After spending the last week in a carb cloud eating my mother's home-cooking, holding my friend's newborn baby, and then drinking lots of holiday cocktails (not while holding the baby, mind you!)...I am in desperate need of a fitness plan. J.P. has been pretty awesome as my free personal trainer, but it's impossible finding time to get to the gym when work is this busy. But honestly, there are just way too many photo ops during the holiday season to look fluffy, it's time to get on it. Below are some great workout tips courtesy of Refinery29, Self, and my boyfriend's constant workout chatter.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. I'm putting this photo on my fridge to deter me from wanting to eat a piece of cheese ever again.
Run hill sprints
If your gym is closed, try sprinting. Find a good hill and run as fast as you can up it. When you reach the top, turn around and walk back down. Rest three to four minutes and repeat five or six times.
Skip the sugar... and artificial sweeteners
Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners is a diet disaster. And though Splenda claims to be made from sugar, it is made by chlorinating sugar. This means if you use Splenda, you are essentially dumping chlorine in your coffee. Recent studies have shown that aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates.
Put a little weight on
Put all those extra Thanksgiving calories to good use by lifting some heavy weights. When you lift heavy, calories are used as fuel and are not stored as fat. The more often you lift, the more calories your body uses, and the easier it is to shed those extra pounds. Perform 10 to 15 reps each of pull-ups, squats, push-ups and reverse lunges without rest. After you complete all the repetitions, rest 1 minutes and repeat 3-4 times.
Don't limit yourself to cardio
Strength training and building lean muscle mass is essential for weight control/loss and good health in general. Especially as you get older, strength training becomes more important. People often focus on cardio for losing weight, but strength training is also important for weight loss. As you build more lean muscle, your metabolism increases and you'll be able to lose weight.
If your gym is closed, try sprinting. Find a good hill and run as fast as you can up it. When you reach the top, turn around and walk back down. Rest three to four minutes and repeat five or six times.
Skip the sugar... and artificial sweeteners
Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners is a diet disaster. And though Splenda claims to be made from sugar, it is made by chlorinating sugar. This means if you use Splenda, you are essentially dumping chlorine in your coffee. Recent studies have shown that aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates.
Put a little weight on
Put all those extra Thanksgiving calories to good use by lifting some heavy weights. When you lift heavy, calories are used as fuel and are not stored as fat. The more often you lift, the more calories your body uses, and the easier it is to shed those extra pounds. Perform 10 to 15 reps each of pull-ups, squats, push-ups and reverse lunges without rest. After you complete all the repetitions, rest 1 minutes and repeat 3-4 times.
Don't limit yourself to cardio
Strength training and building lean muscle mass is essential for weight control/loss and good health in general. Especially as you get older, strength training becomes more important. People often focus on cardio for losing weight, but strength training is also important for weight loss. As you build more lean muscle, your metabolism increases and you'll be able to lose weight.
Eat cinnamon
Cinnamon helps control blood sugar, making it harder for your body to store fat. A tablespoon or two per day is all you need. Add it to your morning coffee or a protein shake.
Snack, munch, salmon
Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks. And remember, don’t be afraid to eat small amounts of good fats such as avocado, nuts, coconut oil. Eating good fats in moderation helps to keep you feeling satisfied. A good snack is an apple with a tablespoon of almond butter for healthy fats. A good meal is salmon for healthy omega 3 fats with salad and a vegetable.
Learn about healthy fats
After all the turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie, avoid eating pasta, breads, and fruits for a day or two. Eating too many carbs makes us fat by spiking blood sugar levels, so eating less sugars and starches and more eggs, fish, and healthy fats Ike olive oil and avocado goes a long way to prevent unwanted spikes in blood sugar, making it easier to stay thin.
Create an electronic sundown
Getting good quality sleep is essential for weight loss. By 10 p.m., stop sitting in front of your computer or TV and switch off all other electronic devices. They are too stimulating to the brain and can interfere with your sleep.
Drink more water
Humans need to drink 2 to 4 liters of water each day, but most of use don't get anywhere near that much! Drinking water gives you a sense of being full so you don't eat too many much. Plus, staying hydrated helps keep skin looking young and healthy.
Cinnamon helps control blood sugar, making it harder for your body to store fat. A tablespoon or two per day is all you need. Add it to your morning coffee or a protein shake.
Snack, munch, salmon
Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks. And remember, don’t be afraid to eat small amounts of good fats such as avocado, nuts, coconut oil. Eating good fats in moderation helps to keep you feeling satisfied. A good snack is an apple with a tablespoon of almond butter for healthy fats. A good meal is salmon for healthy omega 3 fats with salad and a vegetable.
Learn about healthy fats
After all the turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie, avoid eating pasta, breads, and fruits for a day or two. Eating too many carbs makes us fat by spiking blood sugar levels, so eating less sugars and starches and more eggs, fish, and healthy fats Ike olive oil and avocado goes a long way to prevent unwanted spikes in blood sugar, making it easier to stay thin.
Create an electronic sundown
Getting good quality sleep is essential for weight loss. By 10 p.m., stop sitting in front of your computer or TV and switch off all other electronic devices. They are too stimulating to the brain and can interfere with your sleep.
Drink more water
Humans need to drink 2 to 4 liters of water each day, but most of use don't get anywhere near that much! Drinking water gives you a sense of being full so you don't eat too many much. Plus, staying hydrated helps keep skin looking young and healthy.
