Are you still trying of getting an attractive hourglass figure? All you want is a thin waist, but it is still just a dream, right?
In this article we give you the best tips on shrinking your waist in just a week!
1. Change your dietary habits
Eat more whole grains, veggies and fruits and reduce the intake of fatty foods. Whole grains are not loaded with preservatives, which is great for those who try to shrink their waist. Be careful with the amount of fruits you eat, because some fruits contain a lot of sugar.
Experts say that by cutting off 3,500 calories you can lose a pound. Starving is something you should not do, and losing 2 pounds a week is the threshold to a healthy weight loss. Introduce some healthy dietary habits, and forget about starving.
2. Drink plenty of water
Drinking enough water is important because in that way your body will not confuse thirst and hunger. Drink more water to reduce food cravings. It also does miracles for your hair and skin.
3. Quality is what you need, not quantity
The secret of healthy diet is in eating more meals without any additional calories. If you are following a special diet regimen, focus on eating more healthy foods that do not increase the intake of fat or sugar.
4. Exercise
Physical activity is essential for those who dream of having a nice body. Getting that thin waist depends on how hard you are willing to exercise. You should see some results once you pay some special effort.
The most important thing is to start at a slower pace. If you push yourself too hard, you might end up with some serious injuries. Increase the intensity gradually. Make an excercise plan, and start at the basic level. Work through all levels, and perform more intense and longer exercises.
Make an exercising schedule or leave an update on Twitter to remind you of what you need to do. Announcing things in public will make you more oblidged to do them.
Once you find out which excercises work best for you, you will do them with joy. You will not only shrink your waist, but you will also improve your health condition. Do some target-specific exercises to get the size of your dreams. Targeting directly on the waist is not that easy. Try to do exercises that will tone your mid-section muscles.
5. Build stronger chest and shoulders
Making some parts of your body look bigger is the best way to make others look smaller. Focus on the upper part of your body, i.e. your shoulders and waist to make your waist look smaller. Do more shoulder and chest exercises.
6. Clothes
Wear more clothes that will draw some attention to your waist. Wearing a belt on your waist is a nice idea, and the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing belts. Leave an hourglass-figure impression by wearing a belt over your dress.
These are some simple tips that will help you look better. Share your opinion or tell us more about your favorite hack in the comment box below.
Excess body fat causes heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, and a higher risk of developing cancer. Foods rich in fiber keep you full for longer, and they also help you deal with food cravings. They are the ideal choice for people struggling with constipation.
Protein-packed foods are great if you want to lose weight and maintain your muscle mass at the same time. They boost energy and provide enough energy for your daily activities.
If excess weight is your problem, starving yourself is the last thing you should do. Instead of your regular breakfast, make these super-delicious smoothies, and lose weight naturally.
Each of these smoothies are fantastic for breakfast and even as a great snack. Specific ingredients will boost your metabolism and improve your body’s ability to burn fat.
Follow these great recipes to assist you in your weight loss efforts:
1. Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp almonds, crushed
- 2 tbsp flax seeds, grounded
- 2 fresh or dried figs
- 1/3 cup water
Preparation:
Juice the orange and blend it together with the rest of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Always drink it fresh.
Note: If you are using dried figs, soak them in water for half an hour before using them.
2. Ingredients:
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 apple
- 1 banana
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp flax seeds, grounded
Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Drink it fresh.
Note: If you are using organic apples, do not peel them.
3. Ingredients:
- 2 kiwi fruits
- 1 banana
- 1/2 apple
- 1 orange
- 1 tbsp flax seeds, grounded
- 1 tbsp hazelnuts, grounded
Preparation:
Blend everything together until smooth. Drink your smoothie fresh.
The solution for elimination of the excess belly fat is a constant struggle of the modern man. Excess body fat and obesity can lead to serious health problems and disorders, so they represent a major threat to our health.
As a result of the importance of this issue, the following drink was introduced in one of the most popular reality shows in United States of America. The contestants in “The Biggest Loser” consumed it, and in just a few weeks, they achieved remarkable results.
We’re talking about one astonishing, healthy drink, whose preparation is quite effortless, fast and has a powerful effect in burning the excess belly fat.
Ingredients:
- water – 2 liters
- half a cucumber cut in slices (peeled)
- 6 grapefruit
- Ice
- 1 tangerine
- several mint leaves
Preparation:
Initially, peel the fruit. Then, mash it and put it in the 2 liters of water. Add the ice and the mint leaves. For best effects, the drink should be left to stay for 2 hours before you drink it.
Consume this excellent slimming drink during the whole day and the results will come sooner than expected. Finally, you’ll get the belly and waistline that you’ve always desired, and what is even better, on a natural way.
