Ten Behaviors for a Flat Belly

 

By Erin Palinski-Wade from Belly Fat  Diet For Dummies

Some behaviors can actually help to shrink your waistline and help you keep weight off for good. Here are ten of the best behaviors to start incorporating today to lose weight and banish belly fat for good.

·         Deep Breathing: Stress can pack on belly fat and lead to a host of medical issues if not controlled. One of the quickest ways to reduce your stress levels and bring stress hormones (the ones that trigger belly fat storage when elevated for long periods of time) back to normal is by deep breathing. Taking a few long, deep breaths can help to instantly relax you and cut your overall stress.

·         Meditating: Meditation is the practice of focusing and concentrating on one particular thing, whether that be a particular sound or object or even your own breath. This increased focus and concentration helps to reduce stress and promote relaxation. In fact, studies show that people who meditate on a regular basis experience less anxiety and depression as well.

·         Exercising in short bouts: The more exercise the better, but you may not have the time or ability to exercise for long periods of time, especially when first starting out. So instead of trying to pack in 30 minutes of exercise at one time, space it out. Research has shown that working out in 10-minute intervals three times a day is just as effective for weight loss as working out for 30 minutes at once.

·         Sleeping: Sleep is such an important factor in banishing belly fat. Without adequate sleep, your stress levels increase, thus causing you to pack on pounds and fat around your midsection. Lack of sleep is also associated with reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism. A leptin decrease stimulates appetite and promotes overeating. So in order to shrink your belly, it’s vital to get enough shuteye. Aim for seven to eight hours a night.

·         Chewing slowly: When you eat rapidly, your body can’t recognize when you’ve eaten enough. To slow yourself down, make it a point to chew each bite at least ten times and make sure to put your fork or spoon down in between bites.

·         Frequent snacking: One major key to losing weight and keeping it off is to not let yourself get too hungry. When you get too hungry, you experience strong food cravings, so when you do get a chance to eat, you eat the wrong things and eat too quickly, which can prevent you from recognizing your body’s cues as to when you’ve eaten enough. Have a small meal or snack every few hours to keep you from getting too hungry.

·         Staying hydrated: When you’re slightly dehydrated, your body holds onto more water. This excess water weight can give you a bloated or puffy look, especially in your midsection. Slight dehydration can also increase your cravings and appetite because your brain may misinterpret thirst for hunger. So drink up to slim down! Aim for 64 ounces (8 cups) of water daily.

·         Avoiding salt: The more sodium you consume, the more water weight you retain. This water weight then bloats your belly, making your waistline look larger than it really is. So put down the salt shaker and choose fresh, whole foods over salty processed ones.

·         Keeping a journal: One of the absolute best ways to get yourself on track with a weight loss plan (and maintain it) is by keeping a food journal. By tracking everything you eat and drink, you can notice when you begin to consume belly-bloating foods as well as double-check that you’re eating belly-fat-burning nutrients on a regular basis.

·         Stretching: Stretching is a great way to increase flexibility, strengthen muscles, and decrease stress. In addition, regular stretching helps to reduce exercise-related injuries, which can derail your fitness routine. Aim to spend a minimum of five to ten minutes every day doing a few brief stretches.

 

What You Need To Know About The Job Interview

During the interview, the hiring manager is trying to get a sense of who you are — you can answer all of their questions perfectly, but what about everything else you do during the time that you spend together?

Are you supposed to accept the cup of coffee they offer? And what do your hand movements say to them? And who are you supposed to look at in a panel interview? 

In the book "Crazy Good Interviewing: How Acting A Little Crazy Can Get You The Job," John B. Molidor and Barbara Parus say jobseekers need to take into account that their interviewer may very well be from a different generation or have a different personality than the candidate, so use this scenario to your advantage. 

"A common complaint among many interviewers, especially older ones, hiring agents, and human resources professionals today is that younger job applicants — namely, those who fall under the Generation X and Generation Y labels — arrive completely unprepared or, worst yet, have a large sense of entitlement."

Here are some things you didn't know about the interview, but, in a competitive job market, you probably should.

If they offer you something to drink besides water — especially coffee — don't accept it

Your interviewer doesn't want to spend 10-minutes just to make you a cup of coffee. And if they have a busy day ahead, it will just annoy them that they're spending even more time than they originally planned. Furthermore, if you needed coffee, you should've had it before coming to the interview. 

"If you are offered coffee, politely refuse. It could spill and create a distraction during the interview. Coffee relaxes the sphincter and you might need to make a mad dash for the restroom."

Don't sit until you're told to do so

"Do not sit down until you are offered a chair. Then, sit tall with squared up shoulders and try to occupy as much space in the chair as possible. Don't be like a shrinking violet with a bowed head, no eye contact, and slouching shoulders."

"By leaving a timid impression, a potential employer will not feel confident about hiring you to tackle assignments that require some chutzpah."

Guess the age of your interviewer, and alter your answers depending on this

Different generations are most impressed by different values, so by being aware that your interviewer is from a different generation than yourself, you can adhere to what you think they want in an employee. 

