Are you frustrated with your belly flab? Do you stay away from your favourite dresses and crop tops because of it? Worry not! Here a few tips to tighten your belly and rock every outfit. Read on!
1. Do not lose weight fast:
Losing weight too fast can make your skin saggy. This is especially true if you are trying to lose weight post pregnancy. Your skin needs time to recover after weight loss. Losing weight fast is dangerous for your health and also for your beauty. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
2. The right meal times:
Yes! There are certain meal timings you need to follow to tone up your belly and lose weight. Have your breakfast within an hour of waking up. Take your evening snack between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Munch on something every 3-4 hours. This will boost your metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels, thereby preventing tummy fat. Have your dinner 2-3 hours before you sleep. Your body is much less active at night. This means the calories you consume get stored rather than being burnt as energy.
3. The right approach:
I recommend the DCBA approach: Diet first, Cardio second, build muscle third, and abs exercises last. Spend 60 minutes a day preparing healthier meals. Spend 20 minutes a day three to five times weekly doing cardio. Spend 15 minutes a day three times a week strength training. Finally, spend 5 minutes a day three times a week doing abs exercises.
4. Eat healthier:
You need to cut down on junk food and eat healthy. Things to be included in your diet include lean proteins, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, healthy fats and of course lots of fresh fruits and green veggies.
5. Cut down on these:
Sugar, salt, soda, processed foods and alcohol! Insulin is a culprit that stores fat. More sugar is equal to more insulin. Hence sugar can contribute to belly fat. Regular soda is loaded with empty calories while diet soda contains potential cancer-causing chemical sweeteners. Lower your salt intake because that is what causes all the bloating.
6. Exercise:
Some of the tried-and-tested exercises to tone the belly are crunches, curl ups, squats, leg lifts and windmills. Indulge in more strength training to tone your mid-section by incorporating planks, side planks, twists and wood chops into your routine.
7. Yoga, walk, dance and climb stairs:
If you do not have time to hit the gym, indulge in regular yoga or dance. You can also go for walking or jogging. This will contribute a lot towards toning your belly. And now, my best kept secret for loosing belly fat and toning the belly- climb stairs. This has worked wonders for me!
8. Stay hydrated:
Replace all your regular beverages with water, especially soda and sugared drinks which are full of empty calories and will cause your stomach to bloat. It also flushes out toxins and keeps your bowels moving. If you find regular water to be boring, switch to detox water drinks!
9. Laugh out loud:
The best thing for your abs is laughing. Every time you laugh, it strengthens your abs. There are even laughing yoga classes available these days.
10. The right posture:
Believe it or not, your posture has to do a lot with toning your belly. It not only tones your belly, but also improves your overall appearance and boosts your confidence. So now on, mind your posture.
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