A Girls Survival Guide

Tips and tricks to lose weight!

Tips and tricks to lose weight

As you can tell from the title, this article is about losing weight as aforementioned in the previous one. I'm going to share some of my knowledge on losing weight with you. Some will be through exercising, others by what you consume.

Exercise

All right, to kick things off, how to lose weight through exercising. If you have spare time during your day or week, try making the most of it by working out. I suggest at least 4 hours a week of cardio a week (you can split those times however you like, i.e: 2 hours on Tuesday, 1 hour on Thursday, 1 hour on Saturday). If you'd like to tone your body, try devoting one of those hours to lifting, or adding a fifth one. I'm not saying you shouldn't work out more or less than four hours a week, but working out for less time can result in slowing down your weight-loss. Now for the things that you asked for (all these workouts should be done at least 4-5 times a week if not everyday and they're not very time consuming so no worries about that). You can divide these however you'd like (i.e, you've got 50 jumping jacks and two 30-second planks: you can do one of the planks first, then 25 jumping jacks, then another plank and another plank). Of course you can vary your workouts from day to day (one leg day, another ab day...)

Exercises for a flat stomach:

Okay, if you're going on a diet, you're going to realize you don't get to choose from where to lose fat. It comes down to how your body is proportioned. Some people lose more weight from their stomach, others from their thighs. SO, in order to tone your stomach, I recommend this daily ritual:

-50 jumping jacks

-75 crunches

-40 second plank

-30 leg raises

-25 sit-ups

This isn't a very aggressive workout compared to some. You might get a few cramps after the first couple of times if you're not used to exercising, but it's totally worth it.

Exercises for slimmer thighs and nice butt (hehe):

Ah, the famous thigh gap. If you don't know what a thigh gap is, it's when the top of your thighs don't touch while you have your feet together. Some people naturally have it, others strive to get it. Not everyone can achieve it but everyone can slim down their thighs whether they touch or not. And let's not forget the perfect booty that every girl dreams of. Some are born with a nice butt, others aren't so lucky and have to work for it. Here are a few tips to do so:

-70 jumping jacks

-30 lunges

-40 second hip raise (repeat at least twice during your set)

-60 squats

-50 leg raises

Arm exercises:

Be it winter or summer, you want to have nice arms for when you have to wear dresses or tank tops. For this, you're going to want to invest in a pair dumbbells (weight of your choice, although I recommend 3lbs for regular exercises and 7lbs for more effort):

-30 pushups

-30 second straight-arm plank

-40 bicep curls

-15 dumbbell extensions

-30 tricep dips

GENERAL EXERCISING

I know some of you might want to target your weight-loss. But honestly, the sports that work best are in fact swimming and running. They literally work out your entire body, they are fun to do and they trump any other type of exercise in my opinion. They slim your thighs, stomach, arms, everything. Running is my personal go-to sport but it doesn't have to be for you. You can swim instead or jog; whatever floats your boat.

Food

Okay! This is where it gets a little more complicated. I can't give you a meal plan because I'm not a dietician and everyone's body and metabolism are different. So, here are a few tips that can be helpful for all (or most):

-Drink LOADS of water. I can't stress this enough. Not only does it keep you hydrated, it also helps you avoid bloating and can even help curb your hunger if you don't want to overeat. So chug!

-Get your five a day. It sounds like something an adult would say to a child, but it's true. Along with your regular food, make sure to eat five fruits and veggies a day. Who knows, it could make you eat less fattening foods.

-Try drinking juice if you're a soda addict. I personally don't like drinking juice, so I drink coffee. Not as effective, but it's better than Coke or any type of fizzy drink that bloat you up like CRAZY.

-If you're eating too much (>3000 calories a day), then you should try cutting your portions in half. Say, you eat three cups of rice everyday, instead of eating three, eat one and a half or two at the very most. You'll be surprised at how it can help. It'll be really hard at first and you will feel hungry, but your stomach will adapt and so will you.

-Avoid snacking. Some people a serial snackers, and that can be very bad. If you like to snack, try to divide your daily food intake into five small meals instead of three big ones. That way you'll feel like you're eating more. Eating three meals a day without succumbing to your favorite snacks can be quite a challenge for some. Five meals will keep you fuller throughout the day.

-Cut the crap. All junk foods such as crisps, fries, pizza... are delicious, but they shouldn't be a part of your daily intake. Try cutting down to once or twice a week, or even just for special occasions. It's bad for your health, really. You can even google a few healthy alternatives (just as tasty, minus the bad health benefits) to satisfy your guilty food pleasures.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that the results aren't going to show overnight, so give it a couple of weeks before giving up. The combination of food and exercise has the most optimal and quickest results. But I know that giving up food is hard so just exercise to make up for it. Or, if you're too lazy, make an effort to eat less and healthier.

For more details, you can message me at @audenk

Until then, stay healthy!