Ten days is not a lot of time to lose a lot of weight, but by following a strict plan and using some helpful strategies suggested by the Medical Center at the University of Maryland (UM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can lose up to three pounds safely. One to two pounds a week of weight loss is a healthy amount to lose. Andrea Wenger Hess, a UM nutritionist, says, "Slow weight loss is important. It will be easier to keep it off."
Step 1
Write down your goal. The CDC says that it is helpful when getting started with a weight loss plan to sign a contract with yourself for the weight. Date the end of the contract for 10 days from now.
Step 2
Cut calories by 500 to 1,000 a day, but do not deprive yourself of the foods you most enjoy. "Plan your indulgences into your schedule," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the UM School of Medicine. "Keep the portions down, savor, taste and enjoy it." Dr. Peeke recommends budgeting 100 to 200 calories a day to eat whatever you want.
Step 3
Drink at least eight glasses of water daily. Wenger Hess says that getting enough water to drink every day will make you feel full, and therefore less likely to want to eat. It will also reduce water weight. Wenger Hess says, "When the body is not receiving adequate fluids, the kidneys compensate by conserving water ... essentially, 'holding onto' the water they do have. The result can be water retention--water weight you really don't want."
Step 4
Plan your meals and eat in. Wenger Hess suggests having access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dried beans, nonfat dairy and fish. Limit eating out. It's only for ten days. If you have to eat out, split the meal with a friend or ask for half of it to be bagged up for later.
Step 5
Walk briskly for 10 minutes three times a day. The CDC advises getting a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week. Take the weekend off if you wish, but get some combination of 30 minutes of moderate exercise during the week. You can also dance, play sports, or cycle. The most important thing is to do something you enjoy.
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