You may have 10 pounds to lose and you're just starting your fat loss program, or it may be the last 10 pounds to lose from months or years of constant work. The last 10 pounds are the easiest ones to lose and let me tell you how.

1. The Power of the Mind

One critical thing when trying for the last 10 pounds to lose is the power of the mind. First of all, don't "try" to lose the last 10 pounds, but rather do it. Know that it is going to happen and expect it to happen. Simple enough to say, but it is true. When we get to the last 10 pounds to lose, we begin to coast and ease up on our training and commitment, but I'm telling you to do exactly the opposite. This is the time to push forward and pick up speed, and be every more diligent in your choices. You must know in your mind that the last 10 pounds to lose is the easiest part of the journey. Use the power of your mind to visualize success and yourself not only standing at the finish line having successfully achieved your goal, but even more so than that.. Visualize yourself picking up speed and running through the finish line. Your motto should be "there is nothing more powerful than a warrior running through the finish line". Be a fat burning warrior.

2. Increase your metabolism

The last 10 pounds to lose is as easy as increasing your metabolism through exercise and a change in eating habits.

Diet

If you're not already eating 5 or 6 meals a day, then now is the time to change your eating strategy and the last 10 pounds to lose will literally fall off your body. Become a fat burning machine through diet by rethinking how you look at food, snacks and meals. Every time you eat, your body kicks into gear and works hard at digesting or burning up that meal to turn it into nutrients that your body can use for energy and healing while the rest is burnt off as heat (in a process called thermogenics).

Exercise

If you have been on some sort of "last 10 pounds to lose" program, it's likely included exercise. You are probably doing cardio like crazy. Well, you should be. If you have not been doing cardio, now is the time to start. If you have been, then now's the time to kick it up a notch. The last 10 pounds to lose is as easy as increasing your output. Doubling your cardio to 6 times per week, or if you've already been doing that, then do a second cardio session in the evening for a twice a day cardio workout. Wow, that will really kick things into gear. One caveat: if you increase your output of exercise, you may also need to increase your calorie consumption a bit to match your bodies' new need for food.

3. clean up your diet

If everything is going well, you can take some time to finally clean up your diet. This means that the last 10 pounds to lose may require re-thinking your diet. Are you eating any condiments? Are you eating dairy products? Have you been eating low fat foods thinking they're healthy and designed to help you lose the last 10 pounds?

Here are some simple rules to help you clean up your diet:

• How many names are listed on the ingredients? The lower the number of items listed, the better it is for you.

• Can you remove condiments from your diet for a short period of time? Eliminate ketchup (which I call tomato flavoured sugar), eliminate mayonnaise, get rid of salad dressings. Eliminate soy sauce from your rice.

• What are you drinking? At this point, your goal of 10 pounds to lose would include a very substantial change in fluids. An increase in water consumption and a removal of all other fluids such as juices or other non-nutritional beverages will assist with the last 10 pounds to lose.

4. Wake up earlier means more time to burn calories

The longer you are awake, the longer your body is burning calories and the more time you have to ingest and burn the 5 or 6 meals required. Eating every 3 hours for 5 meals requires starting at 6 am and eating last meal at 6 PM for example. For men, eating another meal at 9 pm.

The longer you are awake allows more time for exercise. Doing cardio first thing in the morning before your first meal helps burn fat rather than any blood sugars. Make sure you exercise before you eat. Then staying up later allows for an evening weight training workout, or a second cardio session.

The last 10 pounds to lose might be as simple as spending more time awake.

If you are really trying to lose the last 10 pounds, remember that it should always be considered easy. If you tell yourself it's easy and your mind knows that you think it's easy that it becomes easy. You are what you think. What you focus on expands. Your mind cannot tell the difference between what you think is real and what is real, so know in your heart and mind that the last 10 pounds to lose is easy. Clean up your diet, improve what you drink for fluids, spend more time awake and make sure you stay active.

Trust me, the last 10 pounds is an easy thing to accomplish.