What Is Good For A Flat Belly?

Exercise and proper diet help decrease the amount of fat you carry in your abdominal region. Together diet and exercise help you create a calorie deficit, meaning that you burn more calories than you take in. Create a deficit of 3,500 calories to drop 1 lb. of fat. A flat belly may start to form as you continue to create a calorie deficit and drop fat.

Food Selection

The number of calories you consume each day depends on the foods you choose to eat, the fluids you chose to drink and your portion sizes. Cravings and overeating often result from diets high in simple carbohydrates, fats and salt, advises Dr. David Caruso, a family practitioner for Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Caruso states: "You can stop cravings and overeating by allowing yourself a small meal or snack every two to three hours throughout the day, drinking more water and limiting your portion sizes." Choose complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, 100 percent whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables and beans. For protein, eat more fish, skinless poultry and limited amounts of nuts and seeds. Restrict the number of calories you consume, but do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories if you are a woman and 1,500 calories if you are a man.

Cardio Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise provides you with the opportunity to burn large amounts of calories in a relatively short time. Perform a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of cardio exercise on most days of the week. MayoClinic.com shows that running, rollerblading, jumping rope, tae kwon do and active sports such as basketball, tennis and football burn the most calories. The harder you have to work to perform an activity, the more calories you burn. Continue to flatten your belly while doing your favorite activities by continually working at an intensity that challenges but does not exhaust you.

Strength Training

Strength training helps tone your muscles, increase your metabolism and protect your joint. When you strengthen your muscles you build lean muscle tissue which burns more calories each day than fat. Stronger muscles provide better support for your joints to decrease your chances of injury. Plan a minimum of two strength-training workouts into your week on nonconsecutive days. It takes your muscles 48 hours to heal after a strength-training workout. Plan your workout to include exercises that work all of the major muscle groups in the body, including those of your legs, arms, abdomen, back, chest and shoulders. Core exercises, such as crunches, planks and bridges help tone your core and flatten your belly.

Considerations

Genetics play a role in your ability to have a flat stomach. Your genetic makeup determines the size and shape of your internal organs. If your organs take up too much space in your abdomen, you may have a rounded stomach you cannot reduce. Your genetics may also cause you to store more fat in your abdominal region than in other body regions, making it more important to stick to a reduced calorie diet and exercise on a daily basis.