Note:
Drink the first glass of this fantastic drink on an empty stomach in the morning and later in the day, before your meal. Feel and see the difference!
One of the hardest aspects of losing weight is diet. Sure, you can spend hours a day at the gym, but if you eat garbage -- you’ll never lose any weight.
When making dieting decisions there are a few simple aspects to stick to. Low-fat, low-calorie, high-protein diets have often showed the best results. Below is a list of foods that you can add to your diet that meet all of these requirements, and are delicious and versatile.
1. Black Beans
Black beans are packed with protein, without all of the saturated fats found in animal proteins.
2. Oats
Steel cut oats are an amazing source of fiber and contain Resistant Starch, which is a healthy carb that boosts your body’s metabolism naturally.
3. Avocado
Aside from being another excellent source of fiber, avocados contain Oleic acid. This specific acid is a compound found in avocados’ healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) that reduces hunger.
4. Salmon
Any lean source of protein allows you to get healthy calories without adding fat. Salmon is also packed with healthy MUFAs that have been shown to increase weight loss over standard low-fat diets.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli is another vegetable that is full of fiber, but low on calories. Broccoli is also known for its anti-cancer effects.
6. Brown Rice
The process of enriching rice strips it of almost all of its nutritional value. Brown rice is a great source of Resistant Starch that boosts your metabolism and burn fat,
7. Pears
Believe it or not, one pear contain 15% of your daily recommended value of fiber. People who eat more fiber traditionally ingest fewer calories and lose more weight.
8. Red Wine
In moderation, red wine contains Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grape skin that has been shown stops fat storage. Drinking a glass of wine can increase your body’s ability to burn calories for up to 90 minutes.
9. Grapefruits
Grapefruits contain a compound that lowers insulin, which is a fat storage hormone. Grapefruits are also 90% water, and hydration is a key to losing weight.
10. Kidney Beans
Kidney beans contain high levels of Resistant starch, protein, and fiber. They are also extremely versatile when it comes to cooking, so you can work them into any diet plan.
If you have not heard about the 7 Day Diet Fat-Burning Cabbage Soup, this is a way to discover more the soup that can change your life.
This excellent program includes consumption of the fat-burning cabbage soup for a period of seven days. What is amazing about it is that during this period, you are allowed to eat as much of the soup as you want, whenever you feel hungry.
The more you eat of this soup, the more calories you will lose since this soup won’t add any calories. Actually, it works as a meal with “negative calories”, so it will speed up your metabolism and as a result you will burn more calories than the ones you take in. In addition, you will also succeed to detoxify and slim down your body.
Take care not to skip a day, if you plan to travel or be somewhere else during the day, fill a thermos with your fat-burning soup and consume it as required in the diet plan explained below.
“This diet is derived from one given at the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital for overweight heart patients to lose weight rapidly, usually before surgery, and by Ed Kasper L.Ac, Acupuncturist and Herbalist.” (Food, by Rita, 7 Day Diet Fat Burning Cabbage Soup)
However, if eaten alone for indefinite periods, it may lead to malnutrition. During the course of this diet, you should drink plenty of fresh water, that is, ½ of your body weight in ounces of water. Optionally, you can also add kombucha to your diet for beneficial yeasts and bacteria for your digestive system.
The Recipe:
This soup can be prepared in several ways, but this article offers you two, the original diet cabbage soup and one other, which is a modified version, but amazing one, for it is all organic, and does not include soup mixes or canned vegetables.
Original Diet Cabbage Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of cabbage, small chunks
- 2 (8 ounces) cans green beans
- 2 green peppers, sliced bite size
- 6 large green onions, chopped bite size
- 1 (1 ounce) envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 bunch celery, sliced bite size
- 3 lbs carrots, sliced bite size
- 1 (16 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- Optional: beef bouillon, tabasco sauce, curry powder, chopped parsley, cayenne pepper,
Preparation:
The preparation of this remarkable soup is simple, just put all the vegetables in a pot, add the spices, cover with water and bring to a fast boil for ten minutes and then reduce to a simmer. The vegetables should be cooked until they become tender.
Organic Diet Cabbage Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 large head cabbage, shredded
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 poblano chile, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 garlic bulb, sliced
- 1 lb shiitake mushroom, sliced
- fresh and pure water, no chlorine, or mineral-rich bone
- 1 kombu seaweed, rinsed and sliced
- 1 leek, rinsed and sliced
- 2 lbs tomatoes, crushed
- broth
- pepper
- lots of herbs
- salt (optional)
In a small amount of vegetable or coconut oil saute all vegetables, except for tomatoes and cabbage. Next, put them in a pot, add the tomatoes and the cabbage. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables become tender and then add some fresh or dried herbs and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
Also, you can prepare this soup in a crock pot for 6-8 hours.
