Although "effortlessly" may be a tall order, losing the weight that can shed off tummy fat can be a relatively painless procedure. Dr. Mehmet Oz, author of "You: The Owner's Manual," advises a low-impact plan to burn the extra calories that help melt the pounds away. Without changing the way you eat, and thus not craving food, this plan is about as easy as weight loss gets. It is slower weight loss, though health counselor Maya Paul recommends slow and steady weight loss as the most sustainable and the healthiest.
Step 1
Take a multivitamin every morning. Oz recommends this as a backup. Although you won't be changing your diet, this weight loss plan will alter the way your body consumes nutrition. The multivitamin will make up for any shortages.
Step 2
Cut or reduce simple carbohydrates and sweets from your diet. Harvard nutritionist Walter Willet writes that these quickly digested, high-calorie foods create peaks and valleys in your blood sugar level. The valleys are a chief cause of food cravings, which lead to snacking. Replace them with whole grains, vegetables and protein-rich foods. They are digested slowly, creating an even blood sugar level throughout the day.
Step 3
Drink water. A study by Dr. Brendy Davy of Virginia Tech found that people who drink a glass of water before a meal eat less. This is an easy way to painlessly reduce the portions you eat at each meal. Similarly, drink a glass of water as your first response to any food craving between meals. This will fill your tummy with a zero-calorie liquid instead of a calorie-laden snack.
Step 4
Take a walk every day. Oz recommends walking at a moderate pace for 20 to 30 minutes. Although other forms of cardiovascular exercises may burn calories faster, walking requires the least amount of work. Like all exercise forms, workouts reduce fat from your entire body-which happily includes your tummy. According to both Phillips and Oz, the idea of specifically targeting a body area for weight loss is an enduring, but thoroughly disproved myth.
Step 5
Measure your waistline once per week. Celebrity personal trainer Bill Phillips says that weekly measurement can help keep you motivated. Resist the temptation to weigh yourself more frequently. Phillips warns that weighing more than once per week can actually be discouraging. This is because your measurements will fluctuate from day to day.
Step 6
Record your walks, routes and waist measurements in your journal. Each time you reach a goal, such as walking a certain distance or losing an inch, give yourself a non-food reward. Phillips and Oz agree that celebrating interim successes can help keep you on track.
Tips and Warnings
- As your body gets used to the basic walking, consider upgrading to a more aggressive fitness program. Although this won't be "effortless" any more, many people find they don't mind making the effort once they've started on the path toward fitness.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Measuring tape
References
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Mehmet Oz et al; 2005
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 2006
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett, MD; 2007
- CNN Health: Drinking Water for Weight Loss
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