How to Lose Weight in 10 Days

Set a clear goal. How much weight do you want to lose? 1.5 kg? Or 5 kg? A healthy weight loss range is 0.5-1 kg per week, but in the first week, you might lose more (mostly water weight). Instead of aiming for a large target, determine how much you want to lose over the next 240 hours.

• For example, if you aim to lose 2.5 kg in 10 days, that’s 0.5 kg every 2 days. Since 0.5 kg equals 3500 calories, you’ll need to cut 1750 calories daily. Use this example to calculate your own goal accordingly.

Determine your needs. Using the example of losing 2.5 kg in 10 days, you need to cut 1750 calories daily to lose 0.25 kg per day. This goal might seem impossible, but you can make it achievable by:

• Reading articles on Mytour about calculating calorie intake for weight loss. These will help you determine your BMR and daily calorie allowance.
• Subtracting 1750 calories from your daily allowance. The result is your target intake. Remember, the more you exercise, the more calories you can consume.

Keep a food diary. If you’re serious about losing weight, prepare a notebook or download a food diary app. Tracking what you eat helps you monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. Many apps also offer motivational features.

• In your food diary, calculate and track calories. Daily logging allows you to make adjustments as needed.

Plan your workout routine. Choose a routine you can stick to consistently. Do you find morning workouts before work easier? Or can’t commit to waking up early? Review your schedule for the next 10 days and pick specific times for exercise.

• Aim to exercise almost daily. An hour is ideal, but 30 minutes is fine too. Split sessions work if you’re short on time. Even for a 10-day goal, building a healthy habit can benefit you long-term.

Remove unhealthy food from your home. You’ve got a plan and motivation—now take control of your environment. It might feel harsh, but head to the kitchen immediately and discard all junk food and unnecessary packaged snacks. If you’re serious about losing weight in 10 days, sacrifices are necessary to avoid temptation.

• This isn’t easy, and your family might be surprised. Consider asking them to hide unhealthy foods and not tell you where they are.

Learn how to eat. Let’s get straight to the point. With only 10 days, you need to rethink your eating habits. Do you think your lifelong eating habits are correct? Not at all! Mothers didn’t teach you to eat with weight loss in mind. So, it’s time to make changes:

• Eat regularly. Forget the idea of 6 small meals a day. Instead, aim for 3 moderate meals and 2 snacks. Eating 6 small meals keeps insulin levels high, making you feel perpetually hungry. Stick to 3 main meals and 2 snacks to truly eat less.
• Eat slowly. Chew thoroughly. Put your utensils down between bites. Eating too fast prevents your body from signaling fullness. Give it time to process what you’re consuming.
• Use smaller plates. This is an optical illusion. Your brain wants to eat whatever is in front of you, so smaller plates help reduce portion sizes.
• Focus on your meal. Avoid multitasking while eating. Sit down, concentrate, and savor the texture and flavor of your food. Then tackle your busy day.
• Blue suppresses appetite. Use small blue plates, blue tablecloths, and even wear blue. Ever wonder why no restaurants are blue?

Consider calorie cycling. Recent studies show that occasionally having a high-calorie day can actually help you lose more weight. Sounds strange, right? When you restrict calories, your metabolism slows, and your body clings to stored nutrients. A high-calorie day resets your metabolism, relaxes your body, and helps shed stored fat. So, during your 10-day plan, include 1-2 higher-calorie days.

• Another variation is carb cycling. If you’re eating mostly non-starchy veggies and protein, dedicate a day to carbs. Your body prefers burning carbs over fat or protein, so this can boost metabolism and aid weight loss.

Reduce stress. Stress is another factor to consider. High stress means high cortisol, which increases appetite. Stress leads to emotional eating, less sleep, and poor decision-making. Relaxation is key to supporting weight loss.

• Where to start? Meditation and Yoga are effective stress relievers. Yoga also burns calories—double the benefit. Or, spend 15 minutes daily sitting quietly and clearing your mind. Give yourself some "me time" after a tiring day.

Sleep. Science shows that people who sleep more weigh less. When you’re well-rested, your body functions normally, and you have less time to eat. Aim for 8 hours of sleep to feel refreshed.

• Sleep affects leptin and ghrelin hormones. Imbalances in these hormones make you feel hungry when you’re actually tired. Worse, sleep deprivation leads to cravings for sweets and fast food, and skipping workouts. Lack of sleep severely impacts weight loss.

Consider crash diets cautiously. If you spend 10 days drinking only lemon water and eating spicy food, you’ll lose a lot of weight. However, you’ll feel terrible, and the weight will return once you resume normal eating. This harms your metabolism and isn’t a long-term solution. But if you need quick results, proceed with caution.

• The article How to Lose Weight Fast includes a section on crash diets. It covers everything from maple syrup diets to cabbage soup, saunas, and colon cleanses—things you might not even want to know.

