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We’ve probably all found ourselves, at one time or another in our lives, wanting to lose some weight. Whether you’re trying to take off some pounds gained during the holiday season, preparing for a summer trip, or simply looking for a way to feel more fit and healthy, trying to lose weight is rarely a bad idea. Here’s some ways you can lose 10 pounds:

Tip #1: Diet

This is the most obvious starting point, yet one that is commonly overlooked. Most people, when they’re trying to lose 10 pounds, think of things like cutting out junk food and avoiding snacks. While this is no doubt important, it is not necessary to starve yourself if you’re looking to lose 10 pounds.

The most important things to consider in terms of your diet are balance and proportion. If you want to lose 10 pounds for good, you’re going to have to think in terms of your overall eating habits. By changing your eating habits permanently for the better, the weight you lose will stay lost.

Your daily intake of food should include a well balanced proportion of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Variety is the key to this. Ask yourself: can you name more than 3 vegetables that you eat regularly and enjoy? Or more generally: how many different “meals” do you make for yourself during an average week? Most people in answering these questions will realize that there’s not as much variety to their diet as they may of thought.

When trying to lose 10 pounds, you also have to try to be in tune with your body as much as possible. You probably don’t realize, unless you think about it, how little you adhere to your body’s needs. Most people eat roughly the same amount at the same time every day. While this is convenient, it doesn’t necessarily sync up with what you need. Ask yourself: are you always hungry when you eat? Do you stop eating when you’re full, or do you eat all of whatever you’ve made?

These simple changes in dietary habits can work wonders, and render you goal of losing 10 pounds less daunting than it probably seems.

Tip #2: Exercise

This is another fundamental step in losing weight. You’re not going to be able to easily lose 10 pounds though dietary habits alone. Exercise must become a part of your lifestyle.

The problem many people face is that they feel they don’t have the time for exercise. Granted, not everyone may have time to get to the gym every day, but there are many things you can do at home: besides sit-ups and other equipment-free exercise, equipment like a treadmill, Stairmaster, or exercise-bike can allow you to lose weight without a gym membership.

In terms of the time involved in trying to lose 10 pounds, many of you may be saying that you barely have enough time in the day as it is, let alone adding exercise to the mix. If you have an exercise-bike, treadmill, or other similar equipment however, your exercise routine can easily be combined with other activities you enjoy and make time for, like watching television or listening to music. In this way you’ll find exercising doesn’t require that you make time as much is it requires you change your way of doing activities you already do.

Tip #3: Lifestyle

Now you not only want to lose 10 pounds, you want those 10 pounds to stay lost, right? A way to ensure success with keeping that weight off is to make some lifestyle changes.

Everyone becomes accustomed to their routines, and it’s difficult to force changes on those routines. One of the reasons many people fail with a task like losing 10 pounds is that it seems to require too much discipline and work. While a certain amount of stick-to-itiveness is no doubt necessary, you’ll find it much easier to lose weight if you incorporate changes into your lifestyle. A diet and exercise routine is almost certain to fail if it conflicts with your daily routines.

For example, if you live a reasonable distance from work, try biking instead of driving. What you’re doing here is incorporating exercise in to your normal routine: work is something you go to every day anyway –all you’re doing is changing the way you get there. Changing the way you do something that you already do is far more convenient than starting something new, and biking to work is much easier to incorporate into your lifestyle then going to the gym every day.

The same principle can be applied to your eating habits. Do you pack a lunch for work or eat out? If you eat out, chances are you’re going to be eating something less healthy than you would make for yourself, and probably a larger portion as well. By getting up a little earlier each morning and preparing your own lunch, you’re not only saving money, but your incorporating a healthy eating choice in your routine. This is much easier to do then having a list in your head and constantly reminding yourself of what you can and can’t eat.

Not only are lifestyle changes easier to enforce than hard and fast diet rules, they’re also more permanent. Simply look at your daily routine for places where you could incorporate a bit of exercise: take the stairs instead of the elevator; walk instead of taking the bus. These changes will not only make you lose weight, but you’ll feel healthier and better without having to constantly chastise yourself for breaking dieting “rules.”

Tip #4: Planning

If you want to lose 10 pounds, it’s imperative that you have a plan. The chances of you being successful are very unlikely if you collect an odd batch of advice here and there and implement it sporadically. First, think of a realistic timeframe in which you want to lose 10 pounds. When you’re doing this, keep in mind how much time you’re willing to devote it, and how much you’re willing to affect your daily routine: it’s going to take more work to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks than it is to lose 10 pounds in a month, for example.

Although healthy weight loss requires a balanced solution, when planning, pick which aspects of weight loss you’d like to focus on more: do you want to devote more time to exercise, and have more flexibility with your diet, or vice versa? When coming up with a weight loss plan, be realistic and think about how much time and effort you’re willing to commit.

Making a weight loss plan is important because it gives you goals and something to stick to. Make your plan specific: don’t say “I’m going to exercise this week,” say “I’m going to exercise every day for 30 minutes when I get home from work.” Try to come up with goals and expectations for yourself every day, so you can benefit from a regular sense of achievement.

The basic outline of your plan should incorporate both diet and exercise. A good way to start is to research a few healthy meals and plan to make them in your first week. This is more enjoyable than simply making a list of things you can’t eat: you’ll learn how to cook new things, and you’ll have the satisfaction of preparing an enjoyable meal. The same goes for exercise: come up with some activities for the week. These don’t have to be boring, work-type, exercise activities. Think of things like playing a sport, or taking a hike.

Tip #5: Sticking to Your Plan

It is crucial, of course, to keep your goal in mind – losing 10 pounds – and to realize that it’s not going to happen if you don’t stick to your plan. The two vital components to sticking to your plan are to make your plan specific and realistic, and to come up with a reward system.

As much as possible, have your plan include a specific thing each and every day. For example, come up with a specific meal you’re going to cook, and a specific activity for every day of the week. Not only does this give you more direction, but allows for an achievable goal every day.

Once you’ve come up with your specific daily goals towards losing 10 pounds, think of some rewards. Keep in mind of course, that your rewards should not include unhealthy eating or activities. Tell yourself, for example, that if you meet all your goals for a given week you’re going to go a movie or attend an event you’ve been wanting to see.

This sticking to your plan and rewarding yourself element is often overlooked in weight loss attempts, and is why many fail. The reason has to do with the cycle of self-esteem. If you’ve made the decision that you want to lose 10 pounds, it’s likely that you don’t feel as good about yourself as you could. If you fail to meet your goals and to reward yourself, this self-doubt will increase and it will be tempting to scrap the entire weight loss attempt.

Think of your goal of losing ten pounds as a project, and think of how a business approaches a project: with very specific and regular targets that are met. Your feeling of self satisfaction will grow as you continue to meet your targets, and as you begin to feel better about yourself it will become easier to set and reach loftier goals.

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