How to lose 10 kg: what really works (and what doesn't)

How long does it take to lose 10 kilos?

At a healthy pace, losing 10 kilos takes 10 to 20 weeks, or two and a half to five months. That pace of 0.5 to 1 kilo per week may sound slow, but it is the speed at which you mainly lose fat and keep your muscle mass.

The calculation behind it is simple. One kilo of body fat equals about 7,700 calories. For 10 kilos you therefore need to burn around 77,000 more calories than you take in. With a daily deficit of 500 to 750 calories you lose half to three quarters of a kilo per week; if you also move more on a structural basis, you will be at the faster end of those 10 to 20 weeks.

This is what it looks like per time frame:

Bear in mind that weight loss is never a straight line. In the first week or two you often lose weight quickly, largely fluid. After that it levels off and there are weeks when the scales don't move. That is to be expected and not a sign that you are failing.

Your starting weight also plays a role. The heavier you are, the higher your daily energy use and the faster the first kilos come off. Someone weighing 110 kilos usually loses more in the same number of weeks than someone weighing 75 kilos with exactly the same eating pattern.

So weigh yourself no more than once a week, at a fixed time. Your weight fluctuates from day to day because of fluid, salt, hormones and the contents of your intestines. If you weigh yourself daily, you see noise. If you weigh yourself weekly, you see the trend, and that is what counts.

Can you lose 10 kilos in 1 month?

No, losing 10 kilos in 1 month is not achievable in a healthy way. You would need a deficit of more than 2,500 calories every day. That is more than the total daily needs of many women.

What you do lose in such a month is mainly fluid and muscle mass. And you need that muscle mass: muscles burn calories, even at rest. If you lose muscle, your metabolism drops and losing weight becomes harder afterwards. That is how the well-known yo-yo effect arises.

More realistic is 2 to 4 kilos in your first month, including the rapid fluid loss at the start. That feels less spectacular, but it is weight loss that stays off. And if you want to adjust course halfway, you can keep it up without hunger or exhaustion.

Still want to see results faster? Then focus not on the scales but on your tape measure and your clothes. Fat around your belly often disappears sooner than the kilos suggest.

And losing 10 kilos in 2 or 3 months? In 2 months it is the absolute upper limit: more than a kilo a week, week in, week out. That requires a strict eating plan, a lot of exercise and preferably supervision to prevent muscle loss. In 3 months the picture becomes more realistic: 0.8 kilo per week is demanding but achievable for anyone who consistently maintains a calorie deficit. Give yourself 4 to 5 months and you will never have to go hungry, with the best chance that the weight stays off.

What really works: calorie deficit, protein and exercise

Losing 10 kilos sustainably rests on five pillars: a moderate calorie deficit, enough protein, more exercise, good sleep and consistency. None of the five is spectacular. Together they are more effective than any diet with a name.

1. A moderate calorie deficit. Eat 500 to 750 calories a day less than you burn. How much that is for you depends on your height, weight, age and activity level. You can calculate your calorie needs as a starting point. Bigger is not better: an extreme deficit breaks down muscle mass and slows your fat burning.

Don't underestimate hidden calories either. Sauces, juices, a glass of wine with dinner and the bite from the pan all count, even if they never appear in a food diary. Many people who "hardly eat anything" and still don't lose weight reach their maintenance level through this route.

2. Enough protein. Protein keeps you full for longer than carbohydrates and protects your muscle mass while you lose weight. Think of quark, eggs, fish, chicken, pulses and tofu at every meal. If you eat plenty of protein, you have less trouble with cravings between meals.

In practice: build every meal around a protein source and add vegetables and wholegrain products. A breakfast of just a cracker with jam keeps you going for an hour. A bowl of quark with fruit and nuts keeps you going all morning.

3. Move more, exercise smarter. The Physical Activity Guidelines of the Gezondheidsraad (the Health Council of the Netherlands) advise at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week, plus muscle- and bone-strengthening exercises twice a week. For weight loss that combination is worth its weight in gold: strength training preserves your muscle mass, while daily movement such as walking and cycling increases your energy use. Losing 10 kilos through exercise alone, without adjusting your diet, rarely works: one croissant cancels out half an hour of running.

What's more, the biggest gain is not in the hour of exercise but in the rest of the day. Taking the stairs, cycling to the supermarket, standing while on the phone, a walk in your lunch break: this everyday movement determines a large part of your energy use and is easy to keep up for years.

4. Sleep and stress. With too little sleep and prolonged stress, your body produces more cortisol. That hormone stimulates cravings for high-calorie food and promotes fat storage around your belly. Seven to eight hours of sleep is not a luxury but a requirement.

5. Consistency over perfection. One birthday party doesn't ruin your week; "slipping up a little" every day does. Plan your meals ahead, keep track of what you eat for the first few weeks and accept that a bad day is part of it. If you get it right 80% of the time, you will reach the 10 kilos. If you demand perfection, you will usually give up within a month.

Already doing all this and the scales still won't move? Then other factors may be at play. In that case, also read our article on why you are not losing weight.

