10 Rules for a Flat Stomach

While you're alive you want to look and feel your healthiest and for many people, looking healthy means having a flat stomach. Having a flat stomach can make shopping for clothes more fun and provide an extra boost of confidence around swimsuit season. If you're looking to flatten your stomach, follow a few simple flat tummy rules.

Reduce Bloating

• If you want a flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is reduce bloating. You can do this by cutting down on food that causes gas, such as beans, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. These nutritious vegetables are good for you and shouldn't be eliminated from your diet, but they should be consumed in moderation. Another way to reduce bloating is to chew less gum, which can increase bloating because air is swallowed as you chew it.

Increase Elimination

• Often, not having a flat stomach is caused by infrequent elimination. Regulate your bowel movements by increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables (except for the ones that cause more gas!), lean protein and whole grains.

Drink Lots of Water

• Water helps flush out toxins, impurities and fats from your system. Adults are advised to drink between eight and 10 eight-ounce glasses of water per day.

Say Goodbye to Fried Foods

• Fried foods are high in fat, the opposite of what you need to consume if you're trying to get a flat tummy. Substitute fried foods for grilled, baked or broiled dishes. Eat baked potatoes or baked sweet potato fries instead of french fries; try baked or broiled chicken instead of fried chicken. Choose a salad as a restaurant appetizer rather than the more popular options of fried cheese and vegetables.

Cut Down Calories

• In order to lose weight in your stomach, or in any other area of your body, you will have to cut down your caloric intake/ The average daily diet consists 2,000 to 2,500 calories. In order to lose weight, you should consume between 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day.

Eat Slowly

• Eating quickly causes your stomach to expand in two ways. When you consume your food at a rapid pace, you'll often swallow air, which causes bloating. This may also cause you to overeat because your body doesn't receive the signal that you're full so you tend to eat more than you need. If you eat slowly, you will not only reduce your air intake, you will also give your stomach a chance to send important signals to your brain indicating that you've had enough to eat.

Eat Smaller Meals

• To keep your stomach flat and your hunger at bay, break your calories up into 4 to 5 small 300- to 400-calorie meals per day. Eating frequent, smaller meals eliminates a bloated full feeling while maintaining your blood sugar levels and keeping hunger at bay.

Exercise

• Eating right is only half the battle when it comes to losing weight. You must exercise. In order to lose stomach fat, you may be tempted to only do exercises that isolate your stomach muscles. Resist the temptation; it's nearly impossible to lose weight in only one area of your body. If you exercise your entire body, your whole body will respond. Weight bearing exercises will strengthen your core and cardio exercises, such as jogging, power walking, swimming or kick boxing, will burn those calories and slim your body.

Eat Fresh Foods

• Highly processed foods can be low in fiber and high in sodium. According to Web-MD.com, you can eliminate uncomfortable stomach bloating by eating a healthy diet that doesn't include more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day.

Give Yourself Time

• Be patient with yourself. Your belly bulge didn't appear in a day, and it won't disappear in a week. Remember, you're making a lifestyle change, not searching for a quick fix.