Losing weight and looking taller can boost confidence, but it can also improve your health in the long run. Losing weight is a challenging process that takes time, patience, and a conscious effort to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Looking taller has everything to do with posture. While you are working on losing weight, simply improving your posture can instantly improve your appearance and enhance your confidence. Good posture is also critical for maintaining a healthy and pain-free back, shoulders and neck.
Posture: Look Taller Instantly
Step 1
While standing, imagine that you have a string attached to the crown of your head, right at the point where your spine would end if it continued all the way through your skull, rather than stopping at the base of your head. Relax first, then imagine yourself being pulled up by this string. Feel yourself lengthen your spine from the base of your tailbone all the way through the top of your head.
Step 2
Pull your shoulders as far forward as you can, then lift them up and back to your ears. From there, release all tension and let them drop. You should feel that they fall back a little farther than where you were holding them to start. Your chest should feel open and your neck should feel long.
Step 3
When walking or standing, keep your hips directly underneath you. Avoid letting them fall back behind you or letting them press too far forward. Imagine the muscles in the front of your hip joints (your hip flexors) getting slightly longer as you walk.
Step 4
Keep a slight bit of tension in your lower abs (sometimes known as your "center" or "core"). This will help stabilize your lower spine and hips, and it will also help align your body in the most flattering way to help you look and feel taller and leaner.
Losing Weight
Step 1
Make sure you are truly ready to commit to the process of weight loss. Healthy weight loss happens slowly as the product of permanent lifestyle changes, not a crash diet or a couple months in the gym. If you have struggled with weight loss in the past, examine the reasons why, and ask yourself what you will do differently this time.
Step 2
Eat right, and in the right amounts. There is no magic formula for changing your diet to lose weight; everyone is different. However, weight loss requires that you use more calories than you consume, so in most cases, you will need to reduce your caloric intake by some amount. Consult with your doctor or a dietitian if you are looking for guidance in this area.
Step 3
Exercise. Working out burns calories, increases muscle mass (which in turn elevates your metabolism) and improves overall health. Check with your doctor if you are just beginning to add exercise to your lifestyle. If you are looking for new workout ideas, trying to work around an injury or other limitation, or need a little coaching and motivation, try working with a personal trainer.
Step 4
Use the posture tricks listed above when you exercise, too. This will help you maintain good form, prevent injuries, and get maximum benefit from your workouts.
Tips and Warnings
- The right clothing styles can also help you look taller and slimmer. Try clothes on before you buy them, do not be afraid to try new styles or styles you had previously ignored, and have wardrobe staples tailored to fit you well. Perhaps enlist an honest, trusted friend to get an objective opinion of your wardrobe.
- Any weight loss program is best undertaken with the advice and oversight of your physician.
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