7 Day Diet Plan:
Day 1: Eat soup and fruits only. You can also consume pure water, unsweetened tea, kombucha, or cranberry juice. All fruits can be consumed, but avoid bananas. You can eat more watermelon and cantaloupe a lot, since they are low in calories.
Day 2: Eat soup and vegetables only, and eat the vegetables along with the soup. Avoid dry beans, peas and corn and eat green, leafy vegetables. For dinner, you can reward yourself with a big buttered potato. No fruits are allowed.
Day 3: Eat all the soup, vegetables, and fruits you want, but you can have no baked potato for dinner. If you’ve followed the diet for three days, you can expect to have lost 5-7 lbs.
Day 4: The fourth day is banana and skim milk day! Both bananas and milk are high in calories and carbohydrates, but on this particular day your body will be in need of potassium, carbohydrates, proteins and calcium to lessen cravings for sweets. Eat as many as 3 bananas and drink as many glasses of water as you can along with the soup.
Day 5: up to 6 organic tomatoes, 10-20 ounces of beef, lamb, wheat gluten (seitan), aduki beans, chicken (no skin), or fish. Take note to consume a high-quality range fed animal protein free of antibiotics or hormones. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water in order to flush the uric acid out of your body. Eat the soup at least once during this day.
Day 6: You can eat as much as you want of beef, lamb, wheat gluten (seitan), aduki beans, chicken (no skin), or fish in combination with vegetables on day six. In addition, you can also have 2 or 3 steaks with green leafy vegetables. No baked potatoes today. Once again, be sure to eat the soup at least once during this day.
Day 7: Unsweetened fruit, vegetables and brown rice. There is no limit of the consumption of fruits and vegetables, but eat the soup at least once today.
Provided that you have followed all rules of the diet program, by the end of the 7th day you will have lost 10-17 pounds.
In case you have lost more than 15 pounds, make a 2- day pause and then resume the diet again from day 1. Always consider the fact that everyone’s digestive system is different and, therefore, this diet will affect everyone differently and can give different results.
If you follow it correctly, the Cabbage Soup diet will perfectly cleanse your organism of impurities. Furthermore, it will make you will feel lighter, more energetic, and healthier than ever before. What is great about it is that it can be used as often as you like. Continue this diet plan as long as you feel the difference both mentally and physically.
Important additional tips:
-Eliminate any bread, pasta, or fried foods of your diet
-eliminate any alcoholic beverages, due to the removal of the fat build-up in your body; end the diet at least 24 hours before any intake of alcohol
-- stick with water, black coffee, unsweetened tea and fruit juices, cranberry juice, and skimmed milk during the diet and do not consume any carbonated drinks, including diet drinks
-- no prescribed medication can hurt you on this diet
Shaking off body fat is not considered one with full of twists and turns. However, you need time and real perseverance to shake it off. Even though fat deficit normally tags along a gradual, conventional outline, there are measures you can obtain to accelerate the method of shaking off fat and to lose body fat percentage. Going along with several simple measures will help you shake off fat rapidly and securely.
Tip 1: Intensify activity level.
You already know that working out helps burn calories, and burning calorie is important for weight deficit as well as body fat cutback. The most efficient kind of workout for weight or fat deficit is cardiovascular or aerobic workout because they use the biggest muscles within your body and need bigger quantities of oxygen expenditure. Cardiovascular and aerobic workout compels your body to burn huge quantities of calories. Some of the cardiovascular exercises that you can perform include running, jogging, cycling and swimming. You can perform these cardiovascular workouts on a regular basis, if possible four to five days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each session.
Tip 2: Lessen caloric consumption.
If you want fat deficit to happen, your body has to go through calorie scarcity first, which implies that the amount of calories spent must be lesser than the amount of calories burned. Making pessimistic calorie stability will make amassed fat to be discharged from the adipose tissue then burned, thus decreasing body fat proportion. A caloric shortfall of about 3,500 is required to shake off one pound of body fat. It is suggested that a person should at least lessen caloric intake by about 500 calories daily for a secure, stable speed of weight deficit and to have efficient body fat lessening. The more enormous your daily caloric loss is, the more weight deficit you will gain. However, you might avoid sufficient nutritional nourishment for your body through this.
Tip 3: Strength train.
