HOW TO SHED THE UNWANTED POUNDS AFTER THE FESTIVE SEASON

 HI GUYS! Oh my gosh, you have to forgive the current state of my blog. I am still in the process of designing it and it will be in tip- top shape very soon! Bare with me, my loves. 

Easter has come and gone, my friends. And you have eaten a whole lot of fattening food over the festive season. So, it turns out that to commemorate the celebratory times, you have a little extra something on your belly or your hips. Not to worry though! I have just the remedy on how you can shed the extra weight in about three weeks.

I’d like to talk about three weeks, because everybody’s body is different and the best way is always the healthy way.

1.      Diet is 70% and  exercise is 30%

Always remember this. In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. The idea is that you burn more than you eat. Even in a sedentary state, your body is a machine that constantly, however slowly, burns calories. Therefore, with just a few tweaks to your diet, you are sure to kick- start the weight loss process.

Cut out refined foods such as wheat flour, processed meat and junk food. These are packed with sugars and sodium, which not only pack on the kilos, but also lead to bloating.

Instead, opt for plenty of fruits and veggies. Cliché as it may seem, not enough people pay attention to this word of advice that is constantly being passed down. Fruits and vegetables clense your system, because they are high in fiber and water. They ease the elimination process, leaving you feeling fresh and with the added advantage of vitamins and antioxidants. And not to mention the glow on your skin that follows.

Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are basically just complex sugars which when eaten in excess are stored as fat. If you limit your carbohydrate intake, you allow your body to get sufficient nutrients without any being stored as fat.

Eat a diet rich in proteins. Opt for lean proteins such as white meat, lean cuts of red meat, beans and nuts. These are low in saturated fats. Proteins heal and repair damaged muscle tissue, which you not only need on a daily basis, but more so with a thorough exercise regime.

Drink plenty of water. Around two liters a day works well for any adult. Water leaves you hydrated, and it also has multiple advantages. There are only positives to it. Clearer skin, eyes and nails as well as a smooth elimination process and fresher breath.

2.

   A calorie is a calorie

More calories, more weight. Now, I do not mean that you should not eat. However, research shows that you can gain weight even on healthy food. It’s all about just how many calories you consume per day. You can either eat enough to lose, maintain or gain weight. A healthy estimated requirement suggests that women should consume 1200calories per day, whereas men should have 1800calories per day. And all this is just the minimum requirement, meaning that you could definitely go higher.

3.

      Strength training

Strength training is a method of improving muscular strength by gradually increasing the ability to resist force through the use of free weights, machines, or the person's own body weight. Strength training sessions are designed to impose increasingly greater resistance, which in turn stimulates development of muscle strength to meet the added demand.

When you work your muscles out, not only do you burn a large number of calories, but also increase your metabolism; such that your body is able to burn more calories at a sedentary or non- active state.

Through this kind of exercise, you are able to increase muscle to fat ratio, tone your body and most of all increase your level of physical attractiveness. The key to a great swimsuit bod is definitely in the weight lifting and strength training.

4.

     Interval training

This is physical exercise that consists of alternating periods of high and low- intensity activity. Interval workouts involve brief bouts at near-maximum exertion (endurance heart rate) interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity (fat burning or performance heart rate zones.

You can do this very easily on a treadmill, setting it to high speeds of about  12km/h, sticking there for three minutes, then going back down to 5km/h and alternating in this way. You can also incorporate this in an outdoors run, by going from full sprint to rest several times.

Interval training saves time in that you are able to burn more calories during a shorter period of time. This is because your body requires more energy for these sudden bursts of exertion.  It also improves your body’s ability to burn fat , because fat stores or glycogen stores are used as the fuel during this kind of work-out. It also makes your heart stronger, thus double- functioning as cardio exercise too.

5.

    Healthy habits, healthy habits, healthy habits!

A good body is always a healthy body. You do not want to be emaciated and thin. Nor do you want to be overweight and fat. You need your body to be well nourished, with a low percentage in body fat, and a high percentage in muscle.

Eat healthy foods and exercise at least three times a week. Remove junk food and fizzy beverages from your diet and drink plenty of water. Have days when you go on full-on clenses with plenty of fruits and vegetables and you will constantly feel great about yourself, as well as look amazing. If this is actualized in the long term, you will maintain a healthy body weight and good physique all through. 

There is alot more stuff coming soon!