5 tips for a toned tummy this summer
How do I get a toned tummy? How do I get rid of my love handles?
I hear this all the time. It's one of the most common problem areas that women would like to address. What people mean is they would like to lose belly fat around the stomach to look and feel great about their body.
Most people tend to focus on the wrong things when it comes to losing fat. The most common is focussing on the things that only account 5% or less of results. These include things like fad vitamins and supplements and performing every ab exercise under the sun.
Here are 5 tips that you can focus on that actually work to help you trim down your midsection
1) Nail your diet
Everybody's number 1 pitfall. You can't out run a bad diet. Adherence is the number one factor in sticking to a good eating habits. Whether you enjoy low carb, high fat, Palaeo Diet or some form of fasting, choose the one that you enjoy most and stick to it.
As long as you are eating less than you are expending you will lose weight which will result in a tighter and firmer tummy.
I will usually get a new client to keep a food diary for around a week so I can get an accurate idea of what they are eating. Many times that person is surprised at the volume of food that they eat before I have even looked at the diary. Noting down what you eat really makes you realise how much you may be overeating. All the small stuff adds up.
2) Out of sight out of mind
So many people pick at food throughout the day not because they are hungry but because they are bored. Yep. Boredom. You walk to the kitchen for a glass of water and stumble upon a pack of Haribo and reach for one. Then a handful. Then a few more handfuls. That's an easy 500 calories if you are not careful. Did you know that a medium packet of Haribo has over 740 cals? Crazy!
Keep it out of sight. Or better still don't buy it in the first place.
3) Resistance training
One of the most neglected areas when it comes to training for women. Try to incorporate more resistance training that builds muscle. Your best option for this is to choose compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts.
More muscle means a more firm and toned body. You also get to burn more calories at rest. Free calories burned, who wouldn't want that.
4) Outside factors
Often overlooked but very important. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and that you are not too stressed. This can lead to a negative change in hormones and a decreased performance when working out.
5) Set some goals
Goal setting is very important. Having a wedding, holiday or time frame to accomplish something in is often a better way to focus rather than going through the motions every day.
This ensures that you are focussing more so on a result rather than the diet or a workout.
