10 ways to get a flat stomach
It's a fact, belly fat can be challenging to lose, even with diet and exercise and is very often the last part of your body to lose fat.
Fortunately, we have a few tips to help you lose that belly fat and tone your abdomen!
1: ADD CARDIO
Cardio is an excellent way to burn calories and improve your heart health. Most cardio exercises are effective at burning fat from our midsection. Examples include running, walking, and Group Spin.
2: EAT MORE FIBRE
Fibre makes you fuller for longer, reducing the amount of food you eat during and between meals. Fibre also aids the digestive system, a healthy digestive system can decrease bloating.
3. LIMIT REFINED CARBS
Your body uses carbohydrates as a fuel source, but not all carbs are created equally. Our bodies, convert certain carbs like white bread and pasta into glucose. If you consume more glucose than you need, your body starts to store excess fat. Carbs are essential for energy, however, to reduce body fat try wholegrain alternatives.
4: INCREASE PROTEIN
Protein is the building blocks needed to grow and repair muscle, plus it also helps you feel fuller for longer.
5: ADD RESISTANCE TRAINING
Resistance training enables you to maintain muscle when you are cutting calories. Increasing muscle mass helps your resting body burn more calories. Give weightlifting or bodyweight exercises a try; such as squats and lunges. Mixing cardio and resistance training is a proven way to reduce body fat.
6: EAT MONOSATURATED FATTY ACIDS
The most famous monounsaturated fatty acid is the avocado! Monounsaturated fatty acid "aka" good fats include:
- avocado
- olive oil
- nuts
- sesame oil
- no added sugar peanut butter
A 2016 systematic review found that monounsaturated fatty acid-rich diets could help decrease body weight.
7:MOVE MORE
Simply moving more throughout the day (especially if you have a desk job) can make a significant difference. Try taking the stairs instead of the lift, walk more and stretch throughout the day.
8: SWAP HIGH-CALORIE DRINKS
We often forget about the calories in drinks. High-calorie drinks generally offer no nutrients and drinking too many quite usually means you are consuming extra calories without even realising. And don't forget milk-based drinks such as tea and coffee all have extra calories.
9: DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Water is key to overall health, it helps reduce water retention and can improve portion control. You should drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day, and if you are doing exercise, you should up your water intake to at least 3-4 litres of water if not more.
Try drinking a glass before and during each meal to help portion control. Drinking plenty of water can also reduce bloating and water retention.
10: WORK THAT CORE
A strong core is vital to support your body in a mixture of different exercises such as cardio and resistance training, a strong core also reduces the risk of injury. Your core muscles include both abdominal muscles and back muscles, and working these muscles can not only help you build more muscle, but you will also help burn more calories throughout the day. Strengthening your core muscles will make your stomach look toned once you have lost the belly fat.
