Supplement companies, diet books and weight management companies want you to believe that losing weight--even 10 lbs.--is hard to do on your own. Weight loss actually comes about by following a simple equation: eat fewer calories than you burn, and over time, weight loss will occur. A pound of weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so trimming a manageable 250 calories per day yields a ½ lb. of weight loss per week. You can create this deficit even more easily by increasing your calorie burn through more physical activity. It may take four or five months to lose the 10 lbs. at this rate, but with easy changes, you will be more likely to succeed.
Step 1
Cut out hundreds of calories by limiting the amount of added sugars you eat daily. Limit your intake of sodas, sweets and sugary condiments like ketchup, syrup and honey. Read labels of foods like sweetened yogurts, milks, smoothies and cereals to see if you are overconsuming in these areas as well. The American Heart Association reports that Americans eat an average of 350 extra calories in manufacturer-added sugars daily, which is 22 tsp. If you manage to trim all 22 tsp., you can lose 10 lbs. in 100 days.
Step 2
Eyeball proper portions. Use simple, everyday objects as references for an easy way to figure out if you are eating a reasonable amount of foods, recommends the Cleveland Clinic. Eat meat, fish or poultry just the size of a deck of cards. Serve yourself a fist-sized portion of pasta to be sure it is only a cup. Go for a cupcake wrapper-sized serving of rice. If you still feel hungry, load up on green vegetables--sans butter and dressings--which provide fiber and water to fill you up.
Step 3
Eat only when you are hungry. Think before you eat. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry, or if you are simply bored or cleaning your plate because you think you should. If you are hungry, consider whether the food choice you are making is the best possible one at that moment. The Harvard School of Public Health advises that the easy step of pausing a moment or two before you eat can help you stay on track.
Step 4
Exercise. Make physical activity a priority. Visit the gym regularly if you do not currently exercise. Add 15 minutes to your current cardiovascular routine if you already do 30 or 45 minutes most days of the week to burn another 50 to 150 calories, depending on your size and intensity. Take a long, brisk walk if you do not have access to a gym, or simply run up and down your stairs. Buy a jump rope and use it for just 10 minutes in the morning or evening to burn an extra 120 calories, if you weigh 160 lbs., according to mayoclinic.com. Make other excuses to move; walk to talk to an office colleague in person rather than through e-mail, park farther away from your destination and volunteer to mow the lawn or scrub the floors. All movement burns calories, and moving is better than sitting for hours in front of the television or the computer for your 10-lb. weight loss goal.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose nutritious foods habitually so you can keep your weight off for the long run. Avoid processed snack foods and fast food as often as possible.
- In an attempt to lose your 10 lbs., do not embark on starvation diets. Eating fewer than 1,200 calories per day as a woman or 1,500 as a man is not recommended by the National Institutes of Health, as noted on Medline Plus. You risk nutritional deficiencies and ultimate failure due to feelings of deprivation and hunger.
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