By Anthony Harris

Would you like to lose fifteen pounds? Don’t believe in those glossy ads you see everyday that peddle pills and other dubious, unhealthy methods for weight loss. That is exactly what I did before I lost fifteen pounds; I never really believed those ads, and should have realized that quick fixes never last. So, I developed a better way to lose fifteen pounds.
My name is Mike Cooper, and I work as a sales supervisor, I am thirty-eight years old. I’m 5'8" tall, and my weight is 186 pounds.
I had a problem with my shape. I always avoided taking off my shirt, so as not to show the “perfect” stomach I had. There were bunches of fats around my waist.
I decided to improve my shape and health as well, and I tried to figure out a way to lose fifteen pounds with no pills or easy shortcuts.

The start:
I thought motivation alone would be sufficient, but also knew I could lose motivation. So, I decided to tell everyone about my diet and pressure myself to continue. I even bet some friends that I would lose fifteen and reach my goal.

I then started to formulate a plan. First, I collected information. I watched Oprah, read many related articles, and asked the advice of some of my friends. I knew that one gram fat contains nine calories, much more than there is in proteins or carbohydrates.

My plan:
I decided to cut fat from my food by simply eliminating most meats from meals, except for lean chicken breast or turkey. Besides, those fatty dairy products like cheese and milk (even the low-fat milk) contain too much fat. Instead, I switched to skim milk, and was fine with it.
A problem arose when I tried to order lunch in the company cafeteria; they did not have any healthy choices, except for two or three side dishes of vegetables.
I tried to add hot sauce to spice them up. It was a nightmare at first, but I later became accustomed to it.
I didn't set my mind to count calories, because I was quite sure they would total much less than my normal amounts had. I cut out sausage, bacon, hamburgers, cheese, hot dogs, fries, etc. For breakfast all I ate was whole grain cereals and bagels.
As I told you concerning my lunch, I ate only vegetables. For my dinner I sometimes consumed only vegetables and lean meat, i.e., skinless chicken breast.

Exercising:
I also wanted to improve my health, I decided to have some aerobic activity and this helped in burning tons of fats, so I started to walk around a while everyday before breakfast for 20 minutes. Sometimes I begun to jog some part of the way, right now I run the way for 20 minutes, you will burn nearly 100 calories per mile if you jog, and I think this will help in losing weight.

Wanting to improve my overall health, I decided to entertain an aerobic activity. This helped me burn a large amount of fat. I started to walk every day before breakfast for twenty minutes; sometimes I would jog part of the way. Now I run the whole way for twenty minutes regularly. You will burn nearly one hundred calories per mile if you jog, and I’m sure this helps in losing weight.
You will not only lose weight by burning fat, but you will start feeding your muscles better as well, and your body will look great. You’ll become lean, and your muscles won’t be flabby.
Therefore, to gain muscle tone, I started to do strength exercises in the morning, alternating one day of running with another devoted to strength exercises, such as, push-ups, crunches, dumb-bell curls, and dips.
I started to notice the change after three weeks. Bunches of fat on my waist began to disappear, and there was more definition in my arms.
By adding muscles, you will increase your body’s capacity to burn fat, even when you are at rest.
However, for building muscles, you will have to add more proteins and carbohydrates to your diet without increasing your fat amounts. As long as you are working hard to lose weight, your extra calories will be consumed in building muscle, instead of fat.
Anyway, it is easy to lose fifteen pounds. I have no idea how much of it was fat, but I do know you will fit into smaller pants after five weeks by following my example. If you are a cheese and sausage pizza lover, you will have to make sacrifices.

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Please Note: The information presented throughout Lose15Pounds.org is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please see your physician before starting any diet and/or exercise program.