Strength exercise or weight lifting is considered extremely efficient in burning calories since it assists to elevate your body’s metabolic speed to accelerate fat deficit. Besides that, strength training can help you avoid muscle deficit due to dieting and intensified cardiovascular workout. A blend of frequent strength and cardiovascular workout transports a strong one-two punch to your body, resulting in intensified calorie burning, elevated metabolism and preservation of lean body weight. If you want to make the most of the effects of strength training and weight exercises, you must do them approximately three times a week, using weightless to reasonable quantities of weight along with two to three series every workout of 8 to 12 repetitions each series.
If you are contemplating to quickly lose body fat percentage through the most rapid means, try to perform the simple tips mentioned above because they can really help you get rid of those unwanted body fat effortlessly. Include these tips in your list of body fat basics and you will never go wrong with it. Enjoy the workout and diet to the fullest.
The stomach area which is your abdomen is prone to extra weight because of genetics, hormones, a poor diet and a lack of exercise. Losing belly fat is not that hard but losing lower abs fat and burning the last bit of belly fat is not that easy. This requires a whole body approach which includes a healthy diet and a regular cardiovascular exercise. Through this process you will not only trim your tummy but all the excess weight on the other parts of your body. You can also include abdominal strength training to tone and flatten your abdominal area. Learn how to lower abdomen fat with specific tips provided below.
Tip # 1: Improve your diet
Try to reduce your carbohydrate intake especially from grains and also avoid all processed carbohydrates. To burn lower body fat such as the belly, the easiest thing you can do is to refrain from drinking soda, juice, eating candies, cookies and chips. Once you’re able to do that, the next thing you should do is to remove breads, pastas and avoid having cereals for breakfast that are packed with sugar. All of these will help you lose your lower abdomen fat. You can have your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables instead. Instead of having a piece of toast, you can have an apple or a half-serving of pasta with steamed broccoli and other vegetables. Try to eat lean protein such as beans, eggs, fish and poultry and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats such as avocado, yogurt and nuts. Avoid foods that are high in sugar, refined flours and saturated fats.
Tip # 2: Drink enough water daily
Have at least 8 glasses of water every day. Water will help your organs work properly and keep you feeling full and satisfied the whole day as well. Instead of drinking soda, juice, coffee and alcohol, replace it with water.
Tip # 3: Have a high-intensity cardio or interval training
Instead of doing low-intensity cardio, try to do a high-intensity cardio or interval training if you want to burn lower belly fat. According to some researches, 40 minutes of doing slow cardio does not burn any belly fat. If you are doing 5-7 days of low intensity cardio to lose your lower abs fat, replace 3 of those workouts with shorter but more effective high intensity cardio or interval training. One type of exercise when burning lower body fat is interval training. You can burn more fats in just a short time of working out.
Tip # 4: Perform total body resistance exercises and total body abs exercises
Doing training workouts is one way to burn belly fat and help you see your lower abs. You can do a short but intense total body resistance training workouts. Use the Turbulence Training non-competing supersets system so as to burn more belly fat in a short period of workout time. A one or two abs exercise once a week or two times a week is good enough. You can try the side plank, hanging knee raise, hanging leg rise, exercise ball rollouts and exercise ball jackknives for a better lower abs.
If you want to lose your lower abdomen fat, avoid long and slow cardio, avoid processed carbohydrates and crunches. Eat more fruits and vegetables and do interval training and use total abs exercises to form your six-pack abs.
Diets that promise to help you reduce belly fat may actually work, though most often the same effects can be achieved through old-fashioned reduced-calorie, low-fat plans. There is not sufficient research to prove that targeted diet plans work. To lose belly fat and tighten loose skin, the basic rules of diet and exercise apply.
Step 1
Commit to eating a healthy diet. For weight loss, consume at least 1,000 calories per day but no more than 1,500. Depending on your body mass index, height, weight, activity level and goals, those numbers may vary slightly.
Step 2
Eat 2 tsp. of peanut butter, a boiled egg, serving of turkey or other lean protein snack. High-protein foods can help you build stomach muscle and increase your energy for workouts. Keep in mind, however, building muscle depends on your genes, how much exercise you do and whether you consume enough calories, according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Council notes most Americans eat enough protein to build muscle. Any excess is simply eliminated or stored as fat.
Step 3
Perform simple strength training exercises that target the tummy area. Examples include traditional crunches, ball routine exercises and whole-body poses such as are performed in Pilates or yoga routines. If you're a beginner, you may benefit from a class or one-on-one session with a trainer.
Step 4
Drink at least eight tall glasses of water to lose water weight and help keep skin healthy and elastic. While drinking more water may seem like the wrong approach to losing water weight, consuming more actually encourages your body to stop retaining water.
