3 EXERCISE Strategies: How to “LOSE MORE WEIGHT” and WASTE LESS TIME!

Are you taking precious time out of your day to exercise? Want to get the most BANG for your BUCK? Use these 3 key EXERCISE & WEIGHT LOSS strategies to help you LOSE MORE WEIGHT and WASTE LESS TIME!

Life is short and trying to find the time to squeeze 30-60 minutes of exercise in each day can be overwhelming! I don’t know about you but If I’m going to take valuable time out of my VERY BUSY day to exercise, I want to feel confident that I am going to LOSE MORE WEIGHT & WASTE LESS TIME by getting the most BANG for my BUCK!

Use these 3 key EXERCISE & WEIGHT LOSS strategies to help you LOSE MORE WEIGHT and WASTE LESS TIME! I know for certain that these strategies really do work because I used them to help me (at 46 years old) LOSE 46 POUNDS in just 4 MONTHS. You can read all about it in my blog post: How I “FIRED UP” My Metabolism and LOST 46 Pounds!

Alright, let’s get started toward building that BAYWATCH BANGIN’ BOD you’ve been dreaming about – or at least one that looks fairly decent in a tank top and a cute pair of shorts!

EXERCISE STRATEGY #1: Lose More Weight by Exercising in the FASTED STATE

In January of 2021, I was introduced to and fell madly in love with the Intermittent Fasting lifestyle! As I raced (sometimes crawled) along my fitness journey, I magically discovered the power of exercising while being fasted!

For many years, we’ve been advised by all the experts to energize our bodies by fueling it with a carb and/or protein-rich snack or smoothie in preparation for an upcoming workout session. I personally spent decades following this advice after reading multiple news articles, diet books, and fitness magazines touting this information. However, now that I have learned about the power of intermittent fasting, I know that eating before a workout is NOT the best weight loss and exercise strategy for me and it might not be the best for you either!

HERE’S THE DEAL! I’m a middle-aged elementary gym teacher, not a doctor, who just so happened to figure out how to STOP DIETING and lose 46 pounds in 4 months. There are so many conflicting weight loss and exercise opinions, which is why I’m not going to “insert” some “fluff medical study” just to try to prove my credibility. Plain and simple – I am just going off my own personal beliefs and experiences. With that being said, this is what I truly believe happens when you eat something that breaks your “fast” before a workout:

• BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS INCREASE AND INSULIN IS SPIKED!
• OUR BODIES ARE FORCED TO BURN THAT CARBY PRE-WORKOUT SNACK INSTEAD OF OUR STORED FAT!

BUT… If you exercise while you are fasted, your body has no other choice than to start BURNING YOUR STORED FAT. Pretty cool, huh?

So, there you have it! It’s as simple as that! No SNACKING before SWEATING! I would, however, recommend drinking a tall glass of water beforehand to help keep you hydrated. Along my weight loss journey, I kept a fitness journal (another very important tip) and documented EVERYTHING. I was already exercising 4-6 times per week, however, once I switched to fasted exercise, it absolutely CATAPULTED my results! The difference truly blew me away!

I even have an Amazing EXTRA BONUS TIP for you: To get the MOST from this strategy, WORKOUT AS FAR INTO YOUR FAST AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. It really, really works! And, don’t worry! Once you become a Fat-Burner, you will have more energy than you know what to do with!

EXERCISE STRATEGY #2: Lose More Weight by Adding STRENGTH TRAINING To Your Exercise Routine

Another great strategy for getting the biggest BANG for your BUCK when it comes to exercise is to add in a little STRENGTH or RESISTANCE TRAINING! Cardio exercises are great but I do believe it is important to add in 2-3 days of strength training, as well. Strength training will also help your body burn more calories after your workout when you are moving about as much as a bump on a log.

My preferred way to add strength training to my routine is through the use of KETTLEBELLS. I usually just search “Kettlebell workouts” on YouTube a few times a week and GET TO IT. I first started with a 10 pound kettlebell for my workouts. Then, I slowly worked up to a 15 pounder and now I think I am almost ready for a 20 pounder. YAY! I actually keep an awesome set of kettlebells [Amazon Affiliate Link] that I got from Amazon under my desk at work. Here’s a great set that you can check out HERE. A few days a week right after work, I search up a quick FULL BODY KETTLEBELL WORKOUT on YouTube and workout right there in my office before I drive home for the day and start cooking dinner for my family.

But What About CARDIO? Don’t We Need it to LOSE MORE WEIGHT?

I do think cardio is equally as important for weight loss, which is why I try to mix things up during the week and incorporate a few days of both. As far as when I like to exercise, I almost always workout right before I eat my first meal of the day. This supports muscle recovery and growth. In addition, when you do this, blood sugars rarely spike. It’s also pretty cool that the foods that you eat immediately following (lots of protein to aid in regeneration) will be used to replenish nutrients. As I mentioned before when you EXERCISE IN A FASTED STATE you are going to be pulling from your fat stores to burn energy, instead of from glycogen when you have food in your system.

After I made a conscious effort to add more strength training to my weekly exercise routine, I really started to notice more muscle definition. There are so many resistance training options including: kettlebells, dumbbells, resistance bands and even your own body weight. I have even added a daily 60 second PLANK HOLD to my routine and WOW, what a difference it has made in my core strength and overall muscle tone!

