You thought you’d never get here, but you’re just 10 pounds shy of your goal. The last leg of your weight-loss journey can often be the most difficult. After all, if you lose a pound a week, then it could still take you another few months. Don’t give up hope and don’t stray from your plan. Instead, change your workout to extend the duration and raise the intensity. Look for ways to burn additional calories, even if it means adding in an extra day of exercise. Vary your workout – keep your muscles guessing, and you’ll burn more calories. Also, continue to follow your meal plan. If you’ve hit a plateau, you may have to reduce your calorie level or move around your calorie allotment for each meal. If you’re used to eating three meals a day, then break them up into five or six small meals.

For example, if you’re used to eating fruit, oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast, then save the fruit and yogurt for later in the morning. Do the same with lunch – eat that sandwich with lean lunchmeat, but save the healthy sides, like salad and pretzels, for your afternoon snack. You’ll jumpstart your metabolism by keeping it busy all the time and keeping your body from going into starvation mode. Pay attention to your water intake – increase how much you drink, and decrease the amount of salt you eat.