Weight loss on the mind?  Kick it up a notch with this hour-long treadmill interval workout that will burn around 500 calories in one session.  Complete it five times in a week and you'll be well on your way to burning or cutting out an extra 3,500 calories — the magic number to lose one pound in a week.

Be sure to warm up for at least five minutes before getting started.  If you find that this workout is too easy or too hard, just adjust the speed to fit your level.

Congratulations — you just burned 511 calories!  Don't forget to cool down and stretch afterward.

*Calories burned calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

**RPE = rate of perceived exertion

Losing 70 pounds is tough.  Keeping it off for more than a decade is even tougher.  Trust me, I tried everything.  Once I lost the weight, I thought I'd feel relieved and proud all the time, but what I didn't expect were the feelings of panic and fear.

I was constantly afraid that I'd end up back where I started and keeping the weight off became an obsession.  When I overindulged or wasn't able to work out, my first thought was that I was going to gain the weight back.  It was exhausting and nerve-racking.

But somehow I've managed to keep it off and eventually found a way to do it that's effective, effortless and doesn't mean living in fear.  Here's what I've learned about what it takes.

 

1. Workouts that I dread.

I used to assign value to workouts purely on the number of calories that they burn so I stuck to brutal, high-intensity workouts that sorta made me miserable and ultimately got me injured and left me feeling burned out.  Then, it occurred to me that I'm more than just muscle and fat.  So I started only doing workouts that felt good in my body and contributed to the overall well-being of my body, mind and spirit.  Now, I actually look forward to my workouts, which means I've got no problem getting them in regularly.

 

2. Eliminating entire categories of food.

Legit food sensitivities and allergies aside, cutting out a whole classification of food is not sustainable, making it a one-way ticket to Frustration City.  Our bodies were designed to take in quality fats, protein and carbs (in moderation of course) and each plays a vital role in proper bodily function.  Now, over time, I've learned that there are certain foods that don't make me feel the greatest — for example, gummy candies cause my skin to break out, cereal makes me gassy and fried foods make me sluggish — but will an order of fries, a few celebratory cocktails or a birthday cupcake (or two) derail my inner peace and send me into a downward spiral of self-loathing and guilt?  Absolutely not.  I don't give food that much power over me anymore.

 

3. Thinking in terms of calories.

Calories get far too much attention considering that they only tell a small part of the story.  So many other things have a direct effect on your body weight and overall health and well-being — for example, hydration, sleep and stress levels all affect how well your body's internal processes work, including digestion and metabolism.  When we focus on calories, we learn that low-calorie means better … but it doesn't.  Many of the most nutritious foods on the planet are calorie dense and many very low-calorie foods have little or no nutritional value.  Remember that food is fuel, so quality and nutrition definitely matter.

 

4. Punishing myself for "slipping up."

Workouts aren't punishment and deprivation is cruel.  Think of it this way:  if your child or pet screwed up, is it okay to run them into the ground or withhold a meal from them?  No.  So why, oh why, it is okay for us to do it to ourselves?

 

5. Ignoring the need for recovery.

I used to wear my perpetual muscle soreness like a badge of honor and told myself that I had to work out every day in order to "earn" my calories for that day.  Honestly, I wish I could get back all that time I wasted — it didn't make me stronger, leaner or happier.  Our bodies can self-heal, but only if we give them the time to do so.  Pushing yourself to the limit every day may seem bad-ass, but it's robbing your body of the chance to rebuild, adapt and grow stronger.

 

6. Choosing my workouts based on what I want to look like.

My current workout routine reflects how I want my body to function so that I can do all the things that make my life fun and enjoyable — like teaching yoga, running ultra marathons, playing with my 3-year-old niece and carrying all my groceries in one shot.  Here's the thing:  I've been a size 18 and I've been a size 0 — and everything in between — and it didn't change how I felt about myself.  Losing 70 pounds didn't make me any less self-conscious about my body.  You know what did make a difference?  Learning what my body is capable of and developing my strengths.  The shape and size of my body don't define me or affect my overall quality of life.

 

Have you successfully maintained weight-loss long term?  Tell us what you've learned.

We're constantly hearing different theories on fitness trackers, but researchers at Cleveland Clinic wanted to finally put an end to the discussion and determine the most accurate wrist-worn trackers that also monitor heart rate.  In the study to end all studies, the Apple Watch came in first place with 90 percent accuracy, but here's how it all went down.

The study, which was recently published in JAMA Cardiology, tested how popular wearable devices measured heart rate by looking at the calories burned during exercise.  Researchers monitored 50 healthy adults, who were all hooked up to an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine and then compared the EKG results to the Fitbit Charge HR, Apple Watch, Mio Alpha, and Basis Peak fitness trackers in addition to a chest strap.  The EKG is accepted as being the most accurate way to measure an individual's heart activity.  Researchers measured the participants at rest, walking, and jogging on a treadmill to calculate the activity.

