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3 Ways To Get Your Belly Bikini Ready

By Mark Dilworth. Posted on May 21st 2012.

All you need is a good workout routine & a consistent meal plan!

Belly fat doesn't work well with your bikini and it isn't good for your health. Summer is coming fast and you want to look and feel your best. Who doesn't want to burn belly fat? It's not complicated if you follow a good workout routine and meal plan. Of course, this is easier said than done, right?

Take a picture today and then visualize how you want your body to look eight weeks from now. Then, work hard and eat right to make it happen. It's that simple. 12 Ways To Love Your Body Without Hitting The Gym

First, don't focus on your belly fat. Focus instead on burning total body fat. Just doing a ton of ab exercises (spot reduction) will not tone your tummy. Second, make sure you have a good meal plan that includes plenty of foods like fruits, vegetables, protein and fiber.

Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady and helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your hunger doesn't spike so high. If you will cut sugars and processed foods from your diet, you will win the battle of the belly bulge. And, drink only water and unsweetened drinks like tea.

Researchers at Penn State found that dieters who ate at least five servings of whole grain breads while following a low-calorie diet lost 24% more abdominal fat than those who averaged the same number of calories but ate refined grains, like white bread. Rapid Fat Loss: Your Key To A Smokin' Hot Bikini Bod

Follow your meal plan at least 90% of the time and you will succeed. If you have a plan, you are more likely to follow it or at least eat similar foods. Also, record what you eat in a food journal — at least for a while — to hold yourself accountable.

Now for the exercise! Here are three tips to lean and tone your body:

1. Burn more fat by working large muscle groups ... not by working out longer. Maximize your time in the gym and get the results you want. The quality of your workouts is better than the quantity of your workouts.

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Shorten your weight training workouts to 50 minutes (three days a week) or less and ramp up the intensity. Doing this will give you more fat burn and calorie burn during and after your workout. Hate Going To The Gym? Watch This

Compound strength exercises — with weights or bodyweight — like squats, deadlift, lunges, standing bentover rows, squat-to curl-to press and bench press are great examples. Full-body core exercises like planks and side planks work well, also. Spend less time posing on "mirror exercises" like bicep curls, calf raises and triceps extensions.

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