Now. If you’re looking for a very realistic, foolproof way to lose 10 pounds in a month, I, have the right thing for you.
10 pounds isn’t too much weight to lose and if you pull yourself together, you can do it! Apply these tips for a month and the fat will basically fall off your stomach. So why not just do it, okay?
How to Lose 10 Pounds In A Month – 5 Tips That Actually Worked For Me
1. Eat a Satiating Breakfast.
Let someone else drink those green smoothies and eat the croissants topped with mini doughnuts.
You need something like good old oatmeal right now – top with some fruit, nuts and you’ll be full until lunch. If you’re craving something savory, maybe an avocado & egg toast will be a better choice for you.
2. If you’re not hungry yet, reach for water first
You’ll be surprised how you’re almost never hungry. When you actually reach first for water instead of food, you realize you’re almost never eating because you’re hungry. You’re eating because it’s there, or, you know – because you’re bored. Or dehydrated.
An easy trick that will help keep you from being dehydrated like a lizard all day every day is having water with you all the time. Get a giant water bottle, fill it up and make it easy for yourself to stay hydrated. This simple change will make you feel more energetic and lighter – enjoy it!
3. Get physical
Get physical and exercise every day or 4-5 days a week. 30 minutes is enough, but make sure you’re SWEATING. Sweating it out will also make you happy and will motivate you to do it again TOMORROW, which is key here.
It was perhaps 2 years ago when I had stopped doing ANY exercise. I was just lazy – sitting all day and watching TV at night. I didn’t get overweight, but my chin had doubled, my arms were jiggly, my belly was spilling beautifully over the waistband and I felt like I was all over the place. No focus, and just blah.
Then I got busy. I stopped watching TV in the evening and signed up for some Pilates, Zumba and Yoga classes and additionally did basketball once a week. I felt so alive and was more focused (don’t know about yoga but try playing basketball without being in the moment – it hurts!). AND. Within a week my friends and coworkers started telling me how my face had gotten thinner and that I’ve lost weight. You can imagine how good this felt.
Exercise is not the only thing you need to be doing to lose weight, but it’s definitely A HUGE HELP when it comes to weight loss. Go at your own pace: if you need to walk – walk, if walking’s too hard – try sitting exercises, there’s always a way.
4. Get low after 3
At this point, we’ve all heard that low-carb diets turn you into a skinny robot with a lot of energy within a week. Science also says low-carb diets are good for you. Low-carb diets are recommended to lose weight, to reduce inflammation, to get rid of acne…no secret here.
But if you’re like me and can’t stick to low carb all the time: Stop eating carbs after 3.
I honestly got this tip from Mr. Wolverine himself – Hugh Jackman. (Disclaimer: I have not met him, and do not intend to look like him, because I’m a woman and I just like to look at him when I’m bored…)
He said his biggest tip to get in shape for X-Men was to not eat carbs after 3 pm. Ok, Wolverine, I’ll do everything you tell me to.
So, naturally, I tried this before and it works! Eat all your carbs (so grains, legumes, fruit & treats) before 3 pm and then after 3 pm, do the low-carb thing. No need to get into ketosis, it won’t make you a better person. But, as sad as it sounds – no pasta and pizza for dinner this month.
If you don’t eliminate carbs completely after 3 pm, at least be mindful & don’t overuse them. For example, I would add some quinoa or chickpeas to my salad, but not go crazy like I usually do (I have pizza, pasta & bread WAY too often for dinner).
5. Stop at 5 pm
All the research I’ve read and I’ve got this tip from some TV show I watched 10 years ago.
Don’t eat after 5 pm.
Now some people say not eating after a certain hour is overrated – calories in, calories out…But it worked for me. I lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks doing this and I loved waking up with a flat stomach, which had never happened before.
I’ve heard about intermittent fasting, you’ve heard about intermittent fasting…but if you’re like me, you probably put off all your eating for late in the evening anyway. And what does all that lead to?
Overeating!
You get tired and then you go to bed, without being able to digest all the food you just ate.
Well, if you want to lose weight: change your eating habits. Eat until 5 pm.
If you can’t do that, try until 7 pm. This will give you enough time to digest, so you can sleep well.
In my experience, 5 pm works perfectly for me. I was hungry for the first 2 nights, but then I felt and slept better.
6. Make It A Habit
Last but not least, turn these into habits! You don’t want to lose the 10 pounds and get back to your old ways, right? You wanna keep it up. That’s what will bring you long-lasting results and will improve not just the way you look, but the thing no money can buy: your health.
So, keep eating healthy, cooking, moving and have fun with it! If you need some delicious healthy meal ideas and want to get organized in the kitchen, so you can stay on track, you can check out my clean eating binder. It’s full of healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and so much more (and over 100 of them). It’s a tool you can use to organize your favorite healthy recipes, to create your own meal plans and to track your habits.
Recap:
- Start the day with a nourishing breakfast
- Have a good, well-balanced lunch, maybe a small dessert once you’re hungry
- Then a lower carb dinner
- Stop eating at 5 pm, keep yourself occupied with something productive
- exercise at home, outside or go to the gym 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes and sweat
- build healthy habits
Now if you can’t stay away from food altogether after 7 pm, try some 0-calorie snacks like radishes, cucumbers or berries – all better than chips and candy.