WEEK 4: Lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks

Welcome to the 4th week of our 10 week/10 lb challenge. For those of you just joining us, I've summarized Weeks 1-3 below, but please clink on the links if you want more information.


How is everyone doing? Is your weight loss on track? If you’re losing a pound a week, yay you. Feel free to add this week’s steps, or just keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s obviously working for you.


If you haven’t dropped at least 4 pounds, then follow me. And don’t feel bad—I’ve lost just 1.5 lbs. It’s better than nothing, and I’d rather have those pounds off of me than on me. I tried on some of my conference clothes hanging in my closet and they’re still a bit tight.


So…it’s time to kick it up a notch.


Let’s review the steps we’ve taken so far:


Week 1


1. Weigh yourself (and weigh in weekly)


2. Measure around your belly button (remeasure every 2 weeks)


3. Take a “before” picture


4. Keep a food journal and write down EVERYTHING you eat.


5. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day


6. Break a sweat every day for at least 20 minutes.


Week 2


1. Eat a balanced breakfast within an hour of waking up


2. Add one fruit and one veggie to what you’re already eating each day


3. Add some simple weight-training exercises 2-3x/week


Week 3


1. Eat every 2-3 hours that you’re awake.

2. Stop eating when you’re satisfied, not full.

3. Add another serving of fruit and veggie to your day

4. Add 5 minutes to your sweat time each day.

Now, on to Week Four suggestions. Again, if you’re already losing at a rate of at least one pound a week, I’d suggest staying with the changes you’ve made. If you plateau or want a bit quicker weight loss, follow along.

Step 1 -- Start tracking calories. This is a pain, I know, but it will really kickstart that weight loss. I use Fitday.com. I bought the inexpensive PC version, but there is also a free version. I’m also familiar with Sparkpeople.com and and Livestrong. There are many more, including some free/inexpensive phone apps. Check them out and choose one that looks interesting to you.

How many calories should you be eating? I start most of my clients out at 1500-1800 calories a day (or go with the calorie count suggested by your chosen app).

Step 2 -- Eat lean protein at every meal. Protein has many different forms, not just meat.


Some healthy options:

Beef
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Pork
Nonfat milk
Lowfat cottage cheese
Greek yogurt (higher in protein than regular yogurt)
Eggs
Nuts (including nut butters)
Beans
Soy products like tofu, soy milk, tempeh
Protein powder supplements

 That’s it for this week. Counting calories alone will get that scale moving in the right direction. But following all of the other steps will have you feeling great, looking great, and losing fat not muscle.

Good luck. Let's all have a great week!

Rebecca J. Clark has 9 years experience as a personal fitness trainer and group exercise instructor. Her favorite class to teach is Turbokick because it's so much fun and it burns so many calories. When she's not working the day job, she's writing. You can learn more about Becky's writing on her website.