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You’ve probably heard the saying, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” Sadly, this phrase can seem all too true if you can no longer pull your favorite jeans up over your hips. In addition, exercise, diet, and wishful thinking doesn’t help your body to lose weight from one area while keeping another area pleasingly rounded. That said, there are changes you can make to your exercise routine and eating habits that can help you pull on those jeans once more. These changes can help you fuel your body, feel energetic, and even take some extra weight off those hips.
Get Your Heart Rate Up
If you want to burn off those extra pounds, you are going to have to get up and get your heart rate going. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults engage in 2 ½ hours to 5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes to 2 ½ hours of high-intensity exercise per week. Moderate exercise includes activities like brisk walking, water aerobics, slow bicycling, or dancing. Vigorous exercise refers to exercises such as running, jogging, swimming laps, hiking uphill, jumping rope, and aerobic dancing. Remember that when the calories you burn exceed the calories you consume it will have an effect on your entire body.
Exercise Your Core
Your core muscles are the muscles of the trunk of your body and pelvic area. Keeping these muscles strong helps prevent injury to other muscles when exercising. A strong core helps with balance and stability as well as providing strength for daily activities. Weak core muscles can lead to poor posture, weakness, and fatigue. The best thing about core exercises is they don’t require any equipment or a fancy gym membership. The Mayo Clinic lists planks, sit ups, and bridge exercises as simple ways to exercise your core muscles at home.
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Try Sculpting Exercises
The use of spot training exclusively won’t help you lose weight in your target areas. However, combining sculpting exercises with your program of cardio workouts and core training can help you work on your problem areas. To target the hip area, try side plank hip raises. Other exercises that give your hips and lower legs a workout include squats, lunges, and leg raises.
Try High Intensity Interval Training
One way to get in an intense cardio workout in a smaller amount of time is through High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This type of training consists of short bursts of intense cardio exercise alternated with periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. This can be as simple as alternating 3 minutes of speed walking with 3 minutes of slow walking for 30 minutes. It can also be complicated and intensive. One example is alternating 30 seconds of jumping rope, 30 seconds of planks, and 30 seconds of pushups with 60 seconds of rest.
Eat Lean Meats
Exercise isn’t the only necessary element for dropping unwanted weight. If you have taken the step of adding exercise to your routine, be sure to fuel your body with protein to aid in building new muscles. While protein is a necessary component of a healthy body, avoid processed powders. Instead, feed your cells with the proteins found in lean meats. Brush skinless chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite herbs, and roast in the oven. This makes a delicious meal that provides the protein your body needs. Nuts, beans, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products are other good sources of protein.
Include Fiber in Your Diet
Fiber is great for helping you feel full. If you feel full, you are less likely to overeat. Additionally, fiber is involved in the health of your digestive system and keeps your gut in working order. Whole grain breads and cereals, legumes, and brown rice are all rich sources of dietary fiber. Enjoy fruits and vegetables with their peels on for an extra dose of fiber in your diet. Start your day off right with a bowl of overnight oatmeal and blueberries for a delicious source of fiber. Grab celery sticks and a serving of hummus for a tasty high-fiber snack.
Consume Fish
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and herring are great for heart health and brain health. The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fish each week as part of a healthy diet. At least one of those servings should be of a fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and herring. Lightly brush your fish fillet with olive oil and grill or broil for a delicious entrée that cooks in just minutes.
Eat Your Vegetables
When trying to lose those love handles, nothing beats the vitamin-rich, power-packed nutrition of fresh fruits and vegetables. To keep hunger at bay while providing your body with the nutrients it needs, load up your plate with vibrant green vegetables. The more colorful the vegetable, the richer the nutrients. Purple beets, orange carrots, and red peppers add color and nutrition to your table. Dress up leafy greens with a handful of almonds, crunchy broccoli florets, and protein-packed black beans for a delicious and nutritious meal.
Avoid Processed Foods
If you want to take some inches off your hips, avoid processed foods, including “diet foods.” While that box of crackers may advertise “fat free” or “sugar free,” the fats and sugars have been replaced with chemicals. Give your body the nutrition it needs by indulging in fresh, whole foods rather than processed foods. You are much better treating your body to foods that are naturally tasty without being high in saturated fats or added sugars. Stick to fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins to keep your body going strong without added chemicals.
Stay Hydrated
A lot of the time we mistake our body’s thirst cues for hunger. Avoid overeating by keeping your body well hydrated. Among other things, water is important for lubricating joints, removing waste materials from the body, and regulating your temperature. If chugging 8 glasses of water each day doesn’t appeal to you, simply keep a water bottle on hand and drink when you are thirsty. If you don’t like the taste of water, remember that milk, herbal teas, and fruits like watermelon can also provide the water your body needs. You may be tempted to drink sports drinks, but these beverages contain sugar and extra sodium that your body may not need.
Be Committed and Patient
You may have noticed a lot of people start out with good intentions when it comes to weight loss. Then over time they lose interest because results don’t come fast enough. Keep in mind that your hips didn’t expand overnight, and the weight won’t melt away overnight either. Be committed to making these lifelong healthy changes to your eating and exercise plan. Don’t lose hope if the battle takes longer than you first expected. Keep at it and one day you will notice you are not only able to wear your favorite jeans, you also feel strong and energetic as well.
