The last 10 pounds of your weight loss goal are often the hardest to lose. If you have lost a lot of weight, it can be frustrating to be so close to your goal but unable to lose the last 10 pounds. This difficulty occurs for several reasons, and understanding them may help you get those last pounds off.
Weight Loss Plateau
You may be at a weight plateau on your diet to slim down. Plateaus occur when your weight loss gets "stuck" at a certain level, and you find it difficult to lose more weight. You can increase your weight loss by increasing your activity level.
Biology
Your body is designed to resist losing too much weight and has protective mechanisms that kick in when your calorie intake decreases below the amount of calories burned. As an evolutionary process, your body holds on to some fat stores to avoid starvation.
Other Factors
Although you are biologically programmed to resist losing too much weight, there may be other reasons your weight loss efforts have stalled. Keep a diary of your food and exercise routine to make sure you haven't allowed old habits to creep back in. You may need to increase your exercise level to boost your weight loss again. Make sure you are not eating too little. If your calorie intake falls too low, your body may believe you are starving, causing your metabolism to slow down.
Acceptance
You may need to accept that your weight may not reach the lowest level you're aiming for. Focus on other factors, such as inches lost and fitness level, instead of the pounds on the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat, so it is possible to lose inches and clothing sizes even if your weight on the scale doesn't dramatically change.
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