Lose 10 lbs a week - some people think those are the five sweetest words in the English language. But is it possible to make such a dream come true?

The answer is: "Yes, but." You really can lose 10 lbs a week, but it will either take extremely hard work and/or a disaster happening to your body.

Look at it this way: One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. In order to lose one pound you must either take in 3500 fewer calories and/or engage in activities to burn 3500 calories.

Now, multiply that by 10 to see the calorie totals to lose 10 lbs. That's right: You would have to reduce your weekly calorie intake by 35,000 calories or burn 35,000 more in a week to lose 10 lbs. When you consider the average adult takes in about 2,000 calories per day (14,000 in a week), you can see you would be depriving your body of a great deal of its stored energy. To lose 10 lbs a week can cost you your good health.

Many experts believe that by resorting to a diet this drastic, you would be forcing your body into a survival mode and thus sabotage your weight loss efforts. Your metabolism would slow to allow your body to conserve as much energy as it can. Thus your body would not be using its energy efficiently. In addition, once you resumed a more normal eating/exercise program, you would likely regain all the weight you lost - and then some.

As you can see, your body was not meant to lose weight that rapidly. However, there are ways you can lose weight safely and quickly. Just follow these common-sense measures.

1. Eliminate junk food. Stick to what your body needs: healthy amounts of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and protein. Fill up on these foods and get rid of the fat, sugar and salt that damage your body.

2. Say no to second helpings. If you think you are hungry, try drinking a glass of water instead. Sometimes what we think of as hunger pangs are actually the first signs of dehydration. Water will fill you up without calories.

3. Exercise. Try walking quickly for 30 minutes. If you already do some exercise, try doing so for a little longer or at slightly greater intensity. For example, if you are able, try running, which burns up calories very quickly.

Losing 10 lbs a week is possible, but it is very risky. Your best bet is to lose weight slowly and steadily so you can keep it off for good.