Autumn says the first thing to do is to make sure you're pushing as hard as you can in your workouts. "You should always be a little (or a lot) uncomfortable during your workout, meaning it should be challenging you, your heart rate should be up, your muscles should be burning, you should be sweating." If you're not, Autumn suggests increasing the amount of weight you're lifting and/or working out a little longer.
1 / 5
2Mix Things Up!
Image Source: Autumn Calabrese
Changing up the workout altogether is also key. Autumn says, "If you've always been a cardio junkie, try switching to weight training for a month or two. If you are doing the exact same workout every time you work out, you will hit a plateau." Try different workout classes and use different equipment. Mix up the order of the exercises you do, the body parts you focus on, the intensity, the reps, and the pace of your workouts.
That's the beauty of her newest workout program, 80 Day Obsession, which is 80 different workouts. Aside from taxing your muscles in different ways, mixing up your workouts ensures "you never get bored" and "you're constantly being challenged," plus, "it's just more fun, which means you are more likely to stick with it."
2 / 5
3Dial In Your Nutrition
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Diggy Lloyd
"While it's fun to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, it's not likely to get you to your final results," Autumn warns. "Timed nutrition combined with portion control and balanced macronutrients is a great way to do this." For balanced macronutrients, Autumn likes a 40/30/30 split, meaning 40 percent healthy carbs, 30 percent lean protein, and 30 percent healthy fats. Timed nutrition refers to eating every two and a half to three hours, spread out throughout the day, with balanced macros at each meal.
This is what Autumn teaches with her color-coded container system, Portion Fix, which is a component of 80 Day Obsession as well as all of her other workout programs. It shows you how to measure appropriate portion sizes of vegetables, fruits, protein, carbs, and seeds and dressings, preventing you from overeating and making meeting your daily calorie goal easier.
3 / 5
4Self-Care
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Diggy Lloyd
Self-care also needs to be a priority when it comes to losing those last few pounds. Autumn says, "That might sound odd, but for all the hard work you are putting in, you also have to allow your body time to recover to see maximum results." Do some relaxing wall yoga, meditate, watch a sunset, read by a fire, sing, dance, or spend time laughing with friends — do something that makes you happy, that you enjoy, every single day, even if it's just for five minutes.
4 / 5
5Rest and Recover
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / RC Rivera
Don't forget that getting enough sleep (at least eight hours), drinking plenty of water, foam rolling or massage, Epsom salt baths, and rest days are all a necessity when it comes to caring for your hardworking body and seeing results.
