How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month
Why how to lose 10 pounds in a month, why not 20 pounds or 30 pounds?
Believe it or not, there are more people who ask how to lose 20 and even 30 pounds in a month.
I recommend focusing on how to lose 10 pounds in a month because that is more reasonable and sustainable in my view.
Most key guidelines do say that 1 to 2 pounds a week is the best goal.
A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is sustainable.
A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week together with a minimum of walking 20 minutes to 60 minutes a day and some moderate strength workouts will result in more fat loss from your visceral belly fat as opposed to muscle.
When you try to lose 30 pounds in a month, the concern is that you will restrict calories too much leading to more muscle loss and weight gain.
This is the reason that I am writing the simplest guide that I can for how to lose 10 pounds in a month.
Why You Want to Know How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month
Look at some of the benefits of healthy and sustainable weight loss as noted by the National Institute of Health (my comments are in italics):
If you learn how to lose 10 pounds in a month, here are some of the key benefits of your new weight loss:
- Weight loss lowers elevated blood pressure in overweight and obese persons with high blood pressure
- Weight loss lowers elevated levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides, and raises low levels of HDL-cholesterol, in overweight and obese persons with dyslipidemia.
- Weight loss lowers elevated blood glucose levels in overweight and obese persons with type 2 diabetes.
- The initial goal of weight loss should be to reduce body weight by about 10 percent from baseline. With success, and if warranted, further weight loss can be attempted.
- Weight loss should be about 1 to 2 pounds per week for a period of 6 months, with the subsequent strategy based on the amount of weight lost.
“This is the reason that the Hashi Mashi Plan is focused on how to lose 10 pounds a month maximum. If you enjoy the basic approach of Hashi Mashi, you will see that you do not have to count calories, all you have to do is eat the right foods, the least processed foods and start moving more, walking and/or pushups and some other strength exercises. If you have more than 50 pounds to lose, just keep following the program for how to lose 10 pounds a month and in six months you will be down a good 60 pounds. When I first developed and followed Hashi Mashi, I lost 75 pounds and 18″ off my waist in six months without feeling like I was suffering. Having real food daily is going to make you feel the best you have felt in many years and the modest amount of exercise is going to help you feel and look fitter than you have been for many years. Do not be surprised if your friends and family do not recognize you.”
- Physical activity should be part of a comprehensive weight control program because it (1) modestly contributes to weight loss in overweight and obese adults, (2) may decrease abdominal fat, (3) increases cardiorespiratory fitness, and (4) may help with maintenance of weight loss.
“This is why I suggest a minimum of walking for 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day, so you can get moving for your aerobic base, add some stretching for flexibility and strength training which can be just pushups and squats in your home if you do not have or do not want a gym membership.”
- Physical activity should be an integral part of weight-loss therapy and weight maintenance. Initially, moderate levels of physical activity for 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, should be encouraged. All adults should set a long-term goal to accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.
“I recommend at least 30 minutes of walking 5 to 6 times a week and then alternating between lower body and upper body strength training, so if you do squats and deadlifts on monday, wednesday and friday, then you should do upper body on tuesday and thursday, saturday or sunday. Another strategy is to work on one body part per day, like chest on day 1, back on day 2, shoulders on day 3, legs on day 4 and arms on day 5. Take off at least one to two days a week from both the diet and exercise plan so you can take a break and refresh.”
- The combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity is recommended, because it produces weight loss that also may result in decreases in abdominal fat and increases in cardiorespiratory fitness.
“I do not think that a reduced calorie diet is necessary, I think that a reduced processed food eating plan is what is necessary. Forget the calories, focus on eating real good healthy food daily and you will see the results. I do not give any recommendations for tracking calories as I think that is just not practical.”
- Behavior therapy is a useful adjunct when incorporated into treatment for weight loss and weight maintenance.
“How to lose 10 pounds in a month is going to teach you many of the behavioral changes that you need to make in order to be successful.”
- After successful weight loss, the likelihood of weight-loss maintenance is enhanced by a program consisting of dietary therapy, physical activity, and behavior therapy, which should be continued indefinitely. Drug therapy also can be used. However, drug safety and efficacy beyond 1 year of total treatment have not been established.
