Hi Hayley,
I'm a cliché. I'm getting married in about a year and I want to get in tip top shape. I'm already in decent/good shape. I have a healthy BMI and I workout about 4 times a week. I do yoga once a week and about 30 minutes of cardio with some pushups and abs the other 3 days. I run once in a while. I need to lose maybe ten pounds, but mostly I just want to get rid of the extra fluff around my upper arms/armpits, inner thighs and muffin top area. Is this purely a more cardio/less food scenario? Or should I be targeting those areas specifically?
I'm lost!
Thanks.
___
As much as we would like to think it is as simple as calories in vs. calories out it is not that easy. And there is no way to target weight loss around a certain area as your body likes to gain it and lose it where it feels like (based on your body type and where you store your body fat).
If you want to lose 10 pounds fast, you need to change things up. Step out of your old routine and get into something new, which will shock your body and get it working hard again. It is easy to fall into the same pattern and simply go through the motions.
Switch up your yoga class into something more challenging, like a power yoga, and increase the intensity of your cardio, which means you need to run more frequently and at a higher intensity. Instead of doing a longer run at a slower pace, change it to shorter intervals at a faster pace. Start with 90 second repeats with 30 seconds of recovery and work up to 2 or 3 minutes. Keep your heart rate in the mid and upper 80% of your maximum and if you are not sure what this number is -- if you can talk you are not working hard enough. These intervals are going to burn mega calories (meaning the fat around your arms and tummy will start to disappear) as well as build muscle all over your body. And try something new, like swimming, spinning or hiking.
Also, pick up the intensity of your strength training as I know firsthand most people are not pushing themselves hard enough. Get into a studio nearby and join one of their core and strength classes. Having someone push you will not only help you become stronger but also show you how hard you can actually work.
As for your nutrition, it is not how much you are eating but rather what you are eating. Diets that are full of empty sugars, such as simple carbohydrates and processed foods, will never get you to where you want to go regardless of the calories being consumed. You have to fill yourself up with natural, unprocessed foods and cut out anything in a package. And NO alcohol! For breakfast, think of your plate as 1/3rd protein and 2/3rd fruit. Have a healthy snack such as a hardboiled egg or an apple and a few almonds then eat a balanced lunch that is 1/3rd protein and 2/3rd vegetables (you could throw in a complex carbohydrate for lunch if you like). Have another healthy snack then a dinner very similar to your lunch, just a bit smaller.
Sacrifices need to be made in order to reach your goal on your wedding day.
