10 pounds doesn’t seem like much. But shedding off 10 pounds of excess weight is a completely different ballgame. Starving for a week or two might or might not get you there, and it can wreak havoc on your metabolism and overall wellbeing.
Some pills offer alluring promises of losing 10 pounds or more without breaking a sweat or making any lifestyle changes. However, the reality is far from it. In fact, some of those fat-burning pills may have severe side effect including potential liver failure.
Nevertheless, there are ways to do it without jeopardizing your health – read on to find out more.
How to Lose 10 Pounds and Stay Healthy
There are a number of things that you can do to get rid of those pounds that bother you. And if you fervently stick to a proper plan, the process might not have to take more than a week. Though the timeline depends on your metabolism, perseverance, and exercise routine.
Assuming that you are healthy, happy, and want to get your body beach-ready, the following tips should allow you to ditch 10 pounds or more.
It All Starts with a Balanced Diet
The advice you’ve probably heard is to go low on carbs and high on lean proteins. This approach to diet can help indeed, and there is scientific evidence to support the claim. Low carbohydrate intake removes some of the excess water from your body and can reduce bloating.
What’s more, some of the results are apparent almost immediately, causing greater motivation to persist. In addition to fewer carbs and more protein, whole foods are an absolute must for this dietary regime. The whole food diet can be quite filling and you won’t be eating too many calories due to the usual lean protein and low-carb vegetable combo.
Don’t forget that processed foods, sweets, and junk food are a big no-no since they may significantly affect your weight loss efforts.
How to Follow the Diet
Understanding the diet is easy but many people find it difficult to stick to it. On the other hand, you might even inadvertently break the new routine by having certain drinks and condiments. The tricks below should allow you to track your progress and follow through.
- Count Your Calories
A review of different studies showed that people who counted calories on average lost more weight than those who didn’t.
- No Snack and No Eating after Dinner
- All-You-Can-Eat Chicken and Fish
- Go Hard on Low-Carb Vegetables
- Remember Calories Can be Liquid
In other words, tea, coffee, and water are allowed and protein shakes are not cheating. But you need to count the shake as a meal.
Note: If you are not sure how many calories you need to eat every day to lose weight, this simple calculator can help you. To ensure you don’t starve, the calculator also factors in your physical activity. But don’t input inaccurate info or you won’t get the best results.
Physical Activity
There are physical activities that can complement the diet and speed up the weight loss process. The exact type of exercise may depend on your age, health, and overall fitness level. Here are a couple of workouts that can give optimal results – you should give them a try and find the one that best fits your needs.
Weight lifting is a great resistance training that can result in weight loss like common aerobics. This type of training can also boost your muscle mass and overall strength. In addition, pumping iron helps remove excess water and carbs and keep your metabolic and hormonal levels at an optimum.
HIIT or high-intensity interval training is another popular exercise routine for quick results and it goes well with a balanced diet and other workouts. Some studies show that the beneficial effects of HIIT exercises might exceed regular gym routines, especially for weight loss. This type of physical activity also promotes the metabolic process of fat burning and production of hormones that can give your weight loss some extra boost.
However, it’s worth pointing out that HIIT exercises are best done after a gym workout or other training sessions. In total, HIIT doesn’t last more than a few minutes but it’s important to give your all.
On the other hand, physical activities shouldn’t be limited to the gym. You need to consider commuting on a bike or walking to work. Try not to sit down at the office all day and take up some common household chores to burn even more calories.
Other Things That Can Help You Lose 10 Pounds
When it comes to eating, you shouldn’t rush. If you eat slowly, your body produces certain hormones that make you feel full. In addition, try to take moderate bites and drink enough water. It also helps to make eating a high-protein breakfast a habit.
Foods like peanut butter, oats, eggs, and cottage cheese should become your breakfast staples. These foods will make you feel fuller and reduce hormones that promote hunger. But before you enjoy a high-protein breakfast, you should get enough sleep.
Sleeping for about 7 or 8 hours per night can markedly improve your weight loss efforts. Otherwise, small-scale research has shown that sleep deprivation can make men feel hungrier. Namely, it increases the production of ghrelin – the hormone responsible for appetite.
Stress is one of the enemies of your weight loss efforts. It may cause a hormonal imbalance that leads to weight gain, rather than loss. Therefore, it’s advisable to take up stress-relieving techniques such as meditation.
To Wrap Up
That’s the answer to how to lose 10 pounds.
Besides the above weight loss tips and tricks, some people may want to consider intermittent fasting. Fasting doesn’t equate to starving and there are various protocols you can follow. In addition, it can be combined with exercise and planned ahead of time to work with your workout routine.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718776/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19875483
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8055897
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18197184
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25675374
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-many-calories-per-day
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24636238
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19099589
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3076034/
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