Losing 10 pounds in one month is possible with my realistic weight loss tips and a lot of dedication.
Many people want to set a goal of losing 10 pounds in a month. While losing ten pounds in 30 days is not easy (the average is one to two pounds per week), it is doable if you really commit.
This article includes practical advice on how to safely lose 10 pounds in a month without any fasting or crazy detoxes. I’m talking about actual hard work paying off and results that last!
How do you get there? Proper nutrition, exercise, and serious commitment.
Here are your personal trainer-approved tips on losing 10 pounds in one month
1. Yes, You Need To Count Calories
A calorie deficit is an important strategy for losing weight fast. Both the quantity and quality of your calories matter!
If you eat crappy, you’ll feel crappy, and that’s the bottom line. BUT the number of calories you’re consuming still matters, especially when you have the aggressive goal of losing 10 pounds in one month.
Just remember this somewhat simplified rule for losing weight: burn more calories than you consume.
So, how do you figure out how many calories to eat?
Everyone’s caloric needs are different. The average woman who’s looking to lose weight typically should aim to eat around 1,600 calories per day to help drop the weight.
But keep in mind, that’s an average!
Your calorie intake is something very personal that you will need to experiment with, so consider keeping a detailed food journal or using a food-logging app like MyFitnessPal.
Here are a few of my favorite low-calorie resources to inspire your meal planning:
Prioritizing calorie burning will make your weight loss journey more manageable, and journaling is a positive mental health habit as well.
2. Clean Eating For Weight Loss
The type of calories you consume matters too! Clean eating is an important strategy for losing 10 pounds in one month (plus just regular life!) because the type of calories you consume matters too!
I always say, “No one ever got fat by eating too many fruits and vegetables,” because it’s true. Fill up your plate with veggies, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats with real ingredients.
Yes, that means saying goodbye to processed, packaged foods and artificial ingredients and doing your best to eliminate added sugars. Trust me, I know it’s not easy. I even wrote a helpful guide on how to quit sugar!
Clean eating is one of the tools that will change your diet (and weight!) for good. Creating sustainable weight loss habits boil down to Michael Pollan’s philosophy: “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
You’ll be surprised how far you can get on weight loss goals just by eating clean! (Note: A registered dietician can help you come up with a detailed plan if needed!)
Here are a few of my favorite eating habits tips when you are trying to lose weight (you can find more in my list of sneaky weight loss hacks!):
Eat Slower
Put your fork down between bites to facilitate slower eating habits. When you eat more slowly, your body is able to recognize fullness better, and you’ll prevent yourself from overeating.
Add Fiber
When you’re eating for weight loss, a lot of people are left feeling hungry due to a lower number of calories consumed.
Adding fiber to your meals allows you to feel fuller for longer! Fiber also helps to remove waste from the body, keeping you regular and less bloated!
Hydrate!
Removing sodas and other sugary beverages plays a big role in weight loss, but another factor to consider is upping your water intake! Many times, when we’re thirsty, we reach for a snack, misunderstanding our feelings of thirst for hunger.
Check out my top tips for drinking more water every day.
Drinking plenty of water aids in so many functions and keeps our body performing at its best. It’s truly one of the best things you can implement for your health!
Cut Back on Refined Carbs
Refined carbs are a type of carbohydrate stripped of their nutrient and fiber content during processing. They’re absorbed quickly into your bloodstream, causing a spike in blood sugar levels and increased hunger.
For best results, swap out refined carbs like white bread, breakfast cereals, and heavily processed pre-packaged foods for whole-grain products like quinoa, oats, brown rice, and barley.
Eat a High-Protein Breakfast
A high-protein breakfast can help you stay on track with your weight loss goals. Eating more protein can reduce the number of daily calories you need to consume. Eating high-quality protein can also cut down on the number of calories it has consumed.
High-protein foods include eggs, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and peanut butter, as well as breakfast cereals and cereals.
One study in 20 adolescent girls found that protein intake increased feelings of fullness and lowered levels of certain hormones that stimulate hunger.
3. Combine Cardio and Strength Training
You cannot lose 10 pounds in one month without significantly boosting your activity level, and combining strength training and cardio into one effective HIIT workout will help you get there. (Body weight workouts are fantastic if you don’t have equipment!)
Yes, dietary changes are important, but that’s only one half of the battle. You need regular exercise to see results.
