While losing 10 pounds within a week may seem like a daunting goal, it is possible and can be achieved safely with a few dietary and lifestyle changes.
Losing weight is not an easy process, no matter how big or small the goal is.
When it comes to losing 10 pounds or more, a lot can seem pretty daunting, especially if you're just starting out.
Fortunately, there are proven strategies that can help you.
Here are 10 tips to help you safely lose 10 pounds.
To lose weight, your body must burn more calories than it consumes.
There are two ways to do this: eat fewer calories or exercise more.
Calorie Tracking helps you keep track of how many calories you consume per day so you can know if you are on the right track or if you need to make adjustments.
In fact, a review of 37 studies involving more than 16,000 participants found that weight loss programs that included tracking calorie intake resulted in an increase of 7.3 pounds (3.3 kg) per year.
The number of calories you need to consume per day depends on various factors such as your starting weight, lifestyle, gender, and activity level.
The two most common ways to track your calorie intake are with an app or food diary.
However, it's important to note that simply tracking your calorie intake may not be the most reliable approach to weight loss.
However, calorie tracking can work exceptionally well when combined with healthy lifestyle changes such as eating more vegetables or exercising regularly.
Bottom Line: Keeping track of your calorie intake can help you stay on track to your weight loss goal, especially when combined with healthy eating and lifestyle changes.
Fiber is a type of non-digestible carbohydrate that can help you lose weight.
This is due to the fact that fiber slows the emptying of the stomach contents, which, in turn, can help you feel full longer.
In addition, research has shown that fiber, especially soluble fiber, can reduce the production of hunger hormones like ghrelin and increase the production of satiety hormones like cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and the YY peptide ( PYY).
By suppressing appetite, fiber can help lower your calorie intake and lead to effortless weight loss.
For example, one dated review found that a 14-gram increase in daily fiber intake was associated with 10% fewer calories daily and 4.2 lb (1.9 kg) weight loss without making other lifestyle or dietary changes.
More recent research is needed, however.
High-fiber foods include most vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and seeds. Alternatively, you can try fiber supplements such as glucomannan.
Bottom line: Fiber can help you stay full longer, which in turn can lower your calorie intake and help you lose weight.
In order to lose 10 pounds, it is important to increase your protein intake.
A high protein diet has been shown to speed up metabolism, reduce appetite, preserve muscle mass, and may reduce harmful belly fat.
In fact, studies have shown that simply following a high-protein diet can help you burn an additional 80–100 calories per day.
In one study, overweight women whose diet included 30% protein lost 11 pounds (5 kg) in 12 weeks with no calorie restriction.
Plus, a high protein diet can help prevent weight gain. For example, a study found that consuming additional protein, which resulted in a diet that included 18% protein, compared to 15% in another study group, prevented weight recovery by as much as 50%.
Choosing healthy foods like meat, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes over other foods is a great way to increase your protein intake.
Bottom Line: Increasing your protein intake can help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism, decreasing appetite, and reducing belly fat.
Reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates is an effective way to lose weight.
Refined carbohydrates, also known as simple carbohydrates, are sugars and refined grains that are stripped of nutrients and fiber during processing. Common sources of refined carbohydrates include white bread, white flour, pasta, sweets, and baked goods.
Refined carbohydrates are not only a poor source of nutrients, but also have a high glycemic index. This means they are quickly digested and absorbed.
This can cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar, followed by increased food cravings, hunger, and an increased risk of overeating.
Additionally, some studies have linked higher intake of refined carbohydrates to carrying more visceral fat, a type of fat that is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.
For example, a study involving 2,834 participants found that higher intake of refined carbohydrates was associated with increased amount of belly fat, while higher intake of whole grains was associated with decreased amount of belly fat.
In addition, it is recommended that you cut back on soda, juice, and energy drinks. These drinks are often high in sugar and calories, lack other nutrients, and promote weight gain over time - all of which will not fill you up.
