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Plan to Lose 10 Pounds

Most people gain weight at some point in their lives, whether due to pregnancy, overeating or a lack of exercise. There are many reasons people gain weight. Most people, therefore, want to lose weight at some point in there lives, anywhere from just 5 pounds to over 50 pounds. Losing weight can make you feel healthier, look better, and can most definitely boost your self confidence. A reasonable and achievable goal for most people is to lose 10 pounds. One of the most important aspects of achieving this goal, and one which is often overlooked, is to plan what you are going to do. How are you going to reach your goal to lose 10 pounds?

The task of losing weight is not an easy one. It probably took you months to gain that weight and realistically it should take you a few months to lose it. It is important to make a plan which is specific for you. Everyone is different with different needs, tastes, and abilities. There is no point in going on a low carb, high protein diet if you don't like meat or being forced to do aerobics 5 times a week when you love swimming. Also be realistic in the time you have available to prepare meals and exercise. Don't schedule 2 hours exercise per day if you only have time for 30 minutes. Just be sure to make efficient use of the time you have. Do what is right for you and you'll be much more likely to succeed.

The ideal way to lose weight is to modify your diet as well as increasing the amount of exercise you do. It is difficult to lose weight, and keep the weight off, without both diet and exercise. However, you may want to focus more on one than the other. For example, if you hate exercise, you may want to look at small ways of increasing your physical activities such as walking to the shops rather than driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift etc, rather than going to the gym or going for a jog for an hour. Naturally this means that to lose those pounds you'll have to sacrifice more when it comes to your diet. You'll have to be more disciplined in that area. On the other hand, if you love exercise and have no problem doing 2 hours of exercise a day, then you might be able to relax your diet regime a little bit. The choice is yours.

When planning your diet try to come up with a variety of healthy meals which you can quickly prepare during the week (if you don't have a lot of time) and maybe a couple of meals which take a bit longer to prepare for the weekend (if you have more time then). Write down which meals you'll have on which day and prepare a shopping list for each meal so you'll know in advance what you'll need to buy. If you're not sure what constitutes a healthy meal, there are plenty of recipe books on the subject and they are generally not expensive. Another option is to think of your favourite meals and how you can modify them. For example, if you love pasta with tomato sauce, why not have a salad with it or add some vegetables to the pasta for extra vitamins and fibre. Or if you like to have ice cream for dessert, try reducing the amount of ice cream you have and add some fresh strawberries. Small changes to your eating habits can be enough for you to lose 10 pounds.

As far as your exercise plan goes, again, try to be realistic and start with small goals. Rather than say you plan to do 10 hours of exercise a week, try to do 1 hour 5 days a week. Once you achieve that then you can try adding a couple of hours on the weekend. If that is manageable then try increasing the intensity of your exercise. It's important to start slowly with small goals. Attain those goals and then try to push yourself further until you find an amount of exercise which you can maintain in the long term.

One of the biggest hurdles you'll find in your weight loss battle is discipline. The best way to overcome this is to set realistic targets and to make a few changes at a time. Put everything you do in writing so you know what works and what doesn't. Set attainable goals to help keep you motivated and once you reach those goals push yourself to reach new goals. Having a plan in writing and sticking to it will enable you to lose 10 pounds before you know it.