Losing weight may seem like a tall order, but you can realistically learn how to lose 15 pounds in two months by eating smart and adding physical activity to your daily habits. Losing all that weight in nine weeks will require a detailed plan and a lot of dedication, but you can reach that goal if you focus on it now.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Part One: Creating a Weight Loss Plan
Step 1. Find out what awaits you
Starting from an article on weight loss like in our case is difficult to motivate you, but it helps to cross the finish line: it is really difficult to lose fifteen kilos in two months. Dietitians and experienced doctors agree that it is healthy to lose five hectograms to one pound every week, no more than that. Even if you lose one and a half pounds weekly for nine weeks, you are still below your goal. While it is certainly possible to lose fifteen pounds in two months, whether or not it is healthy is another matter entirely.
- Healthy weight loss comes from drawing on the many kilos of reserve fat without triggering the hunger response. When you cut down on your calorie intake enough to tell your body that you are starving, you actually start consuming muscle, rather than fat. This is certainly not a healthy trend.
- It is also difficult to lose pounds simply by eating less. When you cut calories significantly, your body actually has a harder time consuming fat. This phenomenon is called "diet-induced adaptive thermogenesis". Maybe it's a survival mechanism or maybe it's a way for our bodies to maintain a constant body weight. Whatever happens - even if it sounds absurd - you need to take in calories to lose weight.
Step 2. Calculate how many calories you need to burn to lose weight
There are 7,000 calories in a pound. This means you need to burn 7,000 extra calories to lose one pound of weight. That's a lot of calories.
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For reference, know that you can expect to burn between 100 and 125 calories by running a kilometer and a half at medium speed. At that rate, it would take about 42 kilometers or more of a marathon to consume half a kilo of weight.
People who run marathons routinely lose three and a half pounds during a typical race, but much of that loss (~ 3 pounds) is water weight
Step 3. Learn what other factors are involved in weight loss
Fortunately, humans can lose weight in a number of ways. There are: muscle, fat and water loss. Much of the weight you can expect to lose during these two months will come from water loss and that's okay. If you combine a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a Spartan training habit, you will be able to achieve your goal.
Step 4. Identify personal weekly or monthly goals to keep you motivated
Many people start exercising and fail to see immediate results. When they plan to lose seven pounds or more, that sort of stalemate is incredibly discouraging: they give up early, because their goals are too high and the results are too small. Instead of falling victim to this diet dilemma, break up your goals into more manageable chunks so that if you can't see immediate results, you won't be discouraged or quit your schedule.
You want to lose fifteen pounds in two months: your mini-goals will be to lose seven and a half pounds per month or one and a half pounds per week. Losing fifteen pounds can seem daunting. Losing half of it sounds more manageable. Losing a pound and a half is definitely more feasible
Method 2 of 6: Part Two: Basic Diet Tips
Step 1. Find your basal metabolic rate and take in fewer calories than you are expending
Basal metabolic rate is the calculation of how many calories you typically burn during the day. In fact, the 2,000-calorie-a-day diet is based on this. As we learned earlier, the key to losing weight is to ingest fewer calories than you burn during the day, so knowing how many you consume in a day is an essential part of your weight loss diet.
Calculating your basal metabolic rate is very simple. Type the words "basal metabolic rate calculator" into a search engine and access information regarding your gender, age, height, weight and pregnancy status
Step 2. Don't skip meals
While the key to diet success is to ingest less than you consume, the way to do this does not include fasting. Skipping meals risks triggering the starvation response (see above), as well as inducing the resulting binge eating.
