11 STEPS FOR A
WASP WAIST

Are you in search of a new silhouette? Let me come to your rescue

A sculpted waist is the essence of femininity but honestly, it’s hard to get a perfectly flat tummy if you have not worked this area since your were 15 or 16 years old. You are bound to put on weight as you grow older, but it’s not impossible to tone, harden and even reduce that hateful bulky tummy by up to 70 percent. Here are a series of measures that can be applied. Come on, it’s well worth the effort!

EVALUATE THE SITUATION

With age we all widen at the waist, some more than others. But the priority is to feel comfortable with your figure and take care of your health. Hence it is important to measure yourself to evaluate if you are in the acceptable range. When fat is located just at the waist and the measuring tape goes beyond 35 inches, be careful as it could mean that you suffer from a metabolic syndrome. At this point, losing the fat is not just an aesthetic consideration but a health imperative.

HULA HOOP ROUND

Forget belly dancing and go back to your childhood while you mould your body! It has been proven that rotating a hula hoop around the waist can consume up to 110 calories in just eight minutes, as if you had run 1.5 miles in the same time. Go for adult hoops that are bigger and heavier than your children’s.

FEED YOUR FLORA

Diets, stress, fatigue and pre-prepared food tends to deforest the intestinal flora and cause traffic problems and swelling. The solution? In the morning do not forget to include, in your breakfast, a probiotic product (live cultures) that will leave in your digestive system friendly bacteria that ensure proper digestion. Try Nestlé Actiplus yogurt, which is an affordable solution to all your daily digestive hangovers.

UNDERWATER MASSAGE

During bath time and while the warm water runs over your body, perform rolling massage movements first around the belly clockwise and then pinch the skin between your thumb and forefinger gently. End with a little cold water splash and you are ready!

KITTY POSE

There are numerous yoga postures that specifically target the abdominal muscles and help in losing fat. The cat pose or "Majarisana" may be the best workout to lose belly fat. This exercise is performed in a sequence of two postures. You should establish a steady breathing pattern, which will match the body movements. The steps are: get on all fours on to the floor, inhale and arch the spine in a dip, so the buttocks are raised. Pull the belly inwards and lift the head up. The elbows should be straight. Exhale and raise the spine. Enable your head to fall in between the arms, so that the chin presses inwards towards the throat. Do at least 10 sets of inhalation and exhalation.

CONTROL THE ADIPONECTIN

Adipose tissue (fat) is a highly active endocrine organ that secretes adiponectin, which is involved in regulating fat accumulation. This protein, which until recently was unknown by science, is the most involved in maintaining a lean, firm and well-hydrated body. It acts on all points that concern women. But changes in routine, intake excesses, ambient pollution and stress tend to inhibit its action. The good news is that Dior was given the task of caring for our famous protein and created a topical potion capable of regulating its activity: Dior Svelte Désire.

KNEEL

Your abdomen is divided into six muscles: two that are closer to the stomach, two intermediate and two of the lower abdomen. The latter are the ones that matter. For them, the following sit-up is great. Kneel (as if you were to pray) with knees slightly apart, arms resting at the sides and lower your trunk, keeping your back as straight as a surfboard, at least 10 inches from the floor. Stay in position for two seconds and rise, rest a second and go back down. Do three sets of 15 times.

FIRM NOW!

Is sagging worrying you? Make it disappear

with this gelatinous stomach texture

called Melting Cream (day) and Elixir Evening (night) from the French brand L’Atelier des Délices. The idea is that the two creams work together for 24 hours, seven days a week. The first is applied after your morning shower and

the second must be used in the same areas before going to the bed but this time accompanied by a gentle massage. The results are visible within a few weeks.

BREATHE AS A CHAMPION

Drop your shoulders, straighten your back and slowly inhale as much as your lungs allow. The diaphragm moves down, pushing the abdominal muscles to relax for a brief moment. Slowly exhale, contracting the abdominal muscles. This exercise also works on the abdominal cavity, if repeated several times throughout the day.

LIPOSUCTION

It’s expensive and involves an element of risk. One also needs to be mentally prepared for a long and painful post recovery. Don’t expect a loss of weight, it is just a way to reshape or flatten some areas. You are a good candidate if you are healthy and slim but genetically predisposed to gathering abdominal bulk. Demonizing this procedure is a mistake but encouraging people to go this way without the proper information is a mistake too. If you are interested, take it seriously and contact PAPS (Pakistan Association of Plastic Surgeons www.plasticsurgery.org.pk).

DISMISS SUGAR AND ADD FIBER

A lot of sugar in your diet could accumulate weight around the waist, more than any other body part. The decrease of sweet things has an automatic effect in changing your figure. For those low energy moments, opt for grains and dried fruit as they have fiber that helps in better absorption of nutrients and increases the feeling of fullness.