Love handles, beer belly or inner tube are names that could be given to the extra weight in your midsection. To lose weight in your belly, you have to decrease your total body fat percentage. Building the abdominal muscles through exercises that engage all angles of the midsection helps to increase your metabolism. Cardiovascular exercise burns layers of fat all over the body. Making changes in your daily eating will help you reduce bloating in the tummy. Performing high-intensity cardio and targeted abdominal exercises, and eating healthily for 21 days will flatten your abs in three weeks.
Step 1
Perform HIIT or high-intensity interval training four days per week to burn significant amounts of fat in a short period of time, notes The New York Times. Step on an exercise stepper at a fast pace for 30 seconds and a slow pace for one minute. Repeat this exercise for 20 to 30 minutes max.
Step 2
Perform plank exercises to work all the muscles in the midsection. Hold your body on your elbows in a push-up position for 30 to 45 seconds. Perform four sets of this exercise at least four times a week.
Step 3
Do leg raises. Grip a pull-up bar and let your legs hang. Exhale and raise your knees toward your chest. Inhale and lower your legs back to the starting position. Repeat for four sets of 25 repetitions each four times per week.
Step 4
Reduce your consumption of salt. Avoid high-sodium, processed foods that cause water retention and bloating due to dehydration, notes BBC News.
Step 5
Eat only natural foods like vegetables, whole grain pasta and bread, fruits, eggs, lean beef, skinless poultry, oatmeal and fish. These foods contain fewer calories and keep you feeling full for a long period of time, notes MayoClinic.com.
Step 6
Eat for a flat belly. Avoid natural foods that cause bloating. Even some healthy foods like broccoli and beans can cause gas and increase bloating in the belly, notes Women's Health Magazine. Additionally, reduce your consumption of dairy products. Consuming dairy can cause bloating due to the body's inability to digest the sugars in milk.
Step 7
Avoid alcohol. Drinking one vodka and cranberry juice can load you up with 230 calories per glass. Having a couple of these per day can pack on an extra pound per week, notes The University of Illinois McKinley Health Center. Instead, drink at least eight cups of water to replace fluids lost during the day and to prevent bloating caused by dehydration, suggests MayoClinic.com.
Step 8
Have a fitness professional take your measurements weekly to track your progress. Look for a decrease in your waistline after the first week.
Member Comments