Step 3. Eat Lean Protein
A high-protein diet is essential for losing weight. Studies have shown that participants on a high-protein diet ingest fewer calories, report greater satisfaction, and feel more satisfied and less hungry than they were before starting the diet. Important sources of protein include:
- Lean meats, such as chicken and turkey breast
- Fish, such as tuna
- Low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk, cottage cheese, or low-fat yogurt
- Soy products, such as tofu;
- Beans and legumes, such as pinto beans and lentils;
Step 4. Prioritize complex carbohydrates over simple ones
There is a world of difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. The former, such as white bread, carbonated drinks and biscuits, have a simple chemical structure and are digested by our bodies relatively quickly; the excess is often set aside in the form of fat. Complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice and zucchini, have a more complex chemical structure and are assimilated by the body over an extended period of time - meaning you feel full longer and there is less chance of carbohydrates being stored as fat. When you can choose between simple and complex carbohydrates, you have to prefer the latter:
- Choose wholemeal bread instead of white;
- Choose wholemeal pasta instead of the "normal" one;
- Choose brown rice instead of white;
- Choose vegetables like broccoli instead of starches like potatoes;
- Choose nuts, beans and legumes instead of sugars, sodas and sweets;
Step 5. Choose healthy, non-unhealthy fats
Not all fats should be avoided. Generally speaking, there are two "healthy" and two "unhealthy" fats. Including some first-class fats in your diet can help you stay healthy while losing weight.
- Prefer mono and polyunsaturated fats - they are considered healthier for humans and can be safely incorporated into diets. Examples of monounsaturated fats are: avocado, nuts, olives and pumpkin seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and flax seeds are polyunsaturated.
- Avoid saturated fats. They raise cholesterol levels, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and don't even have any real nutritional benefits. You should generally avoid them, but especially when you are on a diet.
Step 6. Eat a balanced diet
Even if you eat healthily, overloading on a specific type of food is possible if you neglect the health benefits of the other nutritional elements. If you are trying to lose weight, keep a good balance in your diet by eating fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts, fish and lean meat. Avoid eating overly processed foods, fast foods, particularly fatty foods, snacks, sweets, and baked goods.
Method 3 of 6: Part Three: Begin Specific Diets
Step 1. Try the Atkins Diet
This diet is low in carbohydrates in favor of proteins and some fats. Those who follow this diet are encouraged to eat foods with a low glycemic index, such as a hamburger with vegetables, but without the sandwich.
Step 2. Follow the South Beach Diet
Although it is very similar to the previous one, it has two notable differences:
- Ban "unhealthy" fats but encourage the use of "good" ones;
- It does not ban all carbohydrates in general, but even encourages those that contain very little sugar or that have a low glycemic index.
Step 3. Have some fun losing weight with the Mediterranean diet, which promotes those foods that are commonly eaten in countries like Spain, Italy, Greece and Crete
Many peoples of these regions eat regularly:
- Moderate amounts of fish and poultry and less red meat
- Lots of seasonal vegetables and greens;
- Fresh fruit for dessert;
- Olive oil;
- Cheese and yogurt as main dairy products;
- Small to moderate amounts of wine.
Step 4. Try the Points Weight Watchers
It is a popular weight loss program that you must sign up for. Each is awarded points based on various factors, such as age, sex and weight; food is also awarded points based on a scale. Individuals are allowed to eat any food as long as it stays within their permitted rating.
Step 5. Consider becoming a vegetarian
While it is not strictly speaking a diet, vegetarianism also has its advantages when it comes to losing weight. Studies have shown that vegetarians weigh less than people who eat meat over a five-year period. Vegans weigh even less. At the same time, being a vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean eating well. There are tons of junk foods that can cause weight gain, even if you are strictly vegetarian. Consider becoming a vegetarian if you think it will help you eat healthier.
Method 4 of 6: Part Four: Seek Advice on Essential Exercise
Step 1. Be consistent:
practice a little, every day. The key to losing weight is consistency. Taking time out daily to walk, play sports or other exercise will help you get on the podium when the time comes for two reasons:
- You will be able to lose weight a little at a time, rather than all at once. It is easier to lose one hundred grams per day by exercising every day than it is to exercise twice a week and lose a pound a day.
- It's easier to get used to. Once you enter a virtuous circle, it will be easier to find motivation for daily physical work and it will be more difficult to find justifications for missing a day.
