How To Lose Weight Faster And Make The Most Out Of Your Workout Sessions (2 of 4)

Cut down on carbs

Every time you catch yourself longingly fantasizing about a slice of cake melting in your mouth, stop. Stop and rethink your goals, your hard work, and drag your momentarily lost determination back to you. If you fail to cut down on carbs or keep your diet in check, your hard work will reap no benefits.

Research has proved time and again that basic metabolism and weight loss depends 80% on diet and 20% on exercise. So even if you keep running like a hamster on a wheel and perspiring like a pig, treating yourself with high-calorie edibles post-workout will make all your struggle would go in vain.

Refrain yourself from sipping Coke or even crunching in that Oreo cookie post-midnight. Every time you feel tempted and try to convince yourself that one cookie won’t hurt, just remember that it takes an hour and a half of intense stationary biking to lose out on the calories that the Oreo cookie contains.

Yes, that’s devastating. And that’s exactly why you should refrain.

Don’t push yourself too hard

You embarked on your workout routine by performing the exercises for about an hour in your initial days. You’ve now climbed up the intensity ladder and are aiming for about three to four hours. That’s your red flag right there.

You might be internally competing with the girl who manages to do a hundred squats or with the guy who never gets tired of the deadlifts. So, every time you find yourself outdoing them, you pat yourself at the back.

Outdoing them in terms of performance surely deserves kudos, but increasing your time more than 1 hour 15 minutes max wouldn’t bring you any extra amount of benefits. Unless you’re getting paid for maintaining your body like Jennifer Aniston, cut yourself some slack.

Let the phone ring

If you think abstaining from using your phone was only necessary while preparing for finals, you’re wrong. That little electronic gadget has a magnetic pull, and can quite literally pull your mind off your goals. It won’t be a surprise if you hit the treadmill with a strong goal to run for an hour but find yourself sitting at its edge, scrolling through Kylie Jenner’s Instagram because some notification popped up.

Not only does it distract you from working out your full potential, but it also lowers down your heartbeat every time you halt to check it and that, in turn, destroys the whole point of working out.

Try to avoid using your phone whenever you’re working out. You can attend your boss’s calls an hour later; your mother’s rant can wait. When you dedicate an hour or two of your day to working out, make sure to devote it religiously.

Who knew we needed Sippy cups forever?

Well, not literally- but yes. Studies have shown that gulping down gallons of water while working out can make you choke on it.

Our breathing gets exceptionally shallow during and after working out so gulping it down your food pipe might not be one of the best ideas. Make sure to sip it instead. Also, excessive perspiration results in dehydration.

Because you might be working out to the maximum, you’re bound to sweat out all your water. Staying hydrated is necessary, so don’t forget to drink water. Take it in small, mindful sips and you should be good to go.

Music can make those muscles move

Music is a blessing in disguise to all us humans and no one will ever deny that. As much as it helps you bawl your eyes out while you gulp down a pint of ice cream after a breakup, or gets you on your feet at a club- it can get you motivated to strive harder while you work out.

Chalk out your playlists strategically for your workout regimes and shuffle them daily to prevent monotony. Keep the vibe happy and powerful. Playing it while you’re working out can keep you motivated and prevent you from giving up in the middle of your workout.

Try to pitch in ‘Good Life’ by Kehlani into your playlist, or some upbeat electronic dance music such as ‘No Guidance’ by Chris Brown. Or maybe a song that makes you feel super confident, making everything seem possible such as ‘Go Off’ from Fast and Furious. Any song that uplifts your mood and gets you working those muscles as soon as you tie the knot of your running shoes.

And yes, unless you want to breakdown in the middle of a workout and overthink your past relationships, avoid adding sappy music to your workout playlist.