Lose 15 Pounds in a Month

How hard is it to lose 15 pounds in a month?

If you have been trying unsuccessfully to lose excess weight, it can seem insurmountable…

…Maybe that is why there are thousands of searches for “How to Lose 15 pounds.”

However, it is highly likely that you have just been exposed to “bogus” information regarding how to lose fat. Well my friend…it is everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t difficult – if you are doing the right things. And there are healthy ways that still work very fast…

This website article is designed with that in mind…losing pounds fast in a healthy way.

Why?

Because at one point, I struggled with 18 extra pounds of weight. And it seemed like there was nothing I could do to get rid of it. In fact, at one point, I had just decided that I had reached an age where my metabolism had slowed to the point that I simply wouldn’t be able to get rid of it.

I was 26.

And, since then I dropped that 18 pounds and have kept it off almost two years now. That’s right…you may lose more than 15 pounds in a month. It is very likely, in fact.

And what follows are the exact techniques I still use on a daily basis. They work. ..no bull.

How to lose 15 pounds:

1. Avoid high fructose corn syrup and any processed sugars.

This stuff adds more fat to waistlines than any other substance. Basically, anything sweet that comes in a package probably has this stuff in it (soda, candy, jelly; even ketchup). It could be the single biggest factor holding you back from losing weight.

The easiest way to avoid this: If you are going to eat sweet stuff, make it a piece of fruit. Regular, not canned fruit. Avoid sweetened products that come packaged. If you buy something with a nutrition label, check it for sugars and high fructose corn syrup. If it has them, avoid it.

2. Avoid “regular” soft drinks, fruit juice, and alcohol (especially wine). You’ve heard me say don’t drink calories. It is possible to consume half a days’ worth of calories by drinking sweetened beverages. These are the definition of “empty” calories. They do nothing to fill you up and are terrible for your fat-loss goals.

Do you have to avoid sweets totally?

Well….no. Believe me, I have a bigger sweet tooth than anyone. I never met a piece of candy that I didn’t like

The trick is to eat this stuff (along with fried foods, ice cream and pizza) on a single day each week. A “cheat” day…if you will. Outside of that, don’t keep this stuff in the house. Seriously, I would throw half a bag of candy away if I still had it come Monday (which was rare).

3. Follow an eating plan to eat fewer calories than you burn.

This may sound complicated. If so, what I did was pick a protein and a carb from the table below to create a meal. A serving size is the size of your hand. I did this 4-5 times per day. Very easy.

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or physician. This is based on my experience and what worked very well for me. You should consult a dietitian or physician prior to changing your diet.

You may also want to check out an article I wrote called Creating a Calorie Deficit, where I go into further detail on this topic.

4. Use cardiovascular interval training.

You may have heard me say this before – that is because it works very, very well.

This type of training burns more calories in a shorter amount of time. You also burn more calories longer after you are done exercising.

Interval training involves short bursts of intense exercise followed what is called “active recovery,” which is typically a less intense form of the same exercise.

For example, I do this exact type of training by sprinting for 30 seconds – 1 minute and then running at a medium pace for two minutes. I repeat this interval for 15 minutes followed by a 15-minute easy jog three times a week. Make sure you warm up first.

The intensity and duration of each interval can be determined by you. For example, if you like to walk two miles per day in 30 minutes, you can simply walk fast every few minutes and then return to your usual speed for two minutes.

Once your fitness level improves, increase the intensity to keep losing weight.

Finally, my biggest tip for losing 15 pounds…

5. Avoid eating out totally, except on your cheat day.

Restaurant food is simply bad. Even the “healthy” choices are bad because the servings are so big…Even too much healthy food will prevent you from losing weight.

If you really want to burn pounds of fat off, make it much easier on yourself and just avoid going out to eat. Eat out once a week on your cheat day and simply avoid it the rest of the time.

Trust me, this is critical. If you eat out 3-5 times a week, there is no way you will lose the weight you want.

That’s it. The simple version. Follow these steps and I guarantee you will hit your weight loss goals in 2012.

Thanks for reading. I know this was a longer article but I hope it helps.

Talk soon,

Josh

P.S. Question: Which of these will be the easiest for you? Most difficult? Let me know in the comments.