When it comes to losing weight for free, this means there are no pills, drinks, potions, powders or diet plans to buy. You can even take it one step further and not even pay for a gym membership. Being that your stomach and love handles are the areas of concern, you can lose the fat by making sound decisions with your diet and exercising at home.
Calorie Reduction
To lose fat, you must be willing to give up some calories. This is the only way you are going to be able to lose weight. Aim for a 500 to 1,000 calorie reduction from your current daily intake. If you need help figuring out calorie amounts of foods, refer to a free online resource like The Daily Plate.
Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is a must when you want to flatten out your stomach and love handles. Not only can it increase your aerobic capacity, but it can also burn significant calories. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 30 minutes of exercise is needed to reduce disease risk and 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Being that fast weight loss is your goal, err to the higher end of this recommendation and work out 4 to 5 days a week. Fast paced walking, running and stepping are all free forms of cardio that you can do at home; provided you have a set of steps in your house.
Water Intake
Beverages that contain calories can cause weight gain just like food calories. When you want to get rid of your love handles and reduce your stomach size, give up the colas, sweetened teas, fruit slushies, lattes and alcoholic beverages. Drinking water instead can help keep your calories lower, it can hydrate your body, and if you drink it with your meals, it can give you a false full feeling. Aim for eight to 10 cups of water daily.
Mini Meals
Eating mini meals every few hours will keep your belly feeling satisfied and it can also boost your metabolism. When eating meals, choose foods that are nutrient dense, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, beans, whole grains and low-fat dairy are examples. When preparing meals, make sure each one has a portion of complex carbs and protein. A bison burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato is a meal example. Do not go more than three hours without eating.
Breakfast
Breakfast is a very important meal to include in your diet plan. According to the Mayo Clinic, eating breakfast gets you on track to make healthy choices all day. Knowing this information, fix yourself a bowl of oatmeal with low-fat milk and berries, or eat half a whole grain bagel with peanut butter if you are pressed for time.
Abdominal Exercises
Abdominal exercises can help tone and tighten your muscles as you are losing weight. The main areas you should target are the upper and lower abs and obliques. The obliques are the muscles found on your sides where love handles appear. To work each area, do exercises like leg raises, reverse crunches, side crunches, bicycle crunches and jack knife maneuvers. All of these exercises require no equipment. Perform 15 to 20 reps, three to four sets and work your abs three days a week on alternating days.
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