We’ll tell you how to improve your figure, even if you don’t have enough time to go to the gym, and eating sweets is your favorite way to get rid of stress (of which, of course, there is a lot).
Why 12 weeks is ideal
Wanting to bring the body back to normal, we often harm the body. Constant diets, unbearable physical activity and unrealistic deadlines for “super weight loss marathons” – all this can lead to unpleasant consequences. For example, anorexia, bulimia, hormonal changes and many others. And if you start too actively, there is a high probability of losing motivation and giving up everything before even halfway through.
To get results and stay healthy, you need to introduce healthy sports habits into your daily life gradually – and 12 weeks is enough for this. This is the optimal time to solve the following problems:
1. Refuse strict prohibitions. They do not lead to lasting results. It is very important to allow yourself to live in a comfortable mode and not test your body’s strength every time. The psychological state is directly related to our hormonal system, and therefore to excess weight. Therefore, less stress for yourself and your body!
2. Start moving more. A sedentary lifestyle is the enemy of a toned body. Therefore, instead of taking a taxi, choose walking whenever possible, and when working in the office, do not forget about 5 minutes of light exercise. Try to walk at least 10 thousand steps a day.
3. Adjust your diet. Remember the phrase: “You are what you eat!” Without a balanced diet, it is impossible to lose weight and keep your body in good shape. Physical activity is, of course, good. But junk food can destroy all the results of your workouts.
Add more greens and vegetables to your daily diet: they have a beneficial effect on metabolism and the general condition of the body. It can be any type of cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, carrots. Zucchini, zucchini and eggplant are suitable for heat treatment. Avoid starchy vegetables – potatoes, sweet potatoes. And be sure to eat avocado: it contains healthy vegetable fats.
As for sweets and starchy foods, it is not necessary to completely give them up, but you will still have to minimize the amount.
4. Drink more water. The required amount for each person is calculated individually: the norm is 30 ml per 1 kilogram of weight. And an important rule: you need to drink water gradually, in small sips throughout the day.
5. Get quality sleep. Sleep is the best way to recover from physical activity, so be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. In addition, sleep disturbance can lead to metabolic problems and, consequently, obesity.
What to do at the preliminary stage
No special training is required; our recommendations are suitable for everyone, including those who have never played sports. But it’s worth paying attention to a couple of points:
- Weigh yourself and take measurements, write down all the data in a notepad. Of course, the numbers on the scales are not the main thing. Much more important is whether we like our reflection in the mirror. And to see progress after 12 weeks and compare before/after results, you should weigh yourself and take body measurements – chest, arms, waist, hips and legs.
- Start believing in yourself. Without self-confidence, losing weight will be difficult. Even if your weight is now twice the desired weight, there is every chance of success. No one but yourself will help you with this. The longer you delay the process of losing weight, the more complexes and negative states you accumulate in yourself. You just need to start, and to do this, believe that you can do anything. Believing in yourself is the key to success!
What you need to work on your body
Nothing supernatural – items that most modern people always have at hand, and also a little free time.
- 10-30 minutes a day for exercise. You can perform them at any time – in the morning, during the day, and even in the evening after work. Home training will not deprive you of your last strength and will not complicate the process of falling asleep.
- Clothing for home workouts – the usual shorts and T-shirt will be enough. The main thing is that you feel comfortable.
- Exercise mat.
- Glass of water.
- A smartphone for installing applications, which we will discuss below.
And, of course, a good mood.
How to get your body in order in 12 weeks
We will gradually introduce sports habits without drastic changes to your daily life. One week – one useful recommendation. It is this pace that will allow you to stay in mode and not break down.
Week 1
We introduce the first two simple habits: after waking up, drink a glass of water at room temperature, and also do light 10-minute exercises. There is no need to wake up early for this. Remember what you do in the first minutes of the morning? Are you looking through messages on your phone, reading the news, or continuing to lie in bed?
Now we replace all these things with one more useful thing – exercise. Just 10 minutes, day after day, and you will develop a habit. The good news is that we are leaving the food as normal for now. Remember: no stress.
The following exercises are perfect for exercise and do not require special physical training.
Side steps with arms extended to the sides
First, we take a step to the side with one leg and spread our arms. Next – legs together and arms forward. Now step to the side with the other foot, and don’t forget to spread your arms. Feet together again and arms forward. Do this several times.
