Surprising Ways To A Slimmer Waistline

3 SURPRISING WAYS TO A SLIM WAISTLINE

#1 WORK OUT YOUR LEGS

Power exercises such as squats, deadlifts and lunges burn the most fat because they produce the most work in the shortest amount of time. The truth is that when you work larger muscle groups (such as your legs and glutes) you make your body a more effective fat burner. Additionally, you'll get a slim waist and a nice shapely booty. P.S. A curvy, lifted butt is made up of strong glute muscles. If you only do cardio, you will have a slim waist but a flat butt. Moral of the story: Don't skip leg day!

#2 EAT CARBS

CARBS = ENERGY! Eating carbs fuels athletic performance! You know the saying that you have to spend money to make money; well this principle applies to fueling your body. Food is fuel and if you eat correctly you'll work harder and burn more calorie! Research confirms that training without carbs led to a significant reduction in performance whether it was cardio or strength. Here are some of the best pre-workout carb options. Consume one of these an hour before your workout:

• banana

• 1/2 cup cooked oats

• 1 slice of whole grain toast

• fruit & 0% Greek yogurt

#3 SLEEP MORE, TAKE A SIESTA

Burning the midnight oil is not always the best thing for your waistline, those who go to bed late and get less than 6 hours of sleep are much more likely to accumulate belly fat quickly. Your body becomes stressed when you don't get enough sleep, when you consume too much caffeine and when you aren't taking care of yourself. Stress leads to an increase of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol decreases muscle mass and encourages belly fat storage. So when we go to bed late we wake up with high levels of cortisol.If parenthood makes going to bed early challenging, take advantage of naps whenever you can. The laundry might not get done but hey, the world won’t stop turning and you’ll feel better (especially when you know you’re reducing your tummy fat by taking a nap!)