See if you can reduce the activity in your schedule so you’re a little less busy. Having back to back activities from morning until night causes a lot of stress. If you’re experiencing a stress caused by a situation that’s out of your control, work on handling the stress in healthy ways through meditation, yoga, running, journaling, or another activity that calms your mind.
Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time in the morning puts your body on a consistent schedule and helps eliminate stress. Stop using bright screens thirty minutes before you go to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, make sure your sleeping environment is sufficiently dark and quiet. Leave your electronic devices in another room when you go to bed so you won’t be tempted to check email during the night.
Drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning, before you have your morning caffeine. Buy a liter-sized water bottle and plan to drink two bottles’ worth every day.
One serving of alcohol is equal to five ounces of wine, twelve ounces of beer, or 1. 5 ounces of liquor. Two or fewer servings a day are recommended for men while one or fewer a day is recommended for women.
Start your day with a vegetable omelet or fruit and vegetable smoothie. Make sure every meal includes a substantial portion of fresh vegetables. Vegetables that are in season are fresher and more nutritious than those that are not in season and have to be shipped from far away. Try to choose produce that was grown close to where you live.
Cured meats like bacon, sausage, and lunch meats have preservatives and trans fats that contribute to fat storage, so avoid these and stick to lean, fresh meat. There are plenty of vegetarian options for protein as well. Eggs, tofu, legumes, and certain leafy green vegetables contain high amounts of protein.
Do as much of your own cooking as you can. Try to prepare your meals fresh every day, even if your meal is as simple as a salad with a protein like grilled chicken or tofu. Have healthy snacks like nuts, carrot sticks or sliced fruit on hand to eat in place of packaged snack foods. Try making old-fashioned oats with fruit or a scrambled egg for breakfast. Avoid sugary breakfast bars; even the “diet” bars are full of sugar calories. Soft drinks and other sugary drinks should also be avoided. Go for unsweetened herbal tea. If you love sweetener in your drinks, use agave.
A good twenty minute HIIT program is to do forty-five seconds of each the following exercises: push-ups, squats, butt kicks, tricep dips, and lunges. After one round, rest for 15 seconds, and repeat. Do three rounds total. [5] X Research source A good HIIT program can help you lose belly fat, which will help reduce your love handles.
Lie on your back on a hard floor surface and raise your legs in the air at the waist. Support with your hands by placing your elbows under your lower back so your legs are raised fully off the ground, and perform cycling motions with your legs in the air. When performing this exercise make sure to maintain a nice slow movement pattern, as this keeps maximum tension on the oblique muscles.
Lie on your stomach on an exercise ball. Roll over the ball from side to side, moving your body to stay balanced on the ball so you don’t fall off. Each time you squeeze the ball into the side of your body you should feel it in the oblique muscles.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet firmly set on the ground. Raise your torso, focusing on twisting as far to one side as you possibly can. Lower back to the floor slowly, as this helps work the muscles across the full range of motion.
