Losing 15 to 20 lbs. is a very reasonable and achievable goal, provided you are disciplined and are willing to make necessary sacrifices. These sacrifices revolve around your eating and exercise habits. Not only do your have to acquaint your body with healthy eating, but you also have to get off the couch and stay off the couch. If you have never had to lose weight before, be patient and strive to make progress every day.
Step 1
Track your caloric intake to find your daily average. Journal all of your food and liquid calories for a full week. Add the numbers together and divide by seven to get your average intake. Deduct 500 to 1,000 calories from this number and eat this many calories a day. This will promote one to two pounds of weight loss a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Step 2
Replace the high-fat, high-sodium, high-sugar foods in your diet with nutrient-dense foods. Give up any sugar-laden cereals, chocolate bars, powdered doughnuts, cheese fries, spare ribs and chili dogs. Opt for healthy foods like lean beef, poultry, eggs, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
Step 3
Increase your meal intake to boost your metabolism and keep your appetite under control. Combine complex carbohydrates and protein with each meal and eat every two to three hours starting with breakfast. Low-fat cream cheese spread over a whole grain bagel is a breakfast example. A broiled turkey burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato and ketchup is a midday meal example.
Step 4
Give up beer, wine, soda and any other beverage that contains calories. Liquid calories can cause weight gain and you should avoid them if you want to lose 15 to 20 pounds. Consume water instead, as it is not only free of calories, but also flushes toxins from your system and hydrates your body. The Institute of Medicine recommends women receive approximately 2.7 liters a day and men receive approximately 3.7 liters.
Step 5
Perform cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and promote weight loss. Do any type of cardio that elevates your heart rate and causes you to breathe heavily, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, elliptical training, inline skating or step aerobics. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio and work out four to five days a week.
Step 6
Lift weights to build muscle, which raises your resting metabolic rate. Do exercises that target as much of your body as possible, like push-ups, lateral raises, back extensions, triceps extensions, curls and squats. Do 10 to 12 reps, three or four sets and work out two or three days a week.
Step 7
Step onto a scale after a week to see if you're losing weight. Keep doing what you are doing if you are losing weight. Decrease your calories slightly and increase your cardio exercise time slightly if you are not. Keep checking every week to stay on track. Once you start losing weight, continue your efforts until you get to 15 to 20 lbs.
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