Losing Those Last %&@# 10 Pounds

When I lost 35 pounds on Medifast this year, I was one of the lucky people who had no trouble shedding my last 10 pounds. I religiously stayed on plan, and the fat steadily melted until I reached my target weight. My goals were to have a normal body mass index (BMI), drop two sizes and get an A on my labs, all of which I achieved.

It's possible the reason for my success was that my goals were reasonable. Some people may seek to squeeze back into their wedding dress or time travel back to their high school weight, dreams that may not make sense for them now.

In a blog post called "'Just Another Ten Pounds' or How to Know When Your Weight Loss is Over," "Refuse to Regain" author Barbara Berkeley, MD, suggests that if you hit a brick wall before you reach your goal weight, you should probably just accept that your body is meant to be at a higher weight. She recommends shifting the focus to maintaining your weight and, if you still really want to lose that last 10 pounds, taking a stab at it later.

In contrast, a "Prevention" article suggests making some tweaks to rid your body of that residual 10 pounds. Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, author of The Runner's Diet, suggests doing cardio four to five times a week, lifting weights, walking and standing more, eating less meat, and starting each meal with an apple or other relatively low-calorie food that will fill you up. She explains the last 10 pounds are harder to lose than the first 50 "because the slimmer you become, the fewer calories you burn just going about your day."

Fitness guru Jillian Michaels of "Biggest Loser" fame calls the last 10 pounds "vanity pounds" because they are generally despised more for appearance than health. "The body struggles to hold on to that last bit of fat for survival purposes," she writes on her blog, though she also has tips for those who want to persevere, including completely cutting out processed food, drinking more water, 86ing alcohol, and training at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for an hour five times a week.

For some people, totally mixing things up could be the best way to say adios to the final 10. Dr. Joseph Mercola is a big fan of modified fasting to lose weight. That could mean creating a smaller window of feeding time -- for instance, eating only between the hours of 11 am to 7 pm. Mercola explains this shift makes it easier for the body to fuel itself with fat instead of sugar because if you're constantly feeding yourself, you never deplete your glycogen stores.

Bottom line: Unless you are one of the fortunate few, you may have to do something totally different to lose your last 10 pounds than the diet and exercise program that got you 10 feet from the goal post.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.

Medifast replacement meals on Amazon

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How Medifast Helped Me Develop Better Habits

Medifast Centers Vs. DIY Medifast

My Favorite Medifast Kitchen Gadgets

Medifast Vs. Lean Cuisine Diet

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