Flattening your tummy muscles is beneficial to your health and your appearance. Your abdominal muscles support your back and give you strength when you perform activities that require balance and physical endurance. You cannot flatten your tummy in isolation from the rest of your body. Eating the right types and quantities of foods helps you lose overall body fat. Learn how to control your food cravings and do the right exercises to get the look you desire.
Flatten Your Tummy
Step 1
Strengthen your core muscles with planks. Deceptively simple, these abdominal core exercises require balance and strength. Lie face down on the floor. Support your body with your lower arms and your toes. Suspend your body in the air, keeping your spine straight. Count to 10, lower yourself back to the ground and repeat. The Harvard Medical School recommends setting a goal of holding the plank position for 60 seconds at a time.
Step 2
Sit on the floor in preparation to do the seated side-to-side move. Bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor. Lean back slightly and hold the position. Tighten your tummy muscles and twist your body to the left. Lean over slightly and touch your fingertips to the floor. Twist back to center and then twist to the right. Keep your tummy muscles tight the entire time. Repeat 20 times. This exercise targets your oblique or side tummy muscles.
Step 3
Target your lower tummy muscles by adding a fitness ball to your workout. Lie flat on your back and put the ball under your calves. Your legs should be about 18 inches apart. Lift the ball into the air by tightening your stomach muscles and squeezing the ball with your legs. Hold your position for three seconds. Repeat five times.
End Food Cravings
Step 1
Make a list of the foods you crave. In his book, "The End of Overeating," Dr. David Kessler explains that to understand why you crave certain foods, you must identify "whether it's texture, aroma or other sensory properties that generates the excitement" and makes it difficult for you to stop eating. In general, people crave foods high in fat, sugar and sodium.
Step 2
Eat small meals throughout the day to control your cravings. According to the University of California, sugar cravings are harder to control when you are feeling very hungry. Plan to eat a wide variety of foods and focus on foods that have intense flavors, but are low in calories. Ask yourself if the foods you are eating are helping your fitness goals. If not, avoid those foods.
Step 3
Recognize when you are physically hungry. Emotions often trigger food cravings. Avoid emotional eating by learning which emotions make you eat when you are not hungry. Write down how you are feeling when cravings strike. Find alternative activities to distract you from eating, such as going for a walk, talking on the phone or starting a new hobby.
Tips and Warnings
- Do abdominal exercises three to five times a week. Reduce your caloric intake to lose excess body weight. Do cardiovascular exercises to burn fat throughout your entire body. Have healthy snacks on hand to help you avoid the temptation to eat unhealthy foods. When grocery shopping, avoid buying the foods you crave.
- If you experience back pain while working your abdominal muscles, stop and consult your doctor. Consult with a behavioral therapist if you cannot control your food cravings on your own.
Things You'll Need
- Fitness ball
Member Comments