How To Lose 15 Pounds In 4 Weeks: Expert-Proven Ways To Lose Weight

When people write down their resolutions for the year, losing weight is usually on the list for many of them. Everyone wants to be lean and fit and avoid the many health complications that comes with being obese and overweight. With that said, in this article, we will look at how to lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks. 

Is It Possible to Lose 15 Pounds in 4 Weeks?

To lose this much weight in such a short time will depend on how much weight you currently have. It is possible for overweight and obese people to lose this much weight in such a short period since they won’t be losing only fat, but mostly water weight. Excess water weight occurs when fluid collects in your tissues, causing them to swell, which tends to make people feel heavy and bloated which can be very uncomfortable (1). 

Excess water weight occurs when water that would typically go to the kidneys is retained in the body (2). Water weight typically results in weight fluctuations of up to 2 to 4 pounds in a day. This shows how it would be possible for people who are obese to lose so much weight in a short period of time since they will be losing mostly water weight. It is hard for people who are lean to lose this much weight in such a short period unless they use extreme measures that are not recommended. 

The worst thing about extreme measures for weight loss, apart from all the health complications associated with them, is that they are not sustainable. When a weight loss program is not sustainable, it means you’ll eventually have to quit, and people end up gaining back all the weight they lost and sometimes even more. 

Weight loss should be sustainable and should not force you to follow extreme meal plans or unreasonably tough workout schedules. Weight loss programs that promise you quick results can often end up causing more harm than good, and there is a reason people say, “shortcuts will cut your life short”. 

Is It Safe To Lose 15 Pounds In 4 Weeks?

Health experts do not recommend losing so much weight in such a short amount of time. There are dangers of rapid weight loss, and some of these dangers are:

• Having Loose Skin 

This happens when the skin loses its elasticity as it did not have time to shrink while your body was shrinking.

• Developing gallstones. These are hard deposits made mostly of cholesterol that form in the gallbladder. 
• Lean muscle loss
• Live damage
• Declining metabolic rate 
• Electrolyte imbalance 
• Headaches
• Hair loss
• Discomfort from constipation 
• Fatigue 
• Feelings of dizziness 
• Menstrual irregularities 

To answer the question of whether it is safe to lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks, the evidence-based answer is no. 1-2 pounds in a week is the recommended weight loss rate by health experts all over the world. So in 4 weeks, you should aim to lose 4-8 pounds.

The BetterMe: Health Coaching app will provide you with a host of fat-frying fitness routines that’ll scare the extra pounds away and turn your body into a masterpiece! Get your life moving in the right direction with BetterMe!

How Fast Can You Realistically Lose 15 Pounds?

As mentioned above, the recommended weight one should lose in a week is 1-2 pounds (3). You have to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound; 7,000 calories to lose 2 pounds (4). In order to lose 3,500 calories in a week, you need to burn 500 calories more than you consume every day; to lose 7,000 calories, you need to burn 1,000 calories more than you consume every day. These numbers will help you healthily lose weight. 

Let’s take a closer look at the process involved: 

• Healthy Weight Loss Rate: Losing 15 pounds typically takes about 8 to 16 weeks (2 to 4 months), based on a healthy weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. To lose weight faster than this, the methods used are often unsustainable and potentially dangerous.
• Factors Influencing Weight Loss Speed: Individual factors such as starting weight, body composition, metabolic rate, age, gender, and daily activity levels can affect how quickly one loses weight. Those with higher starting weights may lose weight more rapidly initially (5).
• The Need of a Balanced Approach: A realistic approach involves combining a calorie deficit through diet (reducing daily intake by 500 to 1,000 calories) and regular exercise, ensuring fat loss while maintaining muscle mass (1).
• Say No to Extreme Methods: Extreme dieting or over-exercising can lead to muscle loss, nutritional deficiencies, and other health issues. This makes it very important to focus on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes. 
• Variability in Results: As we’ve discussed, some people may lose weight faster due to higher initial weights or more intensive exercise routines, while others might see slower progress in comparison. A tailored plan based on individual needs and circumstances is important for effective and safe loss of weight.

It’s imperative to also remember that building sustainable habits around healthy eating, exercise, and behavior modification are the only way to ensure long-term success and help prevent unwanted weight regain after reaching your goal.

Read more: Smart Carbs: Making Better Carbohydrate Choices

How Much Weight Can You Realistically Lose in 4 Weeks?

