The fastest, easiest way to get a flat belly requires changing your diet and exercise habits. Switching from refined grains to whole grains reduced abdominal fat in obese men and women, according to the January 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Choosing the right dietary fats and the most efficient fat-burning exercise will help you achieve your flat-belly goal fast.
The Right Carbohydrates
Avoiding refined grains in favor of high-fiber whole grains will help you achieve your flat-belly goal. This means cutting out all baked goods made with white flour, including doughnuts, cookies, cake, pie, bread, flour tortillas, bagels, crackers and pasta. Choosing whole-grain breads, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and barley and whole-grain tortillas increases your fiber and magnesium intake. Selecting high-fiber cold cereals, oat bran and old-fashioned oatmeal instead of low-fiber cereals such as corn flakes, puffed rice, quick oats and sweetened refined oat cereals helps to manage your blood sugar and satisfy your appetite.
The Right Fats
Eating avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate in small quantities will help you get a flat belly. A diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA, prevents and reduces central body fat, according to a study published in the March 2007 issue of the "Journal of Diabetes Care." These foods help to curb your appetite in addition to helping your body reduce belly fat.
The Wrong Fats
Cutting out saturated fats will help you get a flat belly. Unlike MUFAs, saturated fats contribute to body fat. They also increase your risk for heart disease. Limit saturated fat, including butter, fatty meats, lard and full-fat dairy products such as whole milk and ice cream. Aim to reduce saturated fat to below 7 percent of your daily calories and reduce your overall fat intake below 30 percent, advises the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The Right Exercise
Despite the popularity of an endless variety of abdominal workouts intended to create a flat belly, working the abdominal muscles won't selectively burn off belly fat. High-intensity interval exercise -- or HIIE, also called interval training or intermittent sprints -- burns more fat, including abdominal fat, than exercise performed at a steady rate, reports the November 2010 issue of the "Journal of Obesity." HIIE involves sprints at over 90 percent of maximum effort followed by rest or low-intensity exercise. Intervals range from eight to 30 seconds of sprinting, usually on an exercise bike with resistance, followed by a rest period of 12 seconds to four minutes. HIIE burns more calories and burns fat faster, providing the fastest, easiest way to get a flat belly.
References
- "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; Heather I. Katcher, et al.; January 2008
- "Journal of Diabetes Care"; Monounsaturated Fat-Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution; Juan A. Paniagua González, et al; March 2007
- "Journal of Obesity"; High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss; Stephen H. Boutcher; November 2010
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