People have always been concerned about their waistline. This obsession is understandable as fat seem to settle there and makes our weight gain noticeable. The good news is we can do something about it. In essence, there are two steps to take to reduce your waistline and weight in general - eating right and exercising right.

The first step is to eat right. That includes increasing your intake of foods that increase your basal metabolism rate the rate your body burns calories and decreasing the intake of unhealthy foods that decreases your metabolism. The foods that increase your metabolism include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts, foods rich with essential fats and oils such as fish oils and olive oils, green tea, and spices such as red chilli pepper, black pepper, and ginger. The foods that decrease your metabolism include foods that are high in sugar and saturated fats such as refined foods, processed foods, and deep fried foods.

Do not forget to have a healthy balanced diet that comprises all the necessary nutrients your body needs and drink a lot of water.

Besides the food that you eat, it is also vital to keep a good eating habit such as eating less but more frequently. Eating in small portions every few hours allow your caloric usage to spread throughout the day and causing less insulin to be released into the blood stream. Less insulin release is better as insulin spikes lead to body fat storage and less caloric burn.

The second step is to exercise right. This includes performing cardiovascular exercises and core or abdominal exercises. Cardiovascular workouts raise your heart rate, burn calories, and aid your overall weight loss. Examples are running, swimming, cycling, and rowing. Your core consists of the upper and lower abdomens, the obliques, and the lower back of the body. Core exercises target your waistline. Examples are crunches, side crunches, jackknifes, leg lifts, and planks. Another exercise that involves contracting some internal abdominal muscles called transverses abdominus is the vacuum exercise. It is done by drawing your bellybutton inward, towards the spine.

There are only two steps needed to reduce your waistline and bust your belly fat. Eat right and exercise right and you will have a slimmer waistline before you know it.