Indholdsfortegnelse for Women's Health SA - Your Ultimate Weight Loss Guide i Women's Health South Africa

GET FIT ● Work the beat. Exercise to songs that contain 115 to 120 beats per minute to pump up your workout. ● Exercise in the am. Research shows that 75 percent of morning exercisers stick with their routine. ● Join a soccer league. Studies show team players lost twice as much weight as solo joggers. ● Do cardio intervals. You'll burn more calories in less time. ● Vary your routines. Change keeps your muscles from getting bored and your weight loss from stalling. ● Lift for two, lower in four. A six-count rep challenges and tones muscles. ● Flatten your belly with yoga. Engage your core with poses that require you to support your own body weight. EAT RIGHT ● Get text-y. Email or text yourself whenever cravings strike.…

Work Out With Us! Try a quick routine using the Fat-Blasting Moves on page 19. What if we told you that you could get all the better-body benefits of a half-hour workout in just eight minutes? Sound too good to be true? We thought so too until we talked to the experts. The secret is supercharged, highintensity interval training – a shorter, but revved-up version of typical interval workouts. Try our speedy routines, ranging from eight to 20 minutes, and in just two weeks, you’ll see a fitter, firmer body. Keep it up to flatten your belly, slim your thighs and even drop a size this month. 6 The number of weeks it took participants in one study to double their fitness capacity by doing 30-second sprints three days a…

What to do One set of 10 reps, two or three times per week What you need Bench and set of dumbbells Overhead Press Firms shoulders, arms Stand with feet hip-width apart, abs tight, heels pressed into the floor. Hold dumbbells just above shoulders, palms facing forwards and elbows out to sides forming a 90-degree angle. Lift dumbbells straight up for two counts, keeping elbows slightly bent, then slowly lower weights back to start for four counts. Chest Press Firms chest, shoulders, triceps Lie face up on the bench, feet on floor, holding dumbbells with arms extended above your chest and palms facing forwards. Bend elbows out to sides as you lower the weights towards your chest for four counts (don’t let elbows drop below bench). Press weights up to…

Expert Advice: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity Doing numerous reps with lighter weights doesn’t have the same muscle-building effect as doing fewer reps with a heavy weight, says Westcott. Tara can do the same moves from class, but following these tips: Practise proper form. When you churn through dozens of reps, you may start to get tired and sloppy. Instead, focus on every stage of the exercise – no bouncing, slumping or jerking allowed. Lift more. To keep muscles challenged, gradually increase both the reps and weight over several weeks. Choose a weight you can lift for 12 reps with proper form. Then move up to a heavier weight next time (say, from half a kilo to a kilogram). Start with eight reps at the new weight and slowly work…

Expert Advice: Do Shorter, Regular At-Home Workouts Kelly needs consistency, not the occasional all-or-nothing routine. “Her marathon exercise sessions may actually have interfered with her progress,” says Westcott. You need time to recover after weight training, which causes microscopic tears in muscle tissue that your body then rebuilds. “One extra-long workout can deplete your energy for days, energy your body needs to get stronger,” Westcott says. To create a routine to fit any busy schedule, he suggests these tips: Stick to 20-minute strength-training sessions. “According to our studies, it's just enough time to work every body part and make a difference, but not so much that it feels like a burden,” says Westcott. Make basic moves harder. You don't need equipment to challenge your muscles – simple variations or a…

1 Move and groove Get up and dance – the more you shake it, the more calories you’ll melt! 2 Towel shuffle Stand with knees slightly bent, arms extended, holding a towel taut at chest height. Step your right foot to the right followed by your left foot three times; then repeat to left. 3 Knee-ups Holding a towel, do a little hop as you raise your left knee and pass the towel under your leg from left hand to right. Repeat with your right leg. 4 Stair sizzler Attack a set of stairs: walk or jog up and down; if you only have a couple of stairs, simply step up and down repeatedly.…

Breakfast Broccoli-cheddar scramble served with 1¼ cups strawberries, ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice and ½ wholewheat English muffin, toasted and spread with 1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese. Per Serving: 430 cal, 37g protein, 54g carbs, 10g fibre, 10g fat, 5g sat fat, 28mg chol, 784mg sodium Snack Slices from 1 orange with 1 cup fat-free or low-fat yoghurt Per serving: 200 cal, 15g protein, 34g carbs, 3g fibre, 1g fat, 0g sat fat, 5mg chol, 190mg sodium Lunch Chicken Salad: Combine 1 cup mixed greens, 1 diced grilled chicken breast, ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced cucumber, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Per serving: 350 cal, 29g protein, 9g carbs, 3g fibre, 23g fat, 3g sat fat, 75mg…

Being overweight increases your risk of developing diabetes or suffering from complications related to high cholesterol, heart disease or stroke. The good news: this trend is reversible. Data from the National Weight Control Registry in the US tells us that successful “losers” share four common behaviours: 90% exercise, on average, about one hour per day 78% start their mornings with a healthy breakfast 75% weigh themselves at least once a week 62% watch fewer than 10 hours of TV per week Slim-down trick Try this! Want the best body of your life? Then set a goal that transcends weight loss. In a study of first-time marathoners, those who concentrated on losing weight were 70 percent more likely to drop out of a training programme than those who sought to improve…

