2026.