5 ChatGPT Hacks To Help Lose 20 Pounds By Labor Day

Forbes

07-07-2025

ChatGPT can provide develop a variety of nutrition, exercise and recovery plans to discuss with a ... More healthcare provider.
More than 5 million American adults, approximately 2% of the population, are currently prescribed one of the blockbuster GLP-1 medicines in their efforts to curb being overweight or obese. That represents a 600% increase in use of GLP-1s for weight loss treatment during the past six years, even though those meds were developed to fight diabetes.
The latest CDC data finds that more than 40% of adult Americans are obese, with millions of others overweight; yet they lack the diagnosis and physical condition to warrant GLP-1s, they don't like the side effects or can't afford the price of brand name versions.
For individuals struggling with their weight, for whom GLPs are not an option, they might consider a GPT instead — meaning an AI large language model such as ChatGPT.
ChatGPT Is Not A Doctor But Can Frame A Healthy Discussion
It goes without saying that a generative AI model is not a substitute for guidance from a certified healthcare professional, but the prompts below can create plans and frameworks to start a weight loss discussion with an HCP.
The following prompts below in italics can be cut-and-pasted directly into a free AI chatbot you use such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or Gemini. The prompts were crafted using a goal-focused framework that has clear targets that are actionable and can be customized to the unique situation of any user.
ChatGPT Hack #1: Protein First Eating Plan
Prompt: "Create a daily meal plan that provides 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight using only whole foods. Include three meals and one optional snack. Also, provide a weekly grocery list and suggest substitutions for vegetarians. OPTIONAL: I have a dietitian restriction of [insert applicable restriction such as lactose intolerance or gluten-free]Protein reduces hunger. Protein preserves muscle. Protein forces the body to burn more calories just to digest it. This isn't theory as clinical trials keep proving it. Higher protein diets outperform others in head-to-head comparisons when the goal is fat loss without muscle loss. This is especially true when weight training is included. Summer social events make it easy to overeat processed carbs. Defaulting to protein tilts the odds in your favor.
Measure your daily protein grams. Track energy. Look for reductions in hunger after meals. The easiest gauge is body composition every two weeks. If weight drops and strength holds steady, the diet works. If you lose scale weight and get weaker, you're losing muscle. Be sure to consult any eating plan first with an HCP or dietitian.
ChatGPT Hack #2: Balanced Strength And Cardio Routine
Prompt: "Build me a weekly workout schedule that includes two 20-minute strength training sessions and one 30-minute moderate cardio session. I'm a beginner with access to dumbbells and a treadmill [OR 'I'm mostly sedentary and can only use my own body weight for exercises and walking.]
Please include rest days and warm-up ideas as well."
Discuss ChatGPT's plan with your primary care physician to ensure sure you're healthy enough to engage in regular exercise. The idea behind this prompt is that muscle drives fat loss. Even at rest, it burns more calories than fat. Strength workouts maintain muscle during a calorie deficit. Cardio helps heart health, recovery and stamina. Together, they balance the week. No gym membership needed. No 60-minute routines. Just three time slots. The trade is simple: 70 minutes a week to avoid plateau hell later.
Track the weight used each week or repetition of body weight exercises such as air squats. Write it down. Monitor total reps. Be sure to track the speed or distance of your cardio too. Progress means more strength, more endurance or shorter recovery. If all three stall, you're possibly under eating or overtraining — check with your health pro for tips.
ChatGPT Hack #3: Understand Intermittent Fasting
Prompt: "Design a 16:8 [OPTIONAL 14:10 or 12:12] intermittent fasting schedule that fits a typical 8 pm to 12 noon fasting window. Please provide research regarding the benefits and cautions of daily intermittent fasting. Recommend a two-week meal timing guide, explain how to manage hunger in the mornings and give tips for staying consistent while socializing during the summer months."
Fasting has been around for thousands of years but the idea of intermittent fasting each day has recently emerged as a healthful way of life for many. It works by compressing the eating window. A smaller window is supposed to restrict calories consumed. Blood sugar gets a break. Insulin gets a break. The body gets to access stored fat. Done consistently, this can drop fat without complicated meal planning or calorie counting.
Measure how often you stick to the window. Three or more days missed in a week means the window is too tight or your meals aren't satisfying enough. Hunger intensity in the morning should fade by week two. Over time, weight should trend down weekly. If it doesn't, your feeding window is too large or protein is too low. As with all of ChatGPT recommendations — check with medical personnel before beginning a fast.