When it comes to fat loss and getting your body in shape and toned, the midsection of the body can pose a real challenge. Losing belly fat is hard, and it is often the last body part to respond to your fat loss efforts, even with diet and exercise. However, this doesn’t mean you have to live trying to hide your belly bulge with loose clothing because it can do more than just ruining your appearance. Excess abdominal fat is also a risk factor for many health problems, including diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, it shouldn’t be ignored or taken lightly.
How to Get a Flat Stomach – Tips for a Good Start
That flat, toned belly that we all dream to have is hard to achieve, but it’s not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you reach your goal:
- Change Your Workout Moves
If you’re working to lose belly fat, it is highly likely that you are focusing on targeted exercises. While they may seem like the best choice, those isolated exercises won’t give you the desired results until you burn the layer(s) of fat around your waistline. To budge that stubborn belly fat, get your whole body moving. Start with intense full-body workouts, with prime focus on cardio and core strengthening exercises.
- Be More Mindful Of Your Dietary Choices
It goes without saying that you’ve to bring a number of changes in your diet and eating habits to improve your overall health and fitness, not just for flattening your tummy. While we all know the basics like cutting out on carbs and unhealthy fats and eating more protein and fiber, here are a few more things that you need to be careful about:
- Focus more on soluble fiber
- Eat foods that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids – research has shown that they may help prevent the build-up of fat on the belly area.
- Be careful of liquid calories and avoid them as much as possible.
- Limit your alcohol intake. In particular, give up on beer or have it only occasionally; the term beer belly is there for a reason.
- Do not chew anything with your mouth open – it’s high time you listen to what your mum has been saying all these years. When you chew something with your mouth open (bubble gum is the main culprit here), you swallow significant amounts of air along with food, which leads to bloating.
- Take off that salt shaker from your dining table – reduce your salt intake.
- Take care of beneficial bacteria in your gut – add probiotics to your diet.
- Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Sleep
We all know the importance of sleep for overall health. But, research has shown that getting enough and good sleep is also important for weight loss. Not getting enough sleep has also been found to be linked with increased waist size, particularly in women. So, make sure you get a good night’s sleep every day to maximize your fat-loss efforts.
The Final Word
No one likes a protruding belly – it is one of the body areas people are most concerned about. But, belly fat is stubborn and requires more effort and time to burn. The tips discussed above may seem basic and too simple, but they can make a huge difference in your journey to get a flat tummy. Follow them religiously, and you’ll see the results yourself.