How To Burn More Calories: Part 1
How did you go with last week’s Weight-Loss Action Challenge and deciding what not to eat?
If you’re stuck at a weight-loss plateau, this week’s challenge could really help.
If you’re eating well and exercising regularly but can’t seem to lose any more weight, then you might benefit from shaking up your workouts.
Which is what I’ll be doing this week – focusing on burning more calories when I exercise.
How I’ll Burn More Calories When I Exercise
I’m going to do this by using my core more intensively this week.
Working these abdominal, lower-back and pelvic muscles offers many fitness benefits – but I often forget to use them, instead relying on other, less-lazy muscles to do the tough work. This usually means my neck and shoulders end up tense and sore. 🙁
But this week I’m going to consciously work my core.
This is really challenging for me, and will make me work much harder!
How Will You Burn More Calories When You Exercise?
Now it’s your turn.
Decide how you’ll get more calories out of your workouts this week.
You could:
1. Make your workout sessions longer
Adding even 5 or 10 minutes each time will use more calories and help increase your fitness.
2. Add one or two extra workout sessions during the week
This is a great choice if your schedule or preferences make shorter workouts a good choice for you.
3. Work harder during your exercise
For instance, as we talked about on Day 27 of the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon, you could:
- Increase your speed as you swim, walk, run, cycle, etc
- Increase the resistance (difficulty level) on your stationary bike, elliptical machine, Stairmaster, etc
- Increase the incline on your treadmill
- Walk, cycle or run uphill
- Increase the weights you use in your strength training session
- Increase the effort you make in your group fitness class
- If you use a personal trainer, ask about interval training.
Or you could join me and increase your focus on those core muscles.
(Here are some exercises to build core strength from the Mayo Clinic and Women’s Health.)
Or maybe you have some suggestions of your own to add?
Important Note: Get medical clearance if you need it.
I don’t know your physical/medical/health situation. Please look after yourself and be careful.
So… what will you choose for this week?
Leave a comment below (or here if you’re reading this in an email or reader) to say what you’re doing for this week’s Weight-Loss Action Challenge, or just to check in.
See you next week!
When I was taking Pilates, I was told to hold my stomach muscle and put my shoulders in place every time I drive… and it helped a lot. So I will re-enter this good habit ;).
I will add 10 minutes to my workout.
Somehow I missed this one last week. I will start (baby steps) a regular exercise routine this week. I will walk 3x (1 1/2 miles to the end of the road and back) and do 3-4 strength training exercises 3x. I did say baby steps.
My groups what not to eat list:
Bacon is high in salt; eat turkey bacon instead.
Pastries — high sugar content.
French Fries unless baked.
White bread — eat wheat bread instead.
Whole Milk — drink fat free, skim, soy or 1%.
Chips because their high in salt and calories.
Fatty meat or meat on the bone unless you cut the fatty areas off — bake only.
Possum meat is real greasy and bad for your health.
Potatoes unless their baked.
Meat Lovers Pizza as red meat isn’t good for you.
Mayonnaise if you use lite mayonnaise.
Mustard is made from mustard seed, which has no preservatives, is good for you.
Chocolate should be in moderation.
Hot Dogs are very high in salt.
Look at the nutritional labels of foods you are thinking about buying to see it’s nutritional values. If it’s bad for you DO NOT PURCHASE.
We suggest an interactive workbook be made to record your answers or recommend using a blank book/blank journal to record your answers.
My group recommendations are as follows:
Switch to low-fat milk/dairy; soy, 1%.
Drink fewer alcoholic beverages – alternate with water, dilute with ice, and substitute with lime and soda good substitute for pop is Sierra Mist and 7 UP.
Add less (or no) mayonnaise use lite mayonnaise, gravy and sauces to your food.
Use less fat when you cook or use olive oil or spam spray.
Switch to lower-fat cooking methods like baking and roasting versus frying you better believe it.
Use less butter or a lower fat spread. Promise comes in 5 or 80 calories is good for your heart.
Drink more water (it can help with appetite; more in a future mission). Exception if you are diagnosed with water retention, ask your doctor for his treatment plan for you regarding water consumption.
Before you do any of the following suggestions make sure you are in good physical shape! Adjust your exercising to reflect your body condition. If you are under medical treatment, check with your doctor for proper exercising for you.
Increase your speed as you swim, walk, run, cycle, etc.
Increase the resistance (difficulty level) on your stationary bike, elliptical machine, Stairmaster, etc.
Increase the incline on your treadmill.
Walk, cycle or run uphill.
Increase the weights you use in your strength training session.
Increase the effort you make in your group fitness class.
If you use a personal trainer, ask about interval training.
Note: Remember you are exercising for your health and a healthier body.
Today I did a Body Combat class and I really focused on working those core muscles. By the end of the class I was DRIPPING with sweat. Euw!
I am going to add exercise now that my back is feeling better. Planning on walking at least 3x this week. Have to start small.
I’m going to try adding more time to my workouts. I had been doing well, got sick, and have not gotten back into regular workouts yet. Plus, with the 90+ degree weather, even indoors it’s hard to want to get sweaty. Fortunately my boys love to swim, so on good days I can do some laps at the pool.
With all the awesome things that have been happening with my life lately, I have to admit that my workouts have suffered because of it. I am going to work to start going more frequently to get back into my daily classes and yoga.
I will be adding 3 of the core strength exercises to workout.
I will work on my swimming after water aerobics class 4 days a week.
I did okay with last week’s challenge – it actively stopped me from eating more potato chips, although I only checked in the one time. This week I plan to add a few more exercise sessions and work out to the best of my ability; I notice myself coasting through workouts a lot these days.
I will start doing my exercises at home every morning – again! Have let it slip now that I have progressed to Hydrotherapy 2 x week.
going to make it running to the second telegraph pole up Bexley Rd (just got to the first one last week) after running the PM walk, and try to make it all the way up my home street hill running and not giving up til home. trying to do this every day.
I will be continueing with my core strength classes of Pilates, however, I will be concentrating more on the strength, rather than the movement. At my spin classes, I will push harder! Then, my vegetable garden needs a lot of work, so I will be doing a lot of hoeing, switching from one side to the next, just to equal both sides, and it to involves a lot of bending up and down. Yup, need to work it up a notch or two!
I will increase my time of walking and starting august 1 st, I am going back to the gym to start muscle toning since I have lost the weight that I needed to lose and my trainer told me to work the muscles and maybe a bit of interval training a part from my walking. I was disappointed to learn today that he is moving far away, but he will do my evaluation this Thursday. He saw me today and was impressed at the latest results of my weight loss since I saw him on May 31. I can’t wait to see how much more inches I have lost of my body since May 31. I had lost 13 inches up to that date.
Well last week was a complete bust. Started out fantastic and ended with chaos. My don’t eat list turned into a eat every night to excess. Stressful week, I could have coped better – but I didn’t so we are moving on. Renew, recommit, re-lose those pounds I found and put on my body. Today: eat right and exercise – at least a 20 minutes fast walk this evening.
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