Add lemon, orange or cucumber slices to your water to give it a little flavor boost; you can also try herbs and flowers such as mint or lemon verbena.
Watermelon smoothie. Chop up two cups of watermelon and put it into a blender. Add 1/4 cup of fat-free milk and blend for about 15 seconds or until smooth. Add 2 cups of ice and blend for 20 seconds or until you get the consistency you like. This recipe serves two. Pineapple smoothie. Measure 1 cup of skim milk and put it in a blender along with 4 ounces of fresh or canned pineapple chunks. Set the blender to “whip” and blend for 1 minute. Pour into a glass and add 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil. Makes one serving. [2] X Research source
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running) spread throughout the week. Activity sessions can broken up throughout the day but should be at least 10 minutes long. If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll have to increase the intensity, the duration or both. You can’t spot-reduce fat away from a certain area, so you don’t have to worry about only doing exercises that tone your stomach. Instead, pay close attention to your diet and try to follow a balanced workout plan that works your body evenly. [5] X Expert Source Danny GordonCertified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2020.
Curl Up. Lie flat on a mat with your knees bent and your heels pressed into the mat to stabilize your body. Tilt your torso so your lower back stays pressed into the mat as well. Put your arms behind your head and keep your elbows pressed back, then curl your torso upward, being sure your lower back stays against the mat the whole time. [6] X Expert Source Danny GordonCertified Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 18 October 2020. Pelvic Tilt Crunch. Lie face-up on a stability ball with your back and head pressed into the ball, your feet together on the floor and a 5- to 10-pound dumbbell or medicine ball in your hands positioned against your chest. Tighten your abs and crunch up until your shoulders are off the ball. Then use both hands to reach the dumbbell or the medicine ball up toward the ceiling. Do three sets of 12-15 reps resting for 30 seconds between each set. Arms Over Straight-Leg Crunch. Grab a pair of 10- to 12-pound dumbbells and lie on your back with your arms behind you and your legs extended and raised to a 45-degree angle. Bring your arms up over your chest and lift your shoulders off the mat while raising your legs until they’re perpendicular to the floor. Return to your starting position without letting your legs touch the floor. Do three sets of 15 repetitions with a 30-second rest period between sets.
Side Plank. Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and your legs stacked one on top of the other. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip. Tighten your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you’re balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side. If you can’t hold the pose for 30 to 45 seconds, stay up as long as you can and work you way up. Push-up Walkout. Get on the floor in a push-up position and place your hands so they’re two inches wider than your shoulders. Keeping your feet in place, walk your hands out as far as possible, then walk back. Do 10-12 reps. For more of challenge, you can lift one leg before you walk your hands out and back. Climbing Rope. Sit down with your legs extended out in front of you and your feet turned out in a V position. Point your toes. Contract your core muscles and roll your spine into a C-curve. Lift your arms up and move them as if you were climbing a rope twisting slightly with each reach. Do 20 reaches with each arm.
If you can’t hold the pose for 30 to 45 seconds, stay up as long as you can and work you way up.
For more of challenge, you can lift one leg before you walk your hands out and back.
Pick fabrics that skim the body. These include woven cotton, silk or rayon blends and lightweight wool blends. Stay away from fabrics that cling such as Lycra and lightweight knits; they tend to emphasize every bulge. Divert the eye. Look for garments with features that draw the eye away from your mid-section. For example, tops with detailing around the neckline or a ruffle down the center give the eye something else to focus on rather than your stomach. Wrap tops and dresses are also good choices as long as they’re not made from the kind of clingy fabric you’re looking to avoid. Add a belt. Use a wide belt in a dark color to cinch your waist, separating the hips and bust and creating a waistline. Play around with patterns. Geometric and floral patterns can be a good way to disguise a bit of a belly, but you’ll have to experiment at bit with the size of the pattern; make sure it’s scaled to your body size. Put color to work for you. Yes, black is the most slimming color, but it’s not your only choice. Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch recommends purple, navy, burgundy, eggplant, charcoal gray and deep emerald for a slim look. You might also want to go monochromatic and dress head-to-toe in just one color–another way to look long and lean.
Fight back against gas-producing foods by using Beano, which contains an enzyme that helps to break down complex sugars found in beans and cruciferous vegetables so that they can be digested more easily.
Watch out for dairy that is hidden in the ingredients list. Sausages, deli meat, protein bars, chips, and salad dressings often contain dairy. [8] X Expert Source Lyssandra GuerraCertified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Expert Interview. 3 March 2020.