Try to replace refined carbohydrates with whole grain alternatives such as brown rice, quinoa, couscous and whole grain breads, or higher protein foods.
Bottom Line: Choosing more whole grain carbs and protein-rich foods over refined foods can help you stay full longer and promote weight loss.
With a goal like losing 10 pounds, willpower alone isn't always enough to ensure long-term success.
This is where accountability is important. It helps you stay on the right track to weight loss success and allows you to make adjustments along the way.
One way to stay accountable is to weigh yourself more often. Studies have shown that people who weigh themselves more often are more likely to lose weight and maintain it, compared to people who do not weigh themselves as often ( 21 years).
Another way to remain accountable is to keep a food diary. This allows you to track your food intake, which can help you lose weight and maintain it longer.
Finally, you can try partnering with a friend who has similar weight loss goals or joining a personal or online weight loss community. It can not only help you achieve your goal, but it can also keep you entertained to keep you motivated.
Bottom line: Responsibility can help you lose weight. There are several ways to do this: weigh yourself regularly, keep a food diary, and have an accountable partner.
While most people know vegetables are very healthy, research shows that about 91% of people in the US don't eat enough of them.
In addition to being healthy, vegetables have other qualities that can help you lose weight.
For starters, vegetables are a good source of fiber, a nutrient that can slow the rate of stomach emptying and increase feelings of fullness.
In addition, vegetables tend to be high in water, which makes them low in energy. This means vegetables are low in calories for their weight.
Consistently choosing low-energy foods, such as vegetables, over refined carbohydrates, allows you to eat the same amount of food while reducing your calorie intake.
In fact, research shows that adults who eat vegetables more often tend to weigh less.
Bottom Line: Vegetables are high in fiber and low in energy, which means they can help you stay full longer by eating fewer calories.
Exercise is important when it comes to losing weight.
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is a popular form of physical activity that helps burn calories and promotes heart health.
In fact, studies have shown that cardio alone can help you lose weight.
For example, a study of 141 overweight or obese participants analyzed the effect of 400 or 600 calorie cardio workouts on weight loss 5 times per week for 10 months without monitoring their calorie intake.
The researchers found that participants who exercised on 400 and 600 calories lost an average of 8.6 pounds (3.9 kg) and 11.5 pounds (5.2 kg), respectively.
Similarly, another study with 141 participants found that doing just 40 minutes of cardio 3 times a week for 6 months resulted in an average of 9% weight loss.
In addition, studies have shown that cardio exercise can help you burn unhealthy belly fat, also known as visceral fat. This type of fat is found in the abdomen and is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
If you're not used to cardio, try walking more often throughout the week and gradually move on to jogging or running as you feel more comfortable. If walking puts too much stress on your joints, try low-impact cardio activities, such as walking on water or cycling.
Bottom Line : Cardio helps you burn calories, which can help you lose weight and lose weight.
Weight training, commonly called lifting weights, can help you lose weight.
It involves working against strength to improve muscle strength and endurance. Although this is usually done with weights, you can do it with your body weight.
Resistance training can help you lose weight by slightly increasing your metabolism, forcing your body to burn more calories at rest.
For example, a study in 61 people found that 9 months of regular weight lifting increased the number of calories they burn at rest by an average of 5% ( 35 years).
Likewise, another study noted that 10 weeks of regular weight lifting increased calorie burn by 7%, helped lower blood pressure, and resulted in an average loss of 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of fat.
The easiest way to get started is to go to the gym, but you can try resistance exercises like squats, lunges, squats and planks at home using your body weight.
If you've never been to a gym before, consider hiring a personal trainer to help you understand how to use the equipment correctly and reduce your risk of injury.
Bottom Line: Resistance training helps preserve muscle mass and can boost your metabolism, which in turn promotes weight loss.
Mindful eating involves the practice of mindfulness and focus on being present when you eat, being aware of your physical and psychological signals of hunger and paying attention to your emotions.
