How To Get Into Shape By Doing Less

All too often I am told, “I’ve lost 40 lbs. and kept it off by walking an hour to an hour and a half a day, but I still have 20 pounds to go and can’t seem to lose any more."

Usually, I find that people who have lost lots of weight, and kept it off for a long time, have followed a particular eating plan and added a regular exercise program to their lives, too.

It works – it really does. But everyone forgets that adaptation, our body’s natural way of searching for a homeostatic condition, are striving to balance the energy (calorie) input with energy (activity) expenditure and eventually, you stop seeing results.

My suggestion is to shake up your program. You can even do less, and get more, if you do it right! First of all, look at your diet and reevaluate.

Try eliminating some of those pseudo-healthy, diet-conscious snacks and condiments like: dried fruit or fruit rolls, meal or protein bars, protein shakes, nuts, bottled or canned juice, low- and non-fat breads, crackers, and cookies, low- and non-fat salad dressings, fake butter and cream cheese, non-fat frozen yogurt.

It’s better to use a little real butter or salad dressing than think your imitation butter is saving you calories or fat and then use a lot of it. They are usually just as high in calories and full of artificial additives – not helping, not healthy! And instead of walking an hour or more a day - walk less and do it more efficiently by varying your walks.

Add intervals, hills, and different surfaces which all cause your body to jump up and say, "Hey, what’s going on? We need to get into training mode and figure out what she’s asking of us?" It takes more energy for your body to do something new than to do what it has been conditioned to do.

So, on days one, three, and five, walk for 35 minutes instead of 60 or more, but walk more intensely by doing 10 sets of two-minute fast paced walking intervals with a one minute recovery period. For two minutes pump your arms and really push your pace so that you are walking as fast as you can, break into a jog or run if you’re feeling it, then after two minutes, recover by walking moderately (don’t stop) for one minute.

Start your workout with a few minutes of walking easily to warm up, and end with a gentle cool down. On days two and four, walk for 45 minutes and get into the hills. Find some hilly terrain (doesn’t have to be extreme – just enough to feel it), add several sets of walking up and down stairs, or get on a treadmill and use the incline setting to go from one to five (or higher, if you can do it without having to hold on to the treadmill while walking).

Spend at least 20 minutes working the hills. On day six, do your 60-90 minute walk but vary the terrain. Walk at the beach, on a trail, or on a treadmill for an hour or more.

On day seven, take a day off and rest. Doing less of everything, more efficiently, may be just what you need to get your body back into 'getting results for you' mode. Refine your training every few months – keep it fresh and stay in the best shape of your life.