healthy living

The one thing I’m doing to lose weight before summer

weight loss

Good morning Loves.  It’s been almost two months since I joined my gym and I’m still going.  As you know my Doctor told me I have to lose 30 pounds and I was on the right track…until the holidays hit.  When mid December came around I started eating desserts and my trips to the gym became less frequent.

Now it’s January and I’m back on track to lose the majority of my weight before summer.  To be totally honest I really missed the gym last month.  I like how I feel after a workout, it’s a really big self esteem booster.  I enjoy doing cardio but thanks to my lower back pain I can’t sustain on the treadmill as long as I would like to.  Based on the advice of a personal trainer and an article I read in SELF Magazine I actually have a well rounded workout routine.

4 ways to lose weight before summer

Cardio four times a week.  My main purpose for joining a gym was so I could run on the treadmill.  There is just something I love about running.  Even though I can’t do it for very long (because of my back injury) cardio helps me feel better, clear my mind and just focus on something that has nothing to do with being responsible for 45 minutes out of the day.

Bob Harper says that people should get their heart rate up 4 times a week for at least 45 minutes.  That’s why I like to try and get cardio in as often as possible without injuring my back.  Let me tell you it’s taking FOREVER for my back to be strong enough to run again.  My trainer wants me to be able to run for 20 minutes straight by the end of the month – that’s only 15 days away so we’ll see how that goes.

Lifting weights twice a week.  I thought cardio would be the fastest way to lose weight but surprisingly adding weights into my workout routine has kicked my weight loss into high gear.  My personal trainer really wants me to reach a cardio goal of running for 20 minutes straight because right now I’m running intervals.  He gave me strengthening exercises that will help my posture and stability when I run.

I’m doing a combination of free weights and machines exercises.  Apparently free weights help stability and give more of a total body workout whereas weight machines help target a specific area.

Yoga once a week.  I absolutely love doing yoga.  I never thought that bending would be O.K. for my body because of my lower back injury but surprisingly it really makes me feel good.  I have some limitations; I can’t do any type of backwards back bend such as Upward-facing Dog but other than that I really love yoga.

I add in yoga once a week for those days when I just don’t really want to go out to gym.  When I want to keep active but stay home I pop in a yoga DVD and stretch it out.  It clears the mind and it helps me relax – something I don’t do enough.

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Photo from Flickr

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