Can you Lose 10 Pounds

in a Month?
Changes to diet and lifestyle habits can
help you lose weight, but losing 10
pounds in one month may not be a
healthy target for all. Weight loss is
different for everyone, but the following
tips may help.

Increasing exercise levels and modifying

your dietary choices are important ways
of managing your weight safely and
effectively. Losing weight fast can be
risky, however, so it’s best to focus on
long-term goals.

We explain how specific changes might

help you meet these goals.

Aerobic exercise — also known as cardio

— is a type of physical activity that
increases your heart rate to burn more
calories and strengthen your heart and
lungs.

One older study from 2013Trusted Source

found that for overweight adults, burning
400 or 600 calories per aerobic exercise
session 5 days per week for 10 months
resulted in clinically significant weight
loss.

Current guidelinesTrusted Source

recommend doing 150–300 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or
70–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity
aerobic exercise per week.

Walking, jogging, boxing, biking, and

swimming are just a few forms of cardio
that can help burn calories and support
weight loss.

Find some tips on workouts to get you

started.

Cutting down on nutrient-poor, refined

carbs can improve the quality of your diet
and further weight loss.

Refined carbs are those that are stripped

of their nutrient and fiber content during
processing, such as white bread.

Refined carbs are high in caloriesTrusted

Source and low in nutrients. Your body
also absorbs them quickly into your
bloodstream, which can lead to blood
sugar spikes and increased hunger.

ResearchTrusted Source has linked diets

that are high in refined grains with a
higher body weight compared with diets
that are rich in nutritious whole grains.

For best results, replace refined carbs like

white bread, breakfast cereals, and
heavily processed packaged foods with
whole grain products like quinoa, oats,
brown rice, and barley.

To lose weight, you need to use more

calories than you consume, either by
decreasing your calorie intake or by
increasing your daily physical activity.

A moderately active adult male needs

around 2,400 caloriesTrusted Source per
day, and a moderately active adult female
needs 1,800 to provide enough energy for
their body’s needs while maintaining a
steady weight.

Counting calories can keep you

accountable and increase your awareness
of how your diet may impact your weight
loss.

An older reviewTrusted Source from 2014

looked at data for over 16,000 people. It
concluded that weight loss regimens that
incorporated calorie counting resulted in
an average of 7.3 pounds (3.3 kg) more
weight loss per year than those that
didn’t.

However, cutting calories alone may not

be a sustainable strategy for long-term
weight loss. You’ll likely need to pair it
with other diet and lifestyle modifications.

Additionally, not all carbs are the same.

Whole grains can be high in calories, but
they also provide fiber and other essential
nutrients. Fiber will help you feel full and
satisfied for longer, which can contribute
to weight management.

Recording your intake with an app or food

journal is a good way to get started.

Choosing healthier beverages may also

help with weight loss.

Soda, juice, and energy drinks may have

high levels of added sugar and extra
calories that can contribute to weight gain
over time.

One reviewTrusted Source concluded

that, on average, drinking water at
mealtimes for 12 weeks could lead to a
5.15% loss in weight, but better quality
studies with more follow-up are needed.

To support weight loss, cut out high

calorie, sweetened beverages and aim to
drink 34–68 fluid ounces (1–2 liters) of
water throughout the day.

Slowing down and focusing on enjoying

your food while listening to your body is
an effective strategy to decrease intake
and enhance feelings of fullness.

For example, one studyTrusted Source in

25 women found that eating slowly
resulted in greater feelings of fullness and
satisfaction than eating quickly, which
could make it a useful strategy for weight
loss programs.

Taking smaller bites, drinking plenty of

water with your meals, and reducing
external distractions can help you eat
more slowly to increase weight loss.

Fiber is a nutrient that moves through

your body undigested, helping to stabilize
blood sugar, slow stomach emptying, and
keep you feeling full longer. Experts have
linked foods that are high in fiber to
weight loss.

Multiple studies demonstrate that fiber

has a powerful effect on weight loss.

Current guidelines recommend

consuming 28–36 gramsTrusted Source
of fiber daily from foods such as fruits,
veggies, legumes, and whole grains.

Increasing your intake of protein may help

you lose weight. Starting the day with a
healthy high protein breakfast, for
instance, can leave you feeling satisfied
and reduce the temptation to snack mid-
morning.

ResearchTrusted Source suggests a high

protein diet may help with weight loss and
reduce the risk of obesity and related
issues, such as cardiovascular disease.

Oats, yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, and

peanut butter are a few staple foods you
can enjoy as part of a healthy, high protein
breakfast.

