Gone are the days where everyone wants to be flat as a board. Back then, you need to be a size 0 to be considered model-esque.
But now, it’s all about the curves!
Most people are aiming for an hourglass figure, where you still have good amounts of volume in all the right places while also having a smaller looking waist.
So, you are probably here because you want to make your waist smaller but you don’t want to lose weight. Is that even possible?
You can get a smaller waist without losing any “weight”, since your weight can be managed by losing and gaining fat and muscles. If you eat right and do workouts that will make you lose fat and build muscle, you can stay on the same weight and still get a tinier waist.
So now that you know it is possible to maintain your weight and get a slimmer waistline, let’s find out the steps you need to take.
Can You Get a Smaller Waist Without Losing Weight?
Your weight is made up of your fat, and muscles. (Yes, I know, other stuff too like your organs, bones, etc. but for now let’s just focus on fat and muscles)
You will be able to lose weight by losing fat and/or muscles, and vise versa, you will be able to gain weight by gaining fat and/or muscles. So just because you are losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean you are losing fat. And just because you are gaining weight, doesn’t mean you are getting fat.
You need to remember that muscles are denser than fat. One pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. So, you might see some people who look leaner and slimmer but they weigh more than someone who carries some extra fat in their body. It’s because they have a higher amount of body muscle and a lower body fat percentage.
With that being said, it is possible for you to stay at the exact same weight you are in and still get a smaller waistline. What you need to do is to burn fat and build muscle.
So how can you burn body fat and build muscle?
How To Get a Flat Stomach Without Losing Weight?
You cannot “spot reduce”, in order to lose fat in one area you must decrease your entire body’s fat percentage.
Change your diet
The first thing you should do in order to get a smaller waistline is to switch to eating clean food. Avoid refined carbs, sugar, processed food, and unhealthy fats. You want to stay away from foods that will be stored as fat.
The kinds of food you eat will greatly affect your body fat percentage and where your fats are being stored. That is why it is important to eat more food that will not only prevent you from storing fat in your midsection, but will also help you burn off any extra fat you have there.
To not feel too deprived, you can do the 80/20 rule. Which states that 80% of the time you must eat clean and healthy food, and you can eat not-so-healthy food during the 20%.
This rule is great because it allows you to indulge while still eating healthy.
Consume lots of protein!
Protein is essential to fat burning. It will help you burn off excess fat and will aid your body with muscle repair after working out. So after you workout your core, you need protein to repair your ab muscles for it to get lean.
Just keep in mind that you want to increase your protein intake and not your overall calorie intake. So, be sure to adjust your macronutrients accordingly.
Basically, just lessen your fat and carb consumption if you are going to take in more protein so you won’t eat too many calories and end up gaining weight.
Generally, a person needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
If you are recovering from an illness, pregnant, or living an active lifestyle you will need around 1.2 grams to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
If you have a hard time consuming more protein, then consider getting protein powder. You can mix the powder with water and drink it as is, or you can also mix it with you pancake mix, oatmeal, cookie mix, etc.
Protein powders are excellent for increasing your daily protein intake without drastically increasing your calorie consumption.
Eat more soluble fiber.
There are loads of benefits to consuming more soluble fiber, one major benefit of soluble fiber is it promotes belly fat loss. Another perk to eating more fiber is it helps reduce your appetite. So you won’t have to worry too much about feeling deprived when switching to a healthier diet.
Here’s a list of foods you’ll want to eat more of:
- Lean meat: chicken breast, pork tenderloin, lean beef, turkey breast
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Healthy carbs: brown rice, oats, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, and pasta
- Soluble fiber: avocados, sweet potatoes, broccoli, pear, black beans, figs, apricots
- Healthy fats: dark chocolate, olive oil, cheese, nuts, chia seeds, fish
And here are some you’ll want to avoid:
- Sugary drinks: soda, juice, frappes
- Refined carbs: white bread, pasta, donuts
- Sugar
- Saturated fats: fat from meat,
Oh, and don’t forget to drink more water! Water helps your body function better so just do it!
Workout
Now that we have the diet covered, let’s talk about exercise!
Okay, obviously, you should do ab workouts. You can use your body weight or add weight to add extra resistance to your workouts.
You have to tone and target all of your abdominal muscles, not just one area. So make sure to follow a workout plan that will target your upper abs, lower abs, and your obliques.
Don’t just do ab exercises every single day. It will be harder to get results when you target the same area every day since your muscles will need time to repair in order for it to recover and get lean.
Do High-Intensity Interval Training!
HIIT is a great workout to help you burn body fat. If you have been living under a rock and are unaware of what HIIT is, it is a combination of short bursts of intense workouts with short periods of low-impact exercises or rests. High-intensity interval training is usually much shorter than regular cardio workouts and is much more intense. There are researches that prove that HIIT is much more effective at burning fat than plain old cardio.
Related Questions
How do you get a smaller waist and keep your curves?
You can get a smaller waist by eating clean and working out. This will help you burn any excess fat you have around your belly. In order to maintain or get curves while you are trying to lose fat, you have to eat healthy carbohydrates, healthy fats, and eat more protein. Additionally, you must also do exercises that will help you grow and shape your butt and your hips. By doing all of this, you will get a slimmer waistline while still maintaining and gaining curves.
Do planks slim your waist?
Planks are great core exercises. Doing planks can slim down your waist and also tone your arms and other parts of your body. They are not only excellent at working your abs, but they are also great full-body workouts that can target multiple body parts at once!
Therefore, adding various plank exercises to your workout plan will help you achieve your dream waistline and bring you closer to your fitness goals.
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