Step 5
During and after workouts sip a low-calorie sports drink. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says carbohydrates in sports drinks supply extra energy. Look for beverages with 150 to 18 g of carbohydrate per eight oz. of fluid. The extra boost will help you amp up your ab routine and avoid crashing afterwards.
Warnings
Check with your health-care provider before beginning an exercise program for the first time or if you have been away from fitness programs for a while, or if you have any chronic health issues.
Tips
Commit to at least 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise to increase your chances of reducing your belly fat.
Dairy, or dairy alternatives, are a key part of a healthy diet, and USDA ChooseMyPlate guidelines recommend that both men and women get 3 cups of dairy each day. Milk, as well as plant-based alternative milk sources such as soy milk or almond milk, all count toward your daily intake. Any nonfat, unsweetened milk can work in a weight loss diet, and different types of milk have their distinct weight loss advantages.
Your Lowest-Calorie, Healthy Milk Options
When you're trying to lose weight, it's essential you create a calorie deficit, a state in which you're burning more calories each day than you're taking in. Your body needs to make up the gap between your calorie intake and the calories you burn, so it starts burning fat as a source of energy, and you lose weight. Each pound of fat corresponds to 3,500 calories, so eating 500 to 1,000 calories fewer than you need each day means a safe weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds weekly.
Certain types of milk are better than others for keeping your calories low. If you're drinking dairy milk, make sure it's nonfat; nonfat milk has just 83 calories per cup, while reduced-fat 2 percent milk has 122 calories and a cup of whole milk has 150 calories. If you're drinking a dairy alternative, like soy milk or almond milk, choose unsweetened. Sugar-sweetened soy milk has 130 calories per cup, compared to 80 calories for unsweetened soy milk. Sweetened almond milk has 91 calories per cup, compared to 30 calories for unsweetened.
Higher Protein Milk
Some higher-calorie milk sources, such as dairy and soy milk, may have a weight loss advantage; they're high in protein. A cup of nonfat dairy milk has about 8 grams of protein and soy milk offers 7 to 8 grams of protein. Your body burns calories just digesting protein-rich foods, and protein also boosts satiety, which means you'll feel more satisfied after your meal.
Almond milk, while low in calories, has just 1 gram of protein per cup, so you're more likely to feel hungry soon after drinking it. Reach for soy milk or dairy milk as a more filling beverage -- one that may be able to work in place of a snack between meals.
Get Calcium for Weight Loss
Getting enough calcium in your diet might help you reach your weight loss goals, according to a study published in Obesity Research in 2004. The study looked at weight loss in two groups of overweight or obese adults -- one group ate a more standard diet and got 40 to 50 percent of the daily value for calcium from dairy foods, while the other group ate more dairy and took in slightly more than the daily value for calcium each day. At the end of 24 weeks, the higher-calcium group lost significantly more weight and body fat -- including abdominal fat -- than the lower-calcium group.
Dairy milk is naturally high in calcium, providing around 30 percent of the daily value per cup. Alternative milk may or may not provide calcium, depending on whether it's fortified or not. Unfortified soy milk might contain as little as 6 percent of the daily value for calcium, for example, while the fortified version has 30 percent. Check the label to make sure you choose an alternative milk with a significant amount of calcium.
Staying Hydrated to Lose Weight
No matter what type of milk you choose, practice portion control and moderation. Measure out a 1-cup serving, and check the nutrition label if you're buying "single-serving" bottles of milk, as they might contain more than one serving. Count any milk you drink toward your daily calorie intake to maintain your calorie deficit, or you won't lose weight.
Don't count on milk as your main source of hydration, either. Water should make up the majority of the fluid you drink -- for both weight loss and overall health. It's naturally free of sugar and calories, which means you can drink it throughout the day without blowing your calorie budget. If you crave more flavor, add some sliced ginger or crushed mint to your water.
This fantastic recipe will help you lose belly fat more faster than anything before. At the same time it will completely heal your body and establish balance at many levels.
Matcha tea is considered to be the most powerful powdered green tea. It comes from Japan, and it has a long history of use in the East. This Japanese beverage is made from the young leaves of Camellia Sinensins. The Japanese people stoned the young leaves away from light and oxygen. This preserves the high antioxidants properties and color of the tea. One cup of this amazing tea will be very beneficial for your health in so many ways.
This tea is an amazing remedy that is related to fat burning, because it significantly improves the metabolism. There are number of studies showing the amazing benefits of this tea. People who are consuming Matcha tea everyday are losing weight 25% faster from those who don’t. Most importantly, there are zero side effects from this tea, so you don’t have to worry about fast heart rate or high blood pressure.
