You have worked out, you have exercised, you have disciplined and now are stuck. 10 more pounds. Stubborn. Or you are 10,20, 30 + pounds over weight. Rather than trying to lose a large amount of weight, you’ll have better results if you attack your weight challenge 10 pounds at a time. This is a manageable and believable goal, and you’ll only need to make a couple of small changes to achieve it. Taking these in chunks also keeps you motivated, helping you to feel inspired through the process.
Once you conquer the first ten pounds then you can set another goal to lose another 10 pounds. The key is to just keep going until you’ve reached your weight loss goal.
Do the minimal amount to lose 10 pounds in a reasonable amount of time.Let is be easy. Let it inspire you. Let it feel good. It doesn’t have to be hard. That is why diets don’t work. They are hard. They are difficult. They are exhausting. We want this to be a lifestyle. We want this to be easy, and we want this to fit into your life. The fewer changes you make, the easier the changes will be to maintain. The fewer changes you make, the more changes you can make in the future. If you use every trick and tactic right out of the gate, you’ll run out of tools to use in the future, so it is best to take it at a slow and satisfying pace.
Lose 10 pounds with the minimal amount of stress and effort:
1.Drink fewer calories. If you drink calorie-containing drinks, it’s easy to consume a lot of calories without your awareness. It may be tempting to drink a mocha, cafe high sugar drink to get you going but these can pack on the pounds and leave you feeling burnt out and exhausted by lunch time. Try switching to water with vitamins in them to save yourself several hundred calories each day. You can flavor it with fresh fruit as well, yet adding liquid nutrients to your water can allow for added nutrition and hydration. A win, win!
2.Walk. Hitting the gym could be even better but be certain you’re walking each day. We’re meant to move around more than most of us do. If you have foot or leg problems, swimming is an excellent alternative. Wearing a Fitbit or apple watch can be motivating as you close rings, or see the number of steps increase. Challenging yourself to walk a certain number of daily steps or even a friendly competition with friends and family can keep the game fun and light while you get healthy.
3.Eat slower. You’re much less likely to overeat if you eat slower. Pay attention to the food in your mouth and chew thoroughly. Avoid watching TV or playing on your phone while you eat. Give your meal your undivided attention, eat slowly, and you’ll eat less. This is the practice of mindful eating Mindful eating can prevent overeating as you are becoming fully aware of what and how much you are eating. Asking yourself questions like what organ am I gong to eat with this meal or how am I going to heal by eating this can also be of good health.
4.Reduce your intake of processed carbs. These are also loaded with calories and are unhealthy food choices. These include things like cookies, crackers, bread, and pasta. Not only are these bread, pasta, and rice choices unhealthy (due to glucose spikes) they can also leave you feel unnourished and can be highly addictive. Try eating protein instead of reaching for the simple carbohydrate.
5.Stop eating after dinner. After two or three meals, your body has had enough. Eating after dinner is unnecessary and can cause a host of problems. Eating a lot and then going to bed isn’t optimal for your weight or your health. If you do choose to have dessert make it a simple bowl of cherries or an orange. Even though a shot of glucose may not be ideal it is much healthier than a bowl of ice cream or sugary dessert.
6.Sleep more. Studies show that tired people are attracted to fattening foods more than the well-rested. A lack of sleep also contributes to metabolic issues that make it harder to maintain a healthy weight. When you are fatigued, worn out, and exhausted the body is depleted. Making sure that you get your rest and don’t burn the candle at both ends is helpful to rejuvenate your health.
7.Eat at home. Eating out and being healthy is challenging. You can save a lot of calories and money by staying home for your meals. Most restaurants are in the business to sell food, and therefore will use fat, sodium, or sugar to sell their food. This doesn’t make them wrong or bad it just simply means this is an excellent cheat meal once a week. Having more controls over our food and knowing how your food is prepared can go a long way in ensuring proper caloric intake.
8.Weigh yourself daily. When you measure something, the thing you measure changes. Weigh yourself each day and average your weight at the end of each week. You might find this is enough to move your weight in a positive direction. This can be tricky as some people can be obsessed or even frustrated if the scale does not move. You may have gains in other areas such as the way your clothes fit, how your body feels, or waist measurements. If the scale does not move do not discourage simply use another method or drop back to weekly or even monthly measurements.
9.Eat more vegetables. With few exceptions, vegetables are low in calories and high in bulk. You’ll feel full without expanding your waistline. Follow your mom’s advice and eat more vegetables. Veggies are low in calories and are complex carbs as well as fiber which will allow for the bowels to move better as well as keep weight down. Work on adding carbs that are low glycemic such as your greens t help not only keep your weight down but detoxify your blood.
10.Skip breakfast. For ages, we’ve been told to eat three meals a day. However, newer research suggests that skipping breakfast or dinner is a healthier way to live. Avoid skipping lunch. This idea works best if you skip dinner, but most people find it easier socially and psychologically to skip breakfast. Ensure that you get all of your daily calories, increase protein, and reduce fats to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet.
Losing 10 pounds is a lot easier physically and mentally than losing 60 lbs. Set a series of 10-pound weight-loss goals until your target weight is reached. A few small changes can be enough to see real results by keeping you motivated and energized.
Just add a few of these tips to your life until you’re losing 1-2 pounds each week. Avoid the temptation to try to lose 25 pounds each month. Two pounds/week is 100 pounds/year. How much did you lose last year with your current strategy? And if you are already down and still have a stubborn bulk consider a body contouring package or a metabolic assessment within our practice to see where you can fine tune and trim down.
For your best results, take your time and make permanent changes to your habits. Remember this is a lifestyle and not a diet. Contact our holistic medical practitioner if you need further help.