15 Tips To Lose 15 Pounds in 2018. No Gym Membership Needed

Is weight loss at the top of your New Year's resolution list?

Below are 15 awesome easy to follow tips to lose 15 pounds in 2018.




1. Drink Up! Staying well hydrated will boost your metabolism by 3%! That's right, just drinking more water will knock a pound or two off in 2018. If you swap your sugary soda for water expect to lose even more. 

2. Don't eat dinner before it's done. Snacking while making dinner is dangerous. Before you snack on the shredded cheese or bread, take a big gulp of water. If that doesn't work, take another gulp. Studies show you can snack on 200 extra calories while cooking. Tasting your sauce is one thing, shredding a pile of cheese to snack on is another.  

3. Find a Friend.  Get a workout buddy to join you for one Yoga/Pilate/Spin class a week, with the goal of eventually getting out for three.

4. Pack a Snack. Pack healthy snacks of fruit, nuts or protein fiber bars to avoid hitting the vending machines and drive-thrus mid-day. 

5. Eat one less bite.  Where do you want that last bite of your meal, on your plate or ass? There's no need to stuff your guts, eating one less bite at each meal saves about 75-calories a day or 8 pounds weight loss a year. Add that to the 200 calories you cut out not snaking while cooking and your 15 pounds lighter. See, small changes make a big difference!

6. Set small goals- Don't focus on losing twenty pounds. Set a goal to lose one pound, twenty times. Small victories will continue to propel you toward your goal.

7. Stop dieting-To quote, Jullian Michaels, directly, "Everyone's like: 'Give up carbs!' 'Give up fat!' 'Wait, no, now I'm taking pills!' None are manageable long-term—and they destroy your metabolism." Starving yourself or cutting out a major food group is dumbassery. Diets end. Healthy lifestyles last. 

8. Create a diversion.  Studies show food cravings pass in about 10 minutes, so call a friend, paint your nails or knit an afghan until the craving passes. Or, you could drink a large glass of water.

9 Citrus slashes cortisol. Vitamin C inhibits the production of cortisol, a hormone that essentially tells your body to store fat. Suck down grapefruit slices on the way to the office, or pack a cutie for you too! 




10 Lean protein lunches. Lean protein helps you stay fuller for longer; it has the amino acids that are the building blocks of muscle. Pack turkey or chicken into a whole grain pita with lots of veggies. 

11. Can the crap!  Clean out your pantry of all trans fats and unhealthy sugars and swear them off!  Don't let that shit cross your threshold again in 2018. Create a healthy grocery store in your kitchen to make healthy choices easy.

12. Stand up for weight loss. Standing burns 1.5 more calories than sitting. Reason #44 to get your ass off the couch. Walk around, or in place for 20-minutes while on the phone checking email or playing Candy Crush.
  
13. Eye-level layering- Keep healthy snacks at eye-level in the refrigerator and put on display on the counter.

14. Portion control is key. Think of eating the portion for the size you want to be; Small, Medium, Large or Extra Large?  

15. Brush away temptation. When you finish dinner run right to your toothbrush. Studies show people were much less likely to snack after dinner once their teeth were brushed.

Bonus: Want to really jumpstart your 2018? Try my 30/30 Challenge! Click Here. 



Do you have any awesome tips to add?


April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com