Abdominal fat can be particularly dangerous, so losing inches around your waist isn't just a matter of aesthetics, it's a change that also helps you get back into shape. Since the 1950s, the average waist size has increased by almost 18 cm, so if you want to slim down this area, you are in good company. Fortunately, there are methods to thin it, which are useful for both men and women.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Eat the Right Foods
Step 1. Reduce your calorie intake
It may seem obvious, but if you want to slim down, you need to limit the amount of calories you consume. The weight loss equation is simple: you have to burn more calories than you consume, while remembering that physical activity makes you dispose of less than you imagine.
- To lose half a pound, you need a 3500 calorie deficit. According to many studies, people who keep a food diary in which they record their meals every day (and the related caloric intake) are more likely to eat less.
- To find out the calories of everything you eat, use an online calculator. Pay particular attention to dressings (such as salad dressings), which may contain more calories than you think. Just take in 100 fewer calories a day to make a difference in the long run.
- Running is a great way to burn calories. Train to be able to run for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. You can alternate between walking and running until you get stronger. If you can run 30km a week, you could lose a lot of abdominal fat within 6 months.
Step 2. Get more protein and fiber
If you prepare protein-rich meals, you will eat less, as they will make you feel more full. In particular, you should make sure you have a high protein breakfast - don't skip this meal. If you switch to a high-protein diet, you could increase your weight loss rate by 25%.
- Remember that 80% of weight loss (including waist loss) should be achieved with nutrition, not exercise.
- Eggs, tuna, vegetables, salads, almonds, apples and lean meats are ideal. If you find that improving your diet involves too much sacrifice, remember that you have to do it first and foremost for health reasons. With a waist size over 85 cm, you are at greater risk of contracting various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Without decent nutrition, you won't be able to slim down your waistline that much.
- Try to limit the amount of dairy you eat. You should enrich your diet with other foods, such as skinless chicken, brown rice, and broccoli - they are ideal for losing weight.
- If possible, try to make at least one third of your diet be raw.
Step 3. Avoid starches and sugars
Because? These compounds increase the production of insulin, a hormone associated with the leavening of the waist. You should therefore eliminate them from your diet. Avoid refined carbohydrates (foods made with white flour will not help you lose weight).
- Remember that foods high in sugar can contribute to abdominal bloating; some of these foods, such as beans, potatoes and bananas, are unsuspected.
- Also, you should avoid sugars and starches because they are quite caloric, but not very filling. In essence, these are empty calories with little nutritional value. Among others, avoid snacks, French fries and white bread.
- Read food labels and eliminate fructose from your diet. In fact, it makes weight loss even more difficult. It is found in many processed foods and drinks, so you should be careful not to consume more than 15g per day. Some products that are considered healthy, but that are high in fructose, include flavored water, yogurt, and some light foods.
Step 4. Avoid carbonated drinks
Of course, maybe now choose the light ones because you think they are not particularly harmful, but even these can complicate weight loss.
- These drinks increase gas in the intestines. Additionally, some contain sweeteners that the body cannot digest very easily. Both of these factors affect the rise in the waistline.
- Instead, drink water (you have to consume it all day, also because it speeds up your metabolism) and peppermint tea. If you really want to drink alcohol, red wine is preferable to beer, always in moderation.
- Drinking more water is also important because we often mistake dehydration for hunger. Consequently, if you are hungry between meals, try drinking a glass of water instead.
Step 5. Try taking coconut oil
The benefits it brings are many; for example, it burns abdominal fat, not to mention that it speeds up the metabolism.
- Coconut oil contains an acid that increases the feeling of satiety. According to some studies, people who start eating it daily tend to consume fewer calories. In addition, it is metabolized very quickly by the body.
- According to some studies, coconut oil reduces the size of the waistline and fights abdominal fat.
Method 2 of 3: Doing the Right Exercises
Step 1. Try rotating your torso and doing abdominal curl-ups
Make sure you choose exercises specifically aimed at the waist. Avoid doing only old-fashioned crunches.
- In a standing position, rest a bar on your shoulders. Keep your back straight and feet apart. Turn your waist from side to side as you look straight ahead. Do as many rotations as possible - try to do at least 50.
- You can also try the abdominal curl-up exercise instead of crunches. In the supine position, place your palms on the ground, tucked under your back. With your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lift your head and shoulders slightly.
Step 2. Try the hula hoop
If the usual exercises bore you, why not buy a hula hoop? By doing this workout for a few minutes a day, you will slim your waistline.
- It has been found that just using it for 10 minutes a day to slim the waistline. Using it for a few minutes every day, you can burn up to 100 calories.
- To perform the exercise better, keep your back straight. As you begin to rotate, bring the hula hoop closer to your back and try not to turn your hips too far. Bring your right foot slightly forward than your left. Rotate the hula hoop counterclockwise, then move your hips back and forth to keep spinning it. You must constantly engage the muscles of the central part of the body, making sure that the circle remains above the hips.
- According to a study, using the hula hoop 3 times a week for 30 minutes helps to lose 8-15 cm on the waist in just one month.
Step 3. Sign up for a Pilates class or follow a circuit training program
The latter is ideal for keeping in shape, because it includes strength and cardiovascular exercises, essential to be able to slim the waistline. Pilates has many postures that tone the core of the body.
- In general, a circuit training has 4 courses containing different exercises; you should do 3 sets of 12-15 reps, then rotate.
- Circuit training often includes exercises such as squats, push-ups, vertical jumps, and movements performed with resistance bands or light dumbbells.
- Pilates tones the waistline because it focuses on positions that strengthen the central part of the body.
Step 4. Give waist training a try
If sport isn't your thing, you might want to try the latest trend that has won over many celebrities: waist training. For example, this technique was tried by Jessica Alba, in fact it helped her to recover her silhouette after giving birth.
- Basically, this technique consists in wearing a shaping and tightening corset every day. Buy a specific one with flexible splints, so you can breathe. Don't expect instant results, though - it can take months for a difference to be noticed.
- You can also try buying a waterproof cable to wear under your clothes, around your waist, tightening it as you lose weight. It also helps you know when your belly is swollen.
Method 3 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Fight the stress
You may not have known that, but stress also causes the waistline to rise. This happens because it increases cortisol, a hormone that is associated with weight gain in the abdominal area.
- In addition, stress causes many people to overeat or to console themselves with snacks. Meditation and yoga are two useful techniques to combat it.
- Someone wonders why it is so much harder to slim down than to lose weight in general. In fact, waist measurement is closely linked to two hormones, cortisol and insulin, not just to nutrition. Once you understand this, you will find that fighting stress can be essential to slim down this area.
Step 2. Sleep well
According to many experts, insomnia affects weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. This is due to hormonal reasons.
- You should aim to get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night. This reduces hormone production and dulls hunger. Sleep affects the increase in human growth hormone, which burns fat and builds muscle mass.
- Insomnia is associated with high levels of stress. Tension also favors the production of cortisol, a hormone that directly affects abdominal fat accumulation.
Step 3. Don't smoke
Smoking is not only bad for the lungs, but also for the abdomen. If you want to slim down this area, you need to throw out the cigarettes.
- According to some studies, smoking causes the waistline to rise.
- Smoking to lose weight is not a good idea at all (it's just a belief), because it definitely won't help you slim down.