Try this: Amp up morning calorie burn by listening to your favo urite music and dancing as you get dressed. Listen up Moderate-tempo tunes may pump up your workout more than fast-paced ones. Aim for songs with 115 to 120 beats per minute like these: “Sugar” Maroon 5 “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart” Mark Ronson ft Miley Cyrus “Moves Like Jagger” Maroon 5 ft Christina Aguilera “Lose Yourself To Dance” Daft Punk “Often” The Weeknd (Kygo remix) “Something Just Like This” The Chainsmokers and Coldplay “Particula” Major Lazer “This Is What You Came For” Calvin Harris ft Rihanna “Bad Romance” Lady Gaga Goal Double your fat loss! Male couch potatoes who hit the grass to play soccer three times a week for one hour lost nearly 3.6 kilograms of fat…

To look fit and firm at any age, you have to strength train, says Wayne Westcott, a US-based fitness research director. Here, the co-author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger and his associate Rita LaRosa Loud help five women reshape their toning routines with impressive results – up to 10 centimetres off their waists and 2.2 kilos lost in just eight weeks. For faster results, see "How You Can Lose Five Times More Fat" on page 29.…

Expert advice: Add Strength Training Cardio exercises, such as walking and jogging, are great for burning fat and keeping your heart and lungs healthy, explains Westcott, but they do little to build the muscle that gives you a toned look. For that, you need to lift weights. How to get started: Use heavy-enough weights. The amount you lift should be light enough for you to complete at least eight reps of an exercise using good form, but heavy enough that by the 12th rep, your muscles are so fatigued you can't imagine doing another one. Trade dumbbells for a weighted ball. Mary had tried lifting weights in the past, but gave it up because it was “time-consuming and boring.” To spark her interest, Westcott created a routine using a medicine…

Expert Advice: Target All Ab Muscles Crunches are great to shape the abs, but you also have to work the hip flexors and obliques to really tone your midsection. How to tweak the crunch, plus some new toning tricks: Slow down. “When you speed through any exercise, your body’s momentum propels the movement, so the muscles don't have to work as hard and you don't get results,” says Westcott. Each crunch should take a full seven seconds – three seconds to lift, a one-second hold at the top and three seconds to lower. Do strength-building yoga moves. Poses that require you to support your entire body weight, like the boat or plank, may be among the best at strengthening your core because you have to engage your deep abdominal muscles,…

Temperatures are falling, but there is no need to panic: we have the plan for you! Fitness expert Chris Freytag has developed a super-fast shape-up programme using a technique called eccentric training. The secret is in the programme’s slow-motion strength routine. Instead of lifting and lowering for two counts each, you’ll double the lengthening “eccentric” phase of an exercise (that is, straightening your arm during a biceps curl) to four counts. “Each muscle fibre works harder so you get firmer faster,” explains Freytag. In an East Carolina University study, women who did eccentric training for just one week increased their strength nearly twice as much as those who lifted weights at a normal pace. Here, our exclusive jump-start plan will help you shed kilos, shrink centimetres and feel confident in…

Being active is just one very important part of the healthy-living equation. Equally important is your diet. For many of you, diet has become a four-letter word. You’ve probably tried your fair share of weight-loss plans over the years and had some success – at least at first. But the problem is that most diets don’t offer a long-lasting solution because they don’t provide real opportunities for permanent change. Start your Two-Week Total Body Turnaround by taking a good look at your eating habits and then following these simple tips to improve them. Stay hydrated To get the recommended two litres of water per day, down a glass with each meal or carry a water bottle to sip from regularly. Get into the habit of “clean” eating. That’s about as…

Abandon The Strict Diet Mindset In a diet programme at Duke University in the US, participants spent four weeks living near campus and meeting with weight-loss specialists to learn new insights. The idea was to combat the “been there, done that” mentality that chronic dieters often have. Their insider secret: small, sustainable changes, like healthier cooking techniques, better food choices and mindful eating. In a 2005 study, 80 percent of the programme's graduates reported improved quality of life, including better stamina, self-confidence and mobility. 10 Average percentage loss in body weight that participants in the Duke University weight-loss programme experienced in a year, following an initial five percent average loss in the first month. Lessons Learnt Move more. Stand up while chatting on the phone; talk to colleagues face-to-face instead…

Why Motivation Matters Little known fact about me: I’ve interviewed, written and edited the You Lose You Win section for 10 years. I remember the first sentence in my first story: “A spectator losing 14kg? Believe it. Alison went from supporting her friends in cycle races to competing in one herself.” I was blown away by the power of motivation. By how seeing someone accomplish something triggered a woman into action and made her want to do the same. I love being a teller of celebratory stories of the women who successfully chose to put their health first – it never gets old. The one take-out from all these years: the hardest part of the journey to any goal is staying motivated. I've seen women who have made phenomenal strides…

