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Want to get your body toned in record time? It’s time to get down to business and shed that extra 3-5 pounds before you hit the beach. Here’s a quick and easy way to help get you started.

Let’s start with some basic math. A pound of body fat is 3500 calories. So, if you want to lose a pound, you need to reduce your caloric intake by 3500 calories. The easiest way to do this would be to divide that 3500 calories over the week, which means you need to eat 500 calories less each day.

But we’re working towards getting our Spring Break bodies, right? So 1lb alone won’t do it! Let’s increase that to 2lbs. This means we need to eat 1000 calories less each day. Still following?

Now you need to find out just how many calories you need to either maintain your weight, or to achieve fat loss. Use this online calorie calculator. If you need to lose weight, then a daily restriction of 1000 calories per day probably won’t be enough. This is where exercise (not starvation) comes in.

If you’re someone who’s not used to traditional exercise, I strongly suggest attending a class, such as kickboxing. An instructor led environment forces you to be participatory, and you won’t be as inclined to give up in a group activity. Plus it’s fun! 24 Hour Fitness claims their kickboxing class will help you lose anywhere from about 300-600 calories per session. So if you go to 4 classes a week, that’s up to 4800 calories lost in two weeks. Guess what? That’s at least another pound!

Now you need to focus on strength training.

This can be achieved three ways: weightlifting, calisthenics, or machines. Of the three, many fitness experts believe weightlifting and calisthenics are the best and most effective ways to build muscle and lose fat. Using machines can lead to improper form or injuries.

You will need to work out a different muscle group on the days you exercise in order to give your muscles a chance to rest.  For instance, maybe Mondays are your leg days, Tuesdays arms, and so on. Telling you specific exercises won’t necessarily be useful because not everybody has access to the same equipment, or likes to do the same things.

I guarantee that if you can stick to this regimen for two weeks, you’ll not only look better, but you’ll feel better. Stick to it for four weeks, six weeks, or a lifetime, and there’s no question other people will notice it too.  Good luck!

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