10 Ways to Lose the Last 10lbs

Have you ever heard that the last ten pounds to lose are usually the hardest? Well, it is true-and they can be a total bitch. There are lots of reasons for this; one being that when a person begins to lose weight, their metabolic rate drops. In other words, they need fewer calories to meet basic functioning and requirements.

When you diet, your body is forced to work on a reduced number of calories per day. Eventually your body adapts to living on whatever calories it gets, without losing weight. This built-in survival mechanism is your body’s way to protect you against starvation and once you have hit this point, you may manage to lose a few bonus pounds, but they will come off much more slowly and, before you know it, the weight you lost may start to come back on! This is the wonderful dreaded plateau effect.

So what do you do? Work harder and push yourself through it!

Here are 10 Ways to Lose Those Last 10 Pounds:

1. Eat protein at every meal. Protein  not only keeps you feeling fuller longer, it also has a "thermic" effect as well, meaning your body has to work harder digesting it compared to carbs or fat. It also supports muscle growth, keeping you lean.
2. Kick up your cardio with HIIT. Interval training can trigger a boost in metabolism so you burn more fat during low- and moderate-intensity activity, and even at rest.
3. Don't forget the weights. Cardio blasts calories immediately, while strength-training increases metabolism over time, so combining the two gives you the ultimate bang for your buck
4. Manage your stress levels. According to an article on Prevention regarding stress eating, here's what happens: Your body responds to all stress in exactly the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain instructs your cells to release potent hormones. You get a burst of adrenaline, which taps stored energy so you can fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven't used very many calories. This can make you hungry...very hungry. And your body keeps on pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues."
5. Eat more healthy fats. Healthy fats are not only known to regulate your metabolism, but they are also known for improving satiety so that you do not get as hungry as quickly.  Also, we need fat to boost the liver's function of releasing fat. Yes, we need fat to burn fat. It's the proper type of fat that matters.
6. Watch those carbs. You need carbs because they fuel your muscles. , but choosing carbohydrates that don't drive up your insulin levels is key here. Complex carbs, which take longer to digest, are much better choices than simple sugars.
7. Drink one glass of water before meals. Drinking one glass of water before each meal prevents you from overeating during your actual meal. It also helps keep you hydrated!
8. Cut out added sodium. Sodium loves hanging on to every ounce of water weight. Try to lessen your sodium intake daily or cut out any added salt to help stop the bloat-and drop the last few pounds.
9. Sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to significant halt in your weightloss journey. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people were starved of sleep, late-night snacking increased, and they were more likely to choose high-carb snacks. A second study found that sleeping too little prompts people to eat bigger portions of all foods, increasing weight gain.
10. Stay motivated. Don't lose sight or give up if those last few pounds don't fall off as quickly as you want them too. Remember that Rome was not built in a day and sometimes good things take a little more time.