how to get flat tummy

How to Get a Flat Stomach

Don't eat anything for two to three hours

before sleep. Your body slows down when you

sleep, which will prevent your body from digesting

the food in your stomach properly.

You are also much less active in the evenings

and at night, which means that your body is

more likely to store the calories you consume

late at night as fat, rather than burning them

as energy.

Try not to eat anything at least two to three

hours before going to bed, or follow the

"daylight diet", which only allows you to eat

during daylight hours.

Eat healthier. There's no real secret when it

comes to having a flat-tummy friendly diet —

you simply need to eat more healthy foods like

fruit, veg, and whole grains, and cut down on junk

food , like candy, chips and fast food. Just by

making this simple switch, you'll see a world of

difference to your stomach. However, it's not

recommended that you go cold turkey — try to ease

into a healthy diet by slowly, but consistently

replacing the bad with the good. Here are some

simple changes you can make:

Eat lots of lean protein. Beans, nuts, and lean

meat are rather good for you as long as you

do not eat the fat!

Eat whole grains. Look for labels that say

"100% whole grain" or "100% whole wheat" and

not just "wheat flour." Whole grains keep you

fuller longer, which can help with weight loss

and getting a flat tummy.

Eat low-fat dairy products. Switch out your

high-fat dairy for low-fat options, which are

rich in protein and vitamin B6.

Eat healthy fats. Not all fat is bad you know!

The monounsaturated fats found in avocados,

nuts and oil fish are actually very good for you

and can help you to lose weight. Just stay

away from the trans fats found in processed

foods and baked goods.

Lower your sodium intake. Sodium causes

your body to retain water, which causes you

to look bloated — especially around your

abdominal region. Whenever possible, try

replacing high-sodium foods with healthier

options. Switch regular table salt for kosher or

sea salt, which are lower in sodium, and stay

away from soy sauce as it's full of it.

Reduce your portion sizes. Rather than eating

the wrong kinds of foods, many people just

eat too much of the right foods. You should eat

just enough until you feel full, then stop. If you're

eating regular, healthy snacks throughout the day,

this shouldn't leave you feeling hungry.

One good trick is to use smaller plates when

you eat meals. That way, your plate will look

like it's heaped with food, but you're actually

eating less than you normally would. Also try

to fill at least half the plate with vegetables.

Try to chew more slowly and thoroughly when

you eat. Chewing your food well helps to

speed up the digestion process in the

stomach, leaving you feeling less bloated and

gassy. You should chew every bite until it

reaches the consistency of apple sauce.

Take small breaks in between every bite of

food when eating. The extra time will give your

stomach a chance to realize that it's full, thus

preventing you from over-eating.

Eat low-glycemic index foods. These items

take longer to digest, so you feel full longer.

Your body will slowly absorb the nutrients so you'll

avoid any spikes or drops in your blood sugar until

your next meal. Some of the best low-GI foods are:

Cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery,

cucumbers, zucchini, dark leaf lettuce, onions,

pears, tomatoes, watercress, broccoli,

bananas, apples, and berries are all good

foods to eat.

Try to cut as much sugar from your diet as

possible. Besides being full of empty calories,

having less sugar in your system will help to lower

your insulin levels.

Lower insulin levels equate to greater

production of a hormone known as glucagon

in your system.

Glucagon is a substance that allows glucose to

be burned as energy, thus contributing to a

fabulously flat stomach!

Eat a protein-rich snack between 3 and 4 p.m.

According to experts, eating a protein-rich

snack at the magic hour between three and four in

the afternoon will boost your metabolism and

balance your blood sugar.

A protein bar or shake, a handful of almonds,

or pumpkin seeds, or a chunk of low-fat

cheese are all good options.

Having balanced blood sugars lowers the

amount of insulin in your system, which is

good because insulin can cause you to store

fat around your middle.

Eat small, frequent meals. Replace your usual

system of eating three large meals a day, with

eating smaller, more regular meals. Many people

make the mistake of eating nothing at all between

breakfast, lunch, and dinner, especially when they

are trying to lose weight.

However, this type of diet will negatively effect

blood sugar levels and cause you to eat more

due to hunger, thus making it harder to lose

weight.

Having a small, healthy snack every three to

four hours and not letting yourself go hungry

is a much healthier and more effective system.

Drink plenty of water. You should replace all

your regular beverages with water, especially

soda and sugared drinks which are full of empty

calories and will cause your stomach to bloat.

Drinking lots of water will help to flush toxins

out of your system and keep your bowels

moving, both of which are essential for a flat

stomach.

If you find regular water too boring, consider

making sassy water instead. Sassy water is

simply regular water infused with a number of

refreshing and energizing ingredients, which

help to speed up the metabolism and cut

down on belly fat. Recipes vary, but many

include some combination of ingredients such

as orange slices, lemon slices, grated ginger,

cucumber, fresh spearmint, and fresh basil.

The water is left to infuse overnight — making

it refreshingly "sassy" by the next morning! [6]

Pay attention to your body's signs. Your urine

should be a light yellow or clear color; dark

yellow with an odor could be a sign that you

are dehydrated.

Cut down on alcohol. While the prospect of

cutting alcohol out of your diet completely

may be hard to bear, you should seriously consider

cutting down. Alcohol, particularly wine and beer, is

full of calories (scary fact: one bottle of wine

contains roughly 600 calories).

Alcohol consumption also releases estrogen

into the system, which is undesirable, as

excess estrogen causes the body to retain

weight.

