In today’s society, some people can tend to be a little impatient. You order something online, you want it now. You try a new diet, and want your belly to flatten immediately. This impatience often causes those who want to lose weight to drop out of the race before it really begins. That’s why the author of the Zero Belly Diet developed the following habits to jump start your way to a slimmer figure.
1. Cut out popular, commercial yogurt brands
Yogurt is said to help stomach health with its good bacteria. However, most commercial yogurts have large amounts of sugar and could be causing you to look and feel larger than you really are. Stop eating commercial yogurt brands, or eat plain yogurts that contain live cultures and no additives.
2. Do the thrust workout
This simple workout only lasts for eight minutes and can help tighten your abdominal muscles. First, stand with your feet spread shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Then, lower your hips to have your thighs parallel with the floor in a squat, and as you stand, extend your arms to push the dumbbells over your head. Pause, lower into the starting position, and repeat. Do as many reps as you can until you need to pause, then keep going until you hit the eight-minute mark. Go slowly at first, so as not to injure yourself. Each time after the first, try to improve how many you do during the time limit.
3. Shower before bed
Sleeping is part of your body’s cool-down process, which is why it can be more difficult to snooze in the summer when it’s hot and muggy. Taking a shower before bedtime can actually start your body’s thermostat and begin the cool-down process to allow you to fall asleep faster. Sleeping better means decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, which is a fat-storage hormone.
4. Eat a decadent breakfast
Cook quick oats and throw in dark chocolate shavings, berries, nuts, and a dash of cinnamon. These ingredients work with your colon’s happy bacteria to produce the fatty acid butyrate your body needs to reduce inflammation. It also can help reduce insulin resistance, leading to a less bloated and slimmer you.
5. Toss out the takeout menu
It’s one thing to have an occasional handful of salty popcorn or chicken wing blowout, but waking up bloated and feeling fat is not a good result. Highly salted foods such as Chinese or Mexican takeout can add up in your arteries and tummy. Swap these takeout menus and create menus of your own as you try new recipes that are less filled with sodium.
