by Rebecca J. Clark
NSCA & ISSA certified personal fitness trainer
Welcome to our last week of this summer slimdown! If you're new to the program or have been slacking, you can either jump right in with today's steps, or go back to the beginning. If you're new to exercise though, please start with Week One's program. Next week, I'll have a wrap up plus tips to keep your weight off.
This challenge is adapted from my new book, The Checklist Diet, available at most ebookstores now.
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This week, you’ll continue the steps from Weeks 1-9. Plus you’ll add this next step:
Stop eating when satisfied, not full.
This one tip might be the most important for you in terms of weight loss. And this step is the absolutely most difficult one for me.
Most of us eat beyond satisfied. Most of us eat until full or beyond. And if you are in the habit of eating until full or beyond, you probably won’t lose weight, no matter what kind of food you are eating.
Your stomach can only handle so much food at once. Think about this: your stomach is about the size of your closed fist. A couple of tips to help you stop over-eating:
Hara hachi bu. No, I didn’t just sneeze. It’s a Japanese saying that means, “Eat until you’re 80% full.” The Okinawans, who are known for their health and longevity, follow this cultural habit of calorie control.
Three-Bite Rule. This means stop eating when the food stops tasting so good, which is usually after about three bites.
Eating until over full on occasion won’t hurt you, but consistently eating this way will cause you to gain weight.
Simply wait until your stomach is empty before filling it again. If you do this, you’ll lose weight. You almost can’t help it.
EXERCISE
You're going to add some time to your cardio workouts and another day of strength-training.
CARDIO:
Four days this week, do 35-50 minutes of cardio/aerobic exercise. This means doing something that makes you breathe faster than you're breathing while you read this post. LOL. Push yourself to the point where you could talk if you want to, but would rather not. For 7 minutes in the middle, go a little bit faster.
STRENGTH-TRAINING:
Three days this week, do the following strength moves (can be done on the same day as cardio). At least one day you'll need to double up your workouts because you need one day of rest each week (at least).
Pushups--until you can't do anymore (against a wall, counter, or on the floor)--make these harder than the version you've been doing. If you've been doing them against the wall, move to the counter. If you've been doing them against the counter, move to the floor on your knees. If you've been doing them on your knees, move to your toes.
20 Sit and Stands from a chair or bench--hold the dumbbells by your sides.
15 Dips (slide your hips off a chair or bench, fingers curled around edge. Bend and straighten your arms.) Straighten your legs to make them harder.
10 Step Ups Set one foot on a step that's about 8-12 inches tall. Step up, tap the step with the trailing leg, step back down. Do this 10x. Repeat with other leg.
15 Biceps Curls with Dumbbells Stand, holding weights in your hands, arms straight, palms facing away from body. Curl weights to shoulders, straighten.
60 Seconds of Elbow Planks Lie on your belly, propped on elbows. Lift your body up until you’re balancing on your elbows and toes. Hold.
20 Bicycle Crunches Lie on your back, hands behind the head (head resting in hands--you're not pulling on head). Pull knees into the chest. Alternate knees in and out, while the opposite elbow reaches for the knee.
Four days this week, do 35-50 minutes of cardio/aerobic exercise. This means doing something that makes you breathe faster than you're breathing while you read this post. LOL. Push yourself to the point where you could talk if you want to, but would rather not. For 7 minutes in the middle, go a little bit faster.
STRENGTH-TRAINING:
Three days this week, do the following strength moves (can be done on the same day as cardio). At least one day you'll need to double up your workouts because you need one day of rest each week (at least).
Pushups--until you can't do anymore (against a wall, counter, or on the floor)--make these harder than the version you've been doing. If you've been doing them against the wall, move to the counter. If you've been doing them against the counter, move to the floor on your knees. If you've been doing them on your knees, move to your toes.
20 Sit and Stands from a chair or bench--hold the dumbbells by your sides.
15 Dips (slide your hips off a chair or bench, fingers curled around edge. Bend and straighten your arms.) Straighten your legs to make them harder.
10 Step Ups Set one foot on a step that's about 8-12 inches tall. Step up, tap the step with the trailing leg, step back down. Do this 10x. Repeat with other leg.
15 Biceps Curls with Dumbbells Stand, holding weights in your hands, arms straight, palms facing away from body. Curl weights to shoulders, straighten.
60 Seconds of Elbow Planks Lie on your belly, propped on elbows. Lift your body up until you’re balancing on your elbows and toes. Hold.
20 Bicycle Crunches Lie on your back, hands behind the head (head resting in hands--you're not pulling on head). Pull knees into the chest. Alternate knees in and out, while the opposite elbow reaches for the knee.
20 Supermans Lie on your stomach, arms overhead like Superman. Lift and lower arms and legs at the same time.
Repeat this series 3 times.
Have a great week. Let me know if you have any questions. If you are enjoying this program, please tell your friends!
