The key to slimming down quickly and safely is to achieve a certain balance between caloric consumption, utilization, and the internal chemical balance that stabilizes the body’s blood sugar levels, as it is quite dangerous (and also really hard) to sustain a caloric deficit just to shed pounds (aka starving yourself silly).

For a healthy weight loss regimen that can get your to shed 10 pounds in 10 days, here are 7 things you should get started on:

Before you refill your “food tank”, make sure to burn “old fuel” by performing cardio exercises like walking, jogging, jumping jacks, running, or anything that speech up your heart rate.

Cardio exercises improve metabolism (how you burn calories). They also increase your uptake a beta endorphins – a natural kind of morphine that suppresses the appetite.

To slim down quickly, the next best move is to cut down calorie intake to just the right amount that your body needs.

Avoid foods that are high in calories and nothing else, such as salad dressings, fried foods, foods containing animal fats, and processed meats.

You may need to consult with your doctor as to how many calories to shave off your daily diet, but if you’re healthy, with no underlying medical conditions, you can reduce your food consumption by 300 – 500 calories a day.

To keep from getting bored (and dropping out of your weight loss regimen) and, more importantly, to slow down the plateau that everyone hits when certain routines are overdone (which translates to zero weight lost despite vigorous activity), switch to a new routine every 8 -12 weeks.

Ideally you should choose routines that target different muscle groups every time so you achieve a more uniformed toned physique.

Simply because you exercise first thing in the morning does not mean not move for the rest of the day.

Maximize calorie burn by spreading physical activity throughout the day – perhaps a quick stretch at noon and a 10-minute chore (doing the dishes or laundry) at night.

In between, take the stairs instead of the elevator and get out of your chair every hour or so.

Instead of sitting down to three huge meals a day taken at hours when you are already hungry, try to fit into your lifestyle four or five smaller meals every three hours.

The goal is to keep your blood sugar even throughout the day to prevent snacking in between (which could altogether sabotage your extensive cardio workouts).

Incorporated into your daily routine, smaller meals at regular intervals trick your body into thinking that there is no danger of famine and, therefore, no need to hoard fat.