Reduce Your Waist Size: How To Eat Healthy and Exercise
Losing inches from your waistline take effort and perseverance. It also requires that you follow the right weight loss strategy.
The bottom line is if you want to reduce your stomach fast, you need to create a calorie deficit daily.
CICO, or calories in vs. calories out refers to the fact that if you consume more calories than your body needs, it will convert them into body fat.
A calorie deficit occurs when you burn more calories than you consume over time.
Losing Inches Off Your Waist Fast:
When you're in a calorie deficit, your body burns fat to make energy and thus loses weight. This means that if you eat the proper diet, and workout intensely, You can create a large calorie deficit, helping you lose inches from your waistline.
You can create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories and/or burning more calories through exercise.
First up, we'll cover the diet portion.
Ways To Create A Calorie Deficit With Diet
The Keto Diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low-carbohydrate diet that has been used for centuries to help people lose weight.
The idea behind this type of eating plan is pretty simple: high levels of fat, moderate levels of protein, and extremely low levels of carbs will help you lose weight around your waistline.
In fact, eating so few carbohydrates helps your body enter a state called ketosis, which means it burns fat instead of glucose or sugar for fuel. This process produces byproducts called ketones, which are then released into the bloodstream.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is restricting your daily calorie intake to certain periods, typically between eight and sixteen hours. These periods are known as “fasting windows.”
The idea is that you don't eat anything or consume calories for a period of time (typically the first part of the day), and then you consume all your calories for the day during “feast” windows.
This helps you lose weight by creating a calorie deficit without having to decide on food choices all day.
The other benefits of intermittent fasting are that it can help your body improve insulin sensitivity, burn fat cells, and even protect nerve cells from degeneration.
Eat more protein in every meal
Protein has a high Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), meaning it takes a lot of calories to digest. Eating a lot of protein can therefore increase your metabolism, which in turn helps you lose weight.
High protein foods are also filling, making it more likely you'll stay full for longer periods without snacking.
A simple way to get enough protein is to aim for .8 gram- 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Eating a variety of proteins like lean beef, chicken, fish, and turkey will help you meet your daily protein intake requirement. Plant sources such as lentils and soybeans can also contribute to your protein intake if you're not a meat-eater.
Eat more fiber
Fiber isn't digested by the body, so it won't raise your blood glucose levels. Adding a fiber supplement to your diet will also help to decrease your appetite.
Studies have shown that adding more fiber to your diet can help you lose weight, decrease your BMI and waistline, and improve your digestion.
Fibrous vegetables like broccoli and green beans are high in fiber and low in calories. We like to call these “fat burning vegetables“.
Eat your vegetables and protein first
Studies have shown that the most successful dieters eat their vegetables and protein first while leaving their carbs for later.
If you find yourself hungry after a meal, you can always eat carbs, but this will help keep your body in fat-burning mode longer.
Eat low-glycemic carbs
When you do eat carbs- make sure they're minimally processed, and low-glycemic. Quinoa makes a great carb source because it contains all nine essential amino acids, has a balanced set of minerals, and is digested slowly.
Apples are another good source of carbs that burn fat. They're high in fiber but low in sugar, making them a delicious, healthy snack.
Other Low-glycemic carbs:
- Lentils
- Sweet Potato
- Oatmeal
- Ezekiel Bread
Don't drink your calories
It's common sense that drinking soda and other sugary beverages will make you gain weight, but did you know that you're better off with sugar-free drinks as well?
A study from Boston University School of Medicine found that people who drank calorie-free beverages lost twice the amount of weight compared to participants who didn't.
Instead of downing drinks with sugar or artificial sweeteners, stick with water and unsweetened tea. Adding lemon to your iced tea gives you an extra boost of vitamin C along with added fat-burning properties.
Black coffee is also a great source of caffeine to help you burn extra calories!
Don't eat due to boredom
If you're trying to burn fat and lose weight, you probably won't be very tempted by a doughnut in the break room.
But if you're bored, stressed, or tired- a doughnut might look a lot more appealing because it's an easy distraction from what's bothering you.
Next time your eyes are feeling bigger than your stomach, try to identify what emotion you're feeling. If it's boredom- go for a walk or read a book instead of snacking!
Drink more water
Studies have shown that drinking eight 8oz glasses of water per day can help boost your metabolism by up to 3%.
- Aside from boosting your metabolic rate, drinking water is also beneficial for your skin, hair, and even your joints.
- Water is a natural appetite suppressant.
- Drinking water helps you feel full.
- Water will help your skin stay hydrated and healthy.
