11 Ways to Stay Lean

If you're ready to finally be rid of those last lingering pounds, try these easy-to-implement lifestyle tweaks to see real results quickly.

You skip sundaes, you regularly break a sweat- so why are your favorite jeans feeling so snug around the waist? These healthy habits are a good start when in comes to managing belly fat, which tends to become a bigger problem and complication as we age.

1. Stop Strict Dieting. Research shows that constant dieting can make levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which causes your body to store fat in your abdomen, rise as much as 18%. This makes your blood sugar go haywire and rise. The best cure is eating 3 healthful meals and 2 snacks spaced evenly throughout the day so that your blood sugar stays level.

2. But Do Track Calories!

3. Visualize Proper Portions. You don't have to weigh or measure every morsel. Just keep the equivalent everyday object in mind when dishing out your meal or snack.

4. Go Slowly at Meals. Slow down, savor each bite, and pay attention to feelings of fullness. This decreases the overall amount of food you eat.

5. De-Stress Breakfast. Deficiencies in Calcium, B vitamins, and magnesium are stressful to the body and lead to an increase in cortisol levels and food cravings. To fight back, eat a breakfast that's high in these nutrients. Example: a handful of strawberries to supply vitamin C, 6 to 8 ounces of fat free plain yogurt which contains calcium and magnesium, and whole grain toast with peanut butter.

6. Sleep it Off. A few 7 to 9 hour nights can bring your body into balance while not getting enough sleep can increase your appetite up to 21%.

7. Compound Your Workouts. Compound or multi-joint movements, in which more than a single pair of joints are at work, engage more muscle mass than isolation exercises.

8. Hydrate Properly. Aim for at least 8 glasses of liquid including water, milk and tea each day including fruits and vegetables. Avoid high sugar traps like sodas even the diet ones. Studies have indicated that the sweeteners in diet soda may create cravings for sugary foods. If you want a fizzy drink, try sparkling H2O.

9. Eat Both Kinds of Fiber. A distended belly can be the result of constipation and one easy way to get rid of it is by increasing your daily dose of fiber both soluble and insoluble.

10. Get Enough Potassium and Limit Sodium. Your body often retains water when your levels of potassium and sodium are out of balance. However, you can retain that balance by increasing potassium intake which will help flush out sodium along with the water. Good sources include bananas, spinach, papayas, edamame etc...

11. Write It Down. Finally, keeping a food diary helps expose bad habits so you can change them. This can help you hit nutrition targets, cut down unnecessary calories and maintain a healthy lifestyle.