How to Lose 15 Pounds in 20 days (9 Steps To Get You There)

Losing 15 pounds in 20 days is possible. You will need to lose approximately one pound of fat per day, and this needs a 3,500-calorie deficit. Dropping this much weight in such a short period of time requires discipline and determination. You can lose more weight through exercise. Before you get started, here are quick tips to help you hit your target right on schedule.

How To Lose 15 Pounds In 3 Weeks

Gather your support team

Get your family and friends on board. With only 20 days to drop 15 pounds, you will need all the support you can get to stay on track. It will also help if your family will join you in this journey by eating healthy food and staying active. Having them around will increase your chance of success.

Follow the 40/40/20 rule

Your meal must be 40 percent good carbs, 40 percent lean proteins, and 20 percent healthy fat. At least 20 percent of your carb consumption must come from produce. You should also try to replace some of your whole grains with legumes. For lean proteins, eat egg whites, Greek yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, turkey breasts, and low-fat meat cuts.

Track your progress

Download a mobile app that will help you track your progress. These mobile apps will allow you to record your food, and compute for the calories automatically. Studies show that keeping track of your food intake is effective in weight loss.

Boost your lean proteins, and reduce your carbs

Lower your carb intake, and boost your lean protein consumption. You should never ever eat a meal that contains more than 40 percent carbs. If you consume too much carbs, regardless whether it is healthy, you will sabotage your weight loss strategy. Make sure to only eat root vegetables, or whole grains. Stay away from white carbs.

Drink water, coffee, and/or tea

Get rid of those sugary beverages for 20 days, and stick to drinking only water, coffee, or green tea. Make sure that your tea or coffee does not contain any full fat milk or sweeteners. Soda, alcohol, and sugary coffees will increase your daily calorie intake by up to 200 or more per drink.

Never skip meals

Skipping meals will only sabotage your weight loss plan. People who skip meals will store more fat, especially when they do not eat breakfast. Give priority to the first meal of the day. You can have a healthy snack two hours before working out, and a nutritious high-protein, low-calorie meal afterwards.

Exercise every day

Set aside one hour of your day for exercise. Make sure to do at least 45 minutes of high-intensity cardio workout six days a week. You should also allot five minutes for warm up, and another for cool down. Never ever skip warm up and cool down to prevent injury and promote fast recovery. You should also incorporate strength training into your daily routine to pump up your muscles and tone your body.

Ditch the salt

Give up salt for 20 days to lose 15 pounds. Your body only needs a small amount of sodium every day to function well. Consuming too much salt will cause your body to retain water, and bloat. If you must add flavor to your meals and snacks, consider using other spices, such as chilli pepper, garlic, and cumin.

Move more during the day

Your calorie-burning mission should not end after your workout session. Instead of sitting around, aim to move more. You can choose to walk or bike your way to work, or park your car at the other end of the parking lot. Take the stairs if you can. There are plenty of other ways to burn more calories, even after exercising.