Ways to get a flat belly fix

To reach that flat belly goal...

FIRST: it had to tell you the truth about exercise and weight loss that has been hidden from you your entire life by the greedy fat cats in the pharmaceutical and weight loss industries.

(industries whose whole reason for being is to keep you fat and out of shape. So, you keep funneling mountains of cash into their already-overstuffed pockets)

SECOND: it had to be easy as close to “done for you” as possible. So, you never have to feel anxious about what to do, what the next “step” is or if you’re “doing it right”.

THIRD: it hard to be transformation. It had to give you stunning, almost-frightening results in a shockingly-short amount of time so you can see that it works and feel the change in your body in just a few short days or weeks.

Losing the fat around your midsection or abdominal can be a big challenge. In addition to being a risk factor for several diseases, excess abdominal fat may make you feel bloated and discouraged. Luckily, several strategies have been shown to be effective at reducing your waist size. If you dream about having a flat stomach, this article may be just what you need.

Here are some methods to help you reach your goal of a flat stomach:

1. Cut Calories, but Not Too Much

It is a well-known fact that you need to cut calories to produce weight loss. One popular approach is to reduce your daily intake by 500–1,000 calories to expect to lose approximately 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) per week. That being said, restricting your calorie intake too much can be counterproductive. Eating too few calories can cause a major decrease in your metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn on a daily basis. In one study, a group of people who ate 1,100 calories per day slowed their metabolic rate more than twice as much as those who consumed about 1,500 calories per day for four consecutive days. This also decreases in metabolic rate may persist even after you start behaving like you normally do. That means you may have a lower metabolic rate than you had before you severely restricted your calorie intake. Therefore, it is important that you don't restrict your calorie intake too much or for too long.

2. Eat More Fiber, Especially Soluble Fiber

Soluble fibers absorb large quantities of water and slow down the passing of food through the digestive tract. This has been shown to delay stomach emptying, causing the stomach to expand and make you feel full. Furthermore, soluble fiber may decrease the number of calories your body is able to absorb from food. By eating soluble fiber, you are also less likely to accumulate fat around your organs, which reduces your waist circumference and the risk of several diseases. One observational study showed that each 10-gram increase in daily soluble fiber intake decreased fat gain around the midsection by 3.7% over five years. Good sources of soluble fibers include oats, flax seeds, avocados, legumes, Brussels sprouts and blackberries.

3. Do Some Cardio

Doing cardio, or aerobic exercise, is an excellent way to burn calories and improve overall health. Additionally, studies have shown that it is very effective at strengthening your midsection and reducing your waistline. Studies usually recommend doing 150–300 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise weekly, which translates to roughly 20–40 minutes per day. Examples of cardio include running, brisk walking, biking and rowing.

4. Drink Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are an easy way to add extra protein to your diet. Getting enough protein in your diet can boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite and assist with fat loss, especially from your midsection. Furthermore, studies have suggested that adding protein shakes to your weight loss diet may be especially effective at reducing your waist circumference.

5. Limit Your Intake of Carbs, Especially Refined Carbs

Limiting your carbs intake has been shown to have powerful health benefits, especially for weight loss. More specifically, studies show that low-carbs diets target the fat that lodges around your organs and makes your waistline expand. Some studies also suggest that you can significantly improve your metabolic health and reduce your waistline by simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed, whole food carbs. Observational studies have shown that people with the highest intakes of whole grains are 17% less likely to have excess abdominal fat than those who consume diets high in refined carbs.

6. Do Resistance Training

Losing muscle mass is a common side effect of dieting. This can be detrimental to your metabolic rate, as losing muscle decreases the number of calories you burn on a daily basis. Doing resistance exercises regularly may prevent this loss of muscle mass and, in turn, help you maintain or improve your metabolic rate. Moreover, resistance training may be especially effective at tightening your midsection and reducing your waist size. In fact, combining resistance training with aerobic exercise seems to be the most effective for slimming your waistline.

7. Do Exercises Standing Instead of Sitting

Performing exercises while standing up may benefit your health more than performing the same exercises while sitting or using weight machines. By standing, you activate more muscles to maintain balance and hold up your weight. Therefore, you'll spend more energy working out. A study comparing the effects of standing and sitting exercises showed that some standing exercises increased muscle activation by 7–25%, compared to sitting. Another study suggested that standing may improve your breathing, compared to sitting. Although this may seem like a minor alteration, it may strengthen your midsection and is worth a try.

8. Do Exercises Standing Instead of Sitting

Performing exercises while standing up may benefit your health more than performing the same exercises while sitting or using weight machines. By standing, you activate more muscles to maintain balance and hold up your weight. Therefore, you'll spend more energy working out. A study comparing the effects of standing and sitting exercises showed that some standing exercises increased muscle activation by 7–25%, compared to sitting. Another study suggested that standing may improve your breathing, compared to sitting. Although this may seem like a minor alteration, it may strengthen your midsection and is worth a try.