Remember this word: water. Water is your closest ally in weight loss. Drinking plenty of water brings numerous benefits. Here’s why you should always carry a water bottle:

• Water makes you feel full. The more you drink, the less you’ll want to eat.
• Drinking water during meals reduces the urge to snack.
• Water flushes out toxins and promotes regular bowel movements.
• It improves skin and hair health.
• Staying hydrated supports muscle function and organ health.

Load up on greens. If you want to lose weight quickly, the simplest way is to eat more greens. All vegetables are good, but leafy greens are exceptional. They’re nutrient-dense, low in calories, and packed with vitamins and minerals.

• Any leafy green works—kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, even Brussels sprouts. You can eat large portions without worrying about excess calories.

Cut out white foods. Yes, not red foods—white foods. These are often refined or processed carbs stripped of nutrients and fiber. Avoid white rice, white bread, and starchy white potatoes for 10 days.

• Remember, your body needs carbs. Complex, unrefined carbs from vegetables and whole grains are beneficial. Just avoid processed, sugary carbs.
  • The Atkins diet (no carbs). This can be effective for quick weight loss in 10 days. It’s similar to a crash diet, so proceed with caution. While effective, be prepared for the aftermath once you stop. Use it if necessary but understand the long-term consequences.

Choose lean protein. Your diet should include at least 10% protein. For weight loss, increasing protein intake is even better. Protein builds muscle, keeps you full, and aids weight loss. Focus on white meat, fish, soy products, and beans.

• Modern trends suggest diets with up to 30% protein. Studies show high-protein diets combined with exercise can reduce body fat. Protein also helps regulate insulin levels, curbing hunger. It’s a win-win-win.

Understand what healthy fats are. Your body needs fat, so don’t eliminate it entirely—focus on good fats, specifically unsaturated fats. These are found in avocados, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish like salmon, and low-fat dairy. In fact, incorporating healthy fats (in moderation) can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Your diet should include at least 10% fat. Around 25% is ideal, but only 7% should come from saturated fats, which are found in red meat, full-fat dairy, poultry skin, and eggs.
  • That said, eggs are a great source of protein, so eating one a day is fine. Similarly, avocados are higher in fat than protein. Just don’t overdo it!

Limit sodium intake. Sodium not only constricts blood vessels, making it harder for your heart to pump blood, but it also retains water, increasing waist size. Reducing sodium is good for heart health and helps slim your waistline.

• One teaspoon of salt contains 2300 mg of sodium. Your body only needs 200 mg daily, but that’s unrealistic. The recommended limit is 1500 mg, not exceeding 2300 mg per day.

Avoid late-night eating. This is more psychological than scientific: people tend to eat unhealthy foods at night. Promise yourself not to eat after 8 PM. If you’re hungry, try drinking water instead. It may sound tough, but it’s worth it, and you’ll see significant weight loss.

• This might be the hardest rule to follow. It’s tough to resist evening gatherings with friends, drinks, and snacks. But remember, it’s only for 10 days—you can do it!

Increase Cardio and strength training. While Cardio burns calories faster than weightlifting, combining both maximizes calorie burn. Working all muscle groups with varied exercises, including Cardio and weights, is the best approach. Dedicate time to both.

• During the 10 days, prioritize daily Cardio. Strength training should be done every other day. If lifting more, target different muscle groups to allow recovery time.

Seize small opportunities. Going to the gym daily is great, but few can maintain it. To maximize weight loss in 10 days, take advantage of small chances to stay active. Even fidgeting can help burn calories.

• "Small opportunities" include dancing while washing dishes, doing Yoga while watching TV, planking during commercials, cleaning your room instead of scrolling Facebook, scrubbing floors or washing your car by hand, taking stairs instead of elevators, parking farther away, and more.

Try interval training. Cardio is good, but recent studies show interval training is even better. It’s time-efficient and convenient. Instead of a 30-minute brisk walk, sprint for 30 seconds during a 15-20 minute walk. Why? It burns more calories, boosts heart rate, and creates an afterburn effect.

• Interval training works with any activity, not just treadmills. Alternate between high-intensity bursts and moderate effort.
• Wondering what the afterburn effect is? It’s called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After intense activity, your body spends the next day rebuilding oxygen levels, burning calories even when not exercising.

Switch things up. Everyone falls into routines and gets bored (physically, mentally, or both). Boredom leads to fewer calories burned because you’re not pushing yourself. To reignite motivation, adjust workout times, intensity, or try something entirely new.

• Incorporate fun activities to stay motivated. Instead of the gym, try kickboxing, swimming, or hiking. Gather friends for basketball, ping-pong, or volleyball. Burn calories without even realizing it.
• Yoga can be a refreshing change. It also helps flush out salt, reducing bloating. Just remember to rehydrate with water or green tea.

Know your peak times. Trainers might suggest weights before Cardio. Weight loss enthusiasts might recommend Cardio first. Others swear by morning fasted Cardio. Identify when you’re at your best—when you can push hardest and feel most energized. Work out then, even if it’s midnight or during a snack break.

• Experiment. Maybe you hate running because you’ve only tried it after work. Perhaps a pre-work run energizes your day. Over 10 days, test everything to find a sustainable routine.