The story of Amber Clemens became very popular after her first interview in many magazines. Many young girls and women wondered how she was able to achieve such results – to lose 150 pounds!
According to Amber’s words, her path to an ideal body was difficult. It all started with the fact that her doctor advised her to start keeping a weight loss journal and stay active every day for an average of 30 minutes. Since she lived in an apartment, she tried to walk up the stairs every day. This easy walk was very difficult for her at the beginning, because, according to Amber, some daily tasks that a person in normal weight carry out easily were difficult for her.
Before the summer of 2018 began, she promised herself to change her life and body. From this, her path to weight loss began.
After consulting with a doctor, Amber Clemens began to study the information and choose the appropriate methods. Calorie counting turned out to be the most effective method for her, as she was able to control what she eats and how much. Let’s have a look at the correct approach to counting calories.
Calories counting
A calorie is a unit of energy that the body consumes to maintain its performance. It is proved that a person does not have to eat many different foods in order to eat and feel comfortable. As a rule, each has its norm, adhering to which, you can keep the shape in the same state for a long time. In case you plan to lose weight, you can calculate the required number of calories consumed per day to get the ideal weight.
It is not so difficult to consider the calorie content of products. First, you need to remember that 1 g of protein contains 4 kcal, 1 g of carbohydrates also 4, and 1 g of fat – approximately 9 kcal. The calorie content of foods is usually calculated per 100 g. It is both simpler and more convenient, even though a person rarely eats exactly 100 grams.
Sometimes it can be difficult to count calories in a finished dish, such as soup. To do this, you have to decompose it into components and calculate everything very accurately. It is important to take into account the fact that processed products may have a different calorie index. Here, a calorie table will come to your aid, where different types and conditions of products are taken into account. To calculate the energy value of the soup, you need to weigh the total weight of the soup in a saucepan, and then the portion you are going to eat. This will help you make a detailed calculation of both the total mass and a single meal, which will allow you to easily determine the amount of food you need in the future.
When counting calories, do not forget some issues that can distort the result and give you incorrect values. Therefore, always try to follow some rules. Put the products in the middle of the pan so that there is no skew, only in this case you will get the exact numbers. Besides, do not try to weigh ingredients that are too light – the balance may not be accurate.
Experts recommend: if you need to weigh a product weighing about 20-30 g, first put an object weighing 200 g or a kilogram on the scales, and then zero the weight. After that, you can put on the cup that you planned to weigh. Liquid products, such as oil, can be weighed the other way around: place a bottle of oil on the scales and weigh. Then pour out the required amount of oil and put the bottle back on the scale.
To sum up, counting calories disciplines you very effectively. In the future, you will not look at the calorie table of products constantly, as you will already know the approximate value.
What about a workout, Amber?
On the very first day of her weight loss, she went to the gym. She didn’t have any training program, all she knew was that she should be active per 1 hour a day. She started with cardio.
Cardio training (or aerobic training) is due to the energy that is produced during the oxidation of glucose molecules by oxygen. This is the main difference from the power load, where energy is produced in an oxygen-free way. Therefore, during cardio, not only muscles are trained, but also the entire cardiovascular system.
Cardio training is especially useful for those who are just starting to do fitness. They prepare your heart for heavier loads. What else is aerobic good for?
The benefits of cardio training:
• Calories are burned, which facilitates and accelerates the process of losing weight;
• Increases endurance, you will be able to withstand increasingly heavy loads (this will be useful to you in everyday life);
• Accelerated metabolic and metabolic processes;
• Increases lung strength and volume;
• Improving the work of the cardiovascular system, reducing the risk of disease;
• Increases immunity;
• Relieves stress and psychological stress;
• You will receive a boost of energy and energy for the whole day.
Rules for effective cardio-training for fat burning
1. Give preference to interval loads. Interval training is many times more effective than monotonous aerobics. You will burn more calories and conduct a lesson more productively. Also, such cardio programs are the least damaging to muscle tissue. For example, you can perform exercises according to the Tabata principle: train for 20 seconds with an intense load, rest for 10 seconds, do 4-8 approaches, rest for 1 minute. You can also select intervals to fit your needs.
2. People who are overweight also need aerobic exercise. Only in this case, it is better to choose walking: on the simulator, on the street, or at home. It’s not necessary to run or jump to lose weight. The most important thing in cardio training is to engage with an increased heart rate, and this is achieved with an active physical activity.
3. Cardio training should always be supplemented by strength training. Without strength training, you will lose muscle, slow down your metabolism, and worsen your body quality. It is not necessary to perform both types of loads on the same day – they can be alternated.
4. Start exercises with weight training, and finish aerobic. If you combine two types of exercise on the same day, it is best to start training with strength exercises. Otherwise, after cardio, you will not have the strength to do quality work with weights.
5. Always monitor your heart rate. At low values, you will not achieve the desired goal, and at high values - harm your health. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, measure your heart rate yourself 2-3 times during the session.
6. Periodically change the type of aerobic load. If you are practicing in a gym, then choose different types of loads. When doing cardio workouts at home, try to change the sets of exercises. This will increase the effectiveness of the results.
Here are two ways to lose weight that have been effective for Amber Clemens. How did you manage to lose weight? Share with us your experience!
