Easy exercises and some weight loss tips [especially for the festive season!]

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Easy exercises and some weight loss tips [especially for the festive season! JJ  ]

Forget grueling diets and punishing exercise regimes!! These simple lifestyle changes will get you trim and toned for the party season and the Ney Year ahead J

Personally, I try to go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week and diet-wise, I’m vegetarian , so I try to cut back on white bread and sweets!

Here are 5 simple exercises that easily slot into your daily routine (a couple of them can also be done on your office chair during lunch break!!)

1. Bedside tummy trimmer

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands behind your head. Lift head, neck and the top of the shoulder blades off the ground, with your chest curling in towards the stomach. Hold the lift for a count of 50, while you breathe deeply.

Once you get to 50, slowly release back down. Repeat the exercise 2 more times. As you get stronger, squeeze the abdominals even harder during the 50 count hold.

2. At-your-desk-toner

Sit on a chair with your back straight. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can – imagine you want to press yourself up to the ceiling by squeezing hard. Hehe sounds funny! Anyways, hold the squeeze for a count of 3and release.Repeat the exercise 20-30 times. As the muscles start getting firmer, you’ll feel more of a lifty in the muscle when squeezing and that’s a very good sign, no? Haha!

3. Lunch-break thigh presses

Stand behind a chair, hands resting on the back of the chair for support. Lift your heels high of the ground In front of you, then turn feet out (by the side), bringing the heels together whilst maintaining the lift (they should look like a small V).Now bend your knees so that you lower yourself down 3-5 inches and then lift yourself back to starting position. You’ll feel the exercise in the thighs. Repeat the move 25-50 times. Bring it on!

4. Night, Night bingo wings!!

Stand up, awing your arms behind your back as high as you can. Hold them in that lift. Now straighten the arms (still behind you) and turn the palm upwards facing each other. Start pulsing the arms in and out – as if you want the thumbs to touch each other) in a 1 inch motion 150 times.

5. Telly-time arm toner

Extend both arms out to the side at shoulder level. Turn palms towards the back wall and then move the arms further back so they’re slightly behind shoulder level. Start pulsing the arms back and forth in a 1 inch motion 100-150 times. The exercise works the upper arms and shoulders and you’ll start to see results in just a week apparently. . Awesome!!

When I’m at the gym, I start by doing 10 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. Then, I go on the mats and do this awesome Tracey Anderson (trains Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakira, Kim Kardashian and others) abs workout … I only do till 4:53. I’ve learnt them by heart! I highly suggest trying out her videos… they’re so good. .

Now off to the 10 ways to weight loss:

1. Avoid white carbs and processed food.  Eat food in it’s natural form; brown rice, brown pasta and brown bread and loads of veggies!!

2. Get more sleep. When the body is sleep deprived , it produces a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates appetite . . not good!! It also produces less of a hormone called leptin, which suppresses appetite!  That’s why we snack more when we are tired. So get some proper shut-eye girls!

3. Have fun with your friends. Sounds unrealistic?  As not all body fat is equal – some actually helps you burn calories rather than store them. It’s believed that being sociable, triggers the release of a brain chemical that can increase the body’s level of energy-burning fat. Hmm .. good to know!

4. Drink up! Drink at least 1.5-2 litres of water a day (more if you exercise). Green Tea is good as well – full of anti-oxidants.

5. Eat more sugar . GOOD sugar, that is! When our blood sugar drops, we lose our ability to control desire and go for the wrong foods. Try low GI snacks like blueberries  and nuts. I love baby carrots dipped in hommous!! I also love pumpkin seeds.

6. Read food labels.  I always read the labels and choose products with less salt and fat plus to see if there are any animal products.

7. Switch hands. I’ve just read about this last week. If you struggle to resist snacking, eat with your non-dominant hand (for me, the left hand). If we have a habit of eating food in a certain way, we will persist regardless of our appetite or how good it tastes. Consciously switching hands disrupts your behaviour and brings your attention to what you’re eating.Interesting . . .

8. Choose your lunch companion wisely. Now I’ve read about this many times. . . When we dine with men, we eat fewer calories than when we eat with women. What’s more, scientists say that eating with skinny friends who have big appetites is worse of all because it encourages us to think we can ea more too. . . L

9. Change your shoes. Now this is a good one!! Always go shopping in comfortable shoes! That way you can spend longer on your feet without your legs and back getting tired. All that extra high street traipsing should help you shift the pounds without you even noticing. Yayy JJ

That’s all for now! Hope this information helps! Please leave any questions or comments down below

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team