START BUILDING YOUR NEW NORMAL

Weeks 7-8

ONCE these final two weeks are up, you have a choice: keep on your weight-loss journey using the routine below, or use the first two weeks as a long-term maintenance plan.

THE EXERCISE PLAN STEP 1 WARM UP

As before.

STEP 2 STRETCH

As before.

STEP 3 HIIT IT

Stick at seven lots of 30-second bouts of activity with 30-second recovery between, and repeat three times a week. Here are some more exercise ideas. Try to keep things varied in each session.

PLANK SHOULDER TAP

Start in a plank position – hands underneath shoulders with arms fully extended, palms flat and fingers facing forward, legs straight and knees off the floor.

Lift your right arm and touch your left shoulder with your right hand, and return to the start position.

Alternate arms and repeat.

JUMP SQUAT

Lower yourself into the squat position, keeping knees to no more than a right angle. Don’t let them extend past the toes.

Explode into the air as high as you can go, extending your arms straight above your head.

Return to squat position, and repeat.

STEP 4 CORE LEG RAISES

Lie on your back with your legs together and fully extended, and your head and shoulders pressed against the floor.

Tightening your abs, slowly raise your legs from the hips, keeping the legs in a straight line (see below). Your toes should be pointed up and your back should be on the ground with your hands at your sides.

Raise your legs to 90 degrees or as far as you can, then slowly lower them without letting your heels touch the ground. Repeat.

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR DIET . . . AND LOOK OUT FOR HIDDEN CALORIES

IF YOU’VE been cutting back on the carbs during the past eight weeks, you might want to start reintroducing them into your diet for the long term. Stick to the basic principles of weeks one and two – steer clear of starchy white bread, processed foods and quick-fix treats and you shouldn’t go too far wrong. Look out for hidden calories. It always astounds me how many calories there are in alcoholic drinks – for instance, a glass of red wine contains about 160, which is the same as a slice of cake. It would take a 20-minute run to burn off that many calories. A pint of beer is slightly more at 200 calories – or a larger piece of cake, or a longer run!