Step 2. Exercise with a friend
Practicing with a friend is a great way to keep your motivation strong. It is more difficult to skip a day if your friend is waiting for you at the gym. Not only that, but it's a great opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your friend. Nothing works together more than sweat and tears.
Step 3. Try interval training:
these are short physical activities, very intense, spread over a longer period. It appears to be particularly effective in burning calories. For example, instead of running around the track at a constant speed four times to complete the mile ride, you do the track three times at a steady speed, and on the fourth, accelerate as much as you can.
Interval training is not only more effective than traditional exercise for burning calories, but it is also more efficient. The sportsman who trains in this way burns a greater number of calories faster than those who exercise in a traditional way
Step 4. Exercise when you have the most energy
Some people perk up like birds in the morning; others are night owls and take longer to wake up. Whatever type of person you are, try to exercise every time you fuel. There is no point in working when the tank is empty; you will be much more successful if you choose to work at the right time.
Step 5. Make sure you take what you aspire to heart
You want to lose weight and you want to do it fast. Whatever the reason, take your weight loss to heart and let it motivate you to keep trying even when you think you can't. The time will come when you will want to give up everything: you will feel that you have no strength left and the desire to get out of your program will be stronger than ever. It will be then that you will have to find the motivation to continue. Your motivation can consist of:
- A friend or a member of your family: maybe you are losing weight because you were inspired by him;
- A professional athlete: perhaps you have always admired him;
- An idea or a cause: perhaps you are deeply interested in improving your health and feeling better every day;
- The challenge itself, because you know it's possible.
Step 6. Make sure you get enough sleep
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that people who slept 8.5 hours a night were able to lose 55 percent more body fat than those who only slept 5.5 hours. Insufficient sleep can increase the hormone ghrelin, which makes individuals hungrier and affects the storage of fat in the body. To get the most out of your workout, make sure you set aside enough time for sleep.
Method 5 of 6: Part Five: Choosing Specific Exercises
Step 1. Try aerobics, otherwise known as cardio activity:
it is of great specific health benefits, as well as being a great way to burn fat and lose weight. It improves breathing, strengthens the heart muscle, reduces stress, as well as the incidence of depression. Here are some cardio exercises you can try to lose weight quickly:
- Swim
- Run
- Cycling
- Boxing
- Walk
Step 2. Try Team Sports:
they are very effective in motivating people to go the extra mile when it comes to exercising. Much of the time, people are completely lost in the competitive aspect of sport, burning a lot of calories for several hours. Try joining the team of a local organization or creating your own league, playing with friends or work colleagues. Here are some popular sports that are very suitable for burning calories:
- Basketball. Going up and down the yard seems to help burn between 812 and 946 calories per hour.
- Football. Known for its grueling pace and relentless running, calcium can help burn 740 - 860 calories per hour.
- Ice Hockey. Being a concretely physical sport, hockey should help burn around 500 calories per hour.
- Play football or flat football. While it's hard to say exactly how many calories you can burn in football, by a general estimate footballers weighing 100 pounds burn more than 900 calories, while flag footballers of the same weight burn more than 700 calories.
Step 3. Try individual sports
Test your determination and perseverance by competing in an individual sport. In many ways, they test how willing you are to work towards your goal. They are tests to put your body in line, but also to acquire something very tangible: glory or, in our case, a lot of calories less.
- Try rock climbing. While it doesn't feel like a workout as intense as basketball or football, it's a calorie burner. 940 - 810 calories are used for every hour of intense rock climbing.
- Try skiing or snowboarding. Although it is difficult to practice them all year round, there is a lot of variety: slalom, downhill, cross-country skiing or sledding. 640 to 980 calories are consumed per hour.
- Get into tennis. It can be a strenuous sport. By requiring brief moments of speed and hand-eye coordination, tennis can help individuals burn approximately 400 calories per hour.
