GirlsGuideTo | 50 Habits of Thin People: In Your Home

We’re continuing our series of the 50 “best habits of naturally thin people” with part three, habits to add on the home front. Those slim people you envy don’t just laze the days away! We’ve already covered morning makeovers and nine-to-five fixes, but what do you do when you’re lounging around the house, or how can you add a little fitness in a way to ensure success without feeling like you’re trying so, so hard? Here are 13 tips and tricks that help you stay healthy and slim down the easy way at home.

26. Jog for Junk
Turn your clutter into a challenge: For every catalogue or credit card application or other piece of junk mail you pull from the mailbox each day, do one lap around your house or building, or up and down a flight of stairs. Then be sure to toss the mail in your recycling bin! Or turn your cleaning into a workout! For every dish you do, do a couple pushups.

27. Use better butter
No, you don’t have to give up the real deal if you don’t want to. Just find a better option. Instead of a tablespoon of stick butter, use a tablespoon of whipped and cut half the calories. Not to mention, it’s a lot easier to spread. Just sayin’.

28. Step on it
Before you head upstairs, stop and stand on the bottom step for these calf toners. Hold the banister with one hand. Bend your right leg and place the toes of your left foot on the edge of the step. Let your heel drop down, press into the ball of your left foot and rise to your toes. Pause; repeat with each foot for 8 to 12 reps.

29. Swap Your Starter
Order a clear soup instead of a salad soaked with two tablespoons full-fat ranch and you can save twice the calories. Plus you’ll feel fuller, so you’ll eat less when the entrée comes.

30. Play footsie
After dinner, while you’re still sitting at the table, extend your right leg out and slowly bend it up and down, squeezing and holding in the up position for at least five seconds. Repeat on each leg five times. Sculpt those quads of steel, girl.

31. Make perfect pasta
Substitute whole-grain pasta for semolina and you’ll be satisfied with a smaller portion (1.5 ounces instead of 2). Or use the same amount of oat-bran pasta to cut even more calories.

32. Climb up!
Taking the stairs for a total of just two minutes, five days a week, gives you the same calorie-burning results as a 20-minute walk.

33. Fill up with fruit
Like pie? Here’s how you can cave to the craving without : Sprinkle fresh fruit — some cut-up apple, pear or a handful of cherries — with some Splenda, cover and nuke for a minute or so. Tastes just like pie filling!

34. Have your cake (and yes, eat it too)
Pick up an angel food cake for dessert. It’s packed with air and has fewer than half the calories of, say, pound cake. Top it with fresh berries and you can even convince yourself it’s healthy…sort of.

35. Ease into evening
Sitting with feet uncrossed, grab your wrist and raise your hands above your head to lengthen the spine. Take a deep breath in as you reach and hold the position, breathing slowly in and out for 20 seconds, taking longer on the exhale. Instant relaxation.

36. Get your chocolate fix
Instead of a candy bar, try a sugar-free, reduced-calorie Jell-O chocolate pudding snack with a squirt of nonfat whipped cream topping. Eat it with a baby spoon to savor it longer! (They also make a chocolate mousse that’s pretty damn good!)

37. Can the commercials
The average half-hour TV show has eight minutes of commercials. Ignore the food ads and make it worth it. Get off the couch and do an ab circuit. First commercial, do basic crunches. Second commercial, do reverse crunches. Do as many as you can in 30 seconds and switch your moves each break.

38. Lift those hips
Before you tuck yourself in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or a chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for five seconds, relax and repeat 10 to 12 times. Firms up hamstrings and core.

Check back tomorrow when we go through change-ups you can make to rock your weekend the slim way.

Do you sneak in strength training while watching the tube? Always take the stairs? Share how you stay slim at home!