The ancient Japanese tea is rich with one of the most powerful antioxidants named Epigallocatechingallate. These antioxidants are very powerful against cancer, and are known fighters against free radicals in the body. This tea contains 100 times stronger anti-cancer properties than any commercial tea in the stores.
This beverage has amazing anti-aging properties as well. The rejuvenation, i.e the reversal of the aging process, is due to the presence of large amounts of antioxidants found in the tea. Matcha tea protects your skin from diseases, and fights against UV radiation.
Like any green tea, it contains caffeine. Only one cup of this wonderful tea will provide you with energy for many hours during the day. The boosting effect is not just from the caffeine, but from the wonderful combination of all ingredients in the tea itself.
The Chlorophyll in the tea will flush out all heavy metals and dangerous substances and will offer complete detoxification effect of your body. And this is exactly what your body needs in order to function completely and without any obstacles.
This ancient tea has a wonderful taste, so if you haven’t tried so far go for it. It is recommended one cup in the morning, and in the afternoon and this will be perfect dose for your needs.
Six-pack abs are considered by many to be the epitome of health and physical appeal. Getting that muscular, defined look for your belly requires a combination of a healthy, low-calorie diet, cardio exercise and strength training, focusing on the abdominal muscles. How many calories you need to consume will depend on your basic daily needs and how much you exercise, in addition to how much weight you need to lose. Consult a doctor before beginning any exercise or weight-loss regimen.
Calories
You need to consume a certain number of calories every day to sustain basic bodily functions, such as breathing and cell production. This number is referred to as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. In addition to your BMR, the number of calories you need to maintain your weight will be determined by your amount of activity. For example, a 31-year-old sedentary female should consume 1,800 calories a day to maintain her weight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If she is active, her caloric needs go up to 2,200 a day. If you need to lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit by expending more calories than you consume.
Weight Loss
If you have extra fat in the abdomen, you will need to reduce it before you can start to see the muscles beneath. Abdominal exercises will tone the muscles, but they won't get rid of fat any faster. The only way to get rid of the fat is to focus on an overall weight-loss program. It takes an excess expenditure of 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 lb. of fat. The best way to do that is by following a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercising. Keep track of your caloric expenditure and consumption in a journal to help keep you focused.
Diet
While watching calories is the key to weight loss, eating a healthy diet will help keep the fat off and provide you with the nutrition and energy you need to work out. According to "Newsweek," foods such as tart cherries, whole grains, monounsaturated oils -- such as olive oil -- and nuts and seeds can help lead to a flatter belly when consumed in moderation. Lean meats and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables should also be consumed. Avoid foods high in fats and trans fats, added sugar and cholesterol.
Cardiovascular Exercise
A consistent cardiovascular regimen can help you get washboard abs, according to personal trainer and health expert for Military.com, Stew Smith. Walk, run, bike or swim four to five times a week, 30 to 45 minutes a day. Work at enough intensity that you sweat and increase your heart rate. Start slowly if you are just beginning to exercise or have not exercised in a year or more. Walk for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, and then gradually work your way up to more vigorous activity.
Abdominal Muscles
Crunches and advanced crunches will work the majority of the abdominal muscles and should be done when just starting out. Hanging kneeups, cross-over crunches and hip rollers -- twisting to both sides keeping your shoulders on the floor and staying in the bent-knee position when rotating left and right -- should also be included and will provide variety and keep the muscles from burning out. Once you have built up some strength, add situps to your routine. Start by doing each exercise 10 repetitions at a time, and gradually work your way up to more. Do exercises for the abdomen every day, but rest for a day if your muscles are sore.
Strength Training
In addition to your abdominal workout, perform a workout for all the major muscle groups -- chest, triceps, biceps, hamstrings, quadriceps and back -- at least twice a week on non-consecutive days. Do one set of eight to 12 repetitions for each muscle. For example, do one set of bench presses or pushups to work the chest muscles. Working the back muscles along with the abdominal muscles keeps the body in balance and helps maintain proper posture. Building lean muscle in the rest of the body boosts the metabolism, and builds endurance and strength.
You can't spot reduce, or lose fat from only one chosen area of the body. You can, however, lose weight from your legs if you lose weight all over. Follow a reduced-calorie diet to lose weight from your entire body, and part of the weight loss will be from your legs. Perform toning exercises, such as squats and thigh lifts, to improve the appearance of your legs.