9. Avoid Liquid Calories

Sugary soda, fruit juices and energy drinks are generally loaded with sugar and liquid calories. It is also very easy to drink large quantities at a time, resulting in an abundance of empty calories. The thing with liquid calories is that your brain doesn't register them like it registers solid calories. Therefore, you'll end up consuming these calories on top of everything else that you eat or drink. One study showed that each daily serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage increased the risk of obesity by a whopping 60% in children.

These drinks are also generally loaded with fructose, which has been linked directly to belly fat gain.

10. Eat Whole, Single-Ingredient Foods

The single best dietary advice you can give someone is to base their diet around eating more whole, single-ingredient foods. Whole foods are loaded with nutrients, fiber, water, vitamins and minerals.

This makes it very difficult to over consume these foods, some of which even have their own benefits for preventing weight gain. Try to eat plenty of whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish and unprocessed meat.

11. Drink more Water

There are at least three ways in which water may help you achieve a flat stomach. First, it may help with weight loss by temporarily increasing your metabolic rate. In fact, drinking water may increase your total energy expenditure by up to 100 calories per day. Second, drinking water before meals can make you feel fuller, so you'll ultimately eat fewer calories. Third, it may help relieve constipation and reduce belly bloating. Try drinking a large glass of water before each meal. It may help you achieve your goal.

12. Do High-Intensity Training

One popular way to do high-intensity training is to perform intervals of very intense activity, such as sprinting, rowing or jumping, with short breaks in between. This way of exercising makes your body burn more fat and increases your metabolic rate, even long after you've finished your workout. High-intensity training has been shown to have superior effects on fat burning, compared to other types of exercises, and is especially effective for slimming the waistline. In addition, this type of exercise takes up way less of your time than other types of exercise, as it usually can be done in 10–20 minutes.

13. Reduce Your Stress Levels

Stress and anxiety are very common, and most people experience them at some point in their lives. Stress is linked to the development of many diseases, and it is also a common reason why people tend to eat or binge eat, often without being hungry in the first place. Also, stress triggers the body to produce cortisol, a stress hormone. It has been known to increase appetite and lead specifically to belly fat storage. This may be especially harmful in women who already have a large waist, as they tend to produce more cortisol in response to stress, which further adds to belly fat gain. Try to add some stress-relieving activities to your daily routine, such as yoga or meditation.

14. Eat More Protein

Protein is the most important nutrient when it comes to weight loss. Your body burns more calories digesting protein than fat or carbs. Therefore, a high-protein diet may account for an extra 80–100 burned calories per day. High-protein diets also reduce your appetite, make you feel full and help you retain your muscle mass during weight loss. Furthermore, studies have observed that people who eat more protein have slimmer waistlines than those with lower protein intakes. How much protein you need depends on many factors, such as your age, gender and activity level. Generally, you should aim to get 20–30% of your calories from protein on a daily basis. This can easily be achieved by incorporating a protein source in every meal.

15. Track Your Food Intake

When you're trying to lose weight, it can be helpful to track your food intake. There are several ways to do this, but the most popular and effective ones are counting calories, keeping a food diary and taking pictures of your food. You don't have to do this all the time, but it may be good to track your intake for a few days in a row every few weeks. This will make you more aware of your calorie intake and allow you to adjust your weight loss diet if needed. Studies generally agree that people who track their food intake are more likely to reach their weight loss goals. Here are five free apps or websites that allow you to easily track your nutrient and calorie intake.

16. Get Enough Sleep

Getting a sufficient amount of good sleep is very important for weight loss. Many studies have repeatedly shown sleeping less than five hours a night for adults and less than 10 hours for children is linked to an increased risk of weight gain. In women, short sleep duration is consistently linked to increased waist size, compared to those who get a good night's sleep. Similarly, sleep-deprived people are up to 55% more likely to become obese. Luckily, shifting sleep duration from shorter lengths to healthier lengths has been shown to help eradicate these effects.

17. Eat Fatty Fish Every Week or Take Fish Oil

It is generally recommended to eat fatty fish once or twice per week. Fatty fish is very healthy and rich in essential long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and good-quality protein. Protein has been shown to help with weight loss, and studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may also help reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver and abdominal cavity. If you don't like eating fatty fish, you can get long-chain fatty acids from fish oil or fish oil supplements.

18. Strengthen Your Core

Crunches and other abdominal exercises can benefit both your overall health and appearance. By doing regular core exercises, you strengthen and add mass to your abdominal muscles, which may prevent back aches that result from weak posture. A strong core will also improve your posture and prop up your spine, allowing you to appear taller and more confident. Furthermore, core exercises help you strengthen the muscles that ultimately hold in your belly, making you appear leaner. Aim to do core exercises that engage all your core muscles, such as planks or Pilates roll-ups.