Losing weight is such a popular exercise goal, half of Americans say it's important to them. Many people find their stomach very annoying, and research shows that visceral fat (around the internal organs) is the most dangerous for health. Although weight loss cannot be achieved without diet and exercise, there are some things you can do to lose weight without going to the gym or starving yourself.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Creating the Impression of Temporary Weight Loss
Step 1. Try on a tummy control outfit
There are now plenty of options in the underwear industry for tight-fitting, shrinking, and tummy-shaping garments. Made primarily by Spanx, tummy control suits are available in many types for people of all sizes.
- Women's underwear includes long belly-control stockings, underpants, high-waisted shorts, body suits, camis, and tank tops made of Lycra, rubber, or some combination. Most major underwear brands for women issue top styles, but the most popular are Spanx, Soma, and TC Shaping. Buy the normal size because after use it will usually be smaller.
- There are plenty of options for men, including the Spanx or Sculptees brand tank tops that target the belly. Basically, it's a compression t-shirt that reduces the appearance of a bloated belly. Although the results vary, the company claims their product can reduce the appearance of a distended belly by 7–13 cm.
Step 2. Take advantage of the latest trends in wearing corsets and training the waist
This method involves wearing a corset that binds the stomach. If done in moderation, the habit of wearing a corset can create a slim silhouette without other lifestyle changes.
- Some celebrities use corsets as a weight loss mechanism, and although doctors say it doesn't really help with fat cell loss, you will lose weight because your stomach is tightened when you eat so there's not much room for overeating. In addition, fat cells can expand or shrink depending on how much fat is stored.
- Be careful not to wear the corset too tight or too often. Because corsets can reduce stomach capacity, you may vomit after eating even in normal portions. Wearing a corset also contributes to heartburn and pressure on organs.
- Purchase a corset at a store with staff who know the details well, who can help you adjust the size and learn to tie it properly so it's not too tight.
Step 3. Consider body wrap
The body wrap is a spa treatment that claims to detox and slim the stomach. With practice, this method can also be done at home. While the processes vary, most require several steps and some type of body product.
- The spa therapist will start by massaging and rubbing the scrub on your abdomen, which will then be rinsed off when you shower. Body scrubs contain a variety of herbs and minerals that cleanse the body and reduce the appearance of fat or cellulite.
- Then, the body will be rubbed with a lotion or oil that contains emollients and other ingredients.
- Next, the abdomen will be wrapped with cloth, plastic, or thermal wrap, and then the body will be warmed with an electric heat blanket for about 30 minutes, which will cause sweating. This step is considered to remove dirt and reduce the appearance of fat.
- After the blanket and wrap are removed, the abdomen will be massaged again to increase blood flow.
- Although this process is not supported for weight loss, many clients find it to reduce the appearance of belly fat and cellulite, especially if done repeatedly. Due to sweating (and reduced water weight), the client usually experiences a reduction of a few inches around the abdomen, although it is temporary.
Step 4. Reduce the weight of the water
The body can retain water for various reasons, resulting in a bloated appearance, especially around the waist. You can reduce waist circumference by reducing water weight.
- Maintain body fluids. In most cases, water retention is the body's attempt to avoid dehydration when you don't drink enough water. This is especially important in the summer. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (or 2 liters), which will cleanse the system and reduce bloating and puffiness.
- Reduce sodium intake. Excess salt causes water retention. Processed foods and restaurant foods are major sources of sodium. These foods contribute to 75% of sodium intake in the diet. You should not consume more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, which is equivalent to teaspoon less salt.
- Reduce alcohol consumption. Alcohol is known to cause dehydration, which then causes water retention in the body (as the body tries to retain any kind of water).
Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Do not swallow air
This suggestion may sound a bit odd, but swallowing air is one of the biggest causes of bloating, which makes your stomach appear bloated. Reduce the amount of air swallowed to reduce waist circumference.
- Avoid carbonated drinks, as well as zero-calorie drinks like carbonated water. Drinks that contain air will fill the stomach with air and cause a distended stomach.
- Avoid smoking. Smokers who smoke cigarettes also tend to swallow the smoke, and it makes their stomachs grow.
- Avoid chewing gum and don't talk while eating. Both of these habits make you swallow air.