In addition, alcohol stimulates appetite and

causes willpower to melt away, making you

much more likely to binge on all the things

you've been depriving yourself of, like burgers,

fries, pizza, chocolate, and potato chips. [7]

Do aerobic exercises daily. Sure, you can do

100 crunches a day, but if you've got a layer of

belly fat covering up your ab work then what's the

point? You need to burn the top layer of stomach

fat to see the changes. Cardio exercises will heat

up your core temperature and improve circulation,

both of which will aid in acquiring a flat stomach.

Strive for at least 30 minutes a day minimum, but

include 1-2 days of rest each week.

Activities such as dancing, running , tae-bo,

swimming, cycling, and walking at a good

pace will all provide a great aerobic workout. In

fact, anything that brings your heart rate up

will do the trick! Boxing provides an excellent

cardio workout, while the muscles involved in

throwing punches will help to flatten your

stomach.

Try interval cardio training, such as alternating

between sprinting and power walking. You can

try sprinting for as long as you can. When you

become too tired, you should walk. When you

feel that you've caught your breath, sprint

again. Do these alterations for a total of 20

minutes at a time.

Include plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises

that require "explosive power". They combine

cardio with strength training. Some great plyometric

exercises you can do at home include:

Modified jumping jacks. Start standing, then

jump up with hands and feet spread apart,

creating an "X" in the air with your body, then

land back in standing. Repeat as many times

as you can.

Squat-thrust push-ups. Start in push-up

position, do one push-up, then push off with

your feet and pull your knees up to your chest

so your feet land between your hands (still on

the ground in push-up position), then jump as

high as you can, arms over head. Squat back

down with your hands on the floor, then jump

back to push-up position again. Do as many

as you can do well with good form.

Incorporate strength training to build muscle.

Having more muscle will increase your

metabolism, so you'll burn calories faster over time.

Crunches work the upper abdomen, leg raises

work the lower abdomen, and side bends work

the obliques (also known as love handles).

About 15-25 reps each day should be enough.

If you can do more than that, try adding a

weights to your routine. Note that doing

crunches will only build muscle underneath

your existing belly fat, but will not burn that fat

directly.

Try using an exercise ball to work your tummy

muscles. One great exercise is called the ball

exchange. Lie flat on your back, with your

arms extended over your head, holding the

exercise ball. Lift the ball above your chest,

simultaneously raising your legs (keeping them

completely straight) off the ground. Place the

ball between your ankles, then lower your arms

and legs to the floor. Repeat the exchange,

this time passing the ball from your ankles to

your hands. Do 10-12 repetitions.

Try compound exercises like deadlifts with

heavier weights.

Do the simple three-step crunch. You will have

a flat stomach in no time!

Lie down on the floor with your hands on your

side and you knees bent.

Keep your feet on the ground and sit up.

Repeat 10 times and increase the amount you

do daily.

Consult with an expert. Doctors, certified

dietitians (not nutritionists), and personal

trainers can help you in covering all of the bases

you need to to lose weight. Always see a doctor or

dietitian first though... many personal trainers will

say whatever they have to to get your money!

Going to see a personal trainer or a doctor can

help greatly because they can give you a diet

and exercise plan that will help you get to your

desired weight. Working from their guidance is

much easier than doing it alone.

Don't do fad diets. Eating healthy and

exercising are the best ways to lose extra

pounds. Fad diets may have short term results, but

they'll turn on you after awhile, or even cause

serious damage to your body. In the long run

trendy diets just make you eat more or in

unhealthy and unsustainable ways, causing weight

gain. Try eating healthy.

Try swapping out one bad food for a good

food everyday until you don't eat junk food as

your main priority.

Never starve yourself. Your results will only be

temporary and you will feel frustrated sooner,

which makes you much more likely to give up.

When you starve yourself, your body goes into

"starvation mode," and it causes your body to slow

down your metabolism (which processes your food)

and minimize or even reverse weight loss.

While you might think that starvation is most

effective, in essence it could do permanent

harm to your body as well as make it hard to

keep off the weight.

Be patient ! You cannot expect immediate

results in a healthy way. Any method that sees

fat just "melting off" is also likely extremely bad for

your body. The best way to preserve your health

and keep the fat off long-term is to take the steps

we discuss above.

Also, keep in mind: some people find it harder

to obtain a flat stomach than others. Natural

body shape and your own personal fitness

level play a role. What works quickly for some

might not work quickly for you.

Learn to cope with stress. Many people

overeat because work, their family, or other

factors are causing them too much stress. Finding

other ways to cope with this stress can really help

you get and keep that flat tummy.

Try things like jogging to reduce stress, or

take up a new hobby like boxing that gives you

a positive outlet for those negative feelings.

Get enough sleep so that you won't feel tired

all the time. Having adequate rest helps you to

relieve stress. You will feel less likely to go on an

eating binge. Develop healthy sleeping habits.

Studies have also shown that inadequate sleep

can inherently cause weight gain, so get

yourself to bed!

Work on your personal image and self-

confidence. Many people eat more food than

they need to to make them feel better, because

others put them down, they feel lonely, or they

don't like how they look. Don't do this! You are

beautiful and amazing! When you accept that you

are incredible just as you are, you'll find that you're

okay with a little softness in the navel region.

Don't compare your body to that of others.

Everyone has a different body type and no one

will ever look exactly the same. You might not

need a flatter stomach at all. As long as you

feel healthy, that's really all that matters.