The best way to lose 10 pounds

One of the best ways to lose 10 pounds is to work toward reducing chronic inflammation. In addition to causing your body to hang on to excess weight, inflammation can make you feel puffy and bloated. 

If you’ve always eaten a Standard American Diet — high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, dairy products, and factory-farmed meats — switching to an anti-inflammatory diet may be a big change. You’ll need to reduce your intake of inflammatory foods, which include sugar, soda, fried foods, fast food, trans fats, processed meat, cheese, and vegetable oils. You’ll also need to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods such as berries, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, bell peppers, fatty fish, tomatoes, nuts, seeds, and green tea. 

It’s important to keep in mind that following an anti-inflammatory diet should be viewed as a lifestyle change, not a quick fix or a temporary solution. If you lose the excess weight and return to your previous diet, you will regain the weight you lost. 

Avoid fad diets that promise quick results from eating an extremely limited diet or specific foods. These diets can be very unhealthy, and any results achieved will be only temporary. 

Will exercise help you lose 10 pounds?

Exercise can help with weight loss, but diet is more important. You may have heard the expression that weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise. You simply can’t outrun a bad diet. If you’re putting a lot of time and energy into exercising, but you’re still eating unhealthy, inflammatory foods, you aren’t likely to see significant results.

But that doesn’t mean you should forgo exercise. Regular activity is a natural mood booster and helps reduce your risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. It can also help you sleep better, boost your immune system, and improve brain function. 

How long will it take to lose 10 pounds? 

Weight loss works differently for everyone, and is often influenced by factors such as genetics, hormone levels, the use of certain medications, and underlying medical conditions. The amount of time it takes you to lose 10 pounds can vary depending on these and other factors. It’s important to remember that your situation is unique, and everyone loses weight at their own pace. 

Try not to get frustrated if you don’t start to lose weight immediately after changing your diet. If you have a lot of internal inflammation or other underlying medical issues, the body may need to undergo a period of healing before it begins to let go of excess weight. It may take several weeks for this to occur. It’s common for weight loss to be slow at first, followed by a period where the weight begins to come off more easily. 

Try to think of weight loss as a side effect of improving your health, not the end goal. As you focus on reducing inflammation, lowering your cholesterol, and improving your body’s response to insulin, weight loss often naturally follows. 

Measure inches, not just pounds

It’s also important to remember that the number on the scale tells only part of the story. While your weight may be slow to change, your body composition may change more quickly.

Changes in body composition can be difficult to see in the mirror, so document your progress by taking body measurements and photos. These can be a helpful way to evaluate your progress even when your weight seems stuck. 

You may be losing inches, even if you aren’t yet losing pounds. Pay attention to how your clothes fit and to other non-scale victories. You may notice that you have more energy, your joints don’t hurt as much, and it’s easier to move around. 

What if you can’t lose 10 pounds? 

If you’ve changed your diet and you’re exercising regularly and the weight still isn’t coming off, there may be something else going on that you should discuss with your doctor. 

Many prescription drugs can interfere with weight loss, including antidepressants, birth control pills, and antihistamines. If you’re using any medications that are associated with weight gain, talk to your doctor about switching to an alternative. 

Hormonal imbalances can also make weight loss difficult. The body produces many hormones that affect your weight. Imbalances in hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, thyroid hormone, insulin, estrogen, and cortisol can all interfere with your ability to lose weight. If you’re finding weight loss difficult, ask your doctor for a hormone panel to identify any imbalances. Some hormone imbalances can be corrected with diet and exercise. For others, hormone replacement therapy may be able to help restore your hormones to proper levels. 

Weight loss isn’t one-size fits all 

Finally, remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to weight loss. Certain genetic factors influence how your body uses the energy you take in through food, and how likely you are to store excess fat. That means that what works for a friend or coworker may not work for you. Your body is unique, and you may respond to certain foods, exercises, and treatments differently than others. 

If you’ve been trying to lose the extra weight on your own with no success, schedule a consultation with a weight-loss clinic that specializes in personalized treatment plans. Your doctor can help identify any hormonal imbalances, medications, and other underlying factors that could be making weight loss difficult for you. Visit our provider directly to find a weight-loss specialist near you.