Are you concerned with how to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks? In this article, we are going to show you the best way to lose weight by explaining what changes that you need to make in your life to achieve this. Because losing 15 pounds in 2 weeks is quite a feat, we shall also be explaining to you what challenges you may face due to quick weight loss and also giving you healthier alternatives to ensure that you shed those extra pounds in a safe way.
Which Is The Best Way To Lose Weight?
If you are wondering how to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks, chances are that you have come across multiple videos, posts and articles with people proclaiming how they’ve used certain diets, pills, or even teas to help then shed this stubborn weight. Chances are that you are even tempted to buy into these gimmicks and try the same thing yourself.
While there is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight fast, some of the methods often advertised online (or even with people in your life) are more often than not quite dangerous, unhealthy, and unsustainable. So what is the best way to lose weight?
It all comes down to having a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and exercise. Eating the right foods, in the right way and working out several times a week will go a long way in not only helping you lose weight and keeping it off in the long run.
Can You Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks?
Yes, technically it is possible for you to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks, however, attempting to do this is highly discouraged by dietitians and doctors alike. Healthy weight loss according to the CDC, is a slow, gradual, and steady process that involves losing 1 to 2 pounds a week (11), which means that for you to lose 15 pounds you would need anywhere between two to four months to make this possible.
Read More: Runner’s Diet To Lose Weight: Nutrition Tips For Those Who Enjoy Logging Miles On A Treadmill
What Are The Side Effects Of Rapid/Quick Weight Loss?
As previously stated, healthy weight loss is one where you lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week which equals to 2 to 4 pounds in two weeks. If you are planning to lose weight fast i.e., by attempting unhealthy tips on how to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks, then you will be putting yourself, your health, and possibly your life at risk.
The effects of quick weight loss are many and varied, however, some of the most common ones include (9):
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Moodiness And Irritability
You are probably being ‘hangry’.
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Headaches
Which could be because of low blood sugar.
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Chronic Fatigue
Because you are not giving your body enough food to turn into energy, it in-turn cannot be able to sustain your required energy levels throughout the day.
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Constipation
Because you are not eating enough, you will have fewer bowel movements which often translates into harder stool that is often difficult or painful to expel.
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Hair Loss And Brittle Nails
Hair and nails are not vital organs so when you fail to provide your body with enough nutrients through food, whatever little nutrients it gets, it will use to sustain your vital organs, ignoring things such as hair and nails which will eventually start to break and fall off.
Quick weight loss has also been known to lead to more serious and long-term side effects such as gallstones and nutritional deficiencies which if left untreated could end up with you bedridden or worse. Always remember that the fastest way to lose weight isn’t always the best.
Losing weight and keeping it off requires patience and hard work; this may not sound appealing but it will be worth it in the end and could probably save your life. In light of this, please stay away from extreme weight loss methods such as starvation and very low calorie diets, diet pills and supplements and laxative detox teas, that are often touted as quick fixes to weight loss.
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Why Is Extreme Weight Loss A Cause For Concern?
Please remember that quick weight loss is not the same as sudden, unexplained, and extreme weight loss. If you realize that you are losing or that you have lost close to or even 15 pounds in 2 weeks then you should probably consider seeing a doctor. Chances are that this extreme weight loss is caused by an underlying medical condition.
Some medical issues and conditions that have been linked to unexplained and quick weight loss include (10, 2):
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Hyperthyroidism
This stems from an overactive thyroid gland that ends up producing more hormones than the body needs. When produced in the right amounts, these hormones regulate your metabolism, but when the thyroid produces more than what is required, they put your metabolism into overdrive, making the body burn calories at a faster rate which results in weight loss.
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Muscle Wasting
When you work out in a gym, you build bigger and stronger muscles. The opposite happens when the muscles in question are not used. A perfect example of this is, if you have ever broken a bone and had a limb in a cast, you may have noticed that once the cast came off, the said limb looked much smaller than the other one.
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Depression
In 2017, one study looking into the causes of unexplained weight loss found a coloration between that and this mental illness in 7 percent of the study subjects. A year before in 2016, research had found that depression suppresses the function of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands, which may affect your digestive system.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis
While it is common knowledge that this disease attacks and affects your joints, what many people may be unaware of is its relation to sudden and sometimes extreme weight loss. The chronic inflammation in the affected joints can speed up metabolism which can further lead to weight loss.
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Addison’s Disease
People suffering from this illness may notice a drop in their appetite because the illness affects their adrenal glands and prevents them from producing enough cortisol and aldosterone.
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Type I Diabetes
This type of diabetes causes your immune system to attack your pancreas which in turn prevents this organ from producing insulin. Lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose. Any unused glucose remains in your blood and travels to the kidneys where the body disposes of it through urine.
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Cancer
Not all cancers present themselves in the same way. Furthermore, the stage and location of the disease/tumor can lead to varying symptoms. However, unexplained and extreme weight loss can sometimes be a sign of cancers that affect the lungs, pancreas, liver, stomach, esophagus, and the colon.
How To Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks At Home?
If you are still insistent on quick weight loss and are wondering how to lose 10 -15 pounds at home then you could attempt to make your goals come true through aggressive and unhealthy diets that are very calorie restrictive. Some examples of such diets include:
Which includes eating boiled eggs, lean meats, low carb fruits, non-starchy vegetables, small amounts of healthy fats, as well as healthy drinks. This diet calls for an avoidance of grains, starchy vegetables, high carb fruits, processed foods, and sweetened fruits.
Read More: 14 Day Boiled Egg Diet: Will It Yield Any Long-Term Results?