Step 2. Practice good posture
Changing the way you carry yourself and how you sit won't make you lose fat, but it will make you look slimmer because body fat is well distributed throughout your torso, not just in your belly. Try to straighten your body, pull your shoulders back, and hold your head up.
- When sitting, the buttocks should touch the back of the chair, and the back should be arched normally (meaning a small roll of towel can be placed over the buttocks).
- When standing, pull your back back, tummy in, and spread your feet hip-width apart.
- If you're up for exercise, moves that strengthen your midsection and back can make it easier to maintain your posture while toning the muscles around your stomach. Try to include light crunches and easy back exercises in your schedule as you improve your posture.
Step 3. Get enough sleep
Sleep doesn't burn fat, but it is an important part of weight loss efforts. This is because sleep deprivation complicates most aspects of weight loss. When you're not well rested, it's hard to motivate yourself to get up and move. You will also find it difficult to control your hunger because you will be compelled to follow the urge to eat junk food when you run out of energy.
Although everyone's needs are different, the majority of adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Children and the elderly tend to need more than that
Step 4. Find a positive support network
Associating with people who are committed to healthy living can help you live a healthier life. Association with health-conscious people will provide more opportunities to participate in activities that support weight loss. Try to spend time with people who like hobbies that support a healthy life, such as walking, exercising, cycling, nutritious food, cooking yourself, and so on. Limit time with people who have unhealthy hobbies such as eating junk food, drinking alcohol, and watching television for long hours.
If no one in your family or circle of friends is interested in healthy activities, don't be afraid to make new friends. Join a sports team or participate in a game in a city park. Take a healthy cooking class or join a stationary bike class at the community center. There are many healthy ways to meet people, you decide
Step 5. Start tracking your weight
To support a healthy life, some nutritionists recommend getting a clear picture of your own weight. Tracking your weight forces you to think healthy. If the number on the scale starts to rise, you know it's time to reconsider your habits.
Weight can change up and down as much as 5 kg from day to day. To get an average, weigh yourself at the same time each day (such as right after waking up). At the end of the week, add up all the results and divide by seven. The amount you get will be pretty close to your "real" average body weight
Method 3 of 3: Changing Eating Habits
Step 1. Drink plenty of water
If you drink soda, sports drinks, coffee flavored with sugar and cream, or other high-calorie drinks during the day, try replacing them with water. You'll get the same levels of hydration and satiety, but can reduce calories. Get in the habit of drinking water and you will be able to lose weight without any extra effort.
- The health benefits of water have been proven. Water makes muscles energized, skin looks healthy and clear, and provides additional energy. Best of all, water has zero calories so you can drink as much as you want. Check out our tips for incorporating drinking into your daily routine for ideas.
- Don't be fooled by the idea of replacing soda with fruit juice, which is also high in calories. The process of juicing removes all the healthy fiber from the fruit and leaves nothing but sugar. Continue to drink plain water or flavored water without calories to meet your fluid needs in a stomach-friendly way.
Step 2. Eat smaller portions, but more often
Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating smaller portions with only a few calories. It can reset hunger cues so you'll know when you're really hungry and when you're just eating out of habit.
One easy way to reduce portion sizes is to use smaller plates. Small plates can make the same portion of food appear larger due to an effect called the Delboeuf illusion. Basically, you're just "tricking" your brain into getting full with less food
Step 3. Measure each serving of food
Don't just rely on your eyes to determine how much to eat, instead, use your brain. With the new trend in commercial dishes tending to be large portions, now many people have distorted ideas about normal portions. Use measuring cups and the information on the "Nutritional Value Information" label on food packaging to make sure you eat one serving at a time. You may need to purchase a simple food scale.
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Lots of food with easy-to-remember serving sizes. Some examples can be seen below (and others can be seen here):
- Fruits and vegetables: about the size of your hand
- Meat, fish, or poultry: about the size of a palm (without fingers)
- Fatty cheese or jam; about the size of a thumb
- Carbs (rice, pasta, etc.): about the size of a cupcake
Step 4. Don't skip breakfast
Many people skip breakfast and increase portion sizes at lunch and dinner because they are hungry.
- Make sure your breakfast contains at least one of these three food groups: dairy products, fruit, and cereals.
- If you are on a high protein low carb diet, you can eat eggs and cheese. The important thing is that food intake in the morning can launch metabolism, and the stomach is not empty.
- A healthy breakfast for an adult weighing 70 kg is 300–400 calories.
