Unless liposuction is an option, reducing just one area of the body is not possible. If you desire to get a smaller waist, you must focus on reducing fat from your entire body. Natural remedies to slim your waist require regular exercise and a healthy diet. Additionally, there are also targeted exercises you can incorporate to help tone and tighten your tummy, so it appears smaller.
Step 1: Perform at least one-half hour of cardiovascular exercise on five days of the week. Cardiovascular exercise helps burn calories and therefore promotes weight loss. The longer and more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn. Ride a bike or jog uphill, go swimming or look into competitive sports. Perform different types of aerobic exercise to challenge your body and to avoid boredom. Have a friend exercise with you for motivation.
Step 2: Adjust your diet during the entire week. Avoid fatty and sugary foods because these only add on the pounds. Avoid empty calories from alcohol and sodas; drink a minimum of eight glasses of water each day. Eat filling, complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain bread and brown rice instead of quick-digesting simple carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice. Avoid fatty protein, such as pork and beef, and choose lean options, such as fish, chicken and turkey, instead.
Step 3: Keep your salt intake below 2,300 mg per day because an excess of salt can cause bloating and water retention, which only make your waist look bigger. If you have medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you keep your sodium intake below 1,500 mg per day.
Step 4: Tone your stomach with the bicycle exercise. The bicycle exercise targets both your obliques and the rectus abdominus and, according to Ace Fitness, it's one of the most effective abdominal exercises. Lie on your back, lift your head off the floor and place your hands behind your head for support. Lift your legs off the floor, twist your torso and bring your left knee and right elbow together. Hold this position for three seconds before switching sides. Move your legs in a controlled motion, as if you are riding a bike. Complete three sets of 12 on three days of the week.
Step 5: Perform the side-plank exercise to slim and firm your waistline. Lie on your left side with your hips stacked on top of each other. Hold your right arm in a natural line with your body. Bend your left arm and prop yourself up on your elbow. Raise your left hip off the floor to form a diagonal line with your body. Feel the tightening in your obliques and hold the position for three seconds before releasing it and lowering yourself back down to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 12 times before switching sides. Complete three sets.