What doesn't work: crash diets and miracle products

Anything that promises quick results without effort doesn't work or backfires. That is the message missing from much weight loss advice. These are the best-known pitfalls, alongside what does work:

Crash diets are tempting because they seem to work at first. The first kilos fly off. But as soon as you eat normally again, the weight comes back, often with interest.

During the crash period your body has broken down muscle mass and lowered your metabolism. You therefore regain weight at a lower energy use than you started with. That is how many people end up heavier than ever after years of dieting, while trying harder than anyone.

That is also why Thuisarts.nl, the Dutch GPs' patient information website, focuses on gradually eating more healthily and moving more rather than on strict regimes. Even a few kilos less already brings health benefits; it doesn't have to be fast, it has to be sustainable.

The same goes for popular diets with a name. Low-carb, intermittent fasting, keto: they can all work, but not for the reason the sellers give. They only work if they make you eat fewer calories. So don't choose the diet with the most attractive promises, but the eating style you can keep up for years.

Be careful, too, with products that present themselves as medical. Supplements that supposedly work "just like the weight loss injection" do not contain the active ingredient. And weight loss medication offered without a prescription is illegal and possibly counterfeit. You can only get real medication via a doctor, after a medical assessment.

What should you eat to lose 10 kilos?

An eating plan to lose 10 kilos consists of three protein-rich meals a day, plenty of vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates and little sugar and alcohol. A strict diet is not necessary; consistently eating healthily is.

This is what a day could look like. Use this sample menu as inspiration for three days and then vary it yourself:

A few points to note about this menu:

• Protein at every meal keeps you full and protects your muscles.
• Oily fish such as salmon or mackerel, once or twice a week, provides omega-3 fatty acids.
• You don't need to cut out carbohydrates. Choose the wholegrain version and mainly limit sugar, soft drinks and juice.
• Drink mainly water, coffee and tea without sugar. Alcohol provides a lot of calories and slows your fat burning.

Exactly how much you need varies per person. A woman of 1.65 metres has different calorie needs from a man of 1.90 metres. So calculate your own needs first and build your deficit on that.

With these basic groceries you will also get through every week:

• Protein sources: low-fat quark, eggs, chicken breast, fish, tofu, pulses
• Vegetables and fruit: plenty and varied, fresh or frozen
• Wholegrain basics: oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholegrain pasta
• Healthy fats: unsalted nuts, olive oil, avocado, oily fish
• For flavour: herbs, spices, lemon and garlic instead of ready-made sauces

Do you always run into snack cravings in the evening? That is the moment when most good intentions fall apart. Three substantial meals during the day take away most of those cravings. If that doesn't help enough, deliberately plan one evening snack, such as low-fat yoghurt or a piece of fruit, instead of "not being allowed anything" and then emptying the biscuit tin at ten o'clock anyway.

A final practical tip: prepare your meals in advance. If you cook for three days on Sunday, you don't have to make decisions on an empty stomach during the week. You don't make the best food choices at six in the evening, hungry in the supermarket, but at a calm moment beforehand.

Losing 10 kilos during the menopause

During the menopause, losing 10 kilos is harder, but certainly not impossible. If the weight stays on despite your efforts, that is not your fault. Your body really is changing.

Three things happen at once. Your oestrogen level falls, so fat is more often stored around your belly. Your muscle mass gradually decreases, so your daily energy use drops while you eat the same. And many women sleep worse, which increases cravings for sweet and fatty food via hunger hormones and cortisol.

The approach therefore shifts slightly:

• Extra emphasis on protein, to slow muscle loss.
• Strength training twice a week, the most effective brake on a falling metabolism.
• A more realistic pace: 0.5 kilo per week is a fine result during the menopause.
• Priority for sleep and relaxation, because stress literally feeds belly fat.

What we often see in practice: a woman of around fifty who stayed at the same weight her whole life with the same eating pattern, and now gains a few kilos year after year without anything having changed. The frustration is then considerable, and understandable. The rules changed halfway through the game, not your effort.

For many women going through the menopause, this is also the moment when a medical perspective becomes valuable. Hormones, a slower metabolism and years of yo-yo dieting reinforce each other, and you rarely untangle that knot with yet another diet alone. You can read more about this in our extensive guide to losing weight during the menopause.

Do you recognise that the kilos won't come off despite healthy eating and exercise? At Qlinic, your own BIG-registered doctor personally looks at whether medical weight loss suits your situation. Take the eligibility check →

Is losing 10 kilos visible?

Yes, losing 10 kilos is clearly visible. For most people it makes a difference of one to two clothing sizes. Your face often becomes slimmer first, then your waist and hips.

How big the difference looks depends on your height and starting weight. For someone weighing 70 kilos, 10 kilos is a huge change. For someone weighing 110 kilos, the difference in photos is subtler, but for their health it is at least as large.

That health effect is perhaps more important than the mirror. Losing 5 to 10% of your body weight usually already improves blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If you weigh 100 kilos, losing 10 kilos is exactly that 10%.

