10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds

The "Protein" Way

Get 25 percent of your calories from low-fat protein.

Why try it: "Protein will keep you fuller longer," says Susan Bowerman, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. "When women cut calories, they tend to eat salad." Soon after, you're starving.

Action Plan

Add lean protein to meals and snacks -- aim for 90 grams a day and 1,400 calories total. "A lot of women think protein means chicken, meat, or fish," says Elisa Zied, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. But some of the best choices are dairy foods, beans, and nuts.

Your Protein Cheat Sheet

Roasted chicken breast (3 ounces): 26g protein, 140 calories, 3g fat
Beef sirloin (3 ounces, trimmed of fat): 22g protein, 177 calories, 9g fat
Cottage cheese, 1% fat (4.4 ounces): 15g protein, 89 calories, 1g fat
Kidney beans (1/2 cup): 7g protein, 108 calories, 1g fat
Cheddar cheese (1 ounce): 7g protein, 114 calories, 9g fat
Almonds (1 ounce, about 22 nuts): 6g protein, 169 calories, 15g fat
Egg, hard-boiled: 6g protein, 78 calories, 5g fat
Yogurt, Dannon Light & Fit (6 ounces): 5g protein, 60 calories, 0g fat

DROP 10: In about eight weeks with just this one strategy!