In 4 weeks, a realistic and healthy weight loss goal is between 4 to 8 pounds. This range is based on the generally accepted guideline of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week, which requires a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day. To achieve this, you will need to combine the following: 

• Diet: A healthy diet is the very important first step of the process. A balanced diet that includes nutrient-dense foods like lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats is needed for creating a calorie deficit without compromising your nutritional needs. One must also limit processed foods and high-sugar items (6). 
• Exercise: Regular physical activity, such as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., brisk walking, cycling) per week, coupled with strength training exercises at least twice a week, helps to increase calorie burn and maintain muscle mass(7). 

One must also remember that weight loss, especially in the first stages, is largely due to loss of water weight. Significant fat loss will need dedicated effort over time. Apart from that, individual factors like age, gender, metabolism, and current weight will affect the rate of weight loss. Slow and steady weight loss is more sustainable and less likely to result in regaining the weight later.

Is It Noticeable when You Lose 15 Pounds?

Losing 15 pounds is generally noticeable, especially if the weight loss is from fat rather than muscle or water. The visibility of weight loss depends on a few factors, which include an individual’s starting weight, body composition, and fat distribution. 

• Body Size and Fat Distribution: For those with smaller frames or lower starting weights, a 15-pound loss is more likely to be noticeable as compared to those with larger frames or higher starting weights, where the weight loss may be less apparent.
• Areas of Noticeable Change: Weight loss is often first observed in areas with higher fat deposits, such as the face, abdomen, and thighs, but it also depends on your sex (8). Changes in how clothes fit can also make weight loss more visible.
• Role of Exercise in Appearance: Combining diet with exercise, particularly strength training, can help tone the body and make weight loss more visible.
• Psychological and Physical Benefits: Beyond just physical changes, losing 15 pounds can improve energy levels, mobility, and self-confidence, and thus, contribute to a positive perception of weight loss (9).

While the scale provides a numerical measure, changes in body composition, muscle tone, and overall health are more significant indicators of successful weight loss.

What Does Losing 15 Pounds In 4 Weeks Mean?

To lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks means losing 3.75 pounds every week, which is 13,125 calories every week. Taking it into daily installments, losing 15 calories in 4 weeks means you have to lose 1,875 calories every day, and this is considerably higher than the recommended daily calories you lose. While doing all this, you need to remember your daily calorie consumption should not go below 1,200 calories, as this can be considered malnourishment and could lead to health complications like lack of energy, fatigue, dizziness, and malnutrition. 

Healthy Ways To Lose Weight 

Slow and steady wins the race. The logic behind weight loss is that you need to burn more calories than you consume, and the two main ways of doing that are by consuming fewer calories and burning calories by exercising. 

Cutting Your Calories

To take this approach, you need first to know your basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR is the amount of energy your body needs while you are at rest. There are different ways to calculate your BMR. Here are some of the ways (10):

• For men, BMR = 66.47 + (13.75  x weight in kgs) + (5.003  x height in cms ) – (6.755  x your age in years)
• For women, BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x weight in kgs) + (1.85 x height in cms) – (4.676  x your age in years)

After you’ve gotten your BMR, you need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500-1,000 to lose 1-2 pounds in a week. While doing all this, you need to remember that your daily calorie intake should not go below 1,200 calories. 

Exercising 

Cardio exercises are great when it comes to burning fat (11). This does not mean that you should do away with strength-training exercises since building strength still helps with weight loss. Here are some exercises that can help with weight loss: 

• Plank with Dumbbell Row (Renegade Row) 

This is yet another exercise that will help you burn calories. It helps with strengthening the abdominal muscles as well as other muscles, like the back, triceps, and biceps (12). 

How to do it?

1. First, take your dumbbells and start in the elevated plank position. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart. 
2. Using your core, lift one of the dumbbells off the floor. Lift it towards your rib area while making sure your elbows point upwards towards the sky. 
3. Then lower the weight and do the same for the opposite side. 
4. Continue switching between the two sides at a brisk pace. While doing this, make sure that your hips are imobile, with your legs engaged in the exercise. 
5. Do at least 8 reps on each side.

• Kettlebell Swing 

The kettlebell is known to help build strength, improve power, and can help to improve posture. Its explosive nature is what makes it effective when it comes to burning fat. 

How to do it (13)?

