Lose 15 Pounds Fast

Do you need to lose 15 pounds fast? It's possible, but you need to pay attention not only to how much weight you lose but how you lose it.

Motivation

Reasons vary—preparing for a class reunion; starting a new job; getting ready for a wedding; losing the post-pregnancy fat, and more. Maybe you don't even have a particular motivation, but you just want to lose 15 pounds fast. You're tired of looking in the mirror and feeling overweight. You're ready to jump start your weight loss or just want to make some progress…fast. It is possible to lose the weight rather quickly, but keeping that weight off can be a bit more of challenge. You'll need to harness the initial motivation that drove you to search for fast weight loss alternatives and turn it into a healthy lifestyle that promotes good eating and discourages calorie overload after you've met your weight loss goals and stopped your diet.

Lose 15 Pounds Fast

Plug the term "lose 15 pounds fast" into any search engine, and you'll immediately have thousands of hits singing the praises of diet pills and supplements along with promises of drastic weight loss and success stories from those who've tried and succeeded to lose weight quickly. Can they really do what they promise? To some extent, maybe, but often those who lose weight quickly turn around and put that weight back on almost as fast. Some people even get into a pattern of dropping and adding large amounts of weight, and this certainly isn't healthy. In fact, it puts extra stress on the body. So, how can you lose those annoying extra pounds and still be healthy?

First, keep in mind that diet programs like Weight Watchers encourage participants to change the way they eat. Pounds are lost gradually, not overnight. However, these pounds may not come back as easily because the dieter has changed the foods he eats. It's important that you not compromise your health while attempting to lose 15 pounds fast.

Exercise and Weight Loss

Need to lose weight fast?

If you really want to rev up your weight loss, then exercise is the key. Add weight training, eat healthy low-fat foods, and you'll be well on your way to a successful weight loss program. Before you begin any new exercise program, clear it with your doctor. Once you've gotten his or her okay, you'll need to incorporate 45 to 60 minutes worth of heart-thumping exercise into your daily schedule. Add a weight training program (also with your doc's permission). A good rule of thumb is if you can do 12 repetitions, then the weights are too light. However, if you can't do 8 repetitions, then the weights are too heavy. A key factor in any weight loss program, and especially in a program that involves such extensive physical activity, is to drink lots and lots of water. Depending upon your size, you should drink anywhere from 48 to 96 ounces of water per day.

Pre-Surgery Diets

In some cases, patients are told to lose a certain amount of weight before surgery can be performed. In this case, patients are issued a specific diet to follow. This diet will probably be very limited, but it will also be healthy. Some of these diets boast that participants can lose as much as ten pounds in one week. The 3 day on/4 day off diet is a favorite. Sample menus include the following:

Day One

• Breakfast - Black coffee or tea, ½ grapefruit or juice, 1 piece of toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• Lunch - Black coffee or tea, ½ cup tuna, 1 slice or cheese or toast
• Supper - Black coffee or tea, 3 ounces meat, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup carrots, 1 small apple, ½ cup vanilla ice cream

Day Two

• Breakfast - Black coffee or tea, 1 boiled egg, 1 piece of toast, ½ banana
• Lunch - Black coffee or tea, 1 cup cottage cheese or ½ cup tuna, 5 saltine crackers
• Supper - Black coffee or tea, 2 hot dogs (wieners only, no bread), 1 cup cabbage or broccoli, ½ cup carrots or turnips, ½ banana, ½ cup vanilla ice cream.

Day Three

• Breakfast - Black coffee or tea, 5 crackers, 1 cheese slice, 1 small apple
• Lunch - Black coffee or tea, 1 boiled egg, 1 piece of toast
• Supper - Black coffee or tea, 1 cup tuna, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower, 1 cup cantaloupe, ½ cup vanilla ice cream.

Be sure to drink plenty of water if you choose this diet. Stay on it for 3 days, then revert back to normal eating for 4 days. Don't overeat, however. You can start back on the 3 day diet after your 4 days are up. Again, before starting any new diet, consult your doctor. You don't want to jeopardize your health just to lose weight quickly!