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5 tips to lose 15 pounds fast

In an effort to help people achieve a healthier weight and adopt healthier life habits, I have come up with a short list of five simple things you can change in your life that will help you lose weight quickly. The trick to it though, is that you have to make them a habit.

How do you make it a habit exactly? Real simple: you need to practice said habit every single day, for 28 days.

After that it will become as automatic to you as brushing your teeth every morning. It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it before, but you just won't feel right if you don't continue these habits after 28 days.

So take a deep breath and relax... this is going to be fun!

[1] Give up the white stuff for 28 days.

Before the start of the 28 day clock, go through your entire house and anything that is white, get rid of it!

For example:

  • White Bread
  • White Rice
  • White Flour
  • White Sugar
  • White Salt
  • White Milk
  • White Potatoes

Does this mean that you can never eat these things again?! No... All it means is that instead of white, you are going to replace it with whole grain and/or whole wheat products.

Here are a few examples of what would be acceptable to eat:

  • 15 Grain Wheat Bread
  • Whole Grain Brown Rice
  • Whole Wheat Flour
  • Brown Sugar (in moderation folks)
  • If something already has salt in it that's fine. Just do not add any additional salt to anything and you will be okay.
  • Almond or Soy Milk
  • Red Potatoes

If you come across something and you aren't sure whether it would be considered white or not, just take a good look at it or read the ingredients label. If it looks white or has the word "white" in the ingredients list, don't eat it.

[2] Give up all soda for 28 days.

There are a multitude of reasons why soda is bad for you. I am not going to delve into the science behind why you should not drink it. Instead I'm going to give you my best synopsis based on what I have learned and experienced in my own life.

  1. Soda has A LOT of sugar in it. Too much sugar makes you fat. Period.
  2. Drinking too much sugar will make you crave more sugary drinks and foods throughout a given day, which will make you even fatter.
  3. Diet soda - even though it has no "calories" - is a chemical soup that tricks your system into believing you consumed something sweet (just like regular soda does). On a psychological level, drinking diet soda makes you eat more calories because you believe it had absolutely zero affect on your system. Well guess what, it did, and guess what else... diet soda makes you fat too.

What should you drink instead? Well... the only thing I would recommend is water with lemon in it. Preferably distilled water if you can, but any water will do. The majority of people don't realize this, but you could work out for 8 hours a day, and if you don't drink enough water, it will all be all for nothing.

Why? Because your body needs a lot of water in order to remove the excess waste (weight) through your bowels. So as a side challenge I would recommend drinking an abundance of water every day for 28 days to help your body do its job.

[3] Do ANY kind of exercise for 30 minutes a day, for 28 days.

Oh no! The dreaded E word!! Relax guys; I'm going to make this really, really easy for you. How? By helping you redefine the word exercise to better fit your current lifestyle. Because to me and the rest of the world, exercise is defined as any activity that brings your heart rate up and makes you sweat - that's it!

So seriously, keep this simple. Just think of anything you enjoy doing that makes you sweat, and then find a way to do it 30 minutes a day for 28 days.

Examples:

  • Have sex!
  • Mow the lawn with a push mower
  • Shovel the driveway
  • Walk at a brisk pace
  • Jog
  • Elliptical
  • Bicycle
  • Play a sport
  • Throw a ball around

Do you get what I'm saying yet? Just find something you can do every day, put it on your schedule in advance, and then have fun doing it! It really is that easy.

[4] Take the stairs and park far away for 28 days.

This one is easy: Whenever you have the opportunity to take the elevator or park close to where you are trying to go, take the stairs and park far away instead.

I know it might feel like a pain in the butt at first, but just remember that those few extra calories will add up over time. Make this a daily habit for 28 days and it will pay dividends for years to come.

[5] Eat more fruits and vegetables for 28 days.

No, I am not asking you to give up eating meat. All I am suggesting is that for 28 days you find a way to incorporate fruits and vegetables into every meal. If you would like more information, you can read my previous blog post about "how to live naturally". I will not go into great detail here; this is meant to be short and simple.

Here are a few examples to get your brain working:

  • For breakfast if you typically have cereal, try adding a sliced banana to the mix.
  • For lunch, have a healthy salad with walnuts.
  • For dinner have a side of steamed carrots or peas along with a side salad.


Final Thoughts

I know it's easy to get stuck on a certain path and forget how you wound up there in the first place. I understand - I really do.

After 28 days you will no doubt go back to being the busy body you were before. The trick though, is that once these habits become your habits, you will finally be able to move forward without having to worry about your weight. By making these small changes, you will finally become the person you deserve to be.

Cheers to a healthy and happy new you!

- Corey Barton


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