Feel good about yourself 🥰 Tips for weight Loss 🤩
No matter how hard we try to keep our eating habits healthy and exercise consistent, sometimes its inevitable that we’ll gain some weight. Whether it's because of stress, an unexpected illness, getting comfortable in a relationship, or the holidays - there are times that it's simply unavoidable!
I have plenty of advice about how to get back on track, but the fact is you'll still be carrying that extra weight around for a little while. Having a mindset of negativity about your slightly rounder figure doesn't make things any better, and we should embrace the ever-changing wonders of our bodies.
It may not be ideal to have to carry those extra pounds at the moment, but this is a great time to understand how to love your body no matter what your size, and choose to start taking care of your body again 🥰
Today I’ll cover how to feel good about Yourself, even if you've gained weight AND my Simple bodyweight exercises for Weight Loss.
Before we get started, if you missed last week’s blog on“My health tips for Getting ready for Fall & Winter”, you can use this link, Here.
Okay, let’s stay feeling good about ourselves, while we get back on track ….
🤩 👤 🥰 👤 😎 👤 🥰 👤 🤩
How to Feel Good About Yourself, Even if You've Gained Weight
The truth?
You notice the weight gain more than anyone else does!
Just as any great performer will tell you, the audience never notices when you mess up. It's the same with body image and we can be our own worst critics. Often people don't realize flaws until they are put in the spotlight, when we actually point them out. We nitpick and get frustrated when our clothes don't fit, but in reality, we still look pretty darn good to everyone else.
Action steps:
Don't point out your weight gain. It doesn't help anyone!
Get a new hairstyle, or buy a fun outfit for your new size that makes you feel fantastic.
Try not to think about it.
When we dwell on insignificant things, we get anxious. When we feel anxious were more likely to stress out and over eat. It's a vicious cycle! The truth is, the less we worry about the weight we have gained, the more quickly we'll get back into a regular routine and lose it.
Action steps:
Make small meal changes that taste delicious and make you feel good (replace the potatoes with a veggie, fruit for the baked cookies and desserts, cut down on portions, skip a meal…)
Find a new and enjoyable activity that helps boost mood (and in turn, burns fat).
If you realize you're dwelling on your weight gain, try meditating on the parts of your body you absolutely love.
Gaining weight doesn't make you any less attractive!
However, a lack of confidence does. By going out and being active, moving your body, enjoying yourself, and pushing away the negative associations, it shows the world that your weight is a non-issue. The attitude you exude comes full circle, so don't let it be negative. A positive energy radiates when you smile and embrace life, and that is universally beautiful.
Action steps:
Any time you make a negative comment about your figure, counter it with a positive one.
Write down this reminder: "You are still just as fun, beautiful, and smart as you have always been! YOU ROCK!" and post it on your bathroom mirror.
Embrace your new figure.
It may be discouraging to try and find something that fits in your closet, but it can be a blessing in disguise! Pull out items you haven't worn in a while, and experiment with different combinations. Don't go straight for baggier clothing, but try accentuating the areas that make you feel good.
Action steps:
Try on some outfit combinations from your closet, even things that you aren't sure will fit. See what you can do with them!
Put items that don't fit at the moment out of sight, so that you don't have to think about them until the weight is off again.
The most important thing to remember is that you have the amazing ability to bounce back (as you always do)! Your body may have a different shape for now, but you're still the amazingly unique person you've always been.
Once you’ve gotten your head and heart in the right place, feel free to incorporate my next steps for moving forward (below) 🤩
Simple Bodyweight Exercises For Weight Loss
No gym? No problem!
You don’t need a ton of fancy machines and accessories to get the burn you want. When it comes to building strength and losing weight, your body and a space to move are all you need!
Bodyweight exercises are ideal for a home workout and easy to perform in a hotel room when traveling. They’re efficient, good for burning fat, easy to modify and best of all… FREE! This type of strength training is also perfect for improving your balance, building flexibility and increasing bone strength.
Without equipment, you use the weight of your own body to get your muscles working and your heart rate pumping. These are important for healthy aging and protecting bones and joints throughout your lifetime.
Full bodyweight workout: beginner bodyweight exercises.
If you’re new to a workout regimen, it’s best to start with basic moves and build up your program over time. Check out this link for beginner exercises to try out.
Start by selecting 4-6 exercises to complete in a circuit format. Perform one at a time for 3-5 rounds, depending on the amount of time you have available. Complete each exercise for time (30-60 seconds) with a short rest period (10-20 seconds) before moving to the next exercise.
Bodyweight Squats
Start standing up with your feet parallel slightly wider than your hips and toes pointed forward. Keeping your chest lifted, push your butt back and down as if you are sitting in a chair. When your thighs are parallel to the ground push through your heels and return to the starting position. Make sure your knees do not extend past your toes at your lowest point.
