How to lose the last 10 pounds of fat?

　　Many people who have lost weight know that often, our weight loss plans are ruined by the last 10 pounds of fat.

　　Sometimes it's because more and more people say, "Wow! You've lost so much weight, you're looking so beautiful and handsome!"—and you become complacent, gradually losing motivation and desire to continue.

　　Sometimes it's because the weight just won't budge, and you gradually get discouraged.

　　Although the nine girl has always emphasized that weight is not the key, body shape is the key. But if you squeeze your belly and still have a lump of fat, then you can still push yourself a bit to be more perfect.

　　Today, let's talk about how to lose the last 10 pounds of fat.

　　Theoretically speaking, the last 10 pounds of fat are definitely harder to lose than the first 30 pounds. As your weight decreases, your metabolism slows down, and the calories burned per minute of exercise also decrease. Some scientists have done research, and for every pound you lose (about 0.9 pounds), your basal metabolic rate decreases by 20 calories per day.

　　For example:

　　Little Red originally weighed 120 pounds, and she worked hard to lose 20 pounds. Then her basal metabolic rate would decrease by 20 × 20 / 0.9 = 444 calories. In other words, after losing weight, her body needs 444 fewer calories per day.

　　Additionally, as her weight decreases, the calories she can burn through exercise also decrease. When she weighed 120 pounds, running for an hour could burn 500 calories, but when she weighed 90 pounds, running at the same speed for an hour could only burn 375 calories.

　　So... weight loss slows down over time.

　　What should you do?

　　1. Try high-intensity interval training

　　Your body may have already adapted to your original aerobic exercise intensity and frequency. You can try high-intensity interval training.

　　Some scientists have done research, and doing a set of 4 minutes of high-intensity interval training before aerobic exercise can increase fat burning by 66% in the following aerobic phase.

　　You can also flexibly apply this secret in your daily aerobic exercise, such as jogging. For example, every few minutes, add a 30-60 second sprint during a slow jog, which can also effectively increase calorie expenditure.

　　2. Try standing for a bit longer

　　Based on your original lifestyle, you should try to stand for an extra hour each day. Some scientists have compared that overweight people usually sit for an average of 2 hours more per day than slim people, thus burning 300 fewer calories. So when you're taking the bus/subway, waiting at the hospital, or working, try standing for a bit longer.

　　p.s. Every time I take the subway, when I don't have a seat to sit, the nine girl stands there proudly~ You think I'm just squeezing the subway, but in fact, I'm losing weight…

　　3. Lift weights (strength training)

　　A famous person (the nine girl) once said that to have a good body shape, you must do weightlifting with dumbbells and other strength training. Aerobic exercise can continue to burn fat, but it cannot long-term increase metabolism. Strength training may not long-term increase heart rate, but it increases muscle mass, thereby increasing metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories at rest. It is estimated that for every 0.5 kilograms of muscle gained, the body can burn an additional 50-100 calories per day.

　　When lifting weights, the muscles are burdened, producing substances like lactic acid that accumulate in the muscles. At this point, the brain receives a signal and secretes growth hormone to promote muscle formation. Doing weightlifting or dumbbell exercises can secrete 200 times more growth hormone than when you're just lying still, which can also stimulate bone formation and the metabolism of the skin. Growth hormone not only promotes muscle growth but also breaks down fat. The broken down fat is then transported out of the fat cells into the bloodstream, becoming an easily usable energy source. This state will continue even after the growth hormone stops secreting after exercise.

　　Some scientists had a group of people exercise three times a week for 25 minutes each time, but this exercise form was very special—a minute of slow strength training alternated with a minute of aerobic exercise. After 12 weeks, these people's average waist circumference had decreased by 4% on average.

　　So, buy a pair of beautiful dumbbells and start exercising. Just three times a week, for 10 minutes each time—it's not that difficult.

　　4. Eat a fruit before a meal

　　Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania conducted an experiment where they had people eat an apple 15 minutes before a meal, and as a result, they could reduce their calorie intake by 187 calories during the meal.

　　Of course, if you don't like apples, you can switch to other fruits, vegetables, or other low-calorie, high-satiety foods. Fill your stomach first to effectively avoid overeating during the main meal.

　　5. Beware of the love-hate weekend

　　For weight losers, weekends are both loved and hated. Some scientists have done statistics and found that people generally eat an extra 420 calories over the weekend. So what you should do is, don't stock up on any snacks other than fruits and dairy products at home!

【Giveaway: Come see how you should lose weight?】

　　Want to stay healthy and slim in 2016? Wondering what the right weight loss method is for you?