Attaining a flat tummy requires attention to your diet as well as regular exercise. Do not rely on crunches to help you flatten your belly. These exercises only strengthen the muscles that lie underneath any fat or bloating. Until you can reduce the layers eclipsing your abs, you cannot achieve a flat stomach. Adopt specific strategies and you can begin to shrink your stomach in a matter of weeks.
Step 1
Lose weight if you are overweight. Eat about 500 calories fewer than your daily calorie burn rate to stimulate a one-pound per week weight loss. Stick to this moderate rate as it is the most sustainable and successful, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although this may not be as fast as you would like, it is the most realistic and safe approach.
Step 2
Stick to a very clean, unprocessed diet. Choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, such as skinless chicken, fish, flank steak, eggs, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Avoid excess sodium, which causes bloating and after just a few days you will notice a flatter tummy. Stay away from added sugars, like corn syrup, cane sugar, syrups and honey, which provide calories without nutrition.
Step 3
Eat more dairy. Include a serving of low-fat versions such as cottage cheese, skim milk and plain yogurt five times per day. This amount was shown to help dieters lose belly fat after 12 weeks, reports an October 2009 study from Curtin University in Australia.
Step 4
Switch from refined flours to whole grains. Eat brown rice instead of white, choose whole grain breads instead of white rolls and biscuits, and go for oatmeal in the morning over puffed rice flakes.
In a study published in a 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers from Pennsylvania State University discovered that when dieters ate whole grains instead of refined grains they lost more belly fat than dieters who continued to eat only refined flour versions.
Step 5
Cut gas-producing foods from your diet. Reduce your intake of beans, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, onions, pears and wheat. Stay away from artificially sweetened foods and gum containing sorbitol, which can also cause gas and bloating, reports the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Limit carbonated drinks, which may also promote bloating. If these foods are the source of your distended belly, eliminating them may bring almost immediate belly flattening.
Step 6
Do high intensity interval training three times per week on alternating days to encourage fat loss. Warm up on a treadmill or other stationary cardio machine for three to five minutes and then alternate four minutes of very hard work with two minutes of less intense work. Repeat about 10 times for an hour-long workout.
Researchers from Canada found this regimen increased participants' ability to oxidize fat after just six weeks, according to a study published in December 2008 in the journal "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism."
Tips and Warnings
- If you suspect you are intolerant to lactose, which is the sugar contained in milk, then do not add more dairy in an attempt to reduce belly fat. Talk to your doctor for a definitive diagnosis, but lactose intolerance can also contribute to bloating and prevent you from having a flat tummy.
- Never cut calories below 1,200 per day as a female or 1,500 as a male, warns MedlinePlus.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Gas in the Digestive Tract
- "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism": High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training Increases Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolic Capacities in Human Skeletal Muscle
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": The Effects of a Whole Grain--Enriched Hypocaloric Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Men and Women With Metabolic Syndrome
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
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