Lose 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks!

You Gotta Have a Plan

Lose 10 pounds in five weeks. Make a plan.

By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness

Can you really do it this time?

If you have a weight problem, it can feel hopeless. The heavier you get and the longer that you've been overweight, the more impossible it seems to be able to drop weight and keep it off. It's hard to believe that this time, it will work. But it can.

Even if you have biological tendencies that make it easy to gain and hard to lose weight, you can be leaner and fitter than you are now.

If you are overweight, there's a good chance you could be making smarter lifestyle choices. To lose weight, you'll have to train yourself to substitute poor choices with ones that will help you drop pounds.

Now is the time to take stock of your behaviors. This first step—a reality check of the eating and exercise choices you make most of the time—may be the most challenging part of making a change. But it's crucial for achieving lasting success.

So, to get yourself ready to follow the Lose 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks plan, here's what you need to do first:

Step 1. Take three days of this week to write down everything you eat. This will help you identify your specific eating patterns and spot areas where you can improve. This will be your Baseline Diet Diary. You can track your diet and eating habits at My Wellness Center.

Step 2. Learn to improve your diet. Read through these Eat Smart tips to get started.

Step 3. One of the simplest ways to squeeze fitness into your life is to walk more. Start the Walk-the-Fat-Off plan; each week has a designated walking program.

If you follow the Lose 10 Pounds in Five Weeks plan, not only can you start to get in the best shape of your life, you'll feel happier and more optimistic. Eating better will fuel you and give your body the nutrients it needs. Your daily walks will lift your mood and your self-confidence.

Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your healthy life!

This diet and exercise program should not be followed without first consulting a health-care professional. If you have any special health conditions requiring attention, you should consult regularly with your health-care professional regarding possible modification of this program.

Go to Week 1: Start the Weight Loss Challenge

Go to Martica's Eat Smart Tips for Week 1.

Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including Cross-Training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)

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Sunday, June 28, 2009 7:44:20 PM

Great Points!

The Keys to achieving weight loss in a diet are?

- Staying positive

- Keep a food Journal to keep yourself honest

I had some great results from a metabolism controlling diet! Name the diet solution for more info.

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Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of The Diet Solution Program
Owner – New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition

LOSE 40LBS IN A MONTH!

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Sunday, June 28, 2009 12:30:25 PM
Great point in regards to recording your intake. A Food Diary is an excellent tool to discover all those "hidden" culprits in your diet. Also, a good walking routine will go a very long way to keep the weight under control!
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#3
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 10:52:06 AM
Best supplement out there is Orovo (www.orovoadvantage.com), regardless if you buy the products from the website or even EBAY. Yes, you can get many of the products off ebay. I'm just passing on the information. They have some great health products for better living.
#5
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 10:51:43 AM

I would suggest taking longer than 3 days to record what you are eating. I think I took 2 weeks and recorded everything. This way I got weekends included and by the end I had a pretty accurate assessment of what I was doing. I could then make a better judgment of what I really needed to do.

 

If you are not planning to lose a lot of weight, I would not worry about how long it takes you to do it as long as your weight loss is steady. I took about 10 weeks to lose 11 lbs. The thing is I have not gained any weight back and I have healthy eating habits that are going to stay with me and ensure that I keep that extra weight off.

 

http://blog.calorie-help.com/2009/05/01/weight-loss-whats-worked-for-me/

 

Monday, June 22, 2009 1:19:22 AM
Speaking from the vantage point of someone who has struggled to maintain a healthy weight all my life, balancing calories in and calories out can be a real challenge.  I do think the baseline three day eating log can be a healthy tool to understand what is going on.  Metabolisms change as you age.  Mine sure did! Thanks for some good information and tips.
Sunday, June 21, 2009 7:17:05 PM

Calories Burnt Without Exercise - How Many Calories Does a Body Burn Naturally?

 

Most likely, you know that your metabolism is somehow connected to your weight. This is indeed true as your weight greatly depends on the total amount of calories consumed and the amount you burn. When you take in more calories than you actually need, you gain a whole lot of weight. When you take in less than what is needed, you lose weight. Metabolism is the body's process of burning calories.

 

78 Ways to Cut 100 Calories

Calories can be cruel. Sweat through a 30-minute workout and you can torch 200. Take three gulps of a foamy frappuccino and you're right back where you started.But slashing those suckers can be as effortless as piling them on. We've found 78 ways you can cut 100 or more calories at a pop.

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#8
Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:09:58 PM
My hint: exercise!& diet I agree with "slautfj"
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 1:44:38 PM

I am a 76 year-old male you is off and on Weight Watchers and for exercise I walk about 1.5 miles per day, every day.  I would walk more but have circulation problems in my legs.  I have had quadruple by pass up above.

 

My question is:  Why do I not sweat, at all.  Ninety-six today and 105 Heat index.  I just walked out in that heat and did not sweat.  Thanks

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Martica Heaner

The "Lose 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks" diet and exercise plan was created by Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed.

MSN Health & Fitness does not provide medical or any other health care advice, diagnosis or treatment.



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