How to Lose Inches Fast & for Free

According to tournament tennis player, fitness author and certified personal trainer, LaRue E. Cook, muscle takes up less space than fat which is why losing inches can be just as important as losing pounds when it comes to getting healthy and looking great. Whether you're hoping to get into your old jeans or looking to be more physically fit, using practical fitness secrets will help you achieve your goal.

Things You'll Need

• scale
• weekly planner

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Instructions

• 1

  Choose what size clothes you want to wear. Losing inches starts with a different type of thought process, instead of aiming for a weight-loss goal you want to visualize a body image. If seeing yourself slimmer is hard to imagine, go shopping and purchase an outfit in the size that you want to wear. Seeing this garment on a hanger is a good everyday reminder of where you want to be.

• 2

  Monitoring your body's measurements can be more encouraging than traditional weight scales.

  Purchase a multi-measurement scale. Modern technology allows you to purchase a scale that will not only tell you how much you weigh, but can show you your Body Mass Index (BMI) as well. Losing inches doesn't always translate to pounds lost, so having the ability to see your progress as a BMI can give you the positive encouragement you need to stick with your fitness routine.

• 3

  Schedule workout days. Having pre-scheduled days to exercise gives you the advantage of being mentally prepared and ensures that you put in the proper amount of time each week to achieve your fitness goal. Exercising four to five days a week is ideal, however, if your schedule doesn't allow this, aim for 4-5 hours of exercise over 3 days a week.

• 4

  Target your upper and lower body when exercising. Muscle not only looks better than fat, it also helps you to burn fat. Every workout session should be evenly divided, if you do 20 minutes of cardio then you need to also do 10 minutes on upper body strength and 10 minutes on lower body strength.

• 5

  Tighten your stomach area. Firming your body's mid-section not only helps you fit into a smaller size, but improves your overall appearance.