Losing weight can feel like an uphill battle at times, especially when it comes to your midsection. Aside from making you feel bloated and self-conscious, excess belly fat also puts you at risk of developing several dangerous health conditions. This list of the best flat belly tips will help you begin progressing towards your goals, safely and steadily!
15 Best Flat Belly Tips
1. Decrease Calorie Intake, Slightly
Your body requires a certain amount of calories to function properly. Decreasing your caloric intake too much will cause your metabolism to crash. Obviously, this would be the opposite of what we want! Instead of cutting 500-1000 calories from your diet each day, cut 200-300 and make up the difference with exercise!
If you can maintain a deficit of 500 calories a day, through a combination of diet and exercise, you will progress towards your goals at a safe and steady pace. This would allow you to lose approximately 1 pound per week.
2. Eat More Protein
Protein will not only reduce your appetite and help you maintain muscle mass, but it also forces your body to work harder during digestion, burning even more calories in the process. Studies have also shown that people who eat a high-protein diet, typically have slimmer waists.
If you’re looking to lose weight and maintain your current muscle mass, you should aim to get 20-30% of your daily calories from protein. For instance if you eat 1500 calories a day, 300-500 of them should come from protein.
If your goal is to build strength or more muscle, you should aim for 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you’ll aim to eat 140 grams of protein, each day.
3. Choose More Whole Foods
Whole, single-ingredient foods, are extremely nutrient-dense while remaining relatively low in calories (compared to processed foods.) These foods make it difficult to overeat, thus aiding in the weight loss process. When calorie intake is decreased, your body will burn fat for energy instead.
Examples of whole foods are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish, and unprocessed meat.
For a full list of whole foods, check out the Whole Foods Shopping List.
4. Increase Soluble Fiber Intake
Soluble fiber will slow the passage of food through your digestive tract, allowing you to feel fuller, longer. Additionally, studies have shown that soluble fiber may decrease the amount of calories that your body can absorb from food. There is also some evidence to show that consuming more fiber will decrease your risk of developing fat around your organs, thus reducing your risk of several different diseases, as well.
If you want to increase your fiber intake, you should eat more oats, legumes, avocado, blackberries, and flaxseeds. For a full list, check out these 31-High Fiber Foods.
5. Choose Foods Rich in “Good Fat”
Also referred to as monounsaturated fatty acids, good fats have the ability to decrease (or prevent) the accumulation of abdominal fat. Some of the best examples of these foods include olive oil, avocado, nuts, or seeds.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Healthy Fats are Good for You
6. Ditch Refined Carbohydrates
These processed carbohydrates can negatively affect your metabolism and cause you to gain weight around the midsection. Replacing these refined carbohydrates with whole grains will actually have the opposite effect! Your metabolism will function optimally and belly fat will decrease.
7. Utilize Probiotics
Having the right composition of beneficial gut flora (bacteria) can play a huge role in weight maintenance, weight loss, and a decrease in belly fat. You can choose to take a supplement or incorporate these Top 10 Probiotic-Rich Foods for Gut Health.
8. Add In Some Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which has been shown to reduce the accumulation of fat all over the body, especially the waistline. All it takes is a tablespoon a day. You can choose to drink it directly or add it to salad dressing or a beverage.
Related: 5 Weight Loss Benefits of Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar
9. Drink More Water (and Less High-Calorie Beverages)
Staying hydrated will not only increase your metabolism and “de-bloat” you, but also trick your body into thinking it’s full so that you consume fewer calories at every meal. In order to accomplish this, you should drink a full glass of water before every meal. The average adult should drink a minimum of 64 oz. of water each day.
Try: The 30-Day 8X8 Water Challenge
All soda (including diet), fruit juice, and other high-calorie beverages should be avoided. With that being said, black coffee and unsweetened green tea are perfectly acceptable in moderation. The caffeine in these two drinks can actually promote weight loss.
10. Avoid Swallowing Excess Air and Gas
Chewing gum, drinking carbonated beverages, drinking through a straw, and talking while eating can all cause you to consume excess air and gas. While all of these things don’t necessarily contribute to weight gain, they will cause you to feel bloated. Lay off the gum, avoid all carbonated beverages, say no to straws, and focus on eating your meals in peace. Practicing all of these things will lead to a flatter belly.
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