Swimsuit season is coming soon and many of us need to lose 10 pounds of flab fast. Losing body fat doesn’t have to be as difficult as many people make it. Here are 7 proven ways to lose 10 pounds in a fast, healthy, and easy way…

1. Boost your protein intake. Lean protein is a “hot burning” food that requires lots of energy to digest. It also happens to increase feelings of fullness and help suppress the appetite. Oh, and the amino acids contained in protein foods are the building blocks of metabolism-boosting muscle tissue.

Bottom line: Eat more protein (get at least 30% of your daily calories from protein).

2. Cut out “bad” calories. Limit or eliminate your intake of processed, refined sugars, flours, and fats. Refined (man made) sugars, flours, and fats keep you from losing body fat. The less you eat them the faster and easier it will be to lose pounds. The same goes for fried foods.

3. Eat breakfast. Yes, you’ve heard it before. But there’s a reason for that. Eating a high-protein breakfast with some healthy fats and “good” carbs included is one of the easiest ways to jump-start your metabolism, keep your energy and blood sugar levels stable, and reduce your chances of overeating later in the day.

4. Snack… a lot. Eating small, healthy, protein-rich snacks frequently throughout the day is easy to do and can speed up the weight loss process quite a bit. Keep your metabolism boosted, your blood sugar stable, and your appetite in check by eating a healthy snack every 2-3 hours during the day.

5. Use fiber to fight fat. You can use the power of fiber-rich foods to make it easier to eat right for fat loss. Before every meal eat a small salad or a serving of fresh veggies and/or fruit. The natural fiber in these healthy foods will fill you up a little bit, reduce your appetite, and make it much, much easier to make smart food decisions.

6. Choose good carbs. Eating the right kinds of carbohydrate foods is a key to fast, easy weight loss. Get most of your carbohydrates from raw or steamed vegetables, fresh fruits, and beans. Limit grain intake to 1 or 2 servings per day, and always choose 100% whole grain versions. These natural, healthy carbs will help you lose pounds faster.

7. Get intense. Add some higher-intensity “intervals” to your normal workouts and you could burn off that extra fat much faster. Studies have shown that performing a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout makes your body burn fat and calories for hours even after you’ve finished working out!