4 Ways to Shrink Your Belly (Without Exercise!)

Would you believe that shrinking your belly fat has more to do with your lifestyle versus working out? They say that 80% of your impact to reduce your overall body fat has to do with dieting and what you eat-and the 20% involves activity and exercise. We have heard about how abs are made in the kitchen; however, they are also made in other ways, as well. 

Here are 5 ways to shrink your belly-no exercise involved. Don't get me wrong-exercise is great for the belly. But, as a majority, these matter first and foremost:

1. Sleep more. 

It's not just the amount of time you spend sleeping that keeps you lean, it's also the quality! Fat cells in your body produce a hormone called leptin-a hormone that controls hunger and feelings of satiety. This hormone is only produced during certain stages of sleep and if you skimp on those stages because you're not resting enough, and you'll disturb your hormonal levels, confusing your body and its signals Consequently, you'll end up storing calories rather than burning them. So invest in a new mattress or get some new blinds and dream away!

2. Elimate all refined sugars from your diet. Yep, even grains.
Yep. You read correctly. 

Sugar causes fat storage due to excess glucose being flooded into your system. Anytime you have filled your body with more calories or energy than it actually needs, your liver’s sugar storage capacity is exceeded. When the liver is maximally full, the excess sugar is converted by the liver into fat and returned to the bloodstream, where is taken throughout your body and stored as fat. And then there is the issue with excess insulin which screams at your fat cells to stay where they are! Lovely, right?

Don't get me wrong-I love carbs! Carbs are my friend. However, if you have some serious poundage to lose around your waistline, to the point that your doctor is concerned, you might want to at least reduce your sugar intake.

This includes all forms of sugar:

• cakes
• pies
• fruits
• honey
• alcohol
• agave
• brown rice
• whole wheat bread
• whatever can be converted into a sugar later, etc, etc..

You all know how we like to hit on the whole "gluten bloating" topic quite frequently. Well, it is for a reason-gluten actually makes you bloat-if you are sensitive to it. In order to achieve a flatter tummy, you will obviosuly need to stay away from things that cause you to bloat the most.

If you need help with clean eating, be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Clean Eating ebook in my ebook store!

3.  Improve your posture.

If only we knew how we looked! Most people do not pay attention to their body mechanics which leads to poor posture, making your stomach buldge out sometimes. See below:

Poor posture can:

• make you appear shorter
• make you look heavier
• cause joint stress
• cause your stomach to jut out
• cause misalignment 
• make you look like a humpback
• etc, etc.

Improve your posture by going to a chiropractor and getting an alignment done. He or she will offer some pretty good tips as to how to keep your body in check. 

Remember-when you slump over, you will have a belly (usually). You can also improve your posture by stretching daily to release tight or tense muscles. Also, being aware of how you carry yourself or sit is a big bonus to improving your overall posture!

4. Don't forget to snack.

Snacking keeps your metabolism raging between your meals. Think of your body as a fireplace. Got it? Ok. A fireplace constantly needs wood to keep burning, right? Well, your body and metabolism are no different. you need to feed it something good, often. By good, I mean lean and protein. By not eating enough, we all know that it causes our bodies to hold onto that extra fat storage for energy later aka "survival mode." This is why we NEVER suggest skipping a meal-EVER.

Some simple snack ideas are:

• tuna & veggies
• hummus & veggies
• nuts/seeds
• cheese
• hard boiled eggs
• beef jerky
• deli roll ups (meat and cheese)
• edamame
• yogurt
• tofu
• protein shake

And there you have it! I would highly recommend adding exercise, though, since it will help speed things up :)