"With little practice, you can hone in on the values that each generation holds most dear. You can shape your answer using the language of their values."

Keep everyone's attention in a panel interview by making eye contact with different people at specific times during your response

"In a panel interview, always begin your response by making eye contact with the person who asked you the questions. Then make random and soft eye contact with each of the other interviewers."

"As you finish up your response, return your eye contact to the person who asked you the question. Do not mow down the interviewers by going down the line making eye contact after the other. Soft random eye contact does the trick."

If your interviewer is playing head games with you, don't reveal that you know what's going on

You should leave the head games to them, and don't let it affect your own strategy. 

"If you have the sneaking suspicion the interviewer is jerking your chain, you are probably right. Unfortunately, some interviewers will play mind games with job candidates to test their reactions. If they are unflappable, you will pass the acid test and may receive a job offer or, at least, be a finalist. If you crumble, then the interviewer will assume you probably cannot handle the stresses of the job."

If you're unsure, always wear light-colored clothing

You should, of course, always dress your best for an interview. If you're unsure of the work culture, go with light-colored clothing.  

"A crisp, white, long-sleeved shirt is your safest option, even in summer. You can also wear a long-sleeved shirt in a solid light blue, cream, or almond. Dark shirts are too trendy for conservative industries, such as banking and accounting, and are reminiscent of the tough guys in The Sopranos, The Godfather or Goodfellas."

Know the messages your hands are saying:

1. Showing your palms indicates sincerity.

2. Holding your palms downward is a sign of dominance. Do not shake hands with your palms down. 

3. Pressing the fingertips of your hands together to form a church steeple is a display of confidence.

4. Concealing your hands, as in putting them in your pockets, is a sign that you have something to hide. 

5. Finger tapping is a sign of impatience.

6. Folding your arms across your chest is a very defensive position, indicating disappointment or disagreement. 

7. Overusing hand gestures to the point of distraction. 

Know the messages your head and shoulders are saying:

1. Touching your ear or scratching your chin is a sign that you don't buy the bull. 

2. Tilting your head forward is a sign of shyness. 

3. Tilting your head backward shows overconfidence or pride.

4. Tilting your head to one side could be construed as boredom.

5. Tilting your head slightly to the side shows you are friendly and ready to listen. 

6. Glazed eyes staring straight ahead indicates boredom (or a hangover).

7. Excessive blinking is a sign of lying.

8. A harsh or blank expression indicates hostility.

9. Shrugging your shoulders could be viewed as willingness to unload a problem or burden, or a sign of impatience or total detachment. 

Decide whether your interviewer is an extrovert or an introvert and alter your body language depending on this

This is because if you have the opposite personality as your interviewer, you can easily "get on each other's nerves and will get in each other's way."

To fix this, figure out what kind of personality they have and mimic it. 

"With an extrovert interviewer, the job candidate should be talkative and animated," whereas "with an introverted interviewer, the interviewee should reflect on the question in silence, and then respond."

If you don't do this, the interviewer may determine your actions are communicating something that you don't intend them to. For example, if you're an introvert and prefer to think about your answers before speaking, the interviewer may take your silences as "troubling."

You'll know the interview went well if your interviewer:

1. Showed interest by leaning toward you. 

2. Put phone calls on hold.

3. Smiled occasionally and nodded his or head head in agreement.

4. Exhibited some mirroring techniques.

5. Inquired when you could start working.

6. Called your references right after interview.

7. Talked up the benefits of the job and working for the company. 

You'll know you bombed the interview if:

1. Your interview was cut short. 

2. The interviewer started shuffling paperwork or answering their phone while you were speaking.

3. There was no discussion about the next steps or salary requirements. 

4. You were invited back for a second interview, but no one showed you around the office or introduced you to other employees. 

 

Here Are The Major Signs That An Employee Is Losing Motivation

Article by Vivian Giang Business Insider

 

 

To be a good manager, you need to be able to identify changes in your employees' work ethics — especially if they seem to exhibit a lack in motivation.

In our interview with Tim Muma, host of LocalJobNetwork.com's radio program "Moving Up the Ladder," we discussed signs that display a lack of motivation in employees and what managers can do when they witness these changes.

Here are the major signs:

1. A decrease in productivity.

2. Not producing as much quality work.

3. Increased rates of absentee from the employee.

4. Increased turnover throughout company.

Here's what managers should do:

1. Make a personal connection with your workers.

2. Let them know their skills are needed.

3. Make them feel like they have ownership in the company.

4. Tell them their work contributes to a bigger picture in some way.

5. Treat each one of them differently from one another.

6. Give constructive criticism — begin with their strengths, discuss weaknesses, then close with strengths again.

7. Support their creative endeavors.

8. Make sure they understand their chances in upward mobility.

If this dip in motivation is a recurring problem, consider asking the employees directly why there seems to have been changes in their work ethics lately. These problems need to be dealt with immediately before they grow into bigger, more complicated issues.