Ten days to go until the big day. Everything’s ready, the flowers, the decorations, the guest list, everything except for you. You could get the seamstress to take out the dress but it won’t look just right, like the way it looked in the Princess Diaries movie or in Jumping the Broom. So you have to lose those ten pounds ASAP. You’ve always been able to control your weight, it’s just got out of hand over the last couple months; a few late night snacks, that bucket of chocolate chip ice-cream you sneaked in the back of the fridge. Yeah, we know! It all adds up.
If this sounds anything like you, then we know how to help you get to where you need to be at just the right time. You may be feeling like you’ve not got long to lose those pounds with so much to do,- kids, work, errands; don’t worry that’s actually a good thing. Keeping on the move is actually critical to shedding those unnecessary pounds.
One thing that most people are unaware of is that you won’t just be burning pure fat in such a short space of time. In fact, according to research conducted by the Howard Foundation Research in Cambridge, much of the weight loss during crash dieting is not only body fat but also water that’s naturally stored in the body.1 This doesn’t mean that you starve yourself of water from now on; rather, on the contrary, you must keep your body as hydrated as possible. It’s necessary for success in shedding those pounds quickly.
The following are 10 tips for losing 10 pounds in 10 days:
Be active outside the gym – walk as much as possible throughout the day
Consider taking the bus instead of your car to work for this 10 day period. Remember, getting that small waist isn’t meant to be a smooth-ride to ‘comfort-ville’.
Cut down on the carbs
Staying away from those deceptively fattening carbohydrates like bread, potatoes and pasta is important, at least for the time being. Try replacing these main staples with fruits and vegetables.
Eat whole foods
It’s important to incorporate more ‘whole’ minimally processed foods: fruits and vegetables, salads, spinach, fish; to get ideal results. If you must have bread, whole wheat bread is best.
Eat lean protein
Skinless chicken or turkey, otherwise known as white meat, is a great substitute for the steak or red meat. Let the pork go!
Avoid processed foods
Biscuits, ice-cream, crisps, fizzy drinks, all of these otherwise ‘harmless’ snacks must be left at the altar of weight loss. If you want to get the results you’re looking for as soon as possible, you have to banish processed foods. They’re a big no-no!
Fill up on veggies
Vegetables are a great source of hydration and nutrients. Any dieting plan must include veggies, mainly because they’re mostly low in carbs and fats. In addition, they provide you with the vitamins that would otherwise go missing when dieting.
Eat only at meal times (no snacks in between!)
Snacking in between meals is one of the major causes of weight gain. Firstly, ‘snacking’ for the most part involves having some kind of high calorie, processed food most of the time. You rarely hear someone say they’re snacking on some celery. Cutting it out completely avoids the temptation and prevents you from ‘cheating’.
Replace carbonated drinks with green tea or coffee
Green tea or coffee are low-calorie drinks, and in the case of coffee could provide that burst of energy needed to get you active. It’s important not to ‘drink your calories’, especially considering the hard work you’ll be putting in to stay away from certain foods.
In the case of green tea, it’s not only low in calories but known for its health benefits like protecting heart health, promoting bone health and potentially prevent early onset of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
High-intensity exercises – Interval running
Hitting the gym is a must for any form of weight loss program. You’ll be surprised by the gains made when engaging in what is known as interval running. Sprinting for relatively short periods of time while jogging intermittently. Doing this on a daily basis for the 10 days is guaranteed to lead to substantial results.
Smile more
Be positive and assured that you’ll reach your goal. Being happy and smiling works wonders for the human body. According to one study cited by Psychology Today, smiling can:2
- Make you look younger.
- Elevates your mood and creates a sense of well-being.
- Make you look thinner!
- Induces more pleasure in the brain than chocolate! Imagine that!
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