Step 4. If you are ready, run a half marathon or a full marathon
As mentioned earlier in the article, it is a great way to lose pounds. Yes, it is tiring. And at the end of the day, it's more of a test of willpower than a physical one. But, if you finish a marathon, be prepared to feel incredibly relieved and almost omnipotent.
Of course, for a marathon you have to train first. You cannot expect to push your body to the limit without any training. The preparation takes long hours of running, burning countless calories. As you increase your training, expect to see more and more relevant results
Step 5. Incorporate power exercises into your workout
Combined with an effective diet and targeted aerobics exercises, they can help you lose the pounds significantly, which is why many fitness experts incorporate them into their training regimen. Not only will you burn fat with this type of workout, but you'll even replace it with lean, sexy muscle. In addition, it will help you work on the muscle even after you have finished exercising.
- When doing strength exercises, remember to choose them so that they cover a large muscle group. These exercises include:
- Push-ups (squats)
- Lunges
- Kettlebell
- Squat thrusts
- Chest, shoulders and triceps (burpee)
- Bar lifts
- Raises on the arms
- Push ups
- If you feel hungry, eat a healthy and nutritious snack between meals: carrots and chickpea sauce or celery and tuna, mixed with olive oil and lemon juice. Get creative, but make sure the "snack" you choose for yourself falls within the scope of your diet.
- Try as much as possible to have a light dinner. Many say that the metabolism slows down during the night, making it harder for the body to digest the large amounts of food ingested during dinner. While there is no conclusive scientific evidence to confirm this, it is still a good reason to keep dinner light. The foods we eat late at night tend to be deleterious to us: snacks, ice cream, candy and such delights.
Method 6 of 6: Part Six: Put It All Together
Step 1. Don't be discouraged if you don't notice immediate results
Two months is a long time, even if a loss of fifteen kilos is not achieved; it is still a long enough period to make a noticeable difference in the way you see and feel yourself. That said, far too many expect to see immediate results and are disappointed when they don't get them. They apply for a week and barely go up on the scales. They think, "Why do I have to punish myself like this, if it makes no difference?" And they give up.
This is called the "plateau effect". In order to counteract this phenomenon, it is necessary to introduce variations to your diet and also to your training. Change your diet and daily training: avoid getting used to the same set of foods and exercises
Step 2. Know that you cannot lose weight in just one area
The idea that you can lose weight, for example, only on your stomach without losing weight elsewhere is called "localized reduction". It has been shown that this is only a myth. The fat that your body burns as fuel can come from anywhere. Don't amount to sure failure by hoping to lose fat only from your thighs and belly and not from other parts of your body.
Step 3. Drink mostly water
If you really want to lose fifteen pounds, you won't be able to do it without nature's favorite source of hydration. The water is clean, refreshing, plentiful and - most importantly - calorie-free. Substituting water for sodas, energy drinks, fruit juices, and other calorie drinks can make a difference in whether or not you reach your goal.
Here is a trick you can use to feel fuller before meals. Swallow a glass with 250 milliliters of water before eating. The water will take up extra space in your stomach and make it harder to eat as much as it would be on an empty stomach. Make sure you eat nutritious foods, though, so you don't feel hungry the following hour
Step 4. Eat a full breakfast, a decent lunch, and a light dinner
Have you ever heard the phrase "Eat breakfast like a king, dine like a prince and dine like a pauper"? Having a full breakfast will help your body jump-start its metabolism, preparing it for the day that is just starting. Skipping breakfast means that you are asking your body to fast for 15 to 20 hours. When this happens, your body cannot produce the enzymes it needs to metabolize fat efficiently, thus preparing you for failure.
Step 5. Have fun on this journey
We all know that the diet can be a difficult task, but, if you have the opportunity to make it fun and satisfying, it can be less demanding. So do the diet for fun, challenge yourself to stay below 1,500 calories five days a week. Reward yourself when you exceed an important goal: if you can keep up with the pace you set yourself after the first month, indulge in some shopping. Whatever you are doing, have fun, and your body will reward you.
