by Solid Advice

Created on: November 20, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Firstly no matter what your fitness goals start off with these four tips: Eat healthier foods, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (but aim for 12), take a multivitamin daily, avoid excessive alcohol or alcohol altogether if possible. Alcohol lowers testosterone and decreases the body's ability to burn fat.

There are two ways to make your waist smaller. The first is to lose fat. To do this restrict your calories about 500 calories below maintenance (You can use this calculator to figure it out http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator. htm ), eat more protein, weight train every 48 hours, and go for a light 20-30 minute jog in the morning.

In addition don't eat within 2 to 3 hours of going to sleep. By doing this your body will turn to fat as it's primary fuel source and you can literally burn fat in your sleep. Maximum weight lost per week should not be over 1 pound unless you are significantly overweight in which case it's safe to lose about 1% of your body weight.

Lastly do not cut calories too drastically below maitenance as it will lower your metabolism and waste away muscle; especially do not fast. Fasting will decrease your metabolism drastically and your body will begin to catabolize muscle. Less muscle means less calories burned while sitting and far less calories burned while exercising.

The second way to decrease waist size is to do a stomach vaccuum exercise. To do this sit, stand or kneel upright. Blow all the air in your lungs out and suck in your stomach as far as you can while blowing out. Continue to hold your stomach there and resume breathing normally.

Do this for about 20 to 30 seconds. Keep your stomach in all the way, don't cheat yourself. Do this 4-5 times per workout, 2-3 times per week. As a bonus there is a third way, Do planks. To do a plank get into pushup position, then instead of resting on your hands rest on your forearms. Then try to make your body as straight and firm as a plank. Don't keep your butt up too high or down too low. If it doesn't burn after 30 seconds or so then you have improper form. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out at first just keep trying. Hold this for 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on physical condition. And there you go you're on your way to a flat toned stomach.
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