Here are a few FINAL BONUS TIPS ON ADDING STRENGTH TRAINING TO YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE: 

PLEASE NOTE: I am in no way, shape, or form sponsored by or affiliated with BEACHBODY! I do, however, believe they have some really AWESOME workout programs! These programs deliver a fantastic mix of both cardio and strength training. Our family pays just over $100 a year for the subscription. That gives us full access to all of their workout programs. I’m not a big fan of working out at public gyms so this is perfect for me. I just head to the basement in my dingy workout clothes and push “PLAY” on my TV. I have recently completed and truly loved the following BEACHBODY programs: MORNING MELTDOWN 100, P90X, and CORE De FORCE!

Finally, I love my kettlebell strength training workouts and my absolute favorite online trainer is, Caroline Girvan. She is seriously THE BOMB when it comes to effective online workouts. She has short ones, long ones, full body ones – You name it, she’s got it! Just search “Kettlebell Workout Caroline Girvan” on YouTube and you will quickly see what I’m talking about. You can’t go wrong with any of her workout videos.

Here is the link to my absolute FAVORITE KETTLEBELL WORKOUT video of hers. It’s a great FULL BODY muscle/strength building workout! I usually save it for days when I am short on time because it’s only 15 minutes long. I only know Caroline from watching her on screen in my basement or living room, but she’s FANTASTIC and I’m thrilled to promote her videos anytime. She has helped me so much along my weight loss and fitness journey. I hope she can help YOU TOO! If you’re out there, Caroline, THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are AMAZING and I sincerely appreciate you!

EXERCISE STRATEGY #3: LOSE MORE WEIGHT BY RELAXING, DISTRACTING & JUST HAVING FUN

So let’s be brutally honest for just a minute here! With the exception of the people that claim, or rather lie, that they exercise for fun (yeah, right!) MOST people (myself included) exercise to lose weight and get healthy. Or better yet – both! But, let’s get back to being brutally honest. For years, I had days when I genuinely DREADED the thought of working out. Dragging my body to the basement to workout or hitting the pavement for a run was the last thing I wanted to do!

All joking aside though, if you truly HATE working out, you probably aren’t going to do it! And, IF YOU AREN’T MOVING – YOU PROBABLY AREN’T LOSING EITHER! I have stayed pretty active throughout my life and I do believe that exercise is very important! What I have recently learned, though, is that YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CRAZY WORKOUT FANATIC TO LOSE WEIGHT!

YES BUT, WHAT CAN I DO TO LOSE MORE WEIGHT?

• RELAX & TAKE A “CHILL PILL”! It’s time to come to terms with the fact that ABS REALLY ARE MADE IN THE KITCHEN! There’s no denying exercise is important, however, it is a very small sliver in the weight loss pie. Diet is the clear winner here! In the grand scheme of things when we’re talking about weight loss. What does that mean? It means, relax and leave the 90 minute sweat sessions to the crazies who “love to exercise for fun.” I can tell you that I personally have been able to maintain my 46 pound weight loss for over a year now by incorporating just 30-40 minutes of low impact exercise 4-5 times a week.
• DISTRACT! How many times have you been working out and the whole time you are thinking about ALL of the things that you need or want to do? What I have found that works for me is to distract myself with entertainment. I put a mindless but entertaining show or movie on the television that is right in front of the treadmill. It makes me feel like I can run or walk forever! Music can also be a great way to rid distractions in your mind and groove you back into “exercise mode.” And Oooh, this is a good one! I love to set up an exercise video on my laptop. Then, I just Mute it, and watch my favorite show on the big screen TV in the same room, at the same time! Now, that’s exercise at its finest! Pretty Savvy, huh?
• JUST HAVE FUN! Who says you have to complete an “official workout” to check off “Workout Complete” on your TO-DO List? No Way! You will lose more weight if you are having fun while you are moving your body. Why not have fun taking your dog for a walk or maybe do some gardening! What’s your favorite way to have fun while you’re moving?

SO…WHAT’S THE REAL SKINNY, JEN?

Although it has taken me a few decades, I feel like I have finally CRACKED THE SECRET CODE on weight loss. The discovery of INTERMITTENT FASTING is still #1 in my book. But, adding in these three exercise strategies have made my weight loss and fitness journey so much more successful. So, if you are looking to LOSE MORE FAT and WASTE LESS TIME remember to:

Use these 3 key EXERCISE & WEIGHT LOSS strategies:

EXERCISE FASTED!
STRENGTH TRAIN!
RELAX & JUST HAVE FUN!

And… if you’re ready to go ALL IN and finally lose weight and get healthy FOR GOOD, I’m totally here for YOU! In my INTERMITTENT FASTING and WEIGHT LOSS MASTERCLASS: 6 Weeks to Sexy, I will teach you step-by-step, week-by-week, exactly HOW I lost 46 Pounds in 4 Months with Intermittent Fasting! I’ll share with you every single TIP, TRICK, RECIPE & STRATEGY that I used to reach my goal weight and maintain for over two years now! CLICK HERE if you’re ready to do this TOGETHER!

WEBSITE & BLOG/So What IF? with Jen

BE KIND & BE WELL! I hope you spend your day LOVING WITHOUT FEAR and LAUGHING UNTIL YOUR CHEEKS HURT!

BLOG POST SHOUTOUT: This blog post about exercise is dedicated to my one-of-a-kind dad, Mike! Thank you for always encouraging me to stay active with sports and for being at every single one of my track meets to support and cheer me on when I was a kid. My best exercise memories with you are of running the 10 Mile Crim Road Race together through the streets of my hometown, Flint, Michigan. I love you so much, dad! Thanks for inspiring me to be an active person who runs full steam toward my dreams!

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