By K. Aleisha Fetters, Prevention
You'd think that the less weight you have to lose, the easier shedding pounds would be. That is until you actually go about trying to torch those 10.
Here's the sad fact for those of us just shy of our goal weight: The closer you are to your healthiest weight, the less your body really sees any need to change. As a result, it hangs onto every fat cell like it's the only thing standing between you and starvation. Plus, if you're within 10 pounds of the weight you'd like to be, chances are that you're already following a pretty healthy eating plan and exercising on the regular.
Here's the sad fact for those of us just shy of our goal weight: The closer you are to your healthiest weight, the less your body really sees any need to change. As a result, it hangs onto every fat cell like it's the only thing standing between you and starvation. Plus, if you're within 10 pounds of the weight you'd like to be, chances are that you're already following a pretty healthy eating plan and exercising on the regular.
"Say goodbye to cardio-based fitness. This approach can create imbalances in your levels of progesterone and estrogen, which can throw off your ability to burn fat. Instead, focus on strength training three to five times per week at moderate to high intensities.
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It will help improve your hormonal balance as well as cause you to produce more human growth hormone, a very powerful hormone that helps keep women lean and, unfortunately, declines with age." —Hannah Davis, CSCS, a Tennessee-based personal and online trainer
"At minimum, don't drink alcohol—even wine—four days per week. The sugar and calories are bad enough on their own, but the alcohol itself can hinder your neuromuscular system, exercise performance, protein synthesis, and other aspects of the recovery process. Ultimately, that slows muscle growth and fat loss." —Mike Donavanik, CSCS, CPT, an LA-based personal and online trainer
"Latch onto performance and strength. Having a sense of purpose with your training—a goal besides losing weight—will make all the difference. Whether it's to finally perform your first unassisted, strict chin-up or deadlift a certain amount of weight, performance-related goals are more motivating. And when you attack those goals, aesthetics like losing 10 pounds or fitting into your jeans just happen on their own." —Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, founder of the CORE personal training gym in Boston.
"After moderate- to high-intensity workouts lasting 45 minutes or longer, consuming 15 to 20 grams of protein within 15 minutes of your workout will help support recovery, metabolism, and lean muscle. During these workouts, you create micro-tears in your body's muscle fibers.
[post_ads]As you recover, your body repairs the micro-tears and makes stronger muscle fibers that can resist more force without tearing. This makes you stronger, helps you burn even more calories, and increases your metabolism. That process doesn't happen without protein—it doesn't matter how great your workout was." —Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab
"Be more aware of your stress levels and give yourself permission to relax. All stress—whether it's from your workouts or work deadline—is cumulative. And excess stress can hinder exercise recovery and increase your body's tendency to store fat.
If you're feeling stressed, take a long walk, do some meditation, go to bed early, relax, breathe, and know that this too will pass." —Mike T. Nelson, PhD, CSCS, a Minnesota-based exercise physiologistK. Aleisha Fetters, MS, CSCS, is a Chicago-based certified strength and conditioning specialist, training clients both in-person and online.
