Getting skinny in a week isn’t a realistic long-term goal. However, looking slimmer and cutting an inch or two with some healthy daily habits is totally possible. To look skinnier by the end of the week, add these tiny tips into your routine, for a big difference.
1. Drink more water
Sometimes, we think we’re hungry, but we’re really just thirsty. Some people even think that you need 64 ounces of water daily. Drink a glass of water before determining how hungry you really are. Water has no calories, so you can count on a slimmer tummy if you keep this habit up.
2. Don’t eat late at night
Nibbling on some cheese and bread or ice cream late at night isn’t unheard of. But it might be the reason that your body is holding onto those love handles. When you eat late at night, your body stores that food, rather than burning it off, which leads to weight gain. A light snack after dinner is fine – just don’t go at it buffet style before bed.
3. A light dinner
Mac and cheese for dinner sounds awesome, but it’ll give you a stomachache and make you feel bloated the whole next day. Instead, try to limit carb intake and instead have a huge salad (which can be very filling) with a fist sized carb, ideally with whole grains and not refined flour or sugar. Salmon or chicken with a kale caesar salad is our all time favorite.
4. Dance it out
If you hate exercising, make an amazing playlist of your fave songs to get groovy with. Maybe even turn on the music channels at home and get your cardio on with dance as you clean the house and complete other chores.
5. Put down the booze
A glass of red one is one thing, but regularly drinking (especially sugary alcohols or cocktails) can make you feel gassy and bloated like nothing else. If you can cut down on the alcohol, you’ll see an immediate difference on the waistline.
6. Meditate in the morning or before bed
Stress is one of the major reasons we gain weight. To stay slim, stay stress-free! Stress often causes emotional eating, which creates a vicious cycle. Instead, try a relaxation technique such as meditation, which uses breathing and stillness to create a mindful and calm space.
7. Multiple quick workouts vs long workouts
You don’t have to do a grueling 3 hour workout to see chiseled results – the key is frequency. Think half an hour of cardio in the morning, and half an hour of dumbbell or strength training moves later in the day. Tabata exercises are known for their quick sequences and can burn fat in a matter of minutes.
8. Go to a steam room or sauna
If your building or local gym has one (and is open) sweating it out is a luxurious way to slim down. A hot tub will work too. Sweating takes the toxins out of your body, and also helps you shed that water weight while keeping your skin clear.
9. Don’t skip meals
It might feel like you’re getting the perfect hourglass figure when you sip dinner, but realistically, you’re slowing down your metabolism. It might help you lose weight in a 24-48 hour period, but when your appetite comes back, it’ll be back with a vengeance, and you’ll gain weight in the end. Small, frequent meals is the key.
10. Lower calories intake
It sounds simple, but most people are so stuck in their routine, they don’t make the small changes that could end up making a world of difference. Try making your coffee with milk instead of cream, and swapping sugar for a natural sweetener. Or have half a bagel for lunch with hummus, instead of a whole bagel with cream cheese. These little things really do add up.
11. Get more sleep
It can be tempting to binge watch your favorite TV shows all night when you really should be resting for work, but it turns out that not getting enough sleep can cause weight gain. It doesn’t allow you body to renew itself, or give those muscles a chance to grow and restore themselves.
12. Integrate daily cardio
Yes, we all want chiselled abs and that Ciara booty. But the fastest way to slim down is to try some good ol’ fashioned normally paced cardio, like jogging or doing a speed walk on a treadmill at an incline pace. It keeps that heart rate pumping and burns calories without stressing your body out too much.