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Do you want a stronger, faster, healthier body? Toning your body is about more than losing weight; when your body is toned, you have more energy, a clearer mind, and the confidence that comes with knowing you're in the best shape you can be. Tone your body by developing good eating and drinking habits, exercising, and detoxifying your body and mind.
Steps
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Eat more vegetables than you think you need. You've heard that you need to eat your veggies; now is the time to take this advice to heart. Vegetables provide your body with essential vitamins, they aid in digestion, they provide extra hydration, and they deliver nutrition without too many calories. Basing every meal on vegetables will help you look toned faster.
- Make salad or cooked green vegetables the biggest part of every meal. Eating plenty of leafy greens like dandelion greens, spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts will fill you up and nourish your body with vitamins A, C, K, and other essential nutrients. [1] X Research source
- Eat a regular rotation of other vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, squash, green beans, cabbage, onions, and so on. Try to eat vegetables that are in season, which is when they are the most nutritious.
- Start your day with a vegetable breakfast smoothie. Ditch pancakes and bacon and instead blend almond milk, a few handfuls of spinach or kale, and a kiwi or a banana for a powerful green smoothie to get your day started. Replace daily snacks with raw carrots, broccoli, or another vegetable smoothie.
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Nourish your body with fruit. Eating whole fruits is another great way to get the nutrients, water, and fiber your body needs to start looking more toned. Make sure to get several servings a day, choosing fruit that is in season in your area whenever possible.
- Eat whole fruits like berries, bananas, apples, pears, oranges, melons, and so on instead of buying fruit juice. [2] X Research source Eating fruit whole gives you the benefit of the fiber; without it, you end up consuming too much fructose, the type of sugar found in fruit.
- Replace your typical desserts with fruit salad, or try making other healthy fruit based desserts. For a delicious, light take on ice cream, try this amazingly simple dish: freeze a banana solid, then put it in a food processor or blender and whip until it turns creamy. It will have the consistency of ice cream or custard.
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Choose lean proteins. To achieve muscle tone, you'll need to feed your body with plenty of lean proteins. Protein can come from meat, but it is also found in vegetables, legumes and nuts.
- Eat plenty of fish. Fish contain all the protein you need, as well as essential fatty acids that help make your body strong and lean.
- Eat beans and tofu. If you're a vegetarian, try chickpeas, black beans, fava beans, and other legumes to get the protein you need. Tofu is also a healthy choice.
- Eat red meat sparingly. Steak, hamburgers, bacon, and other beef and pork products are fine once in a while, but they should not make up the bulk of your daily means when you're trying to achieve a toned body.
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Don't forget fats and grains. A balanced diet also includes healthy fats that promote organ and skin health as well as grains to give your body the fiber and minerals it needs. [3] X Research source
- Choose whole grains like steel-cut oats, barley, buckwheat and quinoa rather than processed flours.
- Nuts, avocados, olive oil, grapeseed oil, and other healthy oils are important supplements to a healthy diet.
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Drink mostly water. Drinking water helps your body flush away toxins and stay hydrated, both of which lead to a toned, healthy look. Try to drink 8 or more glasses a day, and more when you're exercising.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol. It causes your body to retain water and has other harmful effects that lead to bloating, rather than toning.
- Choose water over soda, juice and milk. Pure water is calorie-free and healthier for your body than any other drink.
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Raise your heart rate with cardio. The best exercise routine for toning your body is a combination of cardio, which gets your heart rate up and increases overall fitness, and weight training, which strengthens your muscles. Do cardio exercises three times a week, alternating between workouts like these:
- Go power walking or running for 30 - 40 minutes. It's important to make sure your heart rate is raised the whole time. If you're breathing heavily and sweating, you're probably getting a good enough workout. You can buy a heart rate monitor to measure your heart rate and make sure it's properly elevated.
- Try swimming, biking, hiking or playing a team sport. All of these exercises keep you moving for an extended period of time. Mixing things up will help you stay interested in exercising.
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Start resistance training. [4] X Research source Cardio alone won't help your body get as toned as it can be. Incorporating some resistance training will help you see results much faster. After a few weeks, the contours of your muscles will be defined, and you'll have more energy than ever.
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Do some yoga. Participating in a yoga class 2-3 times a week is one great way to get stronger and healthier. Yoga is good for building both flexibility and strength.
