15 Tips To Lose 15 Pounds In 2015

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

Me too.

In fact, weight loss has been number one on my list for twenty years!

Well, this year, 2015, is going to be different. I'm determined to lose 15 pounds (at least) in 2015. I've scoured the web and my fitness magazine for tips to help me make small changes in my lifestyle to produce big results.

My thinking is small changes plus exercise will help me reach my lose 15 in 2015 goal.  Care to join me?  Below are 15 awesome easy to follow tips to lose 15 pounds in 2015.




1. Drink Up! Aim for eight, but at the very least have a glass of water before and during every meal to help you curb calorie intake. Staying well hydrated will boost your metabolism by 3%!

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.  Leave that last bite on your plate to keep it off your ass.  One less bite saves about 75-calories a day or 8 pounds weight loss a year! 

6. Set small goals- Don't aim to lose 20 pounds. Aim to lose one pound 20 times! 

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 of them are manageable long-term—and they wreak havoc with your metabolism! Because you're either starving yourself or you're cutting out a major food group. Then you go back into weight-gain mode, but it's even worse, because your body has adjusted to all that crazy fad crap." 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.  

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 for 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 2015. Create a healthy grocery store within your kitchen to make healthy choices easy.

12. Stand and deliver. Standing burns 1.5 more calories than sitting. Reason #44 to get your ass off the couch while on the phone, checking email or playing Candy Crush.
  
13. Eye-level layering- Keep healthy snacks at eye-level in the refrigerator and out 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? Pack on the veggies first, then lean protein, then fats. 

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 2015? 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