When faced with the need to lose weight fast, owing to an impending special occasion or after a particularly indulgent holiday season, many people turn to crash diets in order to shed the pounds. However, this can be a dangerous method, and starving yourself could permanently damage your health. Instead, by using a simple yet effective method based on exercise, diet control, and logic, you can lose 10 pounds in a period of 2 weeks.

Diet

The diet for your plan to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks should revolve around the aim to increase your metabolism and metabolic rate. Boosting the metabolism will aid your body in the transformation process, and enable you to burn calories quicker and more effectively. In order to get this process going, keep your body well-supplied with “high octane” foods like good proteins, complex carbohydrates, and leafy greens. You should also aim to have smaller portions, and more frequent meals – e.g. eat a small healthy meal every 2-3 hours, or have 6-7 small snacks in a day. Meanwhile, it is also important to minimize the amount of additives you consume, as these will have an adverse effect and slow your metabolism down, and cut empty calories and excessively fattening foods from your diet. Make smart food choices – use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, forego soda in favor of water, have a small piece of dark chocolate if you get a craving for something sweet, and try replacing heavy meals with smoothies made of low-fat yogurt and fresh fruits.

Exercise

In addition to kick-starting your metabolic rate with diet, you also need to boost it with exercise. In order to increase the speed at which your body burns calories, it is essential that you incorporate cardiovascular exercises, especially aerobic and anaerobic e varieties, into your routine. This means that you should be indulging in activities like running, biking, swimming for 30 minutes 6 times a week, and plyometric, strength building, and other weight bearing exercises 3 times per week. Not only will all the sweating help you lose weight (especially in water), but your body’s muscle building and fat burning capabilities will increase significantly.

Good judgment and commitment

Finally, the ability to lose 10 pounds in two weeks depends on the choices you make. If you are committed to losing weight, you will need to make the right call – eat healthy, downsize your portions, and work up the willpower to exercise regularly. Put your effort into it, and results are sure to follow.