Working out helps tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles, but you can achieve a flat stomach without formal exercise. Become disciplined in your eating and make movement a priority and flat abs may be in your future.
Step 1
Focus every meal on whole, natural foods. Eat fiber-rich whole grains and fresh produce, which keeps your digestive system running smoothly and discourages bloating caused by constipation. Small servings of lean proteins help you feel sated.
Step 2
Increase your water intake. Go for at least 5 or 6 eight-ounce glasses per day to flush out sodium and stave off hunger.
Step 3
Eat several small meals (no more than 400 calories each) four or five times a day. Avoid overstuffing yourself which only leads to a distended stomach.
Step 4
Avoid gas-producing foods. Stay away from large portions of beans, cabbage and broccoli, which might cause digestive upset, including bloating.
Step 5
Eliminate saturated fats, simple sugars and high-sodium foods. Steering clear of processed foods and fast foods help you remove most of these offenders from your diet.
Step 6
Move without doing hard-core exercise. Create a calorie burn with daily activities like parking farther away from stores, cleaning your own house or playing with your kids.
Step 7
Add balance moves to your daily routine. Sit on a stability ball at work instead of a desk chair or balance on one leg while blow drying your hair. Perform such moves in order to build core strength without classic crunches or other ab exercises.
Tips and Warnings
- Determine whether you are lactose or soy intolerant as these may create bloating as well. Rarer conditions such as wheat and fructose intolerance may also cause your belly to distend. Achieving a flat belly is often dependent on weight loss. Dieting alone may yield weight loss but exercise helps. Consider adding light exercise like walking or dancing to increase your calorie burn and hasten the emergence of your flat stomach.
Things You'll Need
- Lean proteins
- Whole grains
- Fresh produce
- Water
- Stability ball (optional)
References
- "Shrink Your Belly" Stacy Kennedy, Oxygen Special: Abs, Summer 2009
- The Ten Best Foods for Flat Abs
- Foods that Cause Bloating
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