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Weight gain often creeps up on us. One second you’re at your ideal weight, then a few weeks of not weighing in and you’ve gained 10 pounds.
Throughout our lives, our weight often fluctuates. However, there’s a big difference between gaining a pound or two and ten pounds. The problem with weight is that it’s easy to gain and incredibly difficult to get rid of. Those extra pounds always seem to stick, meaning that when it comes to losing them again, it’s not an easy process. However, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare to shed the extra weight; you can easily shed 10 pounds in just a few days. When it comes to weight loss, how you go about it is key.
This guide will help you to drop 10 pounds in just a week, allowing you to achieve a slimmer and sleeker figure. All you need to do is take these tips on board and implement them into your daily lifestyle. |
1. Increase your vegetable consumption
If you want to shed that extra weight, at every meal, at least, half of your plate should consist of vegetables. The best vegetables are leafy greens – spinach and kale, and nutrient-packed broccoli and peppers. In comparison to meat, vegetables are much better for your body as they’re lower in fat and easier to digest. While a small amount of protein with each meal is fine, anything more than a quarter of your plate being filled with meat is too much (so you probably want to share the meat from that fancy home electric smoker). If you want to slim down, always stick to lean meats like steak and chicken. Or another option is to switch to eating Quorn – it’s a healthy and low-fat alternative to meat. On your plate, as well as half being made up of vegetables, you should have a small amount of protein and a small amount of healthy carbohydrates. Quinoa, brown rice, couscous, or whole wheat pasta are all good options. It may also be worth swapping to a smaller plate size, as when your plate is large it’s easy to overfill it. Constant overfilling leads to the consumption of too many calories, and eventually, weight gain. For meal times stick to a smaller plate and ensure that the majority of what you’re eating is green veggies, and the weight will drop off.
Juicing is another option you might want to consider on your way to a better you.
2. Be smart about what you drink
When it comes to losing weight, what you drink can have a big impact. In fact, liquid calories can have more of an impact on your weight loss success than the food that you eat. If you drink lots of sugary juices, fizzy drinks, you could easily be doubling your recommended calorie intake. It’s far too easy to forget that drinks come with calories. Unless it’s water, every sip counts as calories. That’s why when it comes to losing weight, sticking to water is your best bet. Soda water flavoured with fresh fruit is a good alternative to fizzy drinks, as it’s sugar and calorie-free. Infusing fruit into water is a great way to make it more enjoyable. It’s much healthier than drinking sugar filled drinks and will help the weight to fall off you. If you want to shed ten pounds in ten days, ban any drinks containing sugar. Instead, stick to water and coffee and tea that are free from sugar or flavoured syrup. Alcohol is also a big no-no, as the calories in just one small glass of wine can reach the hundreds. If you have to drink, opt for vodka and soda water – a low-calorie, low-sugar option. Be wary about what you drink, as plenty of drinks are packed full of hidden calories.
3. Do short, intense workouts
Studies have shown that when it comes to burning fat, short, intense workouts are much better for you than slow, longer ones. Instead of running for an hour each morning, swap to sprinting for 30 minutes. Although the time you’ll be working out for will be shorter, a burst of intense activity will burn more calories than a longer, slower stint. Simply by making this small change, you can give your weight loss a massive boost. If you’re not sure how to swap to more intense workouts, joining a Crossfit club could be a good idea. The short, intense workouts that Crossfit is famous for are perfect for helping to give your weight loss a boost. Believe it or not, Crossfit isn’t as hard to get into as you would think. It’s suitable for anyone, no matter your abilities or strengths, so don’t be afraid to give it a go. If you want to drop those ten pounds, it’s the perfect workout option.
4. Cut down on sauces
It probably doesn’t even cross your mind but those sauces you’re adding to your food all add up. Most sauces are full of calories and fat, and adding just a spoonful or two to your food can take the calorie count up significantly. If you want to drop pounds quickly, cutting out sauces like mayonnaise is worth doing. Food doesn’t have to be bland just because you’ve cut out sauces – you can make your own easily. For a low-fat salad dressing or sandwich sauce, fat-free yogurt mixed with the herbs of your choice can make a great alternative. It tastes good, is low in fat and will help to aid your weight loss. Just by swapping to yogurt sauces you can save up to 100 calories per meal. Shop made sauces are packed full of hidden calories, so if you want to lose weight, it’s best to avoid them.
5. Plan out your meals each morning
The most important thing you can do when it comes to cutting down your calorie intake is plan out your meals for the day. If you don’t know what you’re eating throughout the day, it’s far too easy to consume too many calories. By planning out your meals in advance, you can see how many spare calories you have. Each morning, work out what you will be eating through the day so that you can ensure you don’t consume too many calories. By knowing what you’re going to be eating, you can control your calorie count to ensure it doesn’t exceed your daily limit for weight loss. If you can’t plan out your meals, assign a certain amount of calories to each meal. That way you will know what you have to work with and can go from there. Stick to your calorie limit for each meal, to ensure that you don’t overeat.
