Worried about your waist? Want to fit into those skinny jeans? Heard of the phrase “muffin top”? Ridding your body of unwanted fat should not just be done for appearance but also health reasons; heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke are all related to having excessive fat.
But don’t stress just yet, the end is not nigh. Below are several tips from leading experts on how to trim down the waist and have fun whilst doing it.
The best part is that the end result will not only focus on your waist but lead to an overall whole new and improved you - toned, taut and terrific.
Nutrition
Low quantities, high frequency.
Speed up your metabolism by eating regularly and in small amounts. Eating fewer meals is not always effective because long periods without food can lead to binge eating at meal-times. 5-6 times per day is preferred, but adapt this to your personal lifestyle. Remember, bingeing is a big no-no!
What to eat: brown rice, oats, bran, whole grain/whole wheat foods, vegetables, natural fruits that are not canned or sweetened (like apples, oranges, and banana), skim milk, chicken breast and other lean meats, egg whites, and seafood
Stay away from: Okay, so this is nothing new. JUNK food= bad! Packaged and processed foods will never be as good as nutritious fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables and lean meats.
Low glycemic foods rock!
A small amount of glucose is converted into energy immediately after eating high glycemic foods, while the rest is converted into glycogen to be stored in muscles and liver stores. These quickly fill up, causing excess glycogen to flow onto the fat stores on your belly or any fat problem areas. Look for foods marked as “low GI” (or low glycemic index).
Exercise
Calorie burning
In order to burn that fat, calorie burning and high intensity workouts are best.
Don’t kill yourself, but test your limits. The key to improving your personal fitness is sticking to a regular exercise regime; every subsequent workout will improve your personal ability, bit by bit. Before you know it, you will be able to exercise for longer and harder than ever before.As with anything, the harder your work at it, the better the results.
Get your heart pumping!
20- 30 minutes of cardio a day can work wonders for your waistline as well as the rest of your body. Running, jogging, cycling and other aerobic activities are excellent!
Strength training
Turn that fat into muscle. Weights are great for both the heart and the metabolism, quickly burning down that fat, decreasing chances of heart disease and adding years to your life.
For the ladies, weights’ training is a great way to increase bone strength and firm the body.
Utilise your environment.
Short distance to work? Try integrating fitness into your workday past gym-time, go for a walk instead of taking that taxi. Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
Stress less.
People under stress are known to gain weight more easily. Counteract the effects of this through exercise, which has been proven to decrease the production of stress hormones and amp up endorphins.
But never forget that life is to be enjoyed! You can indulge every now and then, just keep moderation in mind as your mantra. Overdo it and all your hard work will go down the drain- you probably won’t need that belt anymore.
Comments
Post has no comments.