1. Look at your carbohydrate intake
Many of the carbohydrates we eat are loaded with sugar and without any real nutrients. About 30% of the calories you eat in a day should be coming for carbohydrates. Yes, I am promoting a low carbohydrate diet but I’ve found it is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Instead of reaching for a granola bar at snack time, eat a half an avocado or yogurt. Switch out chips for bell peppers and carrots when dipping into hummus. Also, during most of your workouts, you are in the “fat-burning” heart rate zone. This means that all of the calories your body is using up during exercise come from the fat in your bloodstream or on your body. Rarely do you burn the carbohydrates floating in your body.
2. Less steady state cardio, more metabolic workouts
Here is the difference in your metabolism between a 45 minute steady state elliptical session compared to a 30 minute variable intensity cardio session. During the steady state, your heart rate remains at one constant level and your body is able to adjust your metabolism to perfectly burn the exact (or least) amount of calories possible during your workout. Once you jump off the machine, your body is signaled that the activity is over and metabolism drops down to its pre-workout rate. When completing a variable intensity workout, your heart rate is constantly fluctuating. Your body is not able to decide what the ideal metabolic rate is so in order to get you through the difficult portions of the workout, it kicks in to the highest level possible. By the end of your workout, your body still isn’t sure if the activity is over so it remains at the peak metabolism for as long as possible until naturally leveling off. Performing these variable intensity workouts allows you to increase your metabolism in less time! Try my cardio workout listed in my timeline to kickstart results.
3. Change up your Food Constantly
This is the classic, “I can’t stop eating!” Don’t eat the same breakfast, lunch and dinner for an entire week. If you have ever been really motivated to get onto a healthy eating style but by the end of the week you are starving and face first in a pizza, it’s probably because you are missing key nutrients during the week. Eating the same foods over and over again leads to your body missing certain vitamins and minerals. Instead of your body forgoing those nutrients, it will make you constantly eat until you have consumed those necessities. Because we all don’t have personal chefs to make us custom meals, I like to pick two breakfasts, two lunches and different dinners every night for the week. I will eat Breakfast 1, Lunch 1, and Dinner 1 on Monday; Breakfast 2, Lunch 1 and Dinner 2 on Tuesday; Breakfast 1, Lunch 2 and Dinner 3 on Wednesday; Breakfast 2, Lunch 2 and Dinner 4 on Thursday; and Breakfast 1, Lunch 1 and Dinner 5 on Friday. This technique ensures you are getting all vitamins and minerals during the week and you will not overeat trying to get complete nutrition.
4. Lift weights
Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than any other tissue on your body. This means that one extra pound of muscle mass on your body is going to naturally increase your metabolism and burn fat. Much like the variable intensity cardio, you are going to keep burning calories well after your workout is over. Check my page out for workouts!
5. Eat Real Food
Let go of meal replacement bars and drinks. Your body likes to break down proteins and minerals from real whole foods instead of getting them directly from powders. The digestive system is not accustomed to receiving nutrients in this fashion so it will not process them properly. This goes for multivitamins as well. Unfortunately, you have to eat actual wholesome food to achieve proper nutrition. Try one of the recipes from nutrition page for meals with lean protein, healthy fats and low carbs.
6. Take a Rest Day
I cannot stress this tip enough. Many times, we are so consumed with seeing results, we workout every day, if not twice a day. Too much exercise can lead to overtraining injuries and burnout. Pace yourself and understand that results do not come overnight. You are a real person with a real life and it’s okay to take a break to be a member of the life we have outside of the gym.
7. Track Your Progress
Pick one day of the week that will be your Progress Day. On this day, you will weigh in, take a picture and record your emotions. Research shows that the best day to complete these items is either Wednesday or Thursday (but pick whichever day is best for you). Do all of this right when you wake up in the morning, after you have went to the bathroom and before you have eaten anything. This will allow you to have the most consistent progress results. First, write down how you have felt about the week’s progress, if you had any travel or celebrations that week that might have set you off course, if you were feeling really energized or any slip-ups or accomplishments. Take a picture of your body in a mirror. Yes, it sucks to see yourself honestly but this way you can see the minor physique changes that other measurements may not show. Next, weigh in and write it down. See if the number has changed in any direction. Just so everyone knows, when I’m really on my workout game, I weight about 5 pounds heavier due to the extra muscle mass. Finally, write down how you are feeling after the picture and weigh in. Jot down any goals you may have for the next week. This step of journaling may feel exhaustive but I will tell you right know, if you are serious about wanting to change your body and your life, this is the best technique.
