How To Lose 10 Pounds In A Week (Step-By-Step Plan)

Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you have to lose 10 pounds in a week. Maybe you have a photo shoot or an important event, or you just want to look your best on your vacation.

If that’s the case and you want to lose 10 pounds fast, then you need to follow an effective weight loss plan.

Even though this is not a long-term fix, it may motivate you to commit to long-term habits and kickstart a healthier lifestyle for you.

Just be aware that this weight loss plan is not recommended if you have a history of eating disorders such as anorexia.

Easiest Way To Lose 10 Pounds In A Week

You have to know that losing 10 pounds in a week is certainly possible, but you won’t be losing only pure body fat.

The body fat has a very high energy content, about 9 calories per gram. This means 4.100 calories per pound of pure fat.

So due to the high deficit of calories you need to burn off each pound of fat, it’s just not possible to safely burn off 10 pounds of pure body fat in just one week.

You can still lose 10 pounds in a week, but it won’t be just body fat. You will also shed a few pounds by losing excess water weight.

Your body will lose excess water weight because this plan lowers your insulin levels. This will make your body get rid of stored carbs that bond to water.

Usually, your body stores about 300-500 grams of carbs in a form known as glycogen. But the stored glycogen holds three times that weight in water.

By reducing the insulin levels in your blood, you will also make your kidneys shed out excess sodium, and this will lead to reduced water retention.

So by following this plan, you will reduce your body fat and get rid of excess water weight that will help you lose a few pounds.

You will also lose a few more pounds due to less intestinal waste, like undigested food and fiber in your digestive system.

So follow this plan step by step to eventually lose 10 pounds in a week:

1. Eat More Proteins And Fewer Carbs

By following a low-carb diet for just a few days you can lose several pounds. Actually, research has shown that a low-carb diet is a very effective way to lose weight and it can even improve your overall health.

By reducing your carbs intake you will reduce water weight and bloating. When on a low-carb diet plan, you will notice a difference on your scale the next morning after you started the diet.

Basically, you need to avoid:

Sugar;
Seed oils;
Wheat;
Highly processed foods;
So-called “diet” and low-fat products.

Instead, eat eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat, regular-fat dairy, healthy oils, and fats.

In addition to lowering your carbs intake, make sure to eat your proteins. By eating plenty of protein you will considerably reduce your appetite while boosting your metabolism.

Try to eliminate or reduce to a minimum all the starchy carbs and sugar you eat for a week. You can replace your starchy carbs with low-carb veggies, while you increase the consumption of fish, eggs, and lean meats.

2. Eat Whole Foods And Avoid Junk Food

If you want to lose weight quickly, the easiest way is to stick to a simple diet based on whole foods. Usually, these foods tend to be filling, making it easier to eat fewer calories without getting too hungry.

During the seven days of this weight loss plan, try to eat mostly whole, single ingredients food. And avoid highly processed foods.

Eating lean proteins and mostly low-carb veggies can be really nourishing, even if you don’t get that many calories.

These are the best low-carb veggies so make sure to add them to your plan this week:

Bell pepper;
Asparagus;
Broccoli;
Zucchini;
Mushrooms;
Cauliflower;
Avocado;
Spinach;
Green bean;
Lettuce;
Garlic;
Cucumber;
Tomato.

3. Reduce Your Calorie Intake

This is the most important thing you need to do when it comes to losing weight: reduce your calorie intake.

It is simple: if you don’t eat fewer calories than you expend, then you won’t lose weight.

These few simple tips can help you to reduce your calorie intake:

Count Calories

Try to weigh and log everything you eat. It will help to use a calorie counter to make sure you know the number of calories and nutrients you take in.

Eat Only When It’s Meal Time

Reduce or try to cut all your snacking and don’t eat anything after dinner.

Cut The Condiments

Eliminate the calorie-dense condiments and sauces. Use only salt (moderate to none) and pepper for your meal preparation.

Fill Up On The Veggies

Fill your plate with veggies and get rid of starchy carbs and added fats for this week.

Opt For Lean Proteins

Choose low-fat proteins like fish and chicken.

Don’t Drink The Calories

Drink water, tea, coffee, or zero-calorie drinks. You can drink shakes too if you count them as meals.

It is very important to reduce your calorie intake if you want to lose weight fast. Maybe you will need to do it aggressively to make sure you will lose 10 pounds in a week.

4. Do HIIT And Weight Lifting

Exercising will help you lose weight and improve your appearance.

If you choose weight lifting, it can lead to very similar weight loss as your regular aerobic class. It will also help you improve your strength and gain muscle mass.

To take a sharp decline in weight, practice some full-body resistance training. It can help with the water weight and can even lower your body’s carb stores.

Another very effective training method is high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Research suggests that 5-10 minutes of HIIT can lead to up to 5 times more weight loss than the same amount of regular exercise.

Like weight lifting, it can reduce muscle carb stores and boosts your metabolism and fat-burning hormones.

You can do a HIIT session 3 or 4 times a week, after a cardio workout, or incorporate it into your daily workout routine. You have to do this with 100% intensity and effort.

To help you do an efficient HIIT session, you can try the following ideas:

10 x 20-second sprint with 40 seconds rest in between;
15 x 15-second sprint with 30 seconds rest in between;
7 x 30-second sprint with 60 seconds rest in between;
20 x 10-second sprint with 20 seconds rest in between.

You can do this by running outside or in place, or on a cardio machine like a treadmill, rower, or bike.

Make sure you are doing this HIIT workout regularly, or add it to your routine to promote rapid weight loss and boost fat burning even at rest.

5. Be Active Outside Of The Gym

To make sure you are burning extra calories and losing weight fast, you can increase your daily activities.

How active you are on a day when you are not exercising plays a very important role in weight loss.

As an example, the difference between a manual job and a desk job can be 1,000 calories per day. This means 90-120 minutes of HIIT training.

You can make simple lifestyle changes that will help you burn a lot of calories. Try walking more, taking the bike to work, choosing the stairs, or even cleaning the house more often.

6. Do Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can be another effective way to burn off fat. It will force you to reduce your calorie intake because you will limit your food intake to a short period of time.

There are many different ways you can do intermittent fasting, such as a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour feeding window, a 20-hour fast with a 4-hour feeding window, etc.

If you are working out and fasting at the same time, make sure your fasting period does not overlap with your workout time.

7. Reduce Water Retention

There are several methods that can help you drop the water weight and appear leaner, including these:

Take dandelion extract supplements that can help with water retention by stimulating healthy urination, promoting proper bowel function, and soothing upset stomachs.
Drink coffee, which is a healthy source of caffeine, and studies suggest it can help to burn more fat and lose excess water.
Eating things you are intolerant to like gluten or lactose can lead to excessive water retention and even bloating, so avoid the foods you think you are intolerant to.
Sleep more. A good night’s sleep can help your body to manage its fluid and sodium balance, leading to reduced water weight in the long run.

These are the things you need to do if you want to lose 10 pounds in a week.

By optimizing your diet and following a high-intensity workout program you can lose a large amount of weight in a relatively short amount of time, such as seven days.

When the week is over, you can turn this diet plan into something you can follow more easily to lose even more weight and keep it off for good.