Q: “Should I focus on time, speed or distance when I walk?” A: Any exercise is a great start! But all three elements are important if you want to shed more weight – they're like layers in a pyramid. Here's how to build them into your routine. 1 Time your walks (3+ days a week) Time-based walks are the easiest way to make exercise a habit because they’re simple and adaptable. Start with 20 or 30 minutes at a comfortable pace. 2 Speed it up (one or two days a week) Rather than trying to sprint through your whole workout, add short bouts of faster walking – one to five minutes at a time – with a few minutes at a moderate pace in between. 3 Go for the distance…

Expert Advice: Change Things Up If you always do the same exercise with the same weight for the same number of reps, your muscles get bored. “Muscles adapt to repetitive movements and eventually stop developing,” says Westcott. To help Arnesse bust her plateau, he suggested challenging her muscles with the following strategies: Mix single- and multi-muscle moves. Your workout should include exercises that isolate a trouble spot (single-muscle moves) and those that also work the surrounding muscles. You’ll get better results, says Westcott, because you're still training the target area, but not overloading it to the point of injury. Practise the six-second rep. Lift for two counts, lower for four. The reason: your muscles are strongest during the eccentric contraction or lowering phase. “Slowing down this part of the exercise…

What to do One set of eight to 12 reps, three times per week What you need Weighted ball Knee lift with pull-down Firms shoulders, arms, obliques, butt, thighs Stand tall with feet staggered, left leg about 30 centimetres in front of right, abs in. Hold the medicine ball with both hands over your left shoulder. Slowly pull the ball across your body towards your right hip, twisting right, while lifting your right knee towards your left shoulder. Return to start and repeat. Do all reps on left leg. Switch sides and repeat. Step hop Firms abs, butt, legs Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, abs in and knees slightly bent. Hold the medicine ball in front of your belly, elbows close to sides. Keeping the ball steady, hop to the…

For a cheap, fast and fun routine, use hand towels to boost the slimming and sculpting power of traditional exercises. By gliding through the moves in this workout, you target more muscles to maintain your balance. Add a threeminute cardio burst after each exercise and you’ll rev your heart rate and burn more fat. You can even customise the workout to the time you have – 15, 30 or 45 minutes. Workout At A Glance What you need Two hand towels and a smooth floor surface. Or use paper plates and a single towel on carpet. How to do it Do the exercises in the order shown. Start with the Main Move. Customise the exercises with the Make It Easier or Make It Harder variations. After each move, without resting,…

Workout A 1 Hip drop FIRMS FRONT AND SIDE ABS Lie face-down, balancing on elbows, forearms and toes; abs tight. Slow It Down Twist to the right and lower your right hip to the floor for four counts, keeping your back straight. Return to start for two counts. Repeat to the left (pictured). Do eight to 10 times per side. Make It Harder (Week 2) Do 12 to 15 times per side. 2 Beach-ball hug FIRMS CHEST, ABS, HIPS Lie face up, dumbbells above chest, elbows slightly bent, palms facing in. Raise your left leg so your shin is parallel to the floor. Slow It Down Lower your arms out to the sides for four counts as you straighten your left leg, keeping your foot off the floor (pictured). For…

Breakfast 1 wholewheat English muffin spread with 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Serve with 85g bacon, 1 apple and 1 cup fat-free milk. Per serving: 430 cal, 23g protein, 61g carbs, 9g fibre, 12g fat, 3g sat fat, 19mg chol, 690mg sodium* Snack 1 cup vanilla soy milk with 1 peach Per serving: 140 cal, 7g protein, 20g carbs, 1g fibre, 3g fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg chol, 170mg sodium Lunch Open-faced mushroom-onion veggie burger Per serving: 310 cal, 17g protein, 28g carbs, 8g fibre, 16g fat, 2g sat fat, 3mg chol, 567mg sodium Snack ½ cup fat-free cottage cheese Per serving: 60 cal, 12g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fibre, 0g fat, 0g sat fat, 5mg chol, 290mg sodium Dinner Seared-chicken fajita salad Per serving: 360 cal, 30g protein, 30g carbs,…

Water With Lemon A California study of 240 women found that dieters who replaced sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 1.5 kilograms more a year than those who didn’t. And a note to soda sippers: the phosphoric acid in your fizzy drinks may contribute to bone loss – and osteoporosis – by changing the acid balance in your blood. High-Fibre Granola Bars In a British study, women who ate fibre-rich, high-carb breakfasts burnt twice as much fat during workouts later in the day as those who ate lower-fibre foods. Try a granola bar with at least four grams of fibre. Flaxseed Flaxseed is rich in fibre and healthy fats, which make you less likely to binge. Research also suggests flax can soothe symptoms of hormone swings because it’s…

1 Eat your meals on a regular schedule. 2 Choose low-fat foods. 3 Strap on a pedometer or fitness tracker and walk 10 000 steps a day. 4 Turn off the television while you eat. 5 Eat at least five servings of fruit and veggies daily. 6 Pack healthy snacks. 7 Avoid sugary drinks. 8 Stand for 10 minutes every hour. 9 Portion wisely and only go back for more vegetables. 10 Check the fat and sugar content on food labels.…