- Drink more water to have a better mood!
Fish oil
Adding more fatty fish, or fish oil supplements to your diet can help you burn more fat by raising your metabolic rate.
- Fish oil burns fat because of its omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to reduce fat in the abdominal area.
- Fish oil helps regulate your weight by decreasing cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down muscle fibers and causes you to gain body fat.
- Increases metabolic rate by up to 3%.
- Raises HDL cholesterol levels.
- Decreases cortisol levels.
- Boosts brain function.
- Improves mood and reduces anxiety.
- Fish oil is a potent anti-inflammatory.
Cut out alcohol
Alcohol is one of the worst things you can put into your body. Aside from being packed with empty calories- it prevents fat loss by slowing down your metabolism!
Aside from decreasing the amount of fat you're burning, alcohol also increases cravings for carbs and sugar, so if you're really trying to whittle your waistline- replace it with some unsweetened tea.
Drinking tea can boost your metabolism by up to 4%, and it can also help you reduce your appetite.
- Multiple studies have found that green tea extract increases the number of calories burned during exercise, so if you're trying to lose weight- add some cups of tea into your diet!
- White tea and green teas are packed with antioxidants, which can also help you fight the negative effects of stress and aging.
- Drinking tea can also lessen cravings for sweets and carbohydrates
- Check out: Green Tea vs. Yerba Mate
Cinnamon
Adding cinnamon can help you lose weight because it lowers your blood sugar and insulin levels, which reduces your appetite.
- Studies have shown that cinnamon may improve insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes.
- Cinnamon is an antioxidant, which can help fight the negative effects of stress and aging. It has also been linked to lower cholesterol levels.
- Cinnamon tastes amazing in coffee or on your oatmeal, so go ahead and shake it on.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has tons of benefits, one of which is that it helps you burn fat. Don't forget to check out our article on How to Drink Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss.
What else does ACV do?
- Helps regulate your appetite
- Makes you feel fuller, and take in less calories
- Promotes weight loss by burning fat and boosting metabolism
- Regulates blood sugar levels, helping to eliminate cravings for sweets
- Increases the antioxidant capacity of cells, which helps to protect against free radicals
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is another food with a myriad of benefits.
- Coconut oil is a good source of energy.
- Studies have shown that coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce arthritis symptoms.
- It contains medium-chain triglycerides, allowing for more fat to be burned during exercise.
- Increases your metabolic rate.
- Boosts brain activity.
- Helps regulate hormones.
Ways To Create a Caloric Deficit With Exercise
Diet is the easiest (and best way) to create a calorie deficit. But, exercise can be used to dig deep more even more calorie-burn.
We favor weight training, bodyweight training, and cardio. We'll list the benefits below, with links to follow for the specific programs.
Weight training
Weight training stimulates lean muscle growth, which as you know, causes your body to burn more calories even at rest. Weight training will also give you a firmer body, and a slimmer appearance of your waist.
- Weight Training increases the release of natural anabolic hormones.
- Weight training is known to decrease fat mass without losing bone, lean body mass or dropping your metabolic rate.
- Increased strength improves stability, flexibility, and coordination.
- Building endurance burns calories which help with weight control.
- It reduces insulin levels which regulate blood sugar levels.
- Increases HDL cholesterol (good) and decreases LDL cholesterol (bad).
- Increases metabolism and energy expenditure even at rest. This results in a potential for increased caloric burn without additional exercise.
Bodyweight training
Bodyweight training has similar benefits to weight training- only you're using your body weight as the resistance.
- Build lean muscle mass.
- Burn more calories while resting.
- Increase strength and flexibility.
- Reduce fat mass without losing bone, lean body mass, or dropping your metabolic rate.
High-Intensity Cardio
High-intensity cardio is our cardio of choice. When you really need to lose fat from your waistline, high-intensity cardio gives you the biggest bang for your buck. Add in some weight training and a reduced-calorie diet, and you have no choice but to lose weight.
What can high-intensity cardio do for you?
- Burn more calories
- Build endurance
- Prevent heart disease and stroke
- Lose weight faster than traditional cardio methods and maintain muscle mass
- Reduce stress and release endorphins
We hope you’ve found this list helpful! If not, don’t worry – there are plenty of other ways to lose inches off your waist fast.
The best way to find out is by experimenting with different strategies until you find one that works well for your body type.
Remember, it takes some time so be patient!
And please share this list with friends or family members who might benefit from a little inspiration as they try to take those pounds off their midsection too. Good luck on your journey towards a slimmer waistline!