Reduce Your Waistline - 3 Easy Steps to Quickly Lose Those Unwanted Inches

These three tips will help you not only to feel better and look better but contribute to a much healthier you.

Step 1 - Tone Up, Suck It In!

You need to include exercises that will trim your waist size and tone up muscles. Whilst exercise helps to burn calories, it also helps to strengthen muscles. As well as having the more well-known "abs', we also have deeper stomach muscles. These muscles help to strengthen our back as well as giving us a much tighter and flatter upper abdomen.

There is a very simple exercise based on breathing and it is called a "stomach vacuum". This is one of the best exercises you can perform to shrink your waistline in a very short amount of time. Standing straight (or sit, kneel/on fours, or lie) with hands on hips, breath in and then exhale forcefully. As you are exhaling, pull your navel area towards your spine and hold and count to 10 -20 secs. 

This is 1 repetition and each repetition should be done for 3 sets of 5 repetitions for at least 3 times per week increasing as you strengthen. The great thing about this exercise is that it can be done nearly anywhere - even when you are stuck in traffic.

Step 2: Avoid Foods that Cause Bloating.

Foods when digested create gases which can cause a feeling of bloating as well as flatulence. There are basic foods that cause this but an individual may react more to a certain food or food type than other persons. Some of the more common foods or dishes are curries, legumes and lentils (eg baked beans). 

Broccoli, cabbage and asparagus create methane when they reach the large intestine due to fermentation. Raw vegetables especially the leafy types are more likely to cause gas production but cooking helps to reduce this. Apples and pears surprisingly are also culprits because of their high fiber content.

Cereals, particularly wheat products cause a bloating feeling in many people. In this case, it would be better to source non-wheat products as a substitute. There are numerous non-wheat products now available on the market due to the increase in wheat intolerance and coeliac disease.
A2 milk contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein. It is thought that the A1 type beta-casein which is found in most supermarket milks is a cause of bloating, allergies, lactose intolerance and many more. A2 milk and its products are more expensive but would be worth trying. Other options are soy milk, goat' milk, rice milk but these also have their problems or may be expensive.
Some of the worse food items are chewing gums, carbonated foods and those with high sugar content.

Step 3: Weight Loss

If you are carrying a little "excess padding" then the time to start losing this is now - before it become a problem and is much harder to lose. The average person who does little exercise needs to consume between 1400 and 1800 calories per day to maintain daily body functioning. Going on an overly strict low calorie diet often means missing out on essential nutrients and is not advisable unless it is for a very brief time. If you consume more calories above the basic requirements then you must "use" them up or hinder their absorption or you will gain weight.

We are constantly being bombarded with so many different types of diets and options for losing weight. Fad diets are usually not successful whilst many have had no scientific background research. Every person's body reacts differently when trying to lose weight. Don't be discouraged if you don't see the results in the same time frame that your friends do or that the promotions tell you that you will. The important point to remember is to choose a diet or diet supplement that has either been around for a long time or has undergone clinical trials to ensure your safety and its accuracy.