Wanting a flat stomach to show off at the beach or the gym is something that most people can relate to, but not everyone knows how to achieve. Thinking that doing hundreds of crunches will melt away the fat around your stomach is entirely wishful. The quicker you begin burning off more calories than you eat the faster you will turn around the process of expanding your waistline instead of diminishing it. Start counting your calories and going to the gym, and you'll get rid of the potbelly as quickly as possible. Speak to your doctor before altering your diet and exercise program.
Step 1
Determine how many calories you should be eating on a daily basis so that you have enough calories to be healthy, but not so much that you will gain weight. Enter your age, weight, height, gender and level of physical activity into the Calorie Calculator available in the "Resources" section. This is your maintenance number of calories that will keep you at your present weight.
Step 2
Add the calories you eat on a daily basis to be sure you are consuming the recommended number.
Step 3
Increasing the level of physical activity without increasing the number of calories you eat daily will put you at a caloric deficit and help you lose weight. Once you reach your flat stomach goal, use this calculator to discover your new maintenance calorie number so you do not gain back the weight you lost.
Step 4
Hit the gym Monday through Friday to do cardio and strength training. Work up to 30 minutes of cardio on the exercise machine of your choice or by doing an aerobic class, three days a week.
Step 5
Join a strength training or Pilates class twice a week to tone your core and build muscle. If you cannot find a class, hire a personal trainer to teach you how to strength-train safely with free weights. The more exercises you do standing up or sitting on an exercise ball, the faster you will get a flat stomach due to the higher caloric burn you get from exercising with free weights versus weight machines. Your ab muscles must be engaged to help you balance when doing free weight exercises, and more muscles must be recruited to stabilize your movements. More muscles means more work and faster weight loss.
Tips and Warnings
- Stand up straight if you want your stomach to look flat. Fitness expert Ellen Barrett says, "If people slouch, their stomachs pooch." Lift your chest and pull your shoulders back throughout the day; always remember to suck in your abs.
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