Before starting, we need to clarify one thing: despite the fast diets and the "anti-roll" exercises that are around, it is impossible to dispose of the fat in a targeted manner. To flatten your belly, you need to shed overall body fat with a low-calorie, nutrient-rich diet coupled with a calorie-burning workout. You won't be able to get the famous tortoise in a month, but you can adopt healthier habits that will benefit your belly and the rest of your body.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Improving Your Nutrition
Step 1. Reduce your calorie intake
If you want a flat stomach, you need to shed overall body fat, and to do that, you need to burn more calories than you eat. Lowering your calorie intake will cause your body to use the energy reserves it has accumulated, i.e. the fats you intend to eliminate.
- Basically, 500 grams of fat equals about 3500 calories. As a result, you generally need to burn 500 extra calories per day to lose 500 grams per week. This weight loss rate is considered healthy.
- When trying to cut down on your calorie intake, you need to make sure that every single calorie counts by choosing low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. The tables made available by the Mayo Clinic offer examples to demonstrate that simple substitutions and portion changes are enough to substantially decrease calorie intake.
Step 2. Increase your fiber intake
Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains not only provide a wide variety of nutrients: they are also rich in fiber, so they promote weight loss in several ways. The recommended daily consumption depends on variables such as age and gender. Take a look at this chart to determine how many fibers you need.
- Some people think that fibers cause bloating, so it is not recommended for those who want to have a flat stomach. However, the reality is quite different: fibers help cleanse the intestines and thus reduce swelling.
- Among other things, fibers guarantee a longer lasting sense of satiety, so they can help reduce your daily calorie intake.
Step 3. Choose lean proteins, such as fish, chicken, milk and skim products
They are rich in nutrients, but without excess calories or "bad" fats. They can also give you energy for workouts, and exercise is known to be just as important for a flat stomach.
- Eggs are high in protein, but low in carbohydrates and total calories, making them ideal for breakfast and for starting the day off on the right foot.
- Milk and dairy proteins have also been shown to provide greater satiety, so they can help you eat less. Prefer low-fat options.
Step 4. Start your meals with soup
To have a healthy diet, you need to achieve adequate satiety by consuming fewer calories and without sacrificing essential nutrients. A very simple dish like soup can be of great help.
- According to a study conducted by Penn State University, eating a low-calorie soup before lunch or dinner reduces the overall calorie intake of the meal by about 20%. Basically, it helps you fill up before the main course is even served.
- To get your fill of nutrients, choose a soup that's low in calories, fat, and sodium, but high in veggies, lean protein, and fiber. If you're using a ready-made one, read the label.
Step 5. Don't be fooled by myths about "anti-flab" foods
Whenever someone cries out for a miracle in front of certain smoothies or proteins, be wary: no food (or for that matter no exercise) can fight fat in a specific place on the body. Body fat can only be reduced in a general way.
That said, certain foods (such as those containing fiber, probiotics, or low in sodium) can help slim your tummy because they fight bloating and slow digestion
Part 2 of 3: Exercise Efficiently
Step 1. Take off the "grease hood"
It's a simple analogy, but it helps you better understand which exercises are most effective for fighting fat and flattening your tummy. Imagine that the fat layer is a kind of overcoat (after all, one of its purposes is to retain body heat). When you work out, your goal is to remove this layer just like you were taking off a coat.
- Think of it this way: If you wore a light coat, would you take it off during an intense, sweaty workout? You must therefore choose aerobic exercises that can warm up the body, enough to push you to take off an actual overcoat (like a hood): brisk walking, cycling, dancing, swimming and so on. Cardiovascular exercises of this type can make you burn off a lot of calories, enough to lead the body to draw energy from the "hood of fat" (and this will allow you to "take it off" permanently over time).
- Remember, though, that you don't just have to do cardiovascular exercises, neglecting those aimed at building strength and muscle mass. Cardio activity burns more fat while exercising, but muscles burn fat even at rest: consequently, building muscle mass will help you burn more fat. You need both types of exercise for both bone health and metabolism.
Step 2. Vary your cardiovascular workouts
To burn fat and lose weight, you should set yourself a goal of doing 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day; they don't have to be overly intense, but they should speed up your breathing and heart rate, enough to make you sweat (think back to the hood analogy) and keep you from having a normal conversation.
