Page 83 - Tracy Anderson Magazine – Summer 2020

a nutritious, well-balanced diet and engaging in regular will control your appetite and keep you satisfied longer,
physical activity, your weight is stagnant. so you won’t feel the need to reach for the chip bag when
the afternoon slump hits.
Even though you seem to be doing everything “right,” the
dreaded weight-loss plateau still happens. In fact, most Turn up the resistance.
people trying to lose weight will hit a plateau along the
way, so there’s no need to feel discouraged. Plateaus tend Resistance training is another excellent way to preserve
to happen because losing weight helps you shed body fat your muscle mass and metabolism. Adding body-resis-
but also causes your body to lose lean muscle. And be- tance movements to your workout routine will help you
cause a reduction in muscle mass means your metabolism burn more calories throughout the day and shed more
decreases, you end up burning fewer calories. belly fat while maintaining a toned physique. Because
resistance training helps burn calories even while you’re
Hitting a plateau is usually due to habits that you don’t at rest, it’s the most effective type of exercise for weight
realize are undermining your efforts. By digging deeper, loss. Tracy Anderson’s workouts combine cardio and
you’ll identify sneaky sabotaging behaviors and you’ll body resistance, so her classes are the perfect total-body
be better equipped to adjust your habits. Small lifestyle workout for torching calories and sculpting your body.
changes will help you get back on track and will make the
weight-loss experience easier and more enjoyable. Change up your workouts.

Keep a food journal. If you’ve been doing the same workout over and over
again, chances are your body has adjusted, which isn’t
People tend to underestimate how many calories they helping you lose weight. When you first complete a
need and overestimate how many calories they burn workout you feel sore, sweaty, and breathless. But over
during exercise, which leads to overindulging and pack- time, your body adapts to that routine and becomes more
ing on the pounds. Recording what you eat throughout efficient, so you burn fewer calories each session. This
the day can help you track how many calories you’re is why Tracy Anderson changes the muscle exhaustion
consuming and see where you need to cut back. Research sequences that she delivers to clients in the Online Studio
shows that people who keep a food diary lose twice as and in her brick-and-mortar locations every week: It’s all
much weight as those who don’t track their intake. part of her strategy to prevent a plateau.

It’s important to be aware of portion sizes, so you aren’t Get some shut-eye.
eating more than you track. Also evaluate the type of
foods you’re eating: Make sure your diet is rich in fresh, When you don’t get enough sleep, your body develops
whole, unprocessed, high-quality whole grains, lean insulin resistance and produces more cortisol, which
protein, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. increases the accumulation of belly fat. If you want to
A balanced diet will keep you satisfied and energized watch the number on the scale drop, aim for seven to
throughout the day so you can kick cravings and kill your nine hours of sleep every night, and make sure it’s restful,
workouts. high-quality sleep. You will shed body fat and also feel
energized enough to power through your workouts and
Prioritize protein. resist cravings for junk food.

Stress less.
Protein is a macronutrient that has gotten a lot of love re-
drinks, protein seems to be taking over the health and
RESTARTING THE ENGINE cently. From supplements to packaged snacks to flavored Exercising daily and eating healthy can only take you so
wellness market. Although incorporating every macro-
far. If your stress levels are through the roof, you won’t
nutrient into your diet is essential for a healthy lifestyle,
get results. Stress stimulates the production of cortisol,
which increases belly fat storage. Dieting and calorie
protein has a ton of benefits, especially for weight loss.
Ways to overcome a weight-loss plateau. Photo by: Andrew Mcelroy, courtesy of unsplash.com Because losing weight decreases your muscle mass, incor- restriction are forms of stress that increase cortisol levels,
so if your calorie intake is too low, you might need to
eat more. If your stress levels are chronically high due
porating protein into your diet will preserve lean muscle
If you’re on a weight-loss journey, watching the pounds off is unmatched. But as time goes on, you may notice and rev up your metabolism. Protein also has a higher to other daily events, find ways to manage that stress:
thermic effect than fats and carbs—you burn more calories
Deep breathing, guided visualization, meditation, and
melt away and the number on the scale drop is exhilarat- that you’ve stopped losing weight. The number on the digesting protein-rich foods. Because protein takes longer progressive muscle relaxation are all stress-management
ing. The pride and satisfaction you get from committing scale won’t budge. You can’t seem to shed those last few to digest, it prevents insulin spikes that cause your cells to techniques that can help you reduce your BMI and main-
to your weight-loss goals and seeing your hard work pay pesky pounds, and frustration sets in. Despite maintaining store fat. Consuming meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes tain a healthy lifestyle.

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