Now you not only want to lose 10 pounds, you want those 10 pounds to stay lost, right? A way to ensure success with keeping that weight off is to make some lifestyle changes.
Everyone becomes accustomed to their routines, and it's difficult to force changes on those routines. One of the reasons many people fail with a task like losing 10 pounds is that it seems to require too much discipline and work. While a certain amount of stick-to-itiveness is no doubt necessary, you'll find it much easier to lose weight if you incorporate changes into your lifestyle. A diet and exercise routine is almost certain to fail if it conflicts with your daily routines.
For example, if you live a reasonable distance from work, try biking instead of driving. What you're doing here is incorporating exercise in to your normal routine: work is something you go to every day anyway --all you're doing is changing the way you get there. Changing the way you do something that you already do is far more convenient than starting something new, and biking to work is much easier to incorporate into your lifestyle then going to the gym every day.
The same principle can be applied to your eating habits. Do you pack a lunch for work or eat out? If you eat out, chances are you're going to be eating something less healthy than you would make for yourself, and probably a larger portion as well. By getting up a little earlier each morning and preparing your own lunch, you're not only saving money, but your incorporating a healthy eating choice in your routine. This is much easier to do then having a list in your head and constantly reminding yourself of what you can and can't eat.
Not only are lifestyle changes easier to enforce than hard and fast diet rules, they're also more permanent. Simply look at your daily routine for places where you could incorporate a bit of exercise: take the stairs instead of the elevator; walk instead of taking the bus. These changes will not only make you lose weight, but you'll feel healthier and better without having to constantly chastise yourself for breaking dieting "rules.”