Lose Weight and Feel Great With These Routines

As I often tell others, sometimes changing things up can rock your world. Working out can be difficult especially if it is something you are not used to doing. But change is good! Just take a breath and jump in! Here is a small routine I started with, it’s done at home and it is fairly easy and a great start for beginners. As your body gets used to this routine, go ahead and add more things and customize it. Do what you know will help you be a better you.

MY ROUTINE for beginners (If you wish to add it in somewhere):

In the beginning, I started out pretty easy. I started off by working out three days a week.

1 hr. on the Elliptical

2 hrs. riding bike

3 sets of 50 sit-ups (50 regular, 50 to the right, 50 to the left)

Weight lifting (I started off light by lifting 6 lbs. weights) I followed this weight training video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPgKYsknKw4

Walking on weekends

When I needed more after a few months:

I did the same routine I was doing before, but I did 20 reps instead of 10 reps with the weight lifting video.

Walking every other day

50 Squats

Jump rope

Tae Bo (beginners)

I went a few months with this routine as well. As time passed, I got bored with the same routines plus I like a challenge. I went into what some called “crazy mode”. With this new routine I kept the same exercises, I just added more. At this point, I was doing the whole routine every day, three times a day. Most won’t have the time to do that, but I was able to at that time.

1 hr. on the Elliptical (if you don’t have one you can use stairs)

2 hrs. riding bike

6 sets of 50 sit-ups (50 regular, 50 to the right, 50 to the left, then repeat)

Weight lifting (now at 50 lbs.) 50 reps. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPgKYsknKw4

Walking every other day

100 Squats

50 Chair Squats

Tae Bo (beginners-advanced)

10 sets of Stair Climbs (if not on the machine, then on a flight of stairs…running down then back up is one set)

Hip Thrusts www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec25SL8wKEA

Thigh Master (do these at your preference)

40 Lunges (20 each leg)

40 Side Lunges (20 each leg) www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUX6Pz8vV0s

This may seem like a bit much, but this is just what I wanted to do to get the weight off. I’m not doing the three-a-days anymore. I’m back to exercising once a day and doing the last full routine. I recommend that you take your time and don’t push too hard or too fast. Go at your own pace, but be careful not to stay in ‘simple mode’ too long. You will need to shift gears to challenge your body.

FOOD: I no longer eat any fried foods, gravies, or breaded meats. When I eat pasta, I only eat wheat or veggie pasta. When I fix my plate, I make sure to have more veggies than anything else on the plate. Fruit and veggies are now 85% of my diet. Make sure to be careful with fruit because too much sugar is not good. You don’t have to do it that way if you don’t want to, but I encourage you to be sensible with your diet. I also eat salads a lot without all the trimmings – no cheese, bacon bits, and very little vinaigrette dressing. I drink plenty of water to help my skin tighten. This is very important as losing large amounts of weight can leave skin saggy.

Again, this wasn’t easy, but I was determined to be healthy, be better, and be HERE. I really hope this can help whoever reads this, but what worked for me may not be for you. Remember, we’re all different. Try to explore where you are comfortable without being miserable. A support system is very important when losing weight. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll research it until I do. Feel free to reach out prettybridgere@gmail.com

ADVICE: Please remember that it takes time to lose weight. Set reasonable, healthy goals. Losing weight too quickly is not a good thing and will cause more issues later. When you snack, opt for something healthy instead of junk food. You’d be surprised how fruit can satisfy a sweet tooth (again, don’t overdo the fruit…sugar sugar sugar). Also, instead of ice cream, opt for fat-free yogurt. Try to eliminate processed foods and foods high in sugar. That’s right leave the drive-thru alone! While you should limit bread intake, don’t go to the extreme and try to cut out ALL carbs and fats from your diet. The body does need some carbs for fuel. It’s a good idea to designate certain days to enjoy your favorite foods, but don’t overdo it. Don’t use your pleasure days to devour as much junk food as possible to make up for what you missed during the week. Again, you should drink plenty of fluids (NOT soda, punch, or concentrated juices). Water is best and natural tea with honey is also a pleasurable option.

Courtesy of ReRe and Alma’s Crowned Glory

prettybridgere@gmail.com