3 Key Ways to Shrink Your Waistline

The holidays have come and gone, but your belly remains! Now we’re inching up on swimsuit weather and your waistline is not cooperating. What to do?

First, don’t panic, and don’t take drastic action that will do more harm than good. It’s very possible to shrink your waistline by addressing three key areas:

Diet

You may be tempted to eat very few calories as a quick way to flatten your stomach, but that will only slow down your metabolism. Instead, change the bulk of your diet so that it consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats that are high in protein and low in fat, like fish and chicken. Eat mostly whole, natural foods, and avoid overly processed foods that may contain a lot of sodium and preservatives.

Eating smaller meals more frequently will help to keep your energy level up and your metabolism going strong.

You may also want to omit most beverages except plenty of water. The more water you drink, the easier it will be for your body to burn fat, and you’ll also release any water you were retaining because of dehydration and poor eating habits.

See: Healthy Eating Diets: Which Are Most Effective?

Exercise

While you are revving up your metabolism through proper eating, you’ll also want to start doing a daily cardio routine to further boost your metabolism and burn more fat. Cardio exercises are those that get your heart rate up, like aerobics, bicycling, jogging, brisk walking, and swimming.

See: Top 10 Ways to Get the Most from Your Cardio Exercise

Resistance training is also important for toning and tightening the abdominal muscles. Crunches, sit-ups, side bends, and other ab toning exercises will have a slimming effect on your stomach. Yoga can also help strengthen your core. You don’t have to join a class to enjoy yoga; you can order DVDs or even download videos online and enjoy a peaceful workout in the comfort of your own living room.

See: How to Find Your 6 Pack Abs Under That Flabby Belly

With any exercise you do, remember that focusing only on your stomach will not give you the results you’re looking for. It’s important to tone and work out your entire body.

Attitude

Finally, another quick way to flatten your stomach is to make sure your attitude is in line with the results you want. That may sound funny but your attitude plays a key role in everything you do or don’t do. Approaching a weight loss plan with a negative attitude, moaning and groaning the whole way virtually guarantees that you’ll give up long before you reach your goal.

See: When Losing Weight Makes You Miserable

Instead, if you decide that you’re going to have fun along the way and give it your all, you are much more likely to succeed. Do what you can to enjoy your healthy eating and exercise routines. Listen to good music, partner with a friend for motivation, and keep cheering yourself on.

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