It’s time to drop the crazy fads and complicated diets! Losing weight should not compromise your health or take over your life. Losing weight is simpler than you think. The main thing is to stay committed to a healthier lifestyle. You need to take it slow. Your weight gain didn’t happen overnight, so it won’t come off overnight. You need to be consistent with the habits you are changing to give your body the care it deserves. In order to lose those 10 pesky pounds, here are 10 easy steps.

1. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Believe it or not, plain water is the best for weight loss. It is calorie free, and it will help you feel full and can help prevent cravings. It will also flush out the toxins in your system, especially those that cause bloating and constipation. A recent study found that adults who drink water before a meal lose 44% more weight. Drinking water before each meal is one way to prevent overeating. If you don’t like plain water, you can spruce it up by adding fruit combinations.

1. Eat protein at breakfast. If you want to maximize your results, you need to start the day with protein. You can use things like nonfat Greek yogurt, eggs, or lean turkey. If you replace a grain-based breakfast with protein and healthy fats, it will help you eat less throughout the day. White bread and cereals metabolize quickly and leave you hungry. Fats and proteins are harder to break down, thus keeping you feeling fuller longer.

1. Plan ahead with snacks. When you have snack, you can keep your energy levels up and prevent blood sugar dips, but you need to eat the right snacks. If you can keep healthy foods around you, then you are less likely to go to the vending machine. By preparing nutrient-rich snacks ahead of time, you can have a grab-n-go snack, no matter how busy the day may get.

1. Burn the fat with HIIT (high intensity interval training). To boost your metabolism, try doing HIIT exercises. These exercises are incredibly effective for losing weight. If you can incorporate two or three HIIT workouts per week, those 10 pounds will just fall off. Interval training is effective because it keeps your heart rate elevated. It will help burn that stubborn belly fat. You will also continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours after you end your workout.

1. Measure your food. Most of us really don’t know what an actual serving size is or read the labels to find out how much we should really eat. When we use our eyes, we tend to oversize our servings. A cup of popcorn or chips may end up being a lot smaller than you think. Don’t be surprised when you portion your food to find that you’ve actually been eating two or three servings at a time. This does add an extra step to your meal, but it has a huge impact on that waistline of yours.

1. Go for whole foods. Your body needs nutrients to lose weight. Stop eating processed foods! This includes boxed dinners, cereal, and bagged snacks. Instead, turn your focus to nutrient-rich foods and clean eating. Start your day with eggs and veggies. Snack on apples and nut butter. Before you know it, your body will thank you, and you will feel more energized.

1. Stop skipping meals. People think that skipping a meal will help them lose weight. But, in reality, it’s a really big problem when you starve your body. It can lead to craving sugary, fatty, processed foods. Also, skipping meals can cause binge eating at the next meal. We think we can justify bad choices in our meals when we skip the meal before. Once you actually add everything up, it often turns out that the skipped lunch cost you more calories then actually eating it. If you want to maximize weight loss, you need to commit to eating 5 small meals a day. Keep your foods nutrient-filled and clean.

1. Time to move. You don’t have to be drenched in sweat to get a great workout or to burn calories. Every chance you get, you need to move. Set a goal to do crunches for the whole commercial break instead of just sitting. You can walk to a coworker’s desk instead of sending an IM or email. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away from the door at the grocery store.

1. Add some weights to your workout. If you add weights to your exercises, it forces your muscles to work harder. That will burn more calories and raise your metabolism. You body will use more calories to try to maintain your muscle instead of trying to maintain your fat tissue. This means that two people who weigh 130 pounds may not burn calories the same. The person with more muscle will burn more calories. If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your muscle mass.

1. Eat your veggies first. It pays to have fresh veggies as a part of your meal, but did you know that if you eat them first, they offer a low-calorie way to fill up before you eat the rest of your food? It is similar to drinking water before you eat. You can have a simple salad before each meal. Or start eating the vegetables on your dinner plate first.

These 10 steps are not just quick fixes. They will help you lose the weight and keep it off. It’s time to forget the fads and just focus on eating right. Trust me, your body will thank you.