Lose The Last 10 Pounds

Everyone knows how difficult it is to drop those last last 5-10 pounds. You’re eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, but no matter what you do, you can’t seem to move the needle on the scale. Runners call it “hitting the wall,” and it happens to dieters, too. When you hit the “last 5 – 10 pounds” wall, making some simple changes can often help.

Some Tips

• Could the weight goal you’re aiming for be too low? Do you really need to tackle those final pounds, or is your health, fitness, self-esteem, and quality of life already improved?
• To lose 1 pound of fat you need to cut 3,500 calories by eating fewer calories or exercising more or preferably, a combination of both. Be careful not to cut calories so low your body thinks it is starving and triggers a weight loss plateau to conserve body weight.
• If you don’t want to eat less, exercise more. Increasing physical activity is an excellent way to power past the plateau because it burns more calories and builds muscle. As you increase your muscle mass, your metabolism gets a boost and can help get you back into the losing mode.
• Fat has more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein so if you trim fat calories the results can add up quickly. Use less oil in cooking, stir frys, or on salads and switch to a lower-fat variety cheese or dairy product. 
  Work out where you can shave fat to erase 100 calories in your eating plan.
• Over time, our portion sizes tend to get larger and it’s easy to underestimate how much you are eating.
  Take out the measuring cups and check in on your portions sizes to see if they have crept up in size.
  Use smaller plates and cups and indulge your sweet tooth with portioned ice cream bars or 100-calorie packs to keep calories under control.
• Write down everything you eat and drink and don’t forget to count the tasting portions while cooking.

  This makes it easy to pinpoint the source of those extra calories preventing you from losing weight.