October, 2014 - The Writer Mom

Forget about the fitness trends because a smaller belly is advantageous on its own. For instance, you have better chances of squeezing through tight spaces. A smaller waist helps you stay comfortable in metro trains and other forms of public transport where passengers sit side-by-side. Moreover, you also get rid of the unattractiveness that comes from a noticeably large belly. These tips for getting a flat belly should eventually increase both your appeal and self-esteem.

Be Serious in Eating Less

A wide range of recommended diets have their own approaches in making your body slimmer. Keep in mind that the essential key to a flat belly is eating less. You might think that this means eating twice rather than thrice a day. You might also interpret this tip as eating more snacks rather than full meals.

Perhaps the ideal approach for reducing your waistline is to eat small servings of food three times in a day. Focus on the servings. Rather than gorge on delicious meals, stop eating when you are already satisfied. You may eat thrice a day as dining on a heavy breakfast and dinner does not help. Eating more snacks might seem like a good idea. However, snacks today have become more fatty and sugary.

Keep an Eye on What You Eat

A flat belly relies not just on the amount of food but also on the kind of food. It is time to forego those tasty food items that only increase the amount of body fat. Just avoid foods with lots of oils, sugar, or trans-fat. Sources of healthy fats, which are permissible for you, include nuts and eggs. You may eat more fruits and vegetables while keeping carbohydrates such as grains to a minimum. Small amounts of lean meat and seafood would give you that needed protein.

Consider Whey Protein as Your Friend

Whey protein gives you more than enough energy daily without causing your body to accumulate fat. You have a better chance of getting a flat stomach through a slimming diet with whey protein shakes than a diet without them. Whether it comes in the form of a rich shake or a fulfilling bar, whey protein should help you stay at top during those workouts.

Do Some Slimming Exercises

Daily exercise should go along with the right diet so you can get that flat belly in no time. Consider doing crunches, the V-hold, and the elbow plank as your routine.

When it comes to reducing the waistline, crunches are a classic. Lie down on your back, preferably on top of a mat. Bend your knees closer to you, but your feet should be level with the floor. Breathe out, compress your stomach, and then raise your shoulders. After that, exhale while returning to your previous position. Continue doing the crunches for one minute.

For the V-hold, you lie on your back before raising your legs and torso. Your body should appear like the letter ‘V’, hence the name. The arms should rest firmly on your sides. Straighten your body while you assume this position for 16 seconds.

The elbow plank is another common exercise for a flat stomach. Lay prone and then raise your body as if doing push-ups. The elbows and forearms should support your weight. Your body must be straight while the elbows are at the same level as the shoulders. Compress your belly and prevent it from sagging, along with your lower back. Breathe steadily while maintaining this position for one minute.

The path to a flat belly requires dedication in diet and exercise. Be sure to ask help from doctors, gym trainers, and other people who have the right knowledge of this task.

Keep Reading

For most people, low fat and low carb diets are the same. However, if you are watching your weight, you know there are distinct differences between the two, particularly in the way they work. Some diets will work on you, while others may not. This is why it is important to know the dissimilarities to decide whether low fat food or low carb diet will work best for you.

Low Fat Food

As the name suggests, low fat food will focus on the amount of fats in your body. When you are in this kind of diet, you are allowed to eat fruits and vegetables, as well as other nutrients. However, you will have to avoid fatty foods. Ideally, the food you eat should contain low glucose content, so that it will be easier to lose weight and also have regular blood sugar. Low fat food diets let you eat as much as you can so you will not be hungry, but you still have to watch what you eat.

Low Carb Diet

There are now several low carb diets available that you can choose to practice. These diets though are basically focused on fundamental nutrients, including proteins and fat, but will avoid carbohydrates as much as possible. A low carb diet is what you need if you want to experience dramatic results in a short period of time. According to many of its proponents, eating low carb foods allowed them to lose a lot of weight in just two months. The best part here is that they did not even do any exercise.

Low carb dieting compels you to change the structure of the food you eat. As much as possible, you should be ready to remove sugary and starchy foods, including pasta and bread. Low carb diets are quite effective even though there are misconceptions about them, such as the foods contain a lot of fat and can increase the cholesterol level.

Which is Better for You?

It all boils down to which you want to cut: is it the amount of fat in your body or the carbs? According to a research published in Annals of Internal Medicine, a low carb diet is what you need if you want to lose weight. This is because it is more effective than simply avoiding fatty foods.

Before you start avoiding carbohydrate-rich foods, you should also take note how the study showed that low carb diets do not really mean they are low. Instead of counting the amount of carbs you consume every day, you should actually concentrate on choosing the right sources carefully. For instance, if you eat carbs from whole fruits and vegetables rather than potatoes, beverages, and white rice, you will have better cardiovascular health and also lose weight.

This is not to say that eating low fat food will not work. As a matter of fact, you can choose which between the two is better for you as long as you know you eat healthy, exercise regularly, and live a healthy lifestyle.