I'm always looking to either lose 5 lbs or to at least look like I just did.
Especially after spending the summer in Italy.



Anyway, I read this in a magazine ages ago, and as I'm heading out to the gym in a manic effort to kill (at least) 5lbs, it feels relevent....


1. Subdue Your Sweet Tooth





Cutting sugars from your diet is a no-brainer, but also cut sugar-alcohol sweeteners.
Low carb foods such as mints, protein bars, even chewing gum can contain sorbitol, manitol, xylitol (if it ends in 'ol' its a problem). As the 'ols' are not fully absorbed into the blood stream they can ferment in the large intestine, which is a major cause of bloating.
Read labels and see whats really inside the package.
A couple of carb free days filled with lean proteins and high water fresh vegetables can trim the bloat and make you look (and feel) 5lbs thinner.





2. Stand Like A Dancer

My best friend is a dancer. She always looks lean and immaculate (partly because she is lean, and quite frankly, immaculate). Her posture is always perfection too.
So many women stand with rounded shoulders and with their torso out of alignment, which thickens the waist and shortens the trunk. If you square your shoulders, align your hips with them, and then lift your chest you will elongate the torso, making you look longer and leaner. It also draws the abs in, thinning out the waist.
It also takes considerable stress out of your back, so you feel great too.

3. Adjust Your Fit

Your clothes should feel tailored, not painted on.
Avoid clothes that are too fitting (shows every flaw), pants that are too skinny (accentuates hips butt and thighs), too high waisted (stunts the upper body) or cropped (makes you look shorter).
Dresses and skirts in fluid fabrics will make you look leaner, and blazers and tops that hit just below the hip will help elongate your frame.
Rather than becoming a fashion victim, learn the shapes and cuts that work best on your body, and stick to them.
Have your clothes altered to fit your shape. A quick alteration on a killer pair of pants can make all the difference in the world. A nip and a tuck on a blazer or a dress, tailoring it to your body can be endlessly slimming.



 
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