Secrets to a flat stomach

People will spend a great deal of money to get a great body through plastic surgery. According to the Report of the 2010 Plastic Surgery Statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, $13.1 million was spent on cosmetic procedures in the United States. Surgery is fast, but there are things than can go horribly wrong. So why take the chance when you have a healthier and safer option? If you want an amazing body, you have to work for it and that is just the reality of the situation. When most people think of the ideal body, they immediately think of a flat stomach. This is one the hardest place to lose the weight. If the stomach is your main area of concern, then you need to find proper foods and targeted exercises that will help you with this problem.

Eliminate junk foods

If you want a flat stomach, then you have to eat foods that won’t store fat in that area. This means saying goodbye to frequent chocolate snacks, potato chips and sodas and saying hello to healthy fruits and vegetables. Instead of ice cream, eat a fat free yogurt. Substitute a large pizza with a delicious chicken salad. Realistically, you are not expected to totally eliminate all your favorite foods from your diet, but you need to save them for special occasions or limit them overall. Fruits and vegetables are delicious and they won’t go straight to your waistline. You can eat as much as you want and you won’t gain belly fat.

Eat more fiber

Fiber has been known to help with losing weight in the stomach. Diets that are low in fiber generally cause extra weight in the midsection. You can get fiber from eating fruits and vegetables daily. You should opt for brown or whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and brown rice instead of white rice. Some cereals also contain more fiber than others so be sure to read the labels and choose one that is also low in fat and sugar.  

Eat less salt

If you are trying to live healthy now, you should already be consuming less salt. However, if you want a flat stomach, salt consumption can be problematic as too much salt causes bloating. The signs are more prominent on the stomach than anywhere else on the body. Salts can also cause high blood pressure which can lead to other health problems, so it is beneficial to reduce your salt intake for several reasons.

Drink lots of liquid

Liquids you should drink do not include sodas, alcohol or drinks that are filled with sugar; you need to either opt for natural fruit juices, green tea or water.  Green tea has been used in weight loss plans for many years because it is known for burning fat and boosting metabolism. Water is certainly the healthiest drink you could opt for in your efforts to lose weight and achieve a flat stomach.  It can help to flush out salt or sodium from the body and reduce the possibility of bloating.

Focus on abdominal exercises

If your main goal is to lose weight, then you will undoubtedly need to incorporate some type of exercise routine into your daily life. Along with cardiovascular exercise, there are a variety of exercises from which to choose that target the different muscles in the stomach. Some of the most effective abdominal exercises are:

·         *Obliques

·         *Reverse crunch

·         *Exercise ball crunch

·         *Torso twist/rotation

·         *Side bends

·         *Bicycle exercise

·         *Chair leg raise

·         *Vertical leg crunch

·         *Sit ups