Do you need to fit into that outfit for a special occasion? Do you feel you would be much more healthy losing just ten extra pounds? If so, it is possible to lose ten pounds in one-month with just a few easy changes to your diet and lifestyle. Yes, it is for real. No gimmicks. No crash dieting and no stimulating medications. Just easy changes with what you have in your own home.
Some ways to lose 10 pounds in a month
Courtesy of ptweightloss.comChanges in Your Diet
First, take a good look at your diet. Dietary changes are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to lose weight. Let’s start with shopping. Before you go shopping, go through your cupboards and clean out anything that may be unhealthy and cause you to pack on pounds. If it is not there, it won’t tempt you to eat it. Next, when you go shopping try to stay away from the center aisles of the store as much as possible. Shop the perimeter of the store first and fill your shopping cart with fresh foods. Try to choose the following:
- Fresh Lettuce; Green Lettuce, Red Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce
- Vegetables of Assorted Colors; Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cucumbers, Squash
- Fruits Low in Sugar/High Fiber; Strawberries, Cherries, Apples, Cantaloupe
*These are low on the glycemic index and higher in fiber; therefore, they take longer to turn to sugar in the body.
- Lean Turkey, Chicken, Fish, and Lean Red Meat (Smaller Portions)
- Skim Milk, Fat Free/Sugar Free Yogurt, Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- Whole Grain Breads
For healthy fats in your diet, stock up on plenty of nuts, olive oil for bread, fat-free mayonnaise and salad dressings. Things like balsamic vinegar and lemon juice can be used as flavorings or in place of salt. Also, cut down on the amount of salt in your food and at the table. This will make you retain water and keep the pounds on.
Lastly, skip the fast-food lines and the processed/packaged foods. These foods are full of fat, chemical preservatives and carbohydrates. There is little nutritional content and your body tends to store them as fat. Use packaged mixes very sparingly and try to cook only fresh foods. There are many recipes that are easy to make without the prepared mixes you buy on the shelf. Not only will the pounds drop off, you will also save money.
Increase Your Water Intake
Your body needs water. It is the single most important part of weight loss and staying healthy. Drinking plenty of fluids will help to flush out the toxins you retained from eating processed, packaged and fast-foods. It will also help flush out the excess fluids that your body retains from eating too much salt.
Try to drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. This should be about a cup of fluid or 240ml. each serving. One easy way to get your water in; measure out a large 64 oz. cup of water with a lid or a sports bottle and carry it with you wherever you go. You can always go over on your water and refill it when needed.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
You need to burn excess calories and fat. When you eat, your body will store any extra calories as fat for future use. You only require about 2,000 calories a day and the typical diet can actually go over 3,000. Figure 1 is a sample chart of how much exercise you need to get in order to burn excess calories:
Figure 1: Calorie Chart for Exercise
If you normally lead a sedentary lifestyle, now is the time to get up and get moving. You don’t need to exercise all day every day, its okay to start slow. Start doing a little exercise one to three days every week and choose exercises that are easy the first week and gradually increase your days and the length of time you exercise at each session.
To burn the most calories, choose exercises that have the most cardiovascular effect. Walking briskly, riding a bicycle and aerobic dancing are all good ways to burn calories. Anything that involves weight training or muscle building can actually pack on a few pounds of muscle while burning fat. Even if this happens, your figure will still look slimmer and your clothing may fit better.
Make A Few Lifestyle Changes
There are a few lifestyle changes that can bring about quick weight loss. Things like late night snacking, alcohol consumption and watching television in the evenings can all contribute to weight gain.
If you like your late night snack, that’s perfectly fine, it is just time to cut out the snacks that pack on the calories and carbohydrates before you go to sleep for the night. Try to choose snacks that are easily digestible so they won’t be stored as fat. Late night snacks that can cause weight gain are; ice cream, sandwiches, chips, granola bars and crackers. Better choices would be; popcorn (unbuttered), carrot sticks with fat-free dressing and cereal with skim milk.
If you like an alcoholic beverage or two, this may be something that keeps weight on your body. Beer and wine can cause weight gain due to the high carbohydrate content. Try to choose a light beer or white wines. Limit yourself to no more than two drinks daily.
Television watching at night or anytime can contribute to keeping weight on or weight gain due to inactivity. Finding a new activity in the evenings or on the weekends that requires movement can help you to burn more calories. Taking the family out for a walk after dinner, hiking on the weekends or buying a television game system with games that require movement are all good ways to avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
A few helpful tips are:
- Park your car farther away from your destination and walk
- Take the stairs in buildings instead of the elevator
- Pack your lunch and skip the cafeteria
- Keep the candy off your desk at work, keep healthy nuts instead
- Walk around your building on your lunch hour
- Start a weight loss group and compete for the largest weight loss with prizes
Conclusion
Losing ten pounds in a month can be easier than you may think. It just requires a few modifications in your diet and lifestyle. You don’t even need to go hungry, start a crash diet or take medications that make you jittery. These changes not only help you lose weight, but they are also good for your overall health in the long run.
Staying on track with healthy habits is a positive and lifelong change for the better and your body will thank you!