But, so many people get caught up in not knowing where to being, what to do, or how often to exercise. It’s easy to avoid working out or fall into a slump.
So what are the basics?
These are the basic minimum requirements you need to complete each week to lose weight:
| At least 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise per week | Your cardio workouts can be divided up however you want, as long as you’re getting your heart rate up! These are my picks for the 9 best cardio workouts for weight loss that don’t involve running! |
| At least 2-3 strength training sessions per week | Strength training is the KEY to a revved-up metabolism, because the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your resting metabolic rate. (Your resting metabolic rate is how many calories your body burns at rest.) |
My Recommendation for the Most Impactful Exercise
Using HIIT works will help you combine your weekly strength training and cardio exercise requirements to meet your weight loss goals in less time.
So why not do all of your exercises at the same time? A HIIT workout (or high intensity interval training) will do just that!
Circuit and interval workouts require you to give all-out effort, so they get your heart pumping hard and typically use a series of strength moves to do so. This helps you tackle both your cardio and strength at the same time, which can be helpful if you’re short on time.
A huge factor to consider when you want to lose weight is intensity. You need to be sure you’re training in different heart rate zones. (Use our heart rate calculator to find your personal training zones!)
Try the following workouts to lose 10 pounds in a month
Keep in mind, all that extra exercise means you’re losing a lot of electrolytes. Check out my recommendations to the best electrolyte supplements to keep your body balanced and full of energy. I take one before every work out!
4. Prioritize Sleep and Minimize Stress
Lack of sleep and stress can both impact your ability to lose weight, just like your caloric intake and exercise plan. Both these factors are often overlooked, but I’m here to tell you they matter!
There’s a scientific link between the stress hormone cortisol and belly fat. And, sleep deprivation throws two hormones that regulate your appetite—leptin, and ghrelin—out of whack, making it harder for you to feel satiated, thus causing overeating.
Work on ways to manage daily stressors and prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night. These things can help make your weight loss journey a bit easier.
My Tips for Better Nighttime Sleep & Relaxation
5. Bring Your Hormones Back Into Balance
Hormonal imbalances can make losing 10 pounds in one month difficult, especially if you’re in perimenopause or menopause.
If you’re currently feeling the menopausal spread around your middle, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not crazy: it does get harder to lose weight as you age. But it’s NOT impossible.
These are my favorite resources for women looking to help their hormones and lose weight in menopause:
If you’re still having trouble losing weight despite making dietary and lifestyle changes, consult your preferred health care professional, nutritionist, or health coach.
Weight loss can be a difficult journey that you don’t have to go alone, and there may be other medical or psychological barriers at play that someone can help you address in a healthy way.
How Much Weight Can You Lose in A Month?
As we mentioned, losing 10 pounds in one month is doable, but it’s not easy and it’s not a guarantee. Losing weight quickly can depend on the individual, their body composition, and their metabolic body type. While it sometimes seems unfair, some people just plain have an easier time losing weight than others.
Can you lose 40 pounds in a month? That’s unlikely, and if you find the scale moving drastically, it’s likely due to water.
Safe Weight Loss Goals to Follow
The American Heart Association recommends that a person sets realistic weight loss goals. According to the CDC, a loss of 1–2 lb per week is a reasonable goal for most people.
CDC: A person who loses 4–8 lb per month is more likely to keep the weight off. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests a healthy weight loss routine should consist of: a healthy meal and exercise in a healthy way to maintain the weight loss rate of 1/2lb per week.
Losing weight quickly can also often be a reflection of losing water weight. While the scale may have gone down, water weight isn’t exactly the type of weight you’re looking to lose.
The good news, however, is that our weight loss plan above is sustainable and can be used for long-term success. It’s never too late to start!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is safe to lose 10 lbs in a month as long as you stick to a healthy, realistic plan and avoid fad diets and detoxes. Exercise, clean eating, hormone balance, and a calorie deficit are the best ways to lose 10 lbs in one month.
The best way to manage hunger while on a calorie deficit is to eat foods rich in fiber, drink plenty of water, aim for a high-protein breakfast, and cut back on refined carbs that can cause sugar spikes and increase hunger.
To track weight loss progress without a scale, pay attention to how your clothes fit and how many inches you’ve lost. This will give you a better idea of fat loss, which is the ultimate goal!
