How to Lose Those Last 10 Pounds

You have left the gym floor drenched every day since last week. You have denied yourself the tiniest of tasty morsels to get yourself over the hump, and all of your hard work, what has it amounted to? You’ve got those 10 lousy pounds left taunting you, reminding you that you are not done yet. Those last 10 pounds are sticking to you like glue and short of a hunger-strike; you don’t know what your next move should be to rid yourself of them. Try these 5 tips to blast those last 10 pounds away.

1.  Get on the ball. – If you are not already using a stability ball during your workouts, trade in your machines for one. This is a small change that can make a big difference for your body and your weight. According to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, stability ball training can almost double activity in the abdominals and external obliques. More muscle activity means more calories burned during the exercise session and who doesn’t want more bang for their buck?

2.  Pick up the pace. – Changing your routine can be as easy as adding in some intervals and picking up your pace a bit. Interval training can help you work harder without fear of overtraining. In addition, 15 minutes of interval training can burn more calories than 15 minutes of regular cardio and improve your cardiovascular health by challenging your heart to peak and recover. Not to mention, interval training has been linked to increased caloric burn after the exercise session is completed – so you are burning more calories at rest.

3.  Fidget more. – Yes – the pencil tapping and knee bopping can be distracting during a meeting, but in the end, research shows that those who tend to fidget more burn more calories. A few extra calories burned a day can lead to larger weight loss gains over the long run – so try swinging your feet or drumming your pen while you work. If you want those 10 pounds to budge, you need a little extra burn to pry them away.

4.  Quit fussing over the scale. - The old wives’ tale – “a watched pot never boils” applies to the weight scale as well. Incessantly stepping on the scale each day can create disappointment or even dampen your exercise motivation, especially if you do not see results. Take a break from the weight scale and instead, use a food scale to help you through. Measuring your exact quantities of food may help you determine the cause of the 10 pound stand-off. Remember that weight loss occurs when you eat less than you move. Measure your food each day and head back to the weight scale once a week to see your progress.

5.  Take a stand. – Did you know that by standing during a 10-minute phone call you can burn up to 20 extra calories? Try standing during a few more phone calls during your workday and that can add up to a big calorie burn each day–helping you increase your calorie deficit. This is one way to lose weight that doesn’t even seem like you are working hard.

Source : Active