Fruits
To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than your body uses. Fruits are a good choice because they are low-calorie but full of water and fiber, so they fill you up. You can have a larger portion size of fruit for fewer calories than many other snacks. For instance, a 1-ounce snack-sized bag of corn chips has the same number of calories as a small apple or a cup of whole strawberries. Add blueberries to your breakfast cereal. Top whole grain waffles with raspberries. Snack on whole or cubed fruit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 2 cups of fruit per day for someone who consumes 2,000 calories a day.
Vegetables
Vegetables are also filling but low-calorie. Substitute some spinach, onions or mushrooms for one of the eggs or half of the cheese in your breakfast omelet. Remove some of the meat and cheese from your sandwich and substitute vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers or onions. Prepare pasta or rice with vegetables. Make sure that vegetables take up the largest portion of your dinner plate. Snack on raw baby carrots with light ranch dressings. If you consume 2,000 calories a day, you should eat at least 2.5 cups of vegetables.
Whole Grains
Whole grains haven't had their bran and germ stripped during the milling process, so they are good sources of filling fiber. Eat high-fiber breakfast cereals, such as oatmeal or bran flakes. Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Select whole grain bagels instead of those made with refined flour. Swap white rice for kasha, brown rice, wild rice or bulgur. Prepare soups, stews, casseroles and salads with wild rice or barley. Try to choose grain products with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving. Look for foods that bear the Whole Grain stamp.
Lean Proteins
Choose lean forms of meat and poultry. When purchasing beef, choose round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin cuts. Select beef that is labeled "Choice" or "Select" instead of "Prime," which usually contains more fat. Look for beef that is 90 percent or higher lean meat. Lean pork or lamb includes tenderloin, loin chops or leg. The leanest poultry is skinless white meat from the breast. When buying ground poultry, choose ground breast meat or select low-fat ground chicken or turkey. Trim any visible fat from meat and poultry. Western Michigan University recommends eating less 3 oz. of meat per serving, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Alternatively, get your protein from other low-fat foods, such as beans and legumes.
Do you want to go from a FAT belly to a FLAT belly? Abdominal bloating or carrying unwanted weight around your midsection is often uncomfortable and embarrassing. To differentiate between the two, bloating is temporary abdominal distention that can be caused by a reaction to certain foods, lifestyle factors or a medical condition, such as liver or heart disease. Belly bloat is really intestinal gas, not excess fat. However, if you are overweight and want to flatten your belly for the long term, the only solution is to lose weight. Whether it’s gas or excess weight causing you tummy trouble, what you choose to put on your fork can help or hinder your goal of getting a flat belly. Read on to learn about 10 flat-belly foods to get you those lean abs you crave.
1. Fennel Seeds - is a pleasant-smelling herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. The name comes from the Roman word meaning “fragrant hay,” and it has a faint anise or licorice flavor and aroma. Dried fennel seeds are very nutritious, containing fiber, magnesium, calcium and iron, and they have long been used as a digestive aid. “Fennel helps to relax the GI [gastrointestinal] muscles, which helps trapped gas pass to alleviate bloating,” says Cynthia Sass, RDN, author of “S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches.” Sass recommends people chew on half a teaspoon of seeds after a meal or when their stomach feels distended due to gas buildup. “Or make a simple tea: Add a teaspoon of seeds to a cup of hot water, let steep for five minutes, strain out the seeds and sip,” Sass advises.
2. Salmon - Salmon packs a double punch when it comes to battling belly fat because it contains both omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Salmon is an excellent source of vitamin D, with wild salmon providing about four times the amount of vitamin D as farmed salmon. Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D have been linked to obesity, including abdominal obesity. Scientists are not sure if the reason for this is that vitamin D gets trapped in the fat cells of obese people or if obese people don’t consume enough vitamin D. Either way, getting adequate vitamin D is essential for good health. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish can also help flatten your belly. Researchers believe omega-3 fatty acids may alter the expression of certain genes, shifting your body to burn fat rather than store it.
3. Eggs - If you want to lose some fat around the middle, eggs are a great way to start your day. Eggs are packed with protein, and eating them for breakfast provides staying power. A study published in Nutrition Research found that people who eat eggs for breakfast were less likely to overeat the rest of the day. Eggs also provide a myriad other nutrients to help keep your tummy trim. For example, they’re a good source of vitamin B12, a nutrient that helps your body break down fat cells. Eggs also provide the power nutrient, vitamin D. Insufficient blood levels of vitamin D have been linked to obesity, including abdominal obesity. Choline, another power nutrient in eggs, is known for playing a role in fat metabolism. Since the majority of these nutrients are found in the egg yolk, be sure to eat the whole egg for the most nutrition. If you are worried about the cholesterol in the yolk, a 2008 report from the ongoing Physicians’ Health Study supports the idea that eating an egg a day is generally safe for the heart. But talk to your doctor to determine what is best for you.
