Five pounds, six days?

I'm planning on joining the National Guard and I need to lose five pounds by early next week, possibly Tuesday.  I am going to get a body wrap so that I can pass my physical with ease, but I need a little help.  I'm very 'weak', meaning I  haven't really done anything that could be concidered exercise in about three years.  I'm trying to run for about 15-20mins plus, but I find that my throat burns like crazy.  I've heard that cold weather effects and that how you breathe.  However, the weather is about 65-70* and I breathe threw my nose, out my mouth/nose.  I try to run as long as I can until my throat is unberable and then I walk until it stops.  I try to keep my heart rate up and I'm on a strick no carb diet..  I'm also trying to do 25 push-ups and 50 sit-ups.  However, my arms are super weak so I alternate between the two.  I do as many push-ups as I can until my arms give out and then I do sit-ups the same way....  Any help here?  How can I get my thraot to stop burning?  What can I do that's fun and a cardio work-out?  Also, how can I get my back to stop hurtning when doing sit-ups?

Thanks guys!

My first thought is, why are you starting now? Is joining the National Guard a recent decision? If not, why haven't you been training?  I plan on playing tennis for my college starting August so I started now.  Someone who hasn't done exercise in 3 years and uses the work "weak" doesn't sound like you are ready for the NG.  I'm not saying you shouldn't join or that you can't ever be ready.  I'm saying you shouldn't join now.  Give yourself a few months to train for it.  Then you won't have to resort to things like body wraps and hurting yourself.  Just my thoughts.  You can agree or disagree but whatever you do, good luck.

Soulsearcher83.. 

Yes, it was recent.  The NG offers a program, called RSP, this program gets one to become fit enough, so that's not the issue.  I apologize, I should have stated that earlier.  I'm only doing this for MEPS [??], it's for a physical to make sure that my body is in proper order, such as my joints, weight, ect...  They've asked me to lose five pounds and I was just wondering if anyone could offer anything that could help.  However, I do value your opinion and thank you!

Original Post by aissiecat:

  Also, how can I get my back to stop hurtning when doing sit-ups?

Stop doing situps. That might not be helpful if you need to do them for your physical, but situps have always hurt my back, so I feel your pain. I work my core with deadlifts, squats, lunges, and stepups. Much better for the back and much more useful.

Amethystgirl..

But are they good for cardio?

Sit-ups aren't remotely good for cardio.  Unless you're incredibly out of shape.  In which case, walking would still be better cardio than sit-ups.

I did my basic training a while back (for the CF not NG) and found that when it came to push-ups my problem was not my upper body but my core, although doing push-ups is great practice i would also focus on core excersices, seeing as how a womens centre of gravity is normally their hips, it makes it harder for us to do push-ups properly.  as for the cardio..i hate running and get the same probelm with my throat, although it is inevitable that you have to run in the NG, you could always try swimming to up your VO2 max (and it works your core...bonus).  other than that no tips for cardio...

Unless you're outright obese, when pounds could melt off relatively easily at the beginning of a health regimine,  there's no healthy way to lose 5 lbs in 6 days. 

You could lose water weight - maybe a few pounds.  At least that would help.  Decrease your sodium intake and drink a lot of water.  Try speed walking and not running - perhaps that will get your throat through it.  Look up speed walking though - it is more than just walking fast.  Lastly, I know you have to do sit ups for the military testing, but at home you should be doing crunches.  The work better to improve stomach muscle condition and they should hurt your back less.  Cant get around the sit ups in the military though.

Get your hands on Isagenix...  or something similar. When ever I do a cleanse (it takes nearly a week) I drop about 5-7 pounds. (A friend of mine will drop about 10- but she weighs more than I do and exercises less). You MUST MAINTAIN a healthy lifestyle or it will come right back in a couple weeks. It's not a 'fast' and the Isagenix products are loaded with vitamins and minerals- I get lots of energy, too when I cleans with them... which is always nice when I need that extra boost.

One more thing- don't just run until you can't any more... if you are running for weight loss. Try running two minutes and then walking two minutes.... this keeps your body just *below* a full aerobic workout so your running becomes more effective for burning calories (there is a range of heart rate and muscle use where your body burns calories exceedingly well, after a threshold has been passed you enter into aerobic exercise (which is amazing for your heart!) and while you will still burn calories, your body starts to pull from other sources of energy, too at this point (like muscle, sugars, etc...)

Hello Aissiecat,

     Ive been in the Air National Guard for 16 yrs, and have chased their weight program from one side of this country to the other.  As of late, the rules have become pretty strict, comparatively speaking.  Right now, at my age, I am required to do 45 pushups in 1 minute, and 45 situps in 1 minute.  Then, after that, we are required to run 1.5 miles in under 15 mins.  Sounds easy, but they only require it once a year, and guess who doesnt train!  (raises hand)  : )  You can do it, like some of the others have said, start slow and work up.  I use the eliptical right now, level 1 setting on manual for 30 mins 2 times a day.  I try to kep the pace around 3.5 to 4.0.  Doing it this way, I can slow down if I get just to worn out, or speed up if I am doing well that day.  Also, its indoors so no worries about your throat.  Hope this helps a bit and Good Luck in your new career!