1. The first thing to do is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then make sure your knees are bent slightly, with your toes pointing out.
2. Then take a kettlebell and hold it with both your hands. Hold it like it is hanging between your legs. 
3. Hinging at the hips, lower your body into a squat position, and then extend your hips to come to a stand while you swing the kettlebell in front of you. Make sure to squeeze your glutes when you are at the top of this movement. 
4. Then let the kettlebell swing back as you go back to the original squat position. 
5. Repeat this until you get tired. 

Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.

• Jumping Lunges 

Anyone who has been to the gym knows lunges are not the easiest of exercises. Knowing how challenging normal lunges are, jumping ones are even harder than that. However, it is even more effective when it comes to burning calories, when done with proper technique. Jumping lunges help in toning the legs and improving cardiovascular health due to all the jumping involved. 

How to do it (14)?

1. The first thing to do is to stand with your knees slightly bent; your feet staggered so that your right leg is in front of your left leg. 
2. Then jump straight up while switching leg positions in the air so you will land with your left leg in front your right leg. It is important to make sure that your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the movement. This helps prevent injuries, and getting injured is the last thing you want. 
3. Repeat this movement 20 times to complete one set. 

• Single-Leg Deadlift 

This exercise mainly targets your glutes and hamstring, even helps with your posture. 

How to do it (15)?

1. First, from a standing position, take your dumbbells and hold them at arm’s length. Make sure they are in fronte your thighs. While standing with your feet at hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, shift the weight to one leg.
2. While still keeping your knees bent, bend your hips and lower your torso with a flat back posture, until it is almost parallel to the ground. 
3. Hold that position for some time, then go back to the standing position. 
4. You should do at least 8 reps on each side. 

• Cycling 

This is yet another activity that most people do for fun that is very effective when it comes to burning calories. Most people nowadays use stationary bikes, while others use normal bikes and go out for an adventure. Whichever bike you use, cycling can help burn over 800 calories in an hour (16). A good way of making this exercise as effective as possible is by doing intervals if you are on your stationary bike. You can do this by keeping the intensity high for a period of time and then low for another period; keep repeating these intervals until you are tired. If you are using a mountain bike, you can try and go for rough terrain. You can go fast or slow; keep varying the speed and intensity to enjoy the full benefits of cycling.

• Broad Jumps 

This is yet another workout that is known to promote the burning of fat. It helps burn calories and keeps your heart beating, which benefits your cardiovascular health and engages many muscles. These jumps are also known to help improve one’s athletic ability (17). 

How to do it?

1. First, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Make sure your knees are bent slightly. 
2. Then quickly swing your arms backward while bending your knees even more. 
3. Now jump forward as far as you possibly can while swinging your arms forward. 
4. Try to land as softly as you can while making sure your knees are bent, trying to remain in an athletic position. Try not to fall or bounce about. You can use your core to keep still.
5. Do 8 reps.

• Swimming 

Most people enjoy a good swim, especially in the summer when it is hot. Swimming is what most people refer to as a total body workout. Once you enter the pool, your workout session has started. This is because, at that point, your muscles have to keep you from sinking and drowning by fighting gravity. Since swimming engages so many muscles, it is also effective when it comes to burning calories (18). The longer you swim, the more calories you burn. Furthermore, the type of stroke you use also makes a difference when it comes to the number of calories you can potentially burn. For example, the breaststroke burns fewer calories compared to the butterfly.

From that, we can see the best way to make swimming a good calorie burn for you is to try and swim as long as possible. Try to also change the intensity by swimming as fast as you can. Remember, the more intense an exercise program is, the more calories it burns. 

• Jumping Rope 

This is yet another exercise that involves jumping. (Maybe jumping is the secret to burning calories?) If you’ve seen any boxing movie, you will notice the actors have to jump rope at some point to get all fit and ripped. Jumping rope is a fat-burning exercise that could be an effective addition to almost everyone’s workout program. Performing jump roping is easy in theory, there are not so many people in this world who don’t understand the general concept of how to jump rope. It is cheap; the only equipment you need for this is a piece of rope and some comfortable shoes. 

Jumping rope helps improve foot speed, and it burns a lot of calories. It is effective when it comes to creating shoulder strength and coordination, as well as increasing one’s athletic ability (19). 

When you jump rope for about 30 minutes, you can burn considerable calories. A good way of making this exercise effective is by doing intervals of fast and slow jumps. You may also keep it simple by just jumping for one minute then resting for about 30 seconds. Repeat this until you feel exhausted, and you should be okay. 

