How To Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days

 How to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days

If you’re serious about losing weight, you should seriously consider adding exercise to your daily routine—at least three times per week, but preferably every day. Exercise not only helps with weight loss, it also helps you prevent disease and live longer and healthier overall. Read on to learn about the different types of exercise available and how to make them all fit into your busy life.

1) Work Out Three Times a Week

Working out at least three times a week is a good starting point for losing weight, maintaining your health and staying fit. Don’t confuse exercising with working out. When you exercise, you move your body by walking, running or cycling. Some exercises are more vigorous than others; it all depends on how hard you work your muscles. Working out uses weights and resistance machines to build muscle mass and strength, which helps burn calories even when you’re resting.

2) Cut Your Carbs

Eating lots of carbs can be good, but when you’re trying to lose weight it may not be. Low-carb diets have been shown to help people lose weight faster and more safely than low-fat diets. And contrary to popular belief, carb-rich foods aren’t necessarily fattening.

3) Keep an Exercise Journal

Before beginning any exercise program, it’s important to keep a fitness journal. By recording your daily activity—or lack thereof—you’ll be able to quickly identify when you may be slacking off. Once you have an idea of how much you’re exercising (or not), plan out your week and create achievable goals for yourself. Over time, keeping a log will enable you to develop a routine and stay motivated even after weeks or months of hard work.

4) Have Water on Hand at All Times

This is an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t drink enough water. Having a full glass at all times ensures that your body stays hydrated, which can help with weight loss. Make sure you also have some flavored water on hand so you can stay hydrated while helping yourself shed excess belly fat as well. (If flavored water isn’t your thing, then make sure you at least rehydrate with un-flavored water.)

5) Write Down What You Eat

The first step is being aware of what you’re eating. Keep a food journal that tracks calories and macronutrients so you can see how much you’re taking in. To lose weight quickly, aim for 80 percent healthful foods and 20 percent pleasurable treats—not only will it help you keep your portions under control, but it’ll also ensure that your body gets essential nutrients while helping keep cravings at bay.

6) Do Not Skip Breakfast

The National Weight Control Registry, a survey of over 6,000 people who’ve lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year, found that those who skip breakfast are more likely to gain weight than those who don’t. People often think skipping breakfast will save calories and help lose weight—but research suggests just the opposite is true. In fact, eating breakfast can actually make you feel fuller longer and prevent you from reaching for calorie-rich snacks throughout your day.

7) Get Enough Sleep Each Night

Inadequate sleep has a number of negative consequences, including hormonal imbalances and weight gain. Aim for eight hours of shut-eye each night—that’s two hours more than you probably get now. If you’re having trouble getting your full quota, set an alarm or use natural light as a cue for when it’s time to go to bed. Ideally, stop work or other strenuous activity at least an hour before you want to hit snooze every morning.

8) Do Not Drink Coffee During This Challenge

Coffee is a diuretic—meaning it makes you pee more often and depletes your body of water. This can dehydrate you, causing your muscles to cramp up during a workout. Drinking coffee beforehand also may make it harder for your body to tap into stored fat, making weight loss that much more difficult. So skip your morning cup of joe before heading out for a run or hitting up an intense boot camp class.

9) Avoid Junk Food as Much as Possible

Getting plenty of exercise is essential for keeping your weight under control, but it’s not just physical activity that helps you shed pounds. Adhering to a balanced diet—one with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein—can also make a big difference when it comes to losing weight. Junk food tends to be high in calories but low in nutrition, so eating it all day long can slow down your metabolism and hinder weight loss efforts.

10) Stretch Daily

While it’s tempting to skip stretches when you’re trying to lose weight—it feels like a waste of time, after all—stretching is an important part of any exercise routine. Stretching can help improve flexibility and circulation, prevent injury and boost overall energy. Plus, a daily stretching regimen can actually burn calories and help increase your metabolism. To lose 10 pounds in just over two weeks, aim for 15 minutes of stretches three times a day.