Lose 15 Pounds in 2 Weeks
The best way to lose weight and keep it off is by adopting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that you can maintain over time. When you crash diet and lose weight quickly, chances are that you are mostly losing water weight, and any real weight you do lose will likely come back (and with a vengeance) once you start eating normally again. Unfortunately, though, many of us put off our weight-loss goals until we are pressed for time before an upcoming event, whether it be a wedding, trip to the Bahamas, or a high school reunion, and then scramble desperately for last-minute ways to slim down. Whatever your reason is for crash dieting, this article will show you what you will need to do to drop pounds as quickly as possible.
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be purely informative, and in no way promotes unhealthy crash dieting. For advice on how to lose weight the healthy way, check out How to Lose Weight.
Contents
Steps
Dropping Pounds Fast
- Aim to eat about 1,000 calories per day. While you certainly wouldn't want to eat this little on a regular basis, most people, regardless of their body type or current weight, will lose weight quickly when eating between 1,000 and 1,200 calories.
- You will probably feel low on energy when eating this little, so try to plan your life accordingly and avoid vigorous physical activity.
- Know the calorie content of the foods you eat. With such a strict calorie restriction, it's important that you write down what you eat and plan out your day accordingly so that you don't "use up" all of your calories at once.
- Get in the habit of reading all food labels, measuring out your portions, and keeping track of the calories in salad dressings, cooking sauces, oil, and beverages.
- Eliminate sugar and most carbohydrates. Foods like bread, rice, pasta, cookies, and ice cream are packed with calories, don't fill you up, and provide little in the way of nutrition. Your diet should consist primarily of vegetables, lean protein, and fiber-rich fruits like apples.
- Get some low-impact physical exercise. Intense aerobic exercise can help you lose weight more quickly in the long run, but in the span of two weeks, exercise will have little impact on how quickly you lose weight. Your best bet is to conserve your energy and stick with walking, biking, swimming, and light jogging to help burn extra calories without wearing you out.
- A one hour walk burns between 200 and 300 calories. The calories you burn with exercise will depend on your current weight.
- It's always good to exercise, but you should focus most of your efforts on eating right as that will play the biggest role in your weight loss.
- Cook your own meals. If your goal is to eat around 1,000 calories a day, then virtually anything you order at a restaurant will come close to reaching, or potentially exceeding, that calorie limitation. Your best bet is to prepare your meals at home so that you can control the ingredients as well as the portion sizes of your meals.
- Switch to cooking spray rather than olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter. While olive oil is a healthy fat, it contains about 120 calories per tablespoon, which you really can't afford on a 1,000 calorie per day diet.
- Pack your lunch in the morning before work or school. Be sure to include healthy snacks to munch on when you get hungry, like celery and carrots.
Suppressing Your Appetite
- Drink lots of water--and only water. Water helps fill you up in between meals, and is a good way to keep your mood and energy levels up when dieting. Carry a water bottle around with you at all times, and sip on it throughout the day.
- Don't waste what little calories you have on soda, fruit juice, and alcohol. Eliminate these unhealthy drinks from your diet, at least for the next two weeks.
- If you are used to drinking soda, switch to diet soda or sparkling water, both of which have zero calories.
- Drink black coffee or unsweetened green tea. These drinks have zero calories and the caffeine they contain will help curb your appetite.
- If you have issues with nighttime snacking, make yourself a cup of decaffeinated coffee or tea to help curb your cravings.
- Chew on gum. The act of chewing gum will trick your body into thinking that it is eating something, and you will be less likely to snack if you already have something in your mouth.
- Brush and floss your teeth in between meals. Not only will this improve your tooth and gum health, you will feel less inclined to snack out of boredom when your mouth feels clean and fresh.
- Indulge in pleasurable activities other than eating. The most effective way to diet is to keep yourself distracted and busy so that you aren't constantly thinking about food (or the lack thereof). Make plans with friends, focus on your hobbies, take a hot bath, watch your favorite movie or television show, read a book, go swimming, etc.
Tips
- The more you weigh, the easier it is to lose weight quickly because your body has more extra fat to spare. If you are already at a healthy weight, then losing 15 pounds in 2 weeks might be impossible without seriously harming your health.
- Losing weight quickly through crash dieting usually means losing mostly water weight. If you want to lose real weight and keep it off, it's better to do it gradually by adopting a healthy, sustainable diet that you can maintain.
Warnings
- It may be tempting to eat as little as possible in order to lose weight quickly, but eating too little can seriously damage your body. Never eat less than 1,000 calories for more than 3 days in a row.
- Be careful! If you feel dizzy, sweaty, disoriented, or nauseated, STOP. Have something to eat, like a fruit juice and some crackers. If you don't feel better within an hour, seek medical attention. You want to lose weight fast, not permanently injure yourself.
- This kind of dramatic, fast weight loss is often not sustainable. If you are looking for long term weight loss, it is better to eat a normal amount (1800-2300 calories a day) of healthy food and begin a regular exercise routine.