“I do not promote drug therapy. The best drugs are vegetables, fruits, some whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, kasha and starches like white and sweet potato, along with lean protein and exercising your body more frequently. I think that every diet plan can be boiled down to five words, eat real food and exercise.
So, the truth is that applies to what I am writing about here in how to lose 10 pounds in a month, you will see that everything that I write can be summed up in those five words Eat Real Food and Exercise.”
- A weight maintenance program should be a priority after the initial 6 months of weight-loss therapy.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month Sample Menu Plan
Morning routine for how to lose 10 pounds in a month:
Drink a glass of water after waking up
Take a 30 to 60 minute walk if possible in the morning.
Walk to work or park further from your office.
If you enjoy a different type of cardiovascular activity, go for it.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Breakfast
I suggest to have the same breakfasts and lunches every day that you know you enjoy and you can be a bit more adventurous for dinner.
My goto breakfast for this month is:
Either, A hearty bowl of oatmeal
1/2 cup dry oats
1 cup water
1 tbsp peanut butter
handful walnuts
handful raising
1/2 a banana
some strawberries or blueberries
or
Classic Hashi Mashi Breakfast –
Natural hummus or substitute a baked white or sweet potato
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
sauteed red pepper, onion, mushroom, garlic and tomato
half an avocado
olives
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Snack 1
Have a smoothie, I am using either Isagenix, a whey protein or vega one which is a plant based protein.
A smoothie is effective for breaking snack and sugar cravings for junk food.
1 cup cold water
1 packet of Isagenix for the shake below
5 ice cubes
tablespoon of peanut butter
1/2 a banana, yes, I like both banana and peanut butter, even together as a snack.
some blueberries
blend and voila –
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Snack Options
You do not have to have a smoothie.
You can also have a snack with a fruit like berries and a plain yogurt or berries and cottage cheese or berries and some nuts (that means no more than a handful, that is enough).
You get the idea, which is to have some fuel, real food fuel, and not to go starving all day, which is the American way, to eat little during the day and eat a bit too much in the evening.
If you have 3 to 4 meals by the time you get to dinner, you are not going to be famished, plus you will have already given your body the nutrition that it craves.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Lunch
Make it simple, for example:
Baked potato, salad and some sliced turkey.
or
Salad, turkey, avocado and rice.
A salmon avocado sushi roll.
Black bean soup, eggplant a little salmon.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Dinner
Have a fresh salad for dinner, simple to make, cut up a cucumber, a pickle, a couple of tablespoons of olives, an onion slice, a whole or half a tomato.
If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle some cilantro on top and a squeeze of lemon.
Dinner is also a good time for a cooked vegetable like cauliflower, broccoli, okra or eggplant.
Simplest way to cook is to put a tablespoon of olive oil in your stove top pot, add onion and garlic as well as the spices that you like.
Some good ones are a half teaspoon of cumin and coriander, you can even put in a pinch of tumeric and salt.
Add the vegetable that you want to cook, be it broccoli, potato, eggplant or okra.
Cover and let cook for a good 20 to 30 min on a low flame.
You can also have either rice or kasha , a half cup to a cup cooked is enough for either.
They are prepared the same way.
Take a 1/2 cup of dry kasha or rice, put into a cup and a bit more of boiling water, cover and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes, add some salt and a little olive oil and voila, you are the Chef!
Protein selections for dinner can be:
Salmon
Chicken
Tuna
Veggie Burger
Keep it simple.
If you are still hungry after dinner, have a little wine or a couple of strawberries.
Best to finish eating about three hours before going to sleep.
7pm is a good time to finish dinner and go to sleep by 10pm.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month Thoughts
Eat more to lose more, just don’t eat till you are too full.
I know that is not so simple in our supersized culture.
But it is incredibly effective.
The worst way to lose weight is to think that you are going to starve it off by missing meals.
Stop that.
Stop missing meals, stop skipping breakfast, why are you suffering yourself?
Stop making yourself miserable.
You can eat more food, be reasonable, have healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some snacks.
Do NOT let yourself get hungry.