The chest strap had a 99 percent accuracy rate.  Considering the chest strap's close proximity to the heart, the incredibly accurate results should come as no surprise.  When looking at the wearables, the Apple Watch had an overwhelming 90 percent accuracy rate, but "the other ones dropped off into the low 80s for their accuracy," Dr. Gordon Blackburn, one of the study's authors, told Time.  He pointed out that measuring heart rate through wrist technologies isn't always the most accurate because they look at blood flow to determine heart rate and with more intense exercise "there's more bounce, so you may lose some of that contact."

"What we really noticed was all of the devices did not a bad job at rest for being accurate for their heart rate, but as the activity intensity went up, we saw more and more variability," Dr. Blackburn said.  "At the higher levels of activity, some of the wrist technology was not accurate at all."

Are you surprised by these results?  Check out the full study, and then see how 19 different fitness trackers compared to one another.

You don't need heavy-duty barbells, a box, or a pull-up bar for this intense workout, but it's still fast-paced, full-body, and intense.  It's just four basic moves, 10 reps each, repeated five times for a total of 200 reps.  Aim to do this workout AQAP (as quickly as possible), finishing in under eight to 10 minutes, paying special attention to proper form.

 

Squat With Overhead Reach

• Begin with your feet slightly wider than hip's width apart and toes pointed slightly outward.  Raise your arms up until your upper arms are even with your ears.  If this is too difficult, rest your hands on your hips.
• Keeping weight in your heels, sit back into a deep squat.  Make sure your knees do not go beyond your toes or roll in or out of alignment.  Keep your abs engaged as you squat.
• Deepen your abdominal engagement as you press through your heels to return to standing, completing one rep.
• Do a total of 10 reps.

 

Alternating Forward Lunge

• Stand tall with your feet hip's width distance apart.  Bend the elbows at your sides or rest your hands on the hips.
• Step forward with the right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle.  Keep the front knee directly above the ankle, and lower the left knee to just above the floor.
• Keep the weight in your heels as you push back to the starting position, completing one rep.
• Repeat stepping with the left foot this time, completing a second rep.
• Keep alternating for a total of 10 reps.

 

Basic Push-Up

• Start in plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
• Bend your elbows and lower your chest to touch the ground.  Then straighten the arms, moving the body up as one unit.  This counts as one rep.
• If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor.
• Keep going for a total of 10 reps.

 

Diamond Sit-Up

• Lie on your back and open your legs into a diamond shape (known as Butterfly pose in yoga), with the soles of your feet pressed together and knees out wide.  Extend the arms overhead.
• Curl the torso up, and tap the floor in front of your feet.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position to finish off one rep.
• Complete 10 reps.

 

Without a break, flow from one exercise to the next, repeating this 40-rep workout four more times for a total of 200 reps.

We're always inspired by women who keep a consistent workout routine despite their busy schedules;  someone who definitely falls into that category and always catches our eye is Bella Thorne.  The 19-year-old actress is totally killing it in the gym, and is there so much you'd think she lives there.  From Pilates to cycling classes and lots of hot yoga, she's crushing her workouts and motivating us like crazy.

 

Bella Thorne Might Be One of the Fittest, Sportiest Girls in Hollywood

She certainly knows how to rock some gym clothes!

 

But She Does More Than Just Wear Athleisure ...

Here she is at the Warner Brother's gym studio, doing her thing, living her truth.

 

She Works Hard For Those Yoga Pants

 

She's Tracking Her Progress

It's working, girl!

 

And Inspiring Us on the Daily

 

She Does Pilates

 

... A Lot

 

And Juices Post-Pilates

 

And She's Always Dropping Little Bits of Wisdom

We especially love this one!

 

The Gym Is Her Home

 

And She's Got That Pre-Workout Selfie Dialed

(and the post-workout selfie, for that matter)

 

From Post-Flywheel Selfies

(Exhibit B:  Flywheel Selfies Part 2)

 

To Post-SoulCycle Selfies

 

One of Her Favorite Activities?

 

Taking Pictures at Y7 Yoga in West Hollywood

 

99 Problems But a Bridge Ain't One

We can only assume that's her life motto.

 

Her Videos Are as Inspiring as They Are Helpful

So THAT'S how you use the climbing machine!

 

Work that woodchopper, Bella!

 

Getting after those hamstring curls.

 

And She's Always Preaching Self Love

We're a fan.

 

Dance?  Just Another One of Her Workouts

 

All Hail Bella, Queen of the Gym

#stayblessed