Having a flat tummy not only lowers your disease risk, but it also gives you more self-confidence to step out onto a public beach wearing a swimsuit. The path to a flat tummy requires discipline and dedication. Not only do you need to change your eating habits, but you have to become more active.
Eat Breakfast
Starting the day without eating breakfast causes more harm than you think when it comes to a flat tummy. According to MayoClinic.com, when you skip breakfast, you might feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix, such as candy from the vending machine. If you were to take this path, you end up eating empty calories and adding fat to your tummy. Not only will eating breakfast prevent this, but it will also give you more energy. As soon as you wake up, have a bowl of oat bran cereal with berries and low-fat milk or chew on a granola bar as you walk out the door.
Eat More Often
When you wake up, eat a meal and wait six plus hours before eating again, you will get hungry, which could lead you to eat too much food. The solution is eating more often. By eating small meals every to three hours, you will keep yourself satisfied. This will also boost your metabolism and keep your energy levels high. Consume meals that are balanced with protein and fiber-rich complex carbs. A turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard is a meal example.
Drink Water
Drinking high-calorie beverages such as soft drinks, flavored lattes, sugar-laden teas, slushies and beer will add empty calories to your diet and prevent you from flattening your tummy. Skip over all these beverages and drink water instead. Not only is water free of calories, but it also flushes toxins from the system and hydrates the body. The Institutes of Medicine recommend that women get 2.7 liters a day and men get 3.7 liters. This comes out to about 11 and 15 cups, respectively.
Burn Your Tummy Fat
When weight is lost, it takes place throughout the body as a whole. This is contrary to the spot reduction theory that states you can lose weight in one location. That being said, the fastest way to a flat tummy is doing fat-burning cardio. It doesn't matter what type you choose to do, as long as it makes you sweat and it elevates your heart rate. Jogging, power walking, cycling, kickboxing, elliptical training and rowing are examples.
Build Muscles
Muscle might make you look and feel good, but there's more to it than that when it comes to your tummy. By building muscle through weight training, you will increase your resting metabolic rate and cause a higher caloric expenditure throughout the day. Perform exercises such as push-ups, shoulder presses, lat pulldowns, triceps dips, curls and lunges to target all of your major muscle groups.
Tone Your Tummy
Even though spot reduction is not possible, it doesn't mean you can't tone your tummy with abdominal exercises. This will create definition as you melt away the pounds with cardio. Do exercises that target your upper abs, lower abs and obliques, such as reverse crunches, leg pull-ins, side crunches, bicycle kicks and V-ups.
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