6. Go DIY when it comes to food
Did you know that ready-made foods and sauces are packed full of fat and unhealthy sugars? If you want to lose weight quickly, going DIY when it comes to your food is crucial. This means no shop bought pasta, curry or stir fry sauces, as these are all full of empty calories. Your best bet, if you want to shed those extra pounds, is to make your food from scratch. This means that every meal, from the base to the sauce, needs to be homemade. While this might sound daunting, the truth is it doesn’t have to be. Believe it or not, making your own food from scratch is much easier than you would think. Steer clear of any recipes containing cream, cheese or butter, instead stick to vegetable based sauces. If you have a look online, there are plenty of recipes for low-fat sauces and meals that are quick and easy to make. As well as being great for weight loss, homemade meals are better for you and cheaper to make. Try fresh fruits and juice them using purpose built juicers.
7. Reduce your portion sizes
When it comes to portion sizes, most of us are eating more than we should be. It’s an easy mistake to make, but it can cause your weight to balloon. So if you want to shed those extra pounds quickly, cutting your portion sizes is a must. If you’re unsure of how much of a certain food you should be having, you can find out online. As a rule of thumb, a serving of carbohydrates – pasta, rice, etc., should be no larger than the size of a fist. Your meat or fish serving should be no larger than the length of your hand. If you choose to add condiments to your food – mayo or tomato sauce, the serving should be no larger than a ping pong ball. If you struggle with serving sizes, you will almost always be overweight. Your best bet is to buy a serving measurement device online so that you can work out exactly what you should be eating. It’s far too easy to overeat; that’s why knowing the amounts you should be having is so important.
8. Walk don’t drive
Want to shed those pounds – walk don’t drive. Popping out to the shops or dropping the kids to school – use your feet, not your car. It might take longer to get places, but if you want to lose weight quickly, the more active you are, the better. Walking not only helps to shed pounds, but it also increases your leg and core strength, helping with toning. You’ll find that simply by walking an extra mile to three miles a day, your weight loss with quickly increase. This is especially true if you walk at the start of the day, as this will help to wake up your metabolism and speed it up. Meaning that throughout the day you will be burning more calories than normal, as your metabolism is working faster. If you want to shed those pounds, walk wherever you can. If you can’t walk, consider cycling.
9. Always carry healthy snacks
Unless you want to get caught short and be hungry where there’s no healthy food, it’s best to carry snacks with you. When we get hungry, our bodies start to crave everything and anything. It’s this that often leads to us satisfying ourselves with unhealthy foods. That’s why it’s a good idea always to carry healthy snack foods around with you, so that should you get hungry, you’re covered. The best foods to have on hand are fresh fruit – grapes offer a great energy boost, nuts and seeds, or baked fruit. Dried fruit is packed full of added sugar, so don’t opt for that. Baked fruit, however, tends to be baked naturally so makes a great healthy snack. Another great option for a healthy and filling on the go snack is nut butter and celery sticks. Or hummus and cucumber and chopped peppers can also make a great healthy snack. Always make sure that you’re prepared, so that when hunger strikes you’re not caught short.
10. Eat little and often
We’re often told that snacking is bad, but actually that’s not the case. If you want your metabolism to run as quickly as possible, eating small amounts little and often is a must. Aim to eat small meals or snacks five to eight times a day, to help your body effectively burn calories. As long as these meals are healthy and fat-free, you should start to see the pounds dropping off. If you only eat a couple of times a day, your metabolism will become sluggish and burn fat slowly. However, if you eat little and often, your metabolism will constantly be running. This will help to burn fat more quickly, resulting in faster weight loss. Snacks like a handful of strawberries dipped in low-fat yogurt (you can even use a top blender to mix them together into a yummy smoothie), cream cheese on a breakfast muffin, or a handful of pretzels, are all ideal. Eating small snacks little and often can have a big impact on your weight loss. If you want the pounds to melt off, snacking regularly, is important.
Gaining weight is no fun, especially when the weight seems to stick. If you’re struggling to get rid of those extra pounds, it could be a good idea to give the tips mentioned in this guide a try. Weight loss is never easy, but if you persevere, the pounds can quickly drop off. If you’re really struggling with weight loss and nothing seems to work, it could be worth going to see your doctor to get checked over. Sometimes weight gain can be down to an illness or condition, so getting checked out could be a good idea.
As a complement to this guide please read Natural Weight Loss for Women.
