Those Last Five Pounds? It’s All In Your Head

Summer officially starts on Saturday and with talk of sun, beach, and all the popsicles you can eat comes talk of bathing suits, which inevitably leads to talk of those last five or ten pounds. That final hump is, notoriously, the hardest over which to leap. New York-based trainer Justin Gelband, who got his start customizing individual workouts for clients who needed to lose upward of 70 pounds and now trains models like Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, and Karlie Kloss, says it’s all in your head.

“It’s all about the mind and realizing that, if you really want to lose those pounds, you have to be disciplined enough to take certain things out of your life that you may not want to take out—just for a small amount of time,” says Gelband, who now trains out of his ModelFIT studio in downtown Manhattan.

Sure, it’s easier said than done. But if you’re serious about hitting small goals in a short amount of time, he stresses that it’s the best way to see results. “I’m not saying you have to stop drinking alcohol, I’m not saying you can’t eat a burger and fries or a slice of pizza once in a while,” he says. “But if you really want to get to that spot, you have to be strict for one month. Cut out all the sugars, all the salts, all the eating after 9 o’clock, all the stupid beverages, whether it’s Diet Coke or orange juice—strictly drink water.”

On that same mental note, the better in tune you are with your body, the better results you’ll see. “If you’re going to do a two-mile run, you have to feel it, not just run to sweat,” Gelband says. “You have to feel the actual muscles working, not just go through the motions and sweat. If you’re doing a butt or thigh exercise, your butt and your brain need to connect.”

It won’t be easy, but changing your mindset will get you over that hump. One last note from Gelband: “If you really want to get those last 5, 10 pounds off, it starts with nutrition first. Period. End of story.”