How to Lose 10 Pounds Healthily

If you want to lose 10 lbs. in a healthy way, you should avoid going on a crash diet that promises quick solutions because most likely it will end up backfiring. The Epigee website reports that crash diets can cause organ failure, osteoporosis, nutritional deficiencies and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. To lose weight healthily, you have to do it in a way that you can maintain over a long period of time. You have to make it a lifestyle.

Instructions

• 1

  Take in no less than 1,200 calories per day if you are a woman and not less than 1,500 per day if you are a man. Eating fewer calories than this per day will require medical supervision, according to MedlinePlus. You can safely lose up to 2 lbs. per week by cutting 1,000 calories per day through diet and exercise.

• 2

  Keep your metabolism working by eating frequently throughout the day. Spread five to six portions over the day and consume one of them every two to three hours. Eating frequently will keep you blood sugar stable so you are less prone to overeating and craving diet-sabotaging foods.

• 3

  Consume protein from chicken, fish, tuna and turkey and avoid fatty meats such as pork and beef. Limit saturated and trans fats often found in cookies, cakes and fried foods, and eat unsaturated fats such as raw nuts and olive oil instead. Eat carbohydrates from whole-grain, fiber-rich sources, including fruits, vegetables, brown rice and whole-wheat bread.

• 4

  Start exercising regularly to burn more calories and fat. Aim to get up to 45 minutes of cardiovascular training per day for three days per week. Find activities that you enjoy doing and switch between them so you don't get bored and can stick with your exercise routine for the long run. Go jogging, swimming or biking or use cardiovascular equipment such as a stair-climber or elliptical machine.

• 5

  Boost fat burn by lifting weights. Increase muscle mass because it stimulates your metabolism to burn fat all day and night. Create a whole-body workout that targets all body parts. Exercise with weights three days per week. Try to do different exercises each time you lift weights to keep your muscles guessing and to stay challenged. Increase the weights you use as you get stronger over time.

• 6

  Sleep at least seven hours per night. The National Sleep Foundation states that you need anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep so the body can fully restore itself and give you the energy you need for the next day. Lack of sleep will affect your productivity during the day and will make you feel fatigued.

• 7

  Choose water as your staple drink to transport nutrients, flush out toxins, keep you hydrated and feeling full. The Clemson University website recommends a daily water intake of eight to twelve cups. Avoid alcohol and its empty calories because it drains your energy.