- Cardiovascular exercises speed up the heart rate and are effective in shedding visceral fat.
- Some people prefer discipline and routine, so they go for a run every morning in the same place. However, for many, the variety helps make aerobic exercise more challenging. At a brisk pace, activities such as cleaning the house or gardening can also be effective. You may want to keep a daily journal to note how much aerobic activity you do.
Step 3. Integrate the weights
It is true that abdominal fat must be disposed of in order to achieve good muscle tone, but not just cardiovascular activities. Muscles will help reshape your body and allow you to burn calories at rest (not just when you go to the gym). According to some studies, those who do weights have a lower percentage of fat mass than those who only do aerobics.
Simple exercises, like sit-ups and crunches, are fine, but there are virtually endless solutions to tone your abs, such as side planks and lower limb raises. Doing several core-targeted exercises will help build overall toning, but remember that cardiovascular activity should be your top priority
Step 4. Make the most of your ab exercises
Instead of focusing on toning exercises unique to the abs, you should look for alternatives that also involve other muscle groups. Often these movements require more effort, so they can help burn more fat. Also, toning the muscles in the back, chest, shoulders, legs, and so on can improve posture and help slim the belly.
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For example, you can try:
- High leg crunch with toe touch and stretch. In the supine position, extend your arms and legs vertically. Do a crunch and try to touch your toes with your hands. Lower both arms and one leg, so they are parallel to the floor. Repeat the movement alternating legs.
- Legs flexed and pushed with dumbbells. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Grab a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Lean back slightly, extend your arms over your head and flex your legs towards your torso. Hold the position for a second, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Part 3 of 3: Improving the Belly Appearance
Control Your Subconscious Mind Step 5 Step 1. Try to have good posture
Probably when you were little your mother used to pester you and tell you to stand up straight, and she was right. Having good posture both when sitting and standing will greatly reduce abdominal bulging, regardless of what you do to shed fat and tone your muscles.
- Sooner or later everyone tries to pull in the belly, but obviously it is not sustainable in the long term, while a correct posture is, moreover it is possible to adopt it permanently.
- Read this article to discover simple tricks and postural exercises.
Be Calm Step 18 Step 2. Try to fight the stress
You must know that you also have bacon because of your ancestors. The fight or flight reaction, which helped cavemen defend against predators, stimulates the release of cortisol. This hormone sends the signal to the body to store fat in the abdominal area, in order to have energy reserves for lean periods.
- Consequently, one of the most effective ways to lower cortisol is to fight stress (basically, you need to decrease the fight or flight reaction). This should then help reduce the fat stored in the abdominal area.
- Read this article: it will show you effective techniques for recognizing, coping and reducing stress.
Be Calm Step 9 Step 3. Get more sleep
Even little sleep stresses the body and increases cortisol production, once again triggering the storage of fat. Restful sleep should help reduce cortisol and therefore the fat storage mechanism.
Generally, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but each individual has special needs. This article will give you some useful tips on how many hours you need and how to make sure you get enough sleep
Reduce Water Retention Step 6 Step 4. Fight the swelling
In addition to excess abdominal fat, temporary bloating is one of the biggest enemies of the flat stomach.
- Consuming excess salt commonly causes bloating, as it more easily causes water retention. Setting aside the salt shaker is undoubtedly the first step, but in most cases the sodium intake derives from the consumption of pre-cooked and prepackaged foods. Read labels and menus to understand how much sodium each food contains, so try not to exceed the recommended daily intake.
- Fizzy drinks not only make you eat empty calories with no nutritional value - the carbonation itself can cause bloating, another reason to avoid them.
- Bloating can sometimes be caused by digestive problems. Dairy products containing probiotics can help fight them. Look for products like yogurt and kefir with live, active cultures.
- Constipation can cause bloating and an enlarged belly. Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to relieve it.
Maximize Workout Benefits Step 27 Step 5. Drink more water
Contrary to what one might think, drinking a lot of water does not make you fat, on the contrary: it helps to cleanse the body and limit swelling.
- Generally, adults are recommended 8 glasses of 250 milliliter (2 liters) water per day. Drink before you even begin to feel thirsty and be consistent throughout the day.
- Drinking a glass of water before meals can also help you fill up faster, thus reducing your calorie intake.
