6 Weird Ways to Drop The Last 10 Lbs

by Kathy Smith

I am often asked about this dilemma: Why, after working out for months and months, altering their lifestyles and changing their diets, do many people get stuck on a “weight loss plateau.” Bringing us the question, “How the heck DO I lose those last ten pounds?”

Most people become locked in to their everyday routine, the one they used to lose weight and improve their cardiovascular health. But as their bodies have changed they’ve become more efficient, so the routine that once seemed like a killer now burns fewer calories. At best, this level of activity helps to maintain current weight and fitness levels, but does nothing to move us off the “ten-pounds-to-go” plateau.

Losing those last stubborn pounds simply requires an increase in your exercise intensity a couple days a week—one that enables you to reach and maintain 80-85 percent of your maximum heart rate. When you reach that level, your metabolism gets an additional boost; moreover, the benefits of that boost last longer, so you burn more calories and fat at rest, not just during the workout. While the idea of working out harder, faster or longer than you’ve become used to may be daunting, the process itself can actually be pleasurable once you start to see the pounds drop.

Ready to melt away even more pounds? Here are 6 tips to to slide down the scale:

• Lift heavier weights. By simply using a heavier dumbbell, you nudge your body to move the needle. Lifting heavier weights raises your hormone levels, which allows your body to burn fat longer after your workout is complete. And I promise…adding a few extra pounds to your strength training routine won’t make you bulk up.

• Switch up the time or place you workout. By changing simple elements of your routine, it will make your workout feel fresh again. So instead of hitting the gym after work, try rearranging your schedule to workout before your morning shower. This change is stimulating, and can give you motivation to push yourself a little harder.

• Don’t Be A Stress Mess. When your body is stressed, your adrenal glands pump out extra cortisol, which causes an imbalance in your natural hormone rhythms. Extra cortisol triggers your body to hold on to fat and hinder you from reaching your weight loss goals. While nobody has a completely stress-free life, it’s important to reduce your stress to reign in cortisol.
• Add avocado to your day. The simple three-letter word “fat” may make you steer clear, but adding healthy fats (found in avocados, nuts, salmon, and coconut oil) can actually help your body shed pounds. And as a bonus, they’re packed with omega-3s, which help your body fight inflammation.

• Be a weekend warrior. A shocking study found that even dieters consume an extra 420 calories on the weekend. Although it may not seem like a lot, adding a few hundred extra goodies can stall your weight loss goals.

• Add other simple ways to burn more calories to your daily routine, like using an ankle cuff resistance band at your desk. Yes, sitting is the new smoking, so add some movement to your desk routine to keep your body in motion.

Remember, the greatest benefits of fitness has little to do with thinner thighs and tighter tummies. Those are just the bonuses. The true gifts that come from a healthy lifestyle are much more profound. The exercises below can improve mental and emotional health, mood, vitality, energy, happiness, and lifespan!

Kathy