How to get an Hourglass Figure - The Rule of 3
Mar 15, 18An hourglass figure represents so much more than just beauty. It represents discipline – discipline in your diet, in the way you exercise, in your lifestyle. It represents hard work – it is not easy to tone your body and make it look that way. Workouts can be intense, and it says so much about a person when they work hard at the gym and aim for that gorgeous bod.
With all the rage on Instagram featuring drop-dead gorgeous models and Vogue covers showing off the Hadids and Kardashians, women all around the world want to look their best. While many call this culture unhealthy, it could be argued that self-care is the ultimate concept here – work hard, watch what you eat, look radiant. Seems like good work ethics, right?
You’ve read all the fitness blogs, the weight loss journeys, the tips from health freaks, and all the recipes for a workout smoothie and lunch salad – so you know the drill! The Mantra for an hourglass body is simple. Eat well. Work out. Sleep well. Repeat.
Eating Well
This is perhaps the most critical factor in shedding those extra pounds. Losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise (good news for the lazy bums who have a fear of the gym). A proper diet doesn’t only consist of calorie counting and portion control but also takes into account the type of food on your plate, how many times you’re eating in a day, and when you’re eating.
Effective weight loss regimens look something like this – start your day with a heavy meal (breakfast with good carbs), have a lighter lunch, a small snack in between, and a pauper’s dinner.
You can also begin your day with a glass of smoothie. You can then eat whatever you like for lunch, ensuring that the calories are counted, and portions are correctly checked. Get lots of protein and fiber. The catch here is to eat small servings throughout the day, so there is no sporadic rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, which would cause your body to store fat. Ideally, have your dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime. This would mean a light meal containing yogurt, fruit or vegetarian snacks.
Try this for three weeks and see the results for yourself!
Some helpful tips. Do a brisk walk or light jog in the morning. Even yoga is an excellent exercise to start your day.
As the saying goes, ‘Abs are made in the kitchen,’ make sure you avoid oily foods and starchy foods at breakfast. Try squeezing ingredients such as fresh herbs, lemon water into your diet plan.
Exercise, exercise, exercise!
Of course, getting an hourglass figure isn’t just about losing weight. You want a toned waist, and a rounder butt too. You want your thighs not to touch, and you want your lower belly bulge to be non-existent!
For this, there are many ways to go about it.
First of all, spot training is a myth. You cannot expect to lose fat from only one area in your body. You naturally will burn fat everywhere.
Secondly, working out seven days a week is quite frankly – useless. You do not need to overburden yourself, similarly, working out for hours on end is also futile. Working out three to four days is enough.
What you should be doing 7 days a week is living an active lifestyle. This means taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator. It means jogging to your office or nearest grocery store if it’s in walking distance. It means getting a little dance on before taking a shower or while you’re getting ready. Just stay on your feet whenever you can!
There are many different types of exercise designed for each part of your body. Again, this doesn’t mean you’ll only lose ‘targeted’ fat, but you will work the muscles in that region and get a more toned appearance.
Research different types of exercise and try getting a waist trainer if you’re really serious about boosting your workout results. Using a waist trainer while you exercise also works wonders. The Kardashians do it for a reason! It helps maintain the correct posture so that when you are exercising, all you can see is a curvy figure. A waist trainer can fight bloating and help your stomach look flat. Wear it while you work out, so you are motivated even more!
If you don’t have the motivation to exercise, take a friend with you to keep things interesting. Again, you really don’t need anyone to be there. It all depends on whether you can keep yourself motivated.
Sleep Well
You probably thought rest wasn’t crucial during the weight loss journey. But it is vital for maintaining all your hard work at the gym and in the kitchen. Your body needs to recuperate after those intense workouts, and if it doesn’t get its requirements, i.e., seven to eight hours of sleep, it will crash.
When your body goes into a stress-mode, cortisol levels start increasing, which increases your appetite. As a result, you feel hungrier and would grab the unhealthiest snacks. Give your body the rest it needs because after all, you are human!
Sleep deprivation also increases levels of ghrelin and leptin, which make you hungrier and reduce the number of calories you burn, again leading to a vicious cycle of hunger and slowed metabolism.
The main idea behind weight loss is simple – it is a slow and steady process that must be maintained all throughout your life. Weight loss is called a journey for a reason. It takes time, it takes effort, and it takes serious commitment, as it is a lifestyle change in that you not only cut out seriously addictive habits, but you adopt new ones and stick to them.
What you need to do is stay motivated. The real opponent here is not your body, it is your mind. If you can control your mind, you can control your body to do anything. More power to you!