A lack of sleep can disturb your metabolic

and hormonal balance. A 2022
reviewTrusted Source concluded that
establishing a regular sleep schedule
could help boost weight loss as well as
overall health.

Most adults need at least 7 hoursTrusted

Source of sleep in every 24 hours.

To increase your chances of getting

enough sleep, try:

establishing regular sleep schedule

minimize distractions in the room
where you sleep
avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy
meals before bedtime

Resistance training is a type of exercise

that involves working against some type
of force to build muscle and increase
strength. It may not lead to rapid weight
loss but it can help improve body
composition while on a weight loss diet.

Examples include sit-ups and lifting

weights.

This type of training may:

improve lipid profiles

reduceTrusted Source the loss of
healthy lean mass during weight loss
reduceTrusted Source fat mass

Get some tips on using bodyweight

exercises as part of a resistance training
program

Intermittent fasting involves cycling

between periods of eating and fasting,
with fasts typically lasting 16–24
hoursTrusted Source.

Fasting can reduceTrusted Source the

amount you eat by limiting the time frame
in which you consume food. This may be
as effective asTrusted Source traditional
or continuous calorie restriction in helping
you lose weight.

Learn about some ways to do intermittent

fasting

Vegetables are nutrient-dense foods that

supply vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,
and fiber for a low number of calories.

A reviewTrusted Source of 17 studies in

more than 500,000 people found that
those who ate the most vegetables had a
17% lower risk of being overweight or
having obesity.

For an easy way to raise your veggie

quota, squeeze an extra serving or two
into side dishes, salads, sandwiches, and
snacks, or add spinach, kale, or other
veggies to a smoothie.

Mayonnaise, teriyaki sauce, sour cream,

butter, maple syrup, dips, spreads and
other toppings can be high in calories. For
example, a single tablespoon (13 grams)
of mayonnaise can contain upwards of 90
caloriesTrusted Source.

Eliminating them from the diet is an easy

way to cut calories.

Instead, use herbs and spices or low

calorie options — like hot sauce, mustard,
or horseradish — to flavor your food.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a

type of exercise that alternates between
quick bursts of activity and brief recovery
periods, keeping your heart rate up to
boost fat burning and accelerate weight
loss.

Adding HIIT to your routine can be an

effective tool to support your weight loss
journey.

One studyTrusted Source in nine men

compared the effects of HIIT to running,
biking, and resistance training,
demonstrating that a 30-minute HIIT
session burned 25–30% more calories
than the other activities.

To get started, try switching your cardio

for one or two HIIT workouts per week or
alternating between running and walking
for 30 seconds at a time.

Other activities you can incorporate into

HIIT include jumping jacks, squats,
pushups, and burpees.

If you can’t squeeze in a full workout,

adding small amounts of activity can chip
away at your body weight.

The term “non-exercise activity

thermogenesis” (NEAT) refers toTrusted
Source the calories your body burns
throughout the day doing regular non-
exercise activities like typing, gardening,
walking, or even fidgeting.

It’s estimated that NEAT may account for

up to 50%Trusted Source of the total
number of calories you burn each day,
depending on your activity level.

Making a few modifications to your daily

routine can help you burn calories and
speed up weight loss with minimal effort.

For instance, try:

parking farther away

using the stairs instead of the
elevator
taking a walk during your lunch break
stretching every 30 minutes

How long does it take to lose 10

pounds?

How long it takes to lose 10 pounds will

depend on various factors, including your
own bodily features and the strategies
you use. Often, however, any weight that
you lose quickly will likely go back on
again, so a long-term plan may be more
effective.

How can I drop 10 pounds fast?

There’s no guarantee that you can lose 10

pounds rapidly, but combining strategies
such as exercise, dietary changes,
strategies that make you feel full for
longer, and getting enough sleep can help
you manage your weight over the long
term.

How much should I eat to lose 10

pounds?

This will depend on your current your

activity levels and the types of foods you
eat.

Eating more calories than you need will

lead to weight gain, so reducing calorie
intake will help you lose weight. You can
use this weight loss calculator to help you
figure out your goals and how to reach
them.

Other tips include using a smaller plate at

mealtimes and opting for a piece of fruit
instead of a pastry for dessert or as a
snack.

A collection of small modifications to your

diet and lifestyle can help you lose weight,
although 10 pounds in a month may not
be a realistic target. In fact, rapid weight
loss may pose risks to other aspects of
your health.

Taking it one step at a time and making a

few small changes each week can help
you lose weight safely and keep it off
long-term.

If you need to lose weight, speak with a

registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN)
about the best approach for you and
which tips they recommend.

Use this tool to find an RDN.