4. Olive Oil - Healthful monounsaturated fats found in olive oil could potentially switch on genes related to the burning and storage of fat. Monounsaturated fats also help control blood sugar levels, which play a key role in keeping hunger at bay and reducing fat accumulation around the midsection. A study in Diabetes Care showed that partial replacement of complex digestible carbohydrates with monounsaturated fatty acids in the diet of those with Type 2 diabetes helped maintain blood sugar levels and improve blood lipids. Dietary fat also increases satiety, which may help cut down overall calorie intake. Before you pour olive oil all over your food in the hopes of a slimmer waistline, keep in mind that a serving size of olive oil is one tablespoon, which has 120 calories.
5. Asparagus - While all green vegetables are low-calorie nutrient superstars that promote a healthy weight, asparagus serves triple duty in its anti-bloating effects. “First, it’s a source of prebiotics, which support the growth of ‘good’ bacteria to help maintain a healthy balance in the digestive system to prevent and/or reduce gas. It also contains soluble and insoluble fiber to promote overall digestive health as well as natural anti-inflammatory substances to reduce GI irritation,” says Cynthia Sass, RDN. To reduce belly bloat, eat steamed asparagus a few times a week. For an additional flat-belly boost, lightly drizzle your asparagus with olive oil.
6. Whole Grains Whole grains -- including quinoa, popcorn, oats and wheat -- can help flatten your stomach. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who eat whole grains lose more abdominal fat than those who don’t. The tummy-tucking powers of whole grains likely come from the fiber content. Fiber aids in keeping insulin levels low, which may help shrink fat cells. Whole grains also provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for good health. Check the package label to make sure a product is made with whole grains. The first ingredient listed should contain the word “whole” (such as “whole wheat” or “whole oats”). The USDA recommends healthy adults consume about six ounces of total grains per day, and that at least half of those grains should be whole grains.
7. Bananas Although many people think bananas are fattening, they are actually an important flat-belly food. “Foods rich in potassium help de-bloat the belly by acting as a natural diuretic, triggering the release of excess sodium and water the body is retaining. The soluble fiber in bananas can also help relieve or prevent constipation, which can be a major cause of a belly pooch,” says Cynthia Sass, RDN. Grab a banana as a daily snack, or whip one into a smoothie. Other foods high in potassium to help fight belly bloat include sweet potatoes, nuts, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables and dates.
8. Greek Yogurt - Yogurt is a good source of calcium, a mineral that slows production of the hormone cortisol, which encourages belly fat. While less than regular yogurt, Greek yogurt still has about 20 percent of your daily calcium needs. Another great benefit of Greek yogurt is that it provides twice the filling protein for weight control as compared to regular yogurt, and it may be easier on the gut than other dairy foods. “Dairy foods are the cause of GI woes for many, particularly gas and bloating. Greek yogurt, however, contains active cultures -- or ‘good’ bacteria -- that aid in digestion and prevent gas and bloating. It also contains less lactose than regular yogurt due to the straining process, so those who are lactose intolerant may be able to avoid some of those negative issues with Greek yogurt.
9. Cucumbers - Cucumbers are loaded with water and naturally low in calories to help with hydration and weight management. One whole cucumber has just 45 calories. If you are feeling bloated, cucumbers can help with that too. “People use cucumbers to reduce puffiness under the eyes, and eating them can also help you fight belly bloat. Cucumbers have been shown to inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes, which can help reduce GI swelling,” says Cynthia Sass, RDN. For flatter abs, eat cucumbers daily as a snack or add them to a salad or sandwich.
10. Water Drinking enough water supports the other ways you’re trying to flatten your stomach. “Many people know that fiber-rich foods are good for a flat belly because they help to move food and waste through the GI system, preventing constipation and bloat. However, we often forget about the water part of the equation. Water is essential for moving fiber through the GI system and preventing constipation. Everyone’s water needs are different. Eight glasses a day is a general rule of thumb for adults, but you may need more or less depending on the environment where you live and how active you are,” says Rachel Begun, M.S., RDN, a food and nutrition consultant in Boulder, Colorado. The Institute of Medicine recommends 91 ounces per day for women (or about 11.4 cups) and for men, 125 ounces per day (or about 15.6 cups) of water from all beverages and foods. A good way to determine know if you’re drinking enough water is to check the color of your urine -- the clearer the better. Since fizzy water can cause bloating, choose flat water and switch up the taste with slices of lemon, lime, cucumber or fresh peppermint leaves.