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Ask your doctor about maintaining healthy liver and kidney function. Your liver [5] X Research source and kidneys [6] X Research source are your body’s first line of defense against toxins. Talk to your doctor about what kinds of dietary and lifestyle changes you may need to make in order to keep your liver and kidneys in good condition, especially as you get older.
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Try fasting . No matter how healthy your diet may be, over time, environmental toxins can build up in your body and start causing health problems. Fasting is an excellent way to expel the toxins and cleanse your digestive system. This results in improved energy and tone.
- Skipping the last meal of the day is an easy way to incorporate fasting into your life. Eat your last meal between 2 and 4 in the afternoon, then skip dinner to give your body a rest. The fasting period will last until breakfast the next morning.
- Intermittent fasting is the practice of fasting for as long as 36 hours to completely cleanse the body. Consult your doctor first if you want to try this type of fast.
- Juice fasting is another popular type of fast. Again, you should consult your doctor before drastically altering your diet for an extended period of time.
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Detox your mind. When you're stressed out, your body releases hormones that cause you to gain weight and look less toned. Do your best to reduce the stress in your life by taking the following measures:
- Get plenty of sleep. Your body and mind need time to recuperate after your busy days. Lack of sleep has been shown to lead to weight gain.
- Slow down. Trying to cram in workout sessions around a packed schedule makes it more difficult to achieve the tone you desire. If possible, ramp down your activities so you have more time to focus on your health.
- Spend time outside. Instead of relaxing in front of the TV, take a walk and get some fresh air. Being outside is better for your mind and body than watching TV. [7] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat should I eat to tone my body?Francisco Gomez is the Head Coach at the FIT Potato Gym, a training gym established in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Francisco is a former competitive runner who helps endurance athletes train for major marathons like the Boston Marathon. Francisco specializes in Injury Rehab, Flexibility, Marathon Training, and Senior Fitness. He has a B.S. in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology & Running.Cut your daily calorie intake so you can lose weight and get rid of body fat.
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QuestionWhat does it mean when you tone your body?Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.Toning your body means doing overall body strengthening and reducing overall fat.
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QuestionCan you tone your body without losing weight?Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.Yes, you can tone and improve your shape, physical functioning and appearance without losing weight.
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Tips
- Don't push yourself too hard. Take a break if you need to, but try to keep your heart rate up.Thanks
- Do pushups, jumping squats and crunches to help your body look toned.Thanks
- Giving up sugar may also help you lose excess weight that would otherwise prevent you from looking toned.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/leafy-greens-rated
- ↑ https://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Juice-not-more-healthful-than-whole-fruit-3788347.php
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204
- ↑ https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beginners-guide-to-resistance-training.html
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/features/healthy-liver#1
- ↑ https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/mar2013/feature1
- ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/scientific-benefits-of-nature-outdoors-2016-4
About This Article
Article Summary
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To tone your body, try to do cardio exercises like running or swimming 3 times a week to boost your overall fitness. For faster results, incorporate lunges, push ups, and squats into your exercise routine, as these will help define your muscles. Additionally, try joining a yoga class to build strength and flexibility. You should also eat lots of fruits and vegetables to provide your body with essential nutrients, without eating too many calories. To learn about detox methods that can help tone your body, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I am a regular fitness freak . All these tips which are given here are really good. I myself follow most of them. Try to follow all of them, but don't over-strain yourself. Do weight exercises with 1 day rest between 2 days of workout. Eat healthy, drink water enough, and love yourself." ..." more
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"I am a regular fitness freak . All these tips which are given here are really good. I myself follow most of them. Try to follow all of them, but don't over-strain yourself. Do weight exercises with 1 day rest between 2 days of workout. Eat healthy, drink water enough, and love yourself."
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"The article overall was extremely informative. It was like a mini physical education and nutrition refresher course. It definitely provided me with the answers to my questions, and even some unexpected additional information. Thanks!"
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"The article explained toning for me. Something I was doing, but didn't realize I was toning. Once you begin your lifestyle change some commonly used words in the healthy world are unclear. Thank you for simplifying!"
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"This has given me more incentive to do more than what I am doing at the moment ."
"I used the healthy eating habits and it worked for me. Thanks for your tips."