Just don't expect compliments from the first week. People who see you every day often only notice the difference after 5 to 7 kilos. You will feel it sooner yourself: your trousers are looser, climbing stairs is easier, your ring turns more easily around your finger and your energy increases.

Want to see your progress the way others see it? Take a photo at the start and repeat it every four weeks, and measure your waist. Before-and-after photos and the tape measure often show progress in weeks when the scales stand still.

When is medical supervision sensible?

Medical supervision is worth considering with a BMI of 30 or higher, or if serious attempts with diet and exercise keep failing. Obesity is a medical condition, not a lack of willpower.

At a higher weight, your body actively works against you. Hunger hormones become stronger as you lose weight, your metabolism drops and your brain pushes you to eat. That explains why you may often have lost 5 kilos and gained 6 back each time. It is biology, not weakness.

It is also common: more than half of Dutch adults are overweight, according to figures from the Dutch government. Not sure where you stand? Calculate your BMI as a first step.

Medical supervision has several routes. Your GP (huisarts) can think along with you, rule out underlying causes and refer you to, for example, a dietitian or a combined lifestyle programme (gecombineerde leefstijlinterventie). For some people with obesity that is enough. For others, hunger remains the saboteur, however good the plan.

For that group, effective medication has existed for some years: GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and liraglutide (Saxenda). These medicines mimic a natural hormone and mainly reduce the feeling of hunger. That makes eating less sustainable instead of a daily battle.

The results have been well studied. In a large study in The New England Journal of Medicine, participants on weekly semaglutide lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo. For someone weighing 100 kilos, that is almost 15 kilos.

It belongs in the picture that this medication also has side effects. Especially at the start, nausea, a full feeling and other gastrointestinal symptoms occur. That is why there should always be a doctor involved who increases the dose gradually and is available if you run into problems. You can read more about this in our overview of GLP-1 side effects.

And once again: never buy these medicines online without a prescription. You won't know what you are getting and you will miss out on medical monitoring.

At Qlinic we have deliberately kept this programme small-scale. This is how medical weight loss with injections works with us:

1. Consultation and intake with our own BIG-registered doctor, who assesses whether medication is suitable and safe for you.
2. Prescription and discreet home delivery of your medication.
3. Weight loss with support: personal follow-up every four weeks with the same doctor.

You usually notice the first effect after about four weeks: the constant feeling of hunger decreases. You can always pause or stop, in consultation with the doctor. So far we have helped around 50 people, and our clients rate us 5.0 on Google based on more than 20 reviews.

Here too, be realistic with yourself: medication is not a replacement for healthy eating and exercise, but an aid that finally makes that approach sustainable. The pillars in this article remain the foundation. The difference is that you no longer have to fight your own hunger for it every day.

Tried everything and now want to know whether medical weight loss is right for you? One doctor of your own, personal contact every four weeks and your medication discreetly delivered to your home. Take the eligibility check →

Frequently asked questions about losing 10 kg

How long does it take to lose 10 kilos?

At a healthy pace of 0.5 to 1 kilo per week, losing 10 kilos takes about 10 to 20 weeks, or two and a half to five months. That pace gives you the best chance of mainly losing fat, keeping your muscle mass and keeping the weight off.

Can you lose 10 kilos in 1 month?

No, losing 10 kilos in 1 month is not achievable in a healthy way. You would need a daily deficit of more than 2,500 calories and would then mainly lose fluid and muscle mass, resulting in a yo-yo effect. Realistic is 2 to 4 kilos in the first month.

What should you eat to lose 10 kilos?

Eat three meals a day with plenty of protein (quark, eggs, fish, chicken, pulses), plenty of vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates and oily fish once or twice a week for omega-3. Limit sugar, soft drinks and alcohol. A moderate calorie deficit of 500 to 750 calories per day is the basis.

Is it visible when you lose 10 kilos?

Yes, losing 10 kilos is clearly visible: for most people it makes a difference of one to two clothing sizes, and the face becomes slimmer first. In addition, losing 5 to 10% of your body weight usually already improves your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

How many calories a day do I need to lose 10 kilos?

Eat 500 to 750 calories a day less than you burn. Your energy use depends on your height, weight, age and how much you move; for many women, losing weight comes down to around 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, for many men 1,800 to 2,200. Calculate your personal needs for a precise starting point.

How can you lose 10 kilos quickly?

The fastest healthy pace is about 1 kilo per week, so 10 kilos in around 10 weeks. Going faster mainly means losing fluid and muscle and a high chance of the yo-yo effect. If you want to reach that maximum pace safely, do it under professional supervision and never with a crash diet.

Is losing 10 kilos after giving birth different?

Yes, after giving birth you first give your body a few months to recover, and if you are breastfeeding you talk to your midwife (verloskundige) or GP before going into a calorie deficit. After that the same principles apply: a moderate deficit, enough protein and exercise, at a steady pace of around 0.5 kilo per week.

Can medication help you lose 10 kilos?

Yes, GLP-1 medication can help people with obesity (BMI 30 or higher) by reducing the feeling of hunger; in studies, users lost around 15% of their body weight on average. This medication is available on prescription only and works best with medical supervision, a healthy diet and exercise.