There are several ways to practice mindful eating, but the most common ones are to eat slowly, chew your food thoroughly, and avoid distractions while eating, such as your phone, computer, or TV.
Research has shown that eating slowly - a deliberate eating practice - can help you eat less while making you feel fuller and more satisfied.
Another study in 17 men found that eating slowly leads to more release of satiety hormones such as YY peptide and glucagon-like peptide-1, as well as greater feelings of fullness.
Adition, a review of 19 studies found that incorporating mindfulness into a weight loss regimen led to weight loss in 68% of the studies.
Bottom Line: Incorporating mindful nutrition into your weight loss routine will help you eat less, lose weight, and have more enjoyment of food.
To achieve a big weight loss goal such as losing 10 pounds, it is a great idea to seek the help of a qualified professional, such as a registered dietitian.
A dietitian can not only help you determine the best way to lose excess fat without undue restriction, but also offer you support along the way.
What's more, research has shown that working with a dietitian on the path to weight loss can lead to significantly more weight loss than working alone, and will also help you maintain weight loss thereafter ( 41 yrs, 42 ).
Getting information from a dietitian is especially important if you have a complex medical condition. A dietitian can help you lose weight safely without causing significant harm to your health.
Bottom Line: A dietitian can help speed up your weight loss process and point you in the right direction. This is especially true if you have a complex medical condition.
It is important to note that losing 10 pounds will likely take two weeks, a month or much longer.
Most experts recommend a slow but steady rate of weight loss — for example, 0.5–1 kg of weight, or about 1% of your body weight, per week.
People with a higher starting body weight should expect to lose more pounds than people with a lower starting body weight. However, the percentage of weight loss is about the same.
For example, a person weighing 300 pounds (136 kg) can lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in the first 2 weeks of the diet.
Meanwhile, a person of the same age and gender weighing 160 pounds (73 kg) can only lose 5 pounds (2.3 kg), despite consuming the same amount of calories and exercising.
However, quite often, when you first start a weight loss program, you will experience faster weight loss, especially if you are on a low-carb diet.
This is usually due to the loss of water weight. As your body burns more calories than it consumes, it uses up its reserve fuel sources, such as glycogen, the stored form of sugar.
Glycogen molecules are bound to water, so when the body uses glycogen, it releases bound water.
While most people want to lose weight quickly, it is important not to lose too much weight too quickly.
Rapid weight loss can come with several health risks, including:
• malnutrition
• gallstones
• dehydration
• fatigue
• hair loss
• loss of muscle mass
• constipation
• menstrual irregularities
Proven strategies to help you lose weight include tracking calories, increasing your protein intake, eating more fiber and vegetables, cutting back on refined carbs, doing more cardio and strength training, eating mindfully and taking responsibility for yourself.
If you are still unsure of where to start, it is recommended that you seek professional support from a dietitian as they can point you in the right direction, especially if you already have a medical condition.
Is it realistic to lose 10 pounds in a week?
While it is possible for someone to lose 10 pounds in a week, most people should not attempt to do so unless under the direct guidance and supervision of a doctor. Losing 10 pounds is much easier in a few weeks than in one.
Why is it so hard to lose the last 10 pounds?
When we lose a lot of weight, the body tries very hard to gain weight in order to return to a steady state. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to lose the last 10 pounds - while you are trying to lose more, the body resists and tries to gain weight, reducing metabolism and increasing hunger.
Does drinking water help you lose weight?
Water can be very beneficial for weight loss. It is 100% calorie-free, helps burn more calories, and can even suppress appetite if consumed before meals. The benefits are even greater if you substitute water for sugary drinks.
Are you losing weight faster if you are overweight?
That being said, generally speaking, the heavier you are, the easier it is to lose those first few pounds of fat simply because you can eat more than a lighter person (the heavier you are, the more calories you burn