Thigh muscle stretching exercises
First we do a side lunge. Starting position – feet wider than shoulders. We sit on one leg, the other remains straight. We lean on the entire foot, do not lift the heel, move the pelvis back, keep our back straight. We feel how the thigh muscles on the inner surface stretch. We remain static for about 10–20 seconds and repeat the exercise on the other leg.
Now we stretch the front surface of the thigh. We take our hand to the ankle and try to pull the heel to the buttock. We keep our knees together. The body is straight. Hold the position for 10–20 seconds for each leg.
Back exercise from a position on all fours
Starting position: standing on all fours. We place the hands under the shoulders, and the knees under the hip joint. Extend your straight arm forward and the opposite leg back. Raise your arm and leg until it is parallel to the floor, hold it for a second and lower it back to the starting position.
We change sides and continue doing the exercise with alternating arms and legs. We perform 20 repetitions dynamically. Important: during the exercise we do not arch our back, but try to keep it straight.
Walking back and forth with arms outstretched
We take a step forward with one foot, then put the second one. Next, we step back once with the other foot, and again put the second one on. We always keep our arms straight and extended forward.
Alternately moving the straight leg back and bending forward
From a standing position (legs together), we begin to lean forward with a straight back. At the same time, we move one leg back – straight, without bending at the knee. The torso and leg should be extended in one horizontal line. Next, we return to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the other leg. We perform 20 repetitions dynamically. We keep our back straight and don’t slouch.
Breathing exercises
As you inhale, raise your arms and stretch your whole body upward, while exhaling, lower your arms and relax. Inhale as deeply as possible.
Week 2
We are introducing another habit – tracking activity throughout the day. A built-in pedometer in your smartphone or a fitness bracelet can help.
In addition, we install an application on the smartphone that will help count calories. For example, FatSecret, Lifesum, YAZIO. They are free and easy to use.
You need to record everything you ate during the day there. And the application, based on your data (weight, gender, age), will calculate the optimal calorie intake and tell you if there is too much or too little. In addition, it will make it easier to maintain a balanced diet: the program will tell you how much more BJU you need to get to the norm.
Week 3
To our usual morning exercises, we add a home workout lasting 20 minutes. You can perform it at any free time: immediately after exercise, during breaks during the day or in the evening after work. I advise you to start with low intensity. But it is important to follow the basic rule: practice every day!
Sometimes you can afford to rest, but it should not exceed 1-2 days a week.
We start with a warm-up, then the main part of the workout (20 minutes), and at the end there is a cool-down. The entire workout is presented in a timed format for convenience: each exercise begins with another minute, most of which is reserved for repetitions, and the rest for cardio.
A total of 5 circles of 4 exercises each. No additional equipment other than a mat is required.
Week 4
It’s time to reconsider your attitude towards sweets. We turn on awareness and try to understand that sugar and sweets do not help us achieve our goals, but, on the contrary, are addictive. Try going without your favorite desserts for a few days. At first, the body will persistently demand them, but after some time you will notice that the desire goes away.
For starters, you can also try to find a substitute for sweets. For example, use a sweetener instead of sugar. Fruits and dried fruits (dates, dried apricots) are also suitable.
But it is important to understand that there are no sweet foods that do not interfere with weight loss. Any of them are calories. Therefore, even seemingly harmless fruits should be consumed in reasonable quantities.
Week 5–12
Now we need to consolidate everything that we know and can do. Therefore, we keep the rhythm, we are in a routine and try to enjoy the process.
You can make your workouts as challenging as possible: do more repetitions, use additional weight, or perform more complex exercises. In the video below you will find several interesting options.
How to evaluate your result
There is no need to weigh yourself and measure your body volume every day: our body can lose weight unevenly. And when once again you don’t see the desired number, your mood will obviously deteriorate.
In order not to lose motivation, it is advisable to take measurements once every two weeks. You can focus on the normal rate of weight loss – 500–700 g per week. That is, in 12 weeks it is quite possible to lose 6 kg or more.
But you shouldn’t relax after that, otherwise the excess weight will quickly return. Vacation, of course, is a good motivator, but staying in shape all year round means enjoying your reflection in the mirror for 365 days. Yes, this will require changing your lifestyle forever, but the main thing here is health! And without physical activity and proper nutrition it is very difficult to maintain it.
“The one who walks can master the road,” so don’t stop and don’t give up. Discipline, self-confidence and taking care of your health are the key points that will lead you to success!
Go towards your goal 🧐
