How to Keep a Flat Stomach

Belly fats are excess calories that settle on top of abdominal muscles. When you keep on consuming foods high in calories, these fats will build up and make your tummy appear bulgy or bloated. The next thing you know, your clothes won’t fit right anymore and your waist line is gone. Taking fats off the stomach area takes time to bring your tummy back to its usual size. Some people spend thousands of dollars just to get a tummy tuck (cosmetic surgery). But there are other natural, effective ways to deal with it that won’t cost you a lot of bucks. All you need is hard work and determination.

Things You'll Need

• Low-fat foods
• High fiber foods
• Water/tea
• Fruits
• Hula hoop
• Exercise mat

Food Choices

1. Watch your fat intake. If you want to have a bulge-free tummy, you might as well start consuming foods that are low in fat. Switch your chocolate ice cream and greasy potato chips into a low-fat yogurt and vegetable salad. It may take awhile to get used to it but it will help much in maintaining a flat belly. You may also want to check labels first before buying something to eat. This will help you keep track about the amount of fats present on it.
2. Try adding more fibers in your diet. Carbohydrates are excellent brain and muscle fuel, but you have to be wise in choosing the right kind that’s friendly for the shape of your tummy. Try to stick to brown bread and rice instead of the white kind. Consume more fiber by eating whole wheat and grain. These healthy kinds of carbs provide vitamins and minerals as well. Simple carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread, alcohol, sugared or carbonated drinks, and other foods that are highly processed, will only contribute to weight gain and a buildup of unwanted love handles.
3. Decrease salt intake and drink lots of fluid. Too much intake of salt will only cause your body to bloat, which is more prominent on your stomach area. So watch your salt consumption to prevent unwanted bulging of the stomach. As for fluids, plain water and green tea will do the trick. Water will help flush excess salt or sodium out of the body, making it free from being bloated. As for green tea, it contains substances that will help eliminate toxins, including unwanted fats out of your system.
4. Go for eating fruits. Fruits like pineapples and raspberries are rich in fiber. Adding these types of fruits will help in keeping your tummy healthy and lean. You can consume either of these fruits with one serving a day. These fruits help in easing up your digestive system and prevent constipation, giving you a flatter and healthier stomach.

Exercise to Help Keep a Flat Stomach

1. Do the double leg drop-and-hold. Start by lying supine (on your back) in an exercise mat. Arms on both sides of your body and both your legs extended. Inhale as you slowly lift both legs up as high as you can. Make sure to keep your back flat on the floor as you do this. Then exhale as you gradually bring both feet down; and hold it up just a few inches above the ground. Hold this position for 8 to 10 seconds, as you feel your stomach muscles contract, and then relax. Repeat this method 8 to 10 times.
2. Perform some aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming, cycling, and brisk walking. These cardiovascular exercises utilize oxygen which means the source of energy would be coming from fatty acids and glycogen. In other words, these workouts are purely good fat burners. And it won’t only tighten up your tummy but the rest of body parts as well. Do this for 20 to 30 minutes, five days a week.
3. Do some hula hoops. This is one of the oldest ways to flatten and tighten up the belly area. Start by standing with one foot in front of the other to help with your balance. Then position the hula hoop slightly over the top of your waistline. Holding on to the hula hoop with both your hands, rotate it to whichever side you prefer. Then keep the hula hoop rotating around your body by shifting your weight back and forth between your leg positioned in front and the one at the back. You can also try to move your hips in circles as the hula hoop rotates around your body; but the back and forth motion is much easier. Go on hula hooping as much as you can handle. It will take a little while before you actually learn it, if it’s your first time doing the hoop. But don’t give up. This an excellent tummy workout that you will truly enjoy when you get the hang of it.
4. Execute the lying controlled abs curl. Start by lying supine (on your back) in an exercise mat. Tuck both your hands on the area of your lower back, with your left leg flexed (foot flat of the floor), and your right leg extended. Inhale as you lift your elbows; then exhale as you contract your abdomen, raise your head and neck, and elevate our shoulders a few inches off the surface, until you can feel your stomach area contract. Hold that contraction for 10 seconds and then relax. Repeat this procedure 8 to 10 times and then switch legs. When you get used to this, you can make it more challenging by lifting the extended leg up about a few inches from the surface; and just keep it that way as you raise and lower your shoulders.