There's no secret way to get your trim waistline back. In fact, getting your flat abs again simply means you must exercise regularly, stick to a healthy diet and watch your caloric intake daily -- this is what will help you lose pounds and melt fat off your midsection. Integrating an ab workout will tone your stomach muscles, so once the fat is gone your flat abs can be revealed.
Cardio Training
Stomach fat can be slimmed with interval training -- it's one of the fastest way to burn the most amount of calories because you use both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy systems. Aerobic training requires the use of oxygen to sustain activity for a long duration, whereas anaerobic exercise requires no oxygen because it is a short and high intensity effort. Interval train by working at a high intensity for one minute followed by a recovery period for two minutes. Choose activities like running, kickboxing or even swimming that engage the core muscles.
Lean Out
Your diet should largely consist of whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps keep you full longer and prevent overeating. Nuts are also an essential part of your diet when trying to slim your tummy. According to the "Diabetes Care" March 2007 issue, consuming healthy fats will help your body burn fat, especially from the stomach area. These monounsaturated fats, like those in almonds, olive oil and avocado help increase your basal metabolic rate and burn more calories.
Ditch Junk Food and Alcohol
Eliminating junk food and alcohol will help you flatten your stomach. According to the Mayo Clinic too much of any kind of alcohol can lead to excess abdominal fat. Eliminate alcohol completely to achieve your flat ab goals. Ditching junk food can also help you lose inches from the midsection because these foods are often high in calories, trans fats and sugars that not only add excessive calories, but also may cause bloating.
Target Your Core
Train your midsection to gain strength in your core. Target training your abdominals will help tone and sculpt this area. These muscles will become more noticeable when you combine cardio training that sheds the fat. Mix up your core training with different exercises like bicycle twists, planks, traditional crunches, leg lifts and reverse crunches.
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