The Best Ways to Lose 10 Pounds of Fat

The Best Ways to Lose 10 Pounds of Fat
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If you want to lose an extra 10 lbs., you need to focus on creating a calorie deficit. When your body consumes too many calories, it stores the excess calories as fat. Losing this fat requires burning more calories than you need, causing the body to tap into these fat reserves. Healthy diet changes and increased physical activity make it realistic to drop 10 lbs. of fat over time.

Calculate Weight Loss

A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, according to MedlinePlus. The fastest recommend weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. weekly. If you want to lose 10 lbs. of fat, this will take about five weeks. This requires burning 7,000 calories a week, which is 1,000 calories each day.

If you're overwhelmed by burning 1,000 calories a day, combine exercise with diet modifications. For example, reduce daily calorie consumption by 500 calories and burn 500 calories daily through exercise.

Select Fat Burning Activities

If you want to burn 500 calories a day through physical activity, you need to select the right exercises. For example, water aerobics only burns 292 calories an hour, however, high impact aerobics burns 511 calories an hour. Playing basketball for an hour burns 584 calories, for a 160 lb. person, according to MayoClinic.com. If you enjoy running, this activity will burn 986 calories an hour, at a pace of 8 mph. If running is too difficult, try jogging, which burns 584 calories an hour.

Also, schedule two strength sessions a week, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strength training helps burn additional calories and promotes faster weight loss.

Tips for Reducing Calories

Avoid consuming foods that are high in sugar and fat. If you drink alcohol, cut back. Alcoholic drinks are usually high calorie, which makes losing that extra 10 lbs. difficult. Pay attention to when you eat. If you're eating when you're stressed out and bored, plan some alternatives. Plan exercise sessions or other enjoyable activities for when you're stressed out, instead. Recognizing these habits will assist in changing the pattern. If you need help calculating calories and food servings per day, MayoClinic.com offers a Healthy Weight Pyramid, allowing you to determine requirements based on age, weight and height.

Avoid Fad Diets

A fad diet might promote losing 10 lbs. quickly. However, fat diets aren't the best weight loss approach, according to the American Heart Association. Quick weight loss plans typically overemphasis the consumption of a food group. Following these plans long-term can result in nutritional issues. A diet should include foods that you enjoy eating. Without enjoyable foods, you won't stick to the diet, making it difficult to accomplish weight loss. Always talk with your doctor before starting a weight loss program.

References

Article reviewed by V. Mac Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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