Also known as the ice-cream diet or the navy diet, this is a low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein eating plan that requires you to diet for 3 days and then take 4 days off. You are then required to repeat this cycle week in and week out until you have achieved your desired weight loss goal. Proponents of this eating plan claim that it can help you lose up to 10 pounds in just a week (7).
It involves eating nothing but vegetable soups for a couple of days until you lose your desired amount of weight. Popular soup diets include, the cabbage soup diet, bean soup diet, and the keto soup diet.
This is a liquid meal plan (6) that involves drinks blended with fruits and vegetables for a week to as much as 3 months. On the smoothie diet, you will be required to consume two smoothies a day and use them as meal replacements.
Please remember that all the above mentioned diets are considered as fad diets and are also Very Low-Calorie (VLC) diets that are all lacking in a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This will lead to nutritional deficiencies which could cause issues such as anemia, fatigue and weakness, eye diseases and reproductive health problems, memory loss and diseases such as dementia, digestion problems, skin disorders, etc (8).
How To Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks Without Dieting?
If you do not want to try any of the above diets, can you still lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks without dieting? Weight loss without dieting is possible but losing this much amount of pounds in 14 days may be quite a stretch.
If you are willing to increase your timeline, here are some things you can do to help you lose help you lose the extra pounds
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Cut Your Daily Caloric Intake
There is no better strategy for how to lose 15 pounds without exercise than reducing the amount of calories you consume because losing weight is made possible when you burn more calories than you take in. Use a calorie counter to determine how much kcal you consume in a day and then reduce this amount by 500 to 1000 calories. Do not be tempted to go any lower as this may result in crash dieting which is not recommended.
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Eat More Protein
Not only does it keep you fuller for longer thus preventing snacking, it also helps with building muscle and requires more energy to digest, two factors that increase your metabolism that helps burn more calories throughout the day.
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Sleep More
A well rested brain is a sharp brain. When you fail to get enough sleep, your body gravitates more towards comfort foods which are often high in calories, unhealthy carbs, and sugars. Always try to get 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
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Avoid Drinking Your Calories
Popular energy drinks, sodas and even store bought smoothies are often made with a lot of added sugar so they can appeal to the masses. All this sugar only adds extra calories to your diet which can prevent weight loss.
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Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
Like energy drinks and sodas, alcoholic drinks are often full of hidden calories that many of us tend to forget are there. Popular drinks such as beer, wine, and especially cocktails can and anywhere from 120 to almost 300 calories to your diet per drink (5).
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Drink More Water
Not only is it an appetite suppressant, but it has been known to help boost your metabolism which leads to burning more calories. On average, women should drink 2.7 liters of fluid per day, and men, 3.7 liters.
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Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber takes a long time to move through the gastrointestinal tract which means you will feel full for the entire period. By so doing, you won’t have any cravings for food or snacks.
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Avoid Stress
When you are stressed, your body produces more cortisol. Excessive amounts of cortisol in the body can trigger cravings for snacks and other unhealthy foods, as well as signaling the body to store more fat.
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Practice Mindful Eating
This means making conscious choices while shopping, only eat when you are hungry, eat smaller portions, eat and chew slower as well as taking smaller bites during meals (1). Be focused on your food and avoid using any distraction like a smartphone or a computer.
How To Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks With Exercise?
There is no amount of exercise that you can do in the span of two weeks that can allow you to shed 15 pounds in 14 days. For you to lose 1 pound of fat a day, you have to burn about 3500 calories (4).
As a general rule, women and men require 2000 and 2500 calories, respectively, each day – -the number varies depending on ages, height, level of physical activity in a day (12), etc. For you to lose any extra weight, you need to cut about 500 to 1000 calories from your average daily food energy consumption.
So when you think about it, how can you burn 3500 calories a day if you only consume at most 2500 calories? Where does the extra 1000 come from?
Tips On How To Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks For Women
As previously stated, trying to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks is possible but not recommended because the methods used could lead to some not so pleasant side effects, as well as other serious long term ones.
If you still want to do this, crash dieting could bring you the result you are looking for, but it will leave you with dangerous side effects such as a weakened immune system, fatigue, dizziness, irregular bowel movements, headaches and irritability, and dehydration (3). If you choose to crash diet, please try and refrain from working out. Chances are that you will not have enough strength go about your day let alone to work out for hours on end.
The Bottom Line: How To Lose 15 Pounds In 2 Weeks?
Trying to lose this much weight in such a limited amount of time is not recommended as it is not healthy and can lead to illness and less than favorable side effects. Always remember that taking shortcuts in weight loss will only serve you for a short while and not for the long-term as you would hope.
If you choose to remain on this path, however, know that it will not be easy and will take a lot out of you. You will have to work hard, and have the inner drive and will-power to push through even on the toughest days. Please consult your doctor and dietitian so they can advise you on the best way to approach this and remain healthy while at it.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 8 steps to mindful eating (2016, health.harvard.edu)
- 13 Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss (2019, healthline.com)
- Are crash diets ever a good idea for weight loss? (2020, netdoctor.co.uk)
- Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics (2020, mayoclinic.org)
- How Alcohol Can Cause Weight Gain (2020, verywellfit.com)
- Liquid Diet (2020, webmd.com)
- Military Diet Plan (n.d., themilitarydiet.com)
- Nutritional Deficiencies (Malnutrition) (2019, healthline.com)
- Rapid Weight Loss (2019, webmd.com)
- What causes unexplained weight loss? (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
- What is healthy weight loss? (2020, cdc.gov)
- What should my daily intake of calories be? (2019, nhs.uk)