• Stair Climber 

You want to burn off that extra fat, perhaps it’s time to climb stairs. This might seem like a straightforward exercise, but it is also very effective when it comes to burning fat and calories. One can easily burn up to 500 calories by climbing stairs at a moderate pace (20). Remember, the higher the intensity of the workout, the more calories you are likely to burn. So, if you increase your pace or add a resistance band, you are likely to burn even more calories. 

Climbing stairs differs from normal walking since climbing stairs involves a higher leg lift compared to walking. This also means climbing stairs uses more muscles when compared to walking. It also helps strengthen your legs. For people who have knee problems, stair climbers are not recommended, as it can cause a strain on people’s joints.

• Burpees 

This is one exercise that many people fear. Most people say it is hard, but the good thing about hard exercise is that it is often very effective. Burpees help with fat burning by engaging many muscles (21). This is helpful in toning one’s legs and for training the core. 

How to do it ?

1. You start by standing straight then lowering yourself into the squat position. Make sure your hands are on the ground just right in front of you while doing all this. 
2. Then kick back your legs until you enter into a plank position. Lower your body to the ground and then press up as you would in a push-up. After you do this, return your legs to the original squat position. 
3. Jump as high as you can and then return to the squat position.
4. Repeat this process as many times as you can. 

Get your personal plan according to your age and BMI

Select your gender

Male Female

Get your personal plan according to your age and BMI

Select your gender

Male Female

• Sprinting 

Yes, normal running sprints can be very effective when it comes to burning fat. Sprinting helps increase one’s speed, athletic ability, and keeps you fit and lean. It can also help boost one’s muscle performance. 

How to do it?

1. First, get into a lunge position with your back at a 45-degree angle, and your weight shifted forward. 
2. Drive through the big toe of your back leg so you can take big, powerful steps. 
3. Sprint for ten seconds, and then rest for 30 seconds before starting your next sprint. 
4. While sprinting, try as much as possible to shift your hips quickly. The faster you shift your hips moving forward, the quicker you move. 
5. You may want to start with about 5 sprints and call it a day. 

Read more: Real Food Vs. Processed Food: How Small Swaps Can Change Your Entire Diet

Is It Possible to Lose 15 Pounds in 4 Months?

Yes, losing 15 pounds in 4 months is a realistic and safe goal when approached with a balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle habits.  Losing weight at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week is considered safe and sustainable by most healthy individuals. Over 4 months (approximately 16 weeks), this can result in a weight loss of 15-32 pounds. Achieving this goal requires creating a calorie deficit of about 500 to 1,000 calories per day. 

What you’ll need to achieve this is a diet rich in lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, while minimizing processed foods, sugary snacks, and high-calorie beverages. Regular exercise, including a mix of cardiovascular activities, strength training, and flexibility exercises, is another factor in burning calories and building muscle mass. 

Remember, dedication to your habits, along with enough sleep and stress management, are key to achieving and maintaining a 15-pound weight loss over 4 months. Consulting with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can also provide personalized guidance to reach this goal safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I lose 15 lbs in 14 days?

Losing 15 pounds in 14 days is not considered safe or realistic for most people. Achieving such rapid weight loss would require extreme calorie restriction or excessive exercise, which can lead to muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and other health risks. A more sustainable approach is to aim for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week.

• Can I lose 20 lbs in 4 weeks?

Losing 20 pounds in 4 weeks is very challenging and generally not recommended. Safe weight loss guidelines suggest a rate of 1-2 pounds per week. To lose 20 pounds in a month would require an extreme calorie deficit that could result in health problems, loss of muscle mass, and a high likelihood of regaining the weight.

• Is 15 minutes a day enough to lose weight?

While 15 minutes of exercise a day can contribute to weight loss, it is usually not enough on its own to create a significant calorie deficit. However, when combined with a healthy diet and increased daily activity levels, short bursts of high-intensity exercise can be effective in boosting metabolism and supporting weight loss efforts.

• Is walking enough to lose weight?

Walking can be an effective way to lose weight, especially for beginners or those looking to start a low-impact exercise routine. Consistent brisk walking, combined with a healthy diet, can help create a calorie deficit and promote gradual weight loss. The key is consistency, duration, and intensity to maximize results over time.

The Bottom Line 

Instead of searching for how to lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks, you should look at healthy ways of losing weight. If you want to lose weight rapidly, you can always consult an expert to see if it is advisable for you to do so. Weight loss programs should be sustainable because if not, they could lead you to gain more weight than you had before and may result in other health conditions.