FITNESS: Healthy 10 Lbs. Weight Loss Plan

A healthy 10-lb. weight-loss plan requires you to make changes to both your diet and your activity level. If you want to keep the weight off for the long-term, make changes slowly, aiming to lose between 1 and 2 lbs. each week. Plan to follow a weight-loss plan for at least five weeks to lose a healthy 10 lbs.

Meal Timing
When you eat your meals throughout the day you increase your ability to lose weight. Dr. Michael Hall, a family practitioner for DuBois Regional Health Center says, “Eating breakfast helps boost your metabolism and decreases your chances of overeating later in the day.” He recommends eating something containing fiber or protein every two to three hours throughout the day to keep your metabolism high. These foods tend to contain fewer calories per serving, allowing you to eat more while you lose weight. To keep the 10 lbs. off after you lose it, continue eating a minimum of three meals each day.

Food Choices
Some foods help you feel full longer, while others increase your desire to eat. Foods that cause rapid increases in your blood sugar, such as chips, cookies, cakes and white bread, cause you to feel hungry faster. On the other hand, foods that contain high amounts of fiber or protein, help your body feel full longer, says Karen Collins, a dietitian and nutritionist in Jamestown, New York. With this in mind, Collins recommends you increase your intake of water, fresh produce, nuts and whole grains. Eating a low-fat diet rich in protein and fiber, increases your chances of losing a healthy 10 lbs. in approximately five weeks.
Exercise
Diet alone may not allow you to lose 10 lbs. Exercise allows you to increase the number of calories your body uses to increase your weight-loss potential. Plus, exercise helps build lean muscle, which burns more calories, even at rest, than fat tissue, according to the American Council on Exercise. Extra lean muscle tissue also helps you keep the weight off, if you return to unhealthy eating habits. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that all healthy adults under the age of 65 exercise at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week and perform strength-training exercises twice a week. The harder you exercise, the more calories you burn, increasing your weight-loss potential even father. However, Hall advises that too much exercise can actually sabotage your weight-loss plan, causing you to overeat or avoid exercise in the future.
Motivation
Because a healthy 10-lb. weight-loss plan takes a minimum of five weeks, motivation techniques can help you stay on track. Some of the best motivational techniques include losing weight with a friend, writing down achievable goals, tracking your success and rewarding your successes, explains Dr. Luisito Dingcong, a psychiatrist at Bright Horizons in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. The more motivational tools you use, the greater your chances of success.