Notice there is no bread in this sample menu for how to lose 10 pounds in a month.
One day a week, you can take off the day and not be as strict, so if you want to have bread on that one day, go for it.
Just do not pig out.
How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month – Bonus Notes: What is BMI?
Let’s talk a bit about BMI and what it is based on http://bmicalculator.org:
What is the normal BMI for a man?
BMI is a way to measure body weight based on both height and weight and what is normal for a man may be different than what is normal for a woman. A normal BMI for a man is between 23 and 25.
BMI is used to classify people as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. It is a healthier way to measure a person’s weight because it takes into consideration a person’s height.
The following article will provide additional information on the categories of BMI and what someone can do to reach a normal BMI.
What are the categories of BMI?
The categories of BMI or Body Mass Index, as stated before, are underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. If you are underweight, you will have a BMI of under 19 for women or under 20 for men. The rare exception is lean athletes such as runners and swimmers, who may have an underweight BMI reading but still be perfectly healthy. However, in general, if you are in the underweight category, you need to gain some weight to support your body and its nutritional needs. Doing this under the supervision of a doctor is advised.
Though we often hear a lot about the health risks associated with being overweight, we don’t hear much about the health risks of being underweight. Being underweight can result in wounds that heal slowly, increased susceptibility to disease and infection, loss of the menstrual cycle for women, bone loss, osteoporosis, and even death. With each pound gained towards a healthy body weight these health risks decrease significantly.
The next BMI category is normal. A normal weight is not the weight of your favorite actor or your best friend. A normal weight is determined by your gender and height. That is why BMI is a good starting point. For men a BMI of 23-25 is normal.
You should find out your BMI as soon as possible to know where you stand. It is really important to be clear about your height because without an accurate height and weight reading, your BMI can be way off. So, for those of us guys who think that we are 6’4″ because we are wearing 2″ heels, the BMI will not be accurate. Just be honest with your actual height and weight and that will give you the best indication of where you are on the BMI scale.
For women a BMI of 19.1 to 24.5 is normal. It is important to note that BMI does not take into consideration muscle mass. If part of your plan to achieve a normal body weight is adding muscle mass, your BMI may be out of this range once the muscle is put on, but you will still be at a healthy weight.
The third BMI category is overweight. The overweight category is for men who have a BMI of 25.5 to 29.9 and women who have a BMI of 25-29.9. This is where the BMI numbers for men and women start to reach the same point.
Being overweight increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and many types of cancer. If you are in this category, the first thing a doctor will do it put you on a weight loss diet. Getting weight down is the most important thing and then exercise can be added at a future date.
Losing just 10 pounds in a month can mean the difference between a normal weight and over weight which as we see increases risk of major disease in too many categories. If you are thirty or fifty pounds overweight, do not sweat it, if you follow the Hashi Mashi plan, even if you only drop 10 pounds in a month, you will be on your way to much better health in only six months. You can do it.
The last category is morbidly obese. Anyone, whether male or female, with a BMI of 30 or over is considered morbidly obese. When in this category, the mortality rate of the individual doubles. Sleep problems, digestive issues, heart disease, diabetes, and other medical problems statistically triple. Being in this category sometimes calls for more extensive intervention that only a nutritional diet plan.
What can be done to reach a normal BMI?
In order to reach a normal BMI the basics are the same as with any diet plan. You must eat less calories, more nutritious calories, and exercise. There is not a magic key or an easy way to a normal BMI. The first goal should be reducing calories and slowly developing an exercise plan that works for your ability and lifestyle. Hiring a personal trainer may be helpful until you know what you types of exercise you need to do.
To reach a normal BMI, I am more focused on eating healthy real foods without counting calories. I have not found counting calories to be of great value, better results I find from the least processed food and not overdoing it at any one meal. Do not go hungry, make sure you eat and drink your water.
For males, another contributing factor to a higher than normal BMI is alcohol consumption. There are a high number of calories in alcohol, especially beer. Reducing alcohol intake is not just healthy overall, but it can help you lose weight faster than just changing your diet and exercising. Even reducing your intake by two beers weekly can reduce calories greatly.