Step 5. Choose foods smartly
A healthy diet will be more friendly to the waist circumference than an unhealthy diet even though the calorie content is the same.
- Eat fresh fruit and vegetables, not processed snacks. Processed foods are added with preservatives, artificial ingredients, and are usually high in carbohydrates, sugar, and fat. Fresh foods provide more nutrients per calorie than high-carb processed snacks like chips. Processed foods also tend to contain more salt which causes fluid retention and results in the accumulation of excess weight around the stomach.
- Never eat a snack straight out of the bag or wrapper. One study found that people who were given a large container of popcorn ate 44% more popcorn than those given a smaller container. Overeating is easier when you are faced with large portions of food. So, pour one serving of the snack into a bowl, then move the packaging away.
Step 6. Control food portions when you eat out
Portion control at home is often easier than in a restaurant where you often serve one serving of calorie-dense food a day for one person, or when you're at a friend's house whose conditions don't allow you to control what you put in your food. Fortunately, there are a few ways to control portions in places where you can't have complete control:
- Plan what you are going to order ahead of time. Many restaurants have websites with information on the nutritional value of foods on the menu. So you can make a smart choice before you leave the house.
- When at a restaurant, ask the waiter to bring the take-away containers at the same time that you take out your order. Measure out one serving, then pour the rest into the container immediately. You won't be too tempted to eat mindlessly while chatting with your dining partner.
- When eating at someone else's house, don't be afraid to ask for small portions. This way, you can empty your plate, leaving no food behind and potentially offending your host.
- When shopping, choose individual-sized foods, not large packs of food. For example, instead of buying a box of ice cream, choose a pack of popsicles or an ice cream bun.
Step 7. Choose foods that keep you full longer
If you want to lose belly fat, it's not just how much you eat that matters, but what you eat as well. Certain foods provide a brief "boost" of energy and satiety, but you'll be hungry before your next meal. Instead of choosing these foods, focus on alternatives that offer a longer feeling of fullness.
- Foods that keep you full longer include whole-grain bread, brown rice, and whole-grain pasta, as well as beans, water, lean meats, fish, eggs, green vegetables, and legumes.
- Foods that aren't filling include soda, processed snacks, "white" bread, white rice, and white pasta, and sweets and starches.
Step 8. Eat slowly
When you eat fast, you can swallow a lot of food before feeling full. On the other hand, eating slowly gives you plenty of time to feel full and allows you to stop eating before consuming more calories than you need. There is evidence that eating slowly supports the release of specific hormones that cause satiety in the brain.
- Don't be in a hurry to eat. Concentrate on chewing each mouthful 10–20 times and drinking a little water between each bite. Lower the spoon or fork between each bite. If you can, eat with someone else so you can stop bribing and chatting while you eat.
- Try setting a timer for 20-30 minutes at the start of your meal. Set the speed so that the last bite is just when the time is up.
- After finishing your meal, don't eat again even if you still feel a little hungry. Give the body a chance to feel a full stomach, which sometimes takes a while. Please add if you still feel hungry after half an hour has passed.
Step 9. Eat in a quiet and peaceful place
Research shows that eating in a relaxed environment makes people eat less. On the other hand, eating in noisy, busy and crowded places can lead to overeating. While the root cause is uncertain, this may be because a busy situation disguises satiety with mild anxiety.
One of the causes of rushing and panic eating is being late for school or work. You can fix this by resetting the schedule. Consider getting up early so you have a chance to have a leisurely breakfast before heading out
Step 10. Record your food
Keeping track of the food you eat can sometimes be an enlightening experience. You may be surprised to learn that you normally eat more than you think. Try writing meals and snacks in a notebook that you take with you every day. Make sure you record the number of servings for each meal as well as the calorie content per serving.
There are also a number of free websites and apps that provide ways to keep track of your daily diet. Two popular and easy-to-use options are Myfitnesspal and Fatsecret.com
Tips
- There is evidence that certain teas (especially green tea) can increase the body's ability to burn fat. Tea contains zero calories unless added with sugar or milk, but don't drink it too close to bedtime unless you're using a caffeine-free variant.
- Alcohol is very high in calories (alcoholic drinks usually contain more calories than the same sized portion of calories or protein). Try to limit drinking only on special occasions. When drinking, follow each sip with a glass of water.
