I’m very proud to say that after a very unhealthy prior year, I am able to share with you all how I lose 15 pounds fast! As a male in my mid-forties, I’ve struggled with a lot of different diet plans, workout regimens, and lifestyle changes. After a lot of time spent doing research, I decided to try something entirely new in order to lose 15 pounds. Today I’ll share with you my diet, activities, and supplements, for anyone looking to try to replicate this feat.
Losing 15 Pounds is Simple – Follow This Plan
Let’s start with some background information on how I was unable to lose weight the prior year, and then get into how to lose 15 pounds.
The prior year, I joined a new gym called House of Athlete. It was founded by NFL football legend Brandon Marshall, and it’s a state of the art facility. The classes feature group workouts, mostly strength training. The workouts are challenging, stimulating, and draining. Because of this, I found myself over-eating as my body was looking for fuel, and while my body composition changed for the better with some added muscle, I was getting stocky, and I was looking to get more svelte. In fact, here’s a snap shot of all of my weigh-ins since I started using a bluetooth app.
After a very unhealthy holiday season, I actually had a weigh in over 200 pounds after returning from some New Years Even partying in Nashville.
My official quest started in January, and you can see from then on out I have been diligently weighing-in and tracking results.
This wasn’t an isolated test – this was over six months of consistency, so I had a large data set. I made a plan over the Holiday to get slimmer, and try to lose 10-15 pounds. Truth be told, I would have been happy with just 10 pounds, and anything after that was gravy. So let’s get into how I made that happen.
#1: No more breakfast for me.
I went into a strict 16 – 18 hour fast that normally ends at 8 pm each evening. Intermittent fasting has been a proven weight loss method for some time, and I’m going to incorporate MORE fasting into my diet as I continue to try to look and feel my best.
#2: Limit Refined and Starchy Carbs
This became much easier when I took breakfast out of the equation since bagels were my go-to first meal of the day. Now that I’m skipping breakfast, I just have to watch out for other staples like rice and pasta. I limit those to a half of a cup twice each week. Instead, I opt for vegetables like celery and carrots that I often pair with hummus. I also did some homework on feeling full, and compiled a list of food that makes you feel fuller longer.
#3: Hydrate
This is another easy feat for me since I wake up early and work all morning. I start every day with a glass of water, followed with a cup of black coffee, and then going back to water before having my second coffee. Water is very important to keep you body hydrated, but also if you choose to intermittent fast and you haven’t done it yet, it will help you keep feeling full and curb cravings.
#4: Sleep 8 Hours Each Night
I’m not a night owl, but I did find that laying down an hour earlier has helped me feel refreshed and lose weight at the same time. The National Institute of Health has studies on sleep duration and how it can help aid in weight loss.
#5: Cut Out Sugar
This may have been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ll admit, I have had sugar a few times since doing my two weeks without sugar to lose weight bit, but I’ve really seen firsthand how bad sugar makes me feel, and it’s apparent it’s a gateway to weight gain.
Supplements and Nutrition Hacks
While those 5 habits helped me lose 15 pounds, they didn’t get me there alone. I’m a full disclosure person, and it wouldn’t be right to share how I lost 15 pounds without giving you the FULL plan.
The first supplement I added to my diet was Prime Shred.
Marketed as a “hardcore fat burner,” Prime Shred is a daily weight loss pill that not only helps speed up the metabolism, but it also improves energy and focus. I found this to be the perfect fat burner to help me accelerate my results.
When I first started the 16 hours of intermittent fasting, I have to admit, it got very hard to make it all the way to 16 hours each day. These days I’m routinely going 18 hours without eating, and sometimes even make it 20 hours on a fast.
In the beginning when I was struggling I looked around for ways to keep fasting. Most people said to “drink more water,” or “drink more coffee.” Well, I was already doing that and the bathroom breaks were very frequent!
I ended up finding a fasting supplement called Do Fasting, and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s a powder that serves as a fiber supplement and it keeps me feeling full much longer.
I find it very tasty as well!
Snacks
I really enjoyed the Supergut products! They are sugar free and have a lot of nice energy bars and protein powders.
Another snack I’ve added to my daily routine is pumpkin seeds.
These ones from Go Raw have 9 grams of protein, are filling, and can be sent to you in just a few hours if you buy on Amazon.com.
They are also keto friendly and gluten-free!
Daily Cardio
I call this a supplement because it really is just something extra that I’ve added to my routine. Whether I go to the gym, ride Peloton, cycle outdoors, play soccer, go for a jog, or anything else, I always add 30-60 minutes of a brisk walk in addition as a supplement. Walking is free, and many people don’t take advantage of the benefits of going for walks.
For me, I schedule calls during these walks and find that being active while working is much healthier than sitting at my desk. If I don’t have calls, I’ll listen to an audio book or podcast.
Lastly, the vitamin D is amazing for your health, and that’s free of charge as well!
Is a 15 Pound Weight Loss Noticeable?
Losing 15 pounds of weight, no matter how overweight you may feel you are, is very noticeable. For me, being 5’9 and starting at 198 pounds, losing 15 pounds meant my stomach subsided quite a bit and my face de-puffed immensely. Friends and neighbors have all commented on my weight loss, so it’s very apparent that losing 15 pounds is very noticeable not only to yourself, but to others as well.
Free Meal Plan to Lose 15 Pounds
Believe it or not, I didn’t stick to a meal plan! However, I did do the intermittent fasting and cut the refined carbs way back. If you can dial that in, your meal plan essentially becomes lean proteins and vegetables. Fruits are okay as well, but I don’t find myself eating much fruit other than in the morning. The sugar you take in from fruit is totally fine, so if you are going to copy my 15 pound weight loss diet exactly, you should also cut out sugar. This is more difficult than most people think, especially if you are someone who has alcoholic drinks. If you are in that crowd, (and I am), you have to cut out mixers immediately. You also have to look at the sugar content in your spirit of choice.
For me, this meant analyzing sugar in various rums and opting to quit drinking Zacapa on the rocks, because it’s one of the few rums that’s loaded with sugars.