12 Expert Tips to Shed 10 Pounds Before the Holidays

Do you want to lose 10 pounds by the holidays? Jenn Markwardt is a fitness and nutrition coach and founder of Flourish Nutrition, whose goal is “helping you lose 20lbs in a stress-free way. In a recent social media post, she reveals how to drop weight fast by making a few simple tweaks to your routine. “Maybe it’s your energy, maybe it’s an extra 10-20lbs that came out of nowhere, especially around your middle, or maybe it’s exhaustion and brain fog you can’t get rid of,” she writes in the Instagram post. “Here are the three️ things I (and my clients) would avoid if I wanted to drop fat and get my energy back.”

Stop Eating Healthy and Start Eating with Intention

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Her first tip? Stop eating “healthy” and start eating with intention. “Track your food for a week (not forever, and you’ll be amazed at what you learn. It’s not about eating as little as possible; it’s about understanding how to build your pants in a way that leaves you full and satiated and helps your body lose fat without restriction and hunger,” she writes in her post.

Get More Focused with Exercise

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Next, “stop doing random workouts and only relying on cardio,” she says. “Muscle is the key to lighting up your metabolism and helping you actually keep your results! You should be training intentionally in a progressive overload style (building in weights or reps each week) to optimize your results!”

Don’t Do It Alone

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And her third tip is to “stop trying to go it alone,” she says. “Listen, things change as we age, but you are not broken. It’s not impossible to see results, but you have to do things differently than you did in the past, and it’s a heck of a lot easier when you have the support and accountability of coaches and other women just like you.”

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She Also Recommends These 5 Healthy Habits for Weight Loss

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In another post, she reveals that one of her clients dropped a whopping 30 pounds over a period of six months, “and this was someone who has done literally every diet under the sun,” she says in the clip. “Here are the five habits we focused on to optimize her metabolism hormones and get her energy back so fat loss felt easy,” she adds in the post.

Walk 8,000 to 10,000 Steps Per Day

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The first habit is to get your steps in. She recommends “daily movement of 8-10k steps.” Why should you aim for 10,000 steps per day? A 2018 study published in the journal Obesity found a link between walking that amount and weight loss and weight management. Other studies published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in JAMA Neurology and in JAMA Internal Medicine also linked walking 10,000 steps a day to less dementia and less cardiovascular disease overall, with less heart disease, less heart failure, and fewer strokes.

Amp Up Your Protein Intake

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Next, amp up your protein intake. “30g of protein at each meal for satiation and preserving and building muscle,” she writes. According to clinical trials, consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance not only reduces body weight (BW) but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets.

Also, Increase Fiber Intake

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Also, she recommends amping up your fiber intake. “25g of fiber daily” is her suggestion. Why? “Fiber is key for balancing blood sugar and keeping you full, so you avoid mindless snacking,” she says.

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Strength Train

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In addition to getting your steps in, she recommends doing strength training to build muscle. Specifically, she suggests three 30-minute strength workouts a week “using our Flourish Fitness progressive overload program,” she writes. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Sharpen your thinking skills

Stress Management

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Lastly, she stresses the importance of mental health. She explains that “stress management and finding and creating the time to prioritize” yourself is fundamental in getting in physical shape.

A Lot of Factors Impact Weight Loss

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“And here’s why this works: your metabolism isn’t just ONE thing. There are a lot of factors, and your daily habits have the biggest impact on your metabolic health and hormones. You don’t have to do these things perfectly, but consistency (even on the weekends) matters for forever results,” she writes at the end of the post. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Struggling to shed those last few pounds before the holidays? You’re not alone. Weight loss can be tough, especially with busy schedules, holiday treats, and constant temptations around every corner. But with the right strategy, you can reach your goal in a sustainable way without sacrificing your health or happiness. Dani Marenburg, a double-certified nutrition coach, has guided over 1,000 women through their weight loss journeys, helping them develop effective and balanced routines. On her popular podcast, Mindin' My Macros, she shares expert advice on how to distinguish fat loss from weight loss and how to make realistic changes to get lasting results. Here's how to drop those extra pounds before the holiday season.

Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

On her podcast, Dani emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between weight loss and fat loss. "We want to be preserving that muscle. We want to be strictly targeting body fat in the body to reduce that body fat and expose the muscle for that more lean, toned physique," she explains. Sustainable fat loss typically looks like a half a pound to a pound and a half per week when looking at weekly average weight.

Set Realistic Goals

"Realistic fat loss, if you're using the scale, is going to look like half a pound to two pounds per week," Dani advises on her podcast. She recommends using weekly average weight, body measurements, and photos to track progress more accurately than daily weigh-ins.

Create a Moderate Calorie Deficit

Dani, on her podcast, suggests entering a strategic deficit while prioritizing protein intake. "We just need to cut back slightly to actually get to that point where your body's going to start to reduce the body fat, but maintain muscle," she explains. This approach helps preserve muscle mass while targeting body fat.

The Mayo Clinic supports this approach, stating, "To take in fewer calories than you burn, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends cutting 500 to 750 calories a day to lose 1 to 1.5 pounds (0.5 to 0.7 kilograms) a week."

Increase Daily Movement

"Daily movement is such an important piece because this makes up more of a caloric burn per day than your exercise can," Dani notes on her podcast. She recommends aiming for 10,000 steps a day or gradually increasing your current step count by 2,000-3,000 steps.

The Mayo Clinic confirms, "Being active is vital to losing weight and keeping it off. When active, the body uses more energy in the form of calories."

Prioritize Strength Training

Dani emphasizes the importance of preserving muscle mass through strength training. "The more muscle that you have on your body, the more calories you're burning at rest," she explains. This helps maintain a higher metabolic rate during weight loss.

The Mayo Clinic supports this: "Adding resistance training and aerobic exercise to a weight-loss program helps prevent the loss of bone and muscle."

Focus on Nutrition Quality

On her podcast, Dani recommends an 80/20 or 90/10 approach, with the majority of food coming from whole, nutrient-dense sources. "Whole foods are going to have a higher thermic effect just as protein is going to have a higher thermic effect in the body," she explains.

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Stay Hydrated

"Hydration is so critical because what happens is that your body is ridding fat; those fat cells are going to be excreted through your urine," Dani says on her podcast. She recommends aiming for 80-100 ounces of water per day.

Manage Stress and Sleep

Dani emphasizes the importance of managing stress and prioritizing sleep for successful weight loss. Dr. Susan Albers supports this, telling the Cleveland Clinic, "No one can make mindful food choices when they're tired. Even missing an hour of sleep can increase your appetite because your body craves that energy and food is fuel for your body."

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Consider Intermittent Fasting

While not mentioned by Dani, intermittent fasting can be a useful tool for some. Neuroscientist Mark Mattsontells Johns Hopkins Health, "If someone is eating three meals a day, plus snacks, and they're not exercising, then every time they eat, they're running on those calories and not burning their fat stores."

Track Your Progress

Dani recommends tracking your eating habits without judgment to establish a baseline. This helps you understand your current protein, carb, and fat intake and identify patterns in your eating behavior.

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Seek Professional Guidance

Finally, on her podcast, Dani suggests getting a customized macro plan from a professional to ensure you're meeting your body's needs. "Your health is the best return on investment that you can make," she emphasizes.

By implementing these strategies and focusing on sustainable habits, you can work towards losing 10 pounds by the holidays while prioritizing your overall health and well-being. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.