Losing weight is hard. But losing weight for good is even more challenging. Yet, did you know that people who lose weight gradually (e.g., 1–2 pounds a week) keep it off for longer?

Hopefully, this fact can help you feel better about the headache that is losing the last 10 pounds toward your goal weight. But if not, we have rounded up our top tips for losing those last few pounds. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Cut Out Sugary Drinks

You may be on a reduced-calorie diet. But most of us only consider foods and obviously sugary drinks like sodas when we're cutting back. To get to your goal weight, turning your attention to sugary drinks can help.

For example, one small latte per day can rack up over 100 calories and nearly 6 grams of fat. Order a large latte and your calorie count goes up to 160 per drink! Choosing black coffee can help you reduce these sneaky calories.

And sugary coffee drinks are not the only culprit. You should also pay attention to your juice and alcohol intake, avoiding high-sugar options whenever possible.

2. Build Lean Muscle

You may be hitting the gym more already. But have you considered resistance training? Resistance training is another phrase for weight lifting.

Many dieters don't want to take up weight lifting because they fear the weight gain that comes with muscle. What most dieters don't realize is that lean muscle actually burns fat!

How does that work? Lean muscle increases your resting metabolism. And that means you will burn more calories even when you're relaxing.

3. Cook More Meals at Home

Restaurants have one goal when cooking: make it taste good. They add lots of salt, oils, and sugars to achieve that goal. And these ingredients run up the calorie count, too.

You can avoid these extra calories by cooking more meals at home. Your meals will be fresher, healthier, and contain fewer calories, aiding your weight loss goals.

4. Get More and Better Sleep

Have you ever noticed that your appetite goes into overdrive when you lose sleep? Studies have shown that this isn't just an illusion. Poor sleep quality and quantity can increase your cravings for "junk" food.

Junk foods are notoriously high in calories. So, make sure to hit the snooze button a few times to ward off junk food cravings due to lack of sleep.

5. Crush Your Hunger

Dietician Abby Sharp coined the term "hunger-crushing combo" to describe satiating snacks that will keep you fuller for longer. These snacks must contain protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

For example, try slicing up apples (fiber) and having them with peanut butter (healthy fats) and a slice of Ezekial bread (protein).

Or blitz up a hunger-crushing smoothie containing protein powder, a fiber-full banana, and omega 3-containing hemp seeds.

6. Up the Intensity of Your Workout

Want to get more exercise but don't have time? Then this is the tip you have been waiting for.

You can work out for less time and actually burn more fat. How? Start incorporating high-intensity workouts like HIIT into your daily routine.

These workouts take less than 30 minutes and usually don't last longer than 15 minutes!

Yet, studies have shown that even in this short amount of time, HIIT can make you lose 28.5% more fat than less intense exercise over a longer period.

7. Try Intermittent Fasting

Emerging research has found that intermittent fasting may help people lose weight. For example, one review looked at 40 different intermittent fasting studies and found that participants typically lost 7–11 pounds over ten weeks.

Intermittent fasting may be just what you need to get to your goal weight. It requires you to restrict your eating to certain hours of the day. Ultimately, this results in minor calorie restriction, which can help you shed pounds.

8. Take a Break

We live in a stressful world. And stress has become an integral part of many of our lives. Unfortunately, though, stress isn't just bad for your health; it can also cause weight gain.

Stress leads to an increase in levels of a hormone called cortisol. Aside from regulating stress, cortisol also impacts your blood sugar. When cortisol goes up, insulin levels go down, causing you to crave high-sugar foods.

If you are ten pounds to goal and just can't kick your sugar habit, taking a break can help. You can also consider incorporating stress-reducing habits like meditation, yoga, or mindfulness.

9. Increase Your Water Intake

This is one of the dieters' oldest tricks in the book when it comes to shedding stubborn weight. But we thought we'd still mention it anyway because drinking water is also important to your overall health.

Increasing your water intake may help you lose weight. That's because water makes you feel fuller, staving off cravings and helping you keep your daily calorie intake at the proper levels.

10. Step Off the Scale

For some dieters, losing those last ten pounds may be a hard goal to reach. This is especially true if you also want to put on muscle. After all, as the saying goes, muscle does weigh more than fat.

If that sounds like you, you may want to set a new goal. Instead of shedding ten pounds, consider making an aesthetic goal. For example, you could strive to fit into an old pair of pants you still love.

Taking the focus from losing pounds to looking and feeling great may be just what you need to finally achieve your goal weight.

Ready to Start Losing the Last 10 Pounds?

These ten tips can help you achieve your goal weight. But what happens when even these tips can't help you shed those final stubborn pounds? You may need a supplement to kickstart your fat loss journey.

Are you ready to start losing the last 10 pounds? Absolute Supplements can help. Check out our science-backed fat loss supplements and finally achieve the results you've been working toward!