Plank
Starting in an all-fours position with your hands and knees on the floor, lift your knees up to form a straight line from your head to your heels. Be sure your shoulders are in line over your hands. Engage your core and keep your hips lifted in line with the rest of your body. Hold here. Another option is to drop to your forearms with your elbows bent, keeping your body in a straight line and your shoulders over your elbows.
Push Ups
Begin in a plank position with your hands flat on the ground and directly under your shoulders. Lower your chest toward the ground keeping your body in a straight line. Return to the starting position. Be sure not to dip the hips and keep your elbows at 45-degree angle when bent.
Lunges
Start standing with your feet parallel and directly under your hips. Step forward with your left foot as if you are walking and then bend both knees, bringing the back knee toward the ground. Both knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Return to the starting position and repeat with the right leg and continue alternating.
Glute Bridges
Start lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip width apart. Your arms should be straight out by your side, palms facing down. Engaging your core, squeeze your glutes, press through your heels and lift your hips up to form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Return to the starting position.
High Knee Sprinters
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your left knee up toward your chest while your right arm moves up, like a sprinting position. Repeat on the opposite side and continue alternating.
Burpees
Start standing up. Squat down to place your palms flat on the ground and then hop your feet back to a high plank position. Lower your body to the floor then push back up. Hop your feet back to the starting position and stand back up.
How to progress an exercise from beginner to advanced.
There are several ways you can modify exercises as you get stronger. Below are some examples of how to start with a baseline movement and increase intensity over time.
🡪 Seated to Standing Position
🡪 Assisted Squat
🡪 Bodyweight Squat
🡪 Jump Squat
🡪 Assisted Split Squat
🡪 Reverse Lunge
🡪 Forward Lunges
🡪 Jump Lunges
🡪 Floor Push Up On Knees
🡪 Incline Push Up on Toes
🡪 Floor Push Up on Toes
🡪 Narrow to Wide Push Up
🡪Forearm Plank On Knees
🡪 Forearm Plank On Toes
🡪 High Plank on Hands/Toes
🡪 3 Point Plank
Here are three tips to help advance your routine when you’re ready for something more challenging:
1. Slow down your movements. This is also known as time under tension. The longer your muscle is contracted, the more burn you will get out of it. Slowing down your weight bearing exercises will increase the intensity on your muscles. Take a bodyweight squat for example: Using a 1-2-4 count, squat down for one, hold at the bottom for 2 seconds, and count 4 seconds as you slowly push back up to a standing position. Do a few of those reps and let us know how you feel!
2. Increase: Reps, Sets, Speed. This is a simple enough concept. To advance an exercise increase the number of repetitions or circuit rounds. Move faster and breathe a little harder!
3. Add a balance challenge. Taking an exercise from two legs to one leg increases the level of control and balance needed, engaging your core and building more strength. This works great with an exercise like a deadlift – let one leg float backward as you move toward the floor, working the standing leg. You can also use a foam pad or rolled up mat and stand on it to create an unstable environment, recruiting more muscles to control balance. Single-leg glute bridges are great for building up glute, hip and hamstring strength. Incorporating a stability ball is also good for seated or lying upper body exercises, like a chest press.
When you feel comfortable with these movements, start adding to them (scroll down to #1)! Search YouTube or Google for bodyweight exercises and routines. The options are endless!
THE BOTTOM LINE
“Bodyweight training can be great for fat loss, as long as you have your nutrition dialed in. If you don’t, it won’t be your magic bullet.”
"If you don’t ALSO fix your relationship with food, then all the exercise you do won’t help you get in shape. It’ll just make you frustrated…"
"If you are trying to lose weight, then you need to fix your nutrition first and foremost. If you do strength training while eating in a caloric deficit, you retain the muscle you have while burning the fat on top of those muscles…creating the “toned” or muscular look many are after."
Our routines and lifestyles undergo many transformations during the year. The attitude you exude comes full circle, so don't let it be negative. A positive energy radiates when you smile and embrace life, and that is universally beautiful.
The most important thing to remember is that you have the amazing ability to bounce back (as you always do)! Your body may have a different shape for now, but you're still the amazingly unique person you've always been.
By going out and being active, moving your body, enjoying yourself, eating sensibly, and pushing away negative associations, it shows the world that your weight is a non-issue and you are in control.
Once you’ve gotten your head and heart in the right place, feel free to incorporate my simple exercises for moving forward 🤩
The fact that you can score a full-body bodyweight workout without any equipment means that you can boost your fitness and see *very* real results whether you're at a gym or in your bedroom. I hope my simple bodyweight exercises are helpful, as well as the links to additional practical exercises come in handy.
From adopting a better eating plan and fitness routine, to embracing your amazing self, these are strategies for a healthier and more vibrant you during your season of change 😎
As always, if you’d like to talk more about your fitness or your family’s health, make an appointment with me using the link: HERE.
Or, you can give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! Do you have questions about your fitness ad body image? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
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