7 Lazy Ways to Lose More Weight
Seriously, it's never been so easy to slim down.
In a three-month study, women who went on a low-carb diet for two days per week lost nine pounds, while those who scaled back to 1,500 calories every day for the entire week lost the same amount. Here's what's probably happening: On a strict diet that never gives you freedom, you're bound to get hungry and slip up. But on a two-day diet, you can better withstand the cravings because you know it'll end soon. As long as you don't overindulge when you return to eating normally, your overall calorie intake for the week will be lower, and you'll lose weight.
Food journaling is a great way to become more aware of what you're putting in your mouth, but it can get boring fast. "When people feel overwhelmed by something, they tend to stop altogether," says clinical psychologist Ninoska Peterson, Ph.D. Journal twice during the week and once on weekends, she says. In a recent study, 220 women who wrote down what they ate at least three days per week lost an average of 11 pounds in 18 months.
In a study from the University of Copenhagen, participants who exercised 30 minutes per day for three months lost about eight pounds, while those who worked out 60 minutes per day lost only six pounds. Since a half hour of exercise isn't as exhausting as a full hour, you're less likely to end up on the couch for the rest of the day and remain active, which burns even more calories. Longer workouts also make it more likely you'll reward yourself with food afterward.
"Building in recovery time lets your body repair itself between workouts," says trainer Rachel Cosgrove. This means you'll build more metabolism-revving muscle mass, which helps you burn more calories even when you're not at the gym. Of course, this doesn't mean you should do nothing. Think "active rest": gentle yoga, walking the dog, gardening, etc. "The goal of a recovery day is to get the blood flowing, to stretch, and to move your body gently," says Cosgrove.
Adding resistance training to your exercise routine does wonders for weight loss: The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism. But don't overdo things. It's the rest-and-recovery principle at work again. According to Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of fitness research at Quincy College, it's just as effective to strength train twice per week as it is to do it every other day. In fact, in a recent study, those who strength trained twice weekly for 10 weeks had the same increase in muscle mass—an average of 3.1 pounds—as those who added a third weekly session. Same results in less time? Slackers, rejoice!
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