The Last Obstacle

For any woman trying to improve her body, the last few pounds that turn a 'good' body into a 'great' body are always difficult to lose.

Eleana Papacharalambous follows expert scientists and shares with us some insider tips to lose those last elusive pounds and get that perfect silhouette.

Why can't we lose those last 3 pounds? Even though others can't see them, they stand in the way and don't allow us to feel great about ourselves - changing the way we move and even dress. So here we list 11 easy steps, from how we eat, exercise and relax, that will help us lose those stubborn pounds more easily.

1. Get enough sleep 

   Studies have shown that sleep is vital if we want to lose fat, not just because our bodies release hormones that help burn fat and suppress our appetite during sleep, but also because 'if we don't get enough sleep we will have the opposite effect as the body starts to release fat-storing hormones such as cortisol'.'For every hour of exercise, reward yourself with an hour of relaxation'.
   
   Tip: Boost your sleep and metabolism by taking magnesium 90 minutes before you go to bed. Try a magnesium supplement.
   
   

2. Add a few spices 

   Spices cause a sharp increase in metabolism - sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee instead of cocoa. And while it's true that green tea helps burn fat, drinking 4 cups a day will only burn an extra 100 calories.
   
   

3. Follow your workout with breaks 

   Alternating physical exercises of different intensities - accelerated-intensity exercises combined with lower-intensity exercises to recover (calculate an average of 20 seconds of running and 60 seconds of walking) - burns more calories than if you exercise at the same pace for the same amount of time. And the faster you burn calories, the faster you burn fat. This workout speeds up metabolism for up to 24 hours after exercise. A brisk run on the treadmill is the ideal exercise. 'Try to do 5 to 8 sets of 20-second fast runs with 30-second pauses in between,' says Third Space coach Gary Logan.
   
   

4. Take vitamin C 

   New research shows that those who take 500mg- 2000mg of vitamin C daily burn 30% more fat when exercising. Our suggestion :TNS C-Lysine.
   
   

5. Avoid diet drinks 

   'Calorie-free drinks sound good in theory, but the reality is that by tasting the sweet taste (from sweeteners), our body expects to receive calories and sugar, but as the drinks don't release sugars, our body subconsciously triggers and seeks them elsewhere and we end up making up for the absent calories by consuming sugar later,' says Wong. Studies comparing 2 groups of athletes - one who consumed sugary drinks after the race and one who consumed diet drinks - showed that those who consumed the diet drinks more than made up for the sugar and took in more calories by the end of the day than those who consumed the sugary drinks.
   
   

6. Go for a walk 

   'Per minute', walking burns more fat than running. But you need to go at a fast pace so that you can pant but still be able to converse at the same time,' says Joanna Hall, author of 'The GL Walking Diet'. 'Make walking a fat-burning exercise by lengthening your stride and pushing your stride through your toes, so you'll burn more calories and exercise your muscles.
   
   

7. Stay hydrated 

   Water helps the metabolism function and reduces appetite. Dehydration on the other hand stops fat burning. 'Add natural hydration salts such as Himalayan pink salts (not to be confused with table salt, which dehydrates the body) to your water bottle every day,' says Wong. And although water may not help burn fat, try to drink a glass before each meal 'so you won't confuse thirst with hunger and you'll consume fewer calories'. Tip: Reduce alcohol - it inhibits fat burning and also increases your appetite.
   
   

8. Change your exercise routine 

   'Our bodies adapt to an exercise programme incredibly quickly, so muscles work less to carry it out and burn fewer calories'. Follow something you enjoy because, according to research, not only does this give us more motivation, but also because we get better results in terms of weight loss and fat burning. Stress about going to the gym has an effect, as does the reverse.
   
   

9. Eat full-fat foods 

   It may sound counterintuitive, but products that are full-fat (limited in sugar and carbohydrates) encourage the body to switch from burning sugar for fuel to burning stored body fat. 'In addition, diets that are low in fat are high in sugar - causing weight loss - and tend to be so low in calories that the body starts burning muscle for energy - and remember that it is muscle that burns 95% of the calories we take in, even when we are resting, so it is paramount that we maintain and develop it because it is our real ally in burning fat' Tip: Limit your sugar and carbohydrate cravings by taking as a dietary supplement with GLUCOFIX Support.
   
   

10. Cut out sugary foods 

    'Apart from calories, sugary foods strip the body of the nutrients it needs to burn fat, greatly slowing down the metabolism,' says fitness coach Nikos Markantonis. Instead, eat metabolism-boosting foods that are rich in anti-estrogenic plant ingredients such as broccoli, kale and citrus, or take them in supplement form with DIM. Try O-Biotique's DIM for 23.20 for 30 capsules. If you exercise regularly, take L-Biome Longevity supplements from Prolon, which have been proven to burn fat.
    
    

11. Start using weights 

    Any kind of resistance exercise (tire techniques or weights) build muscle mass, which is our body's fat-burning engine, Morris says. For every extra ½ pound of muscle mass, we burn 100 more calories a day. Tip: Don't rest between sets to exercise more muscle.
    
    

12. Increase your protein intake 

    They help tone muscle, boost fat burning and 'for every gram of protein you take in, you consume 6 calories less at your next meal, which may sound insignificant, but if you eat the recommended 25 to 30 grams of protein at each meal, this can equate to up to 200 calories less at a time,' says Clay. 'The five highest protein foods are chickpeas, red beans, oily fish, white lean meat and whey protein. 'Or start taking protein powder daily (in yogurt or cereal), adds Clay. 
    
    

by Eleana Papacharalambous

A specialist Health and Wellness consultant with a long history of developing specialist preventative and regenerative medicine centers.