10 Flat Belly Tips and some bonuses!
1. Belly fat is one of the most dangerous types of fat you can have on your body
Having excess fat around your waistline is linked with an increased risk of a number of ailments including:
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
- Cancers
- Heart disease
and of course diabetes and obesity.
2. It often indicates health issues and fat around your organs
If you already have fat around your abdomen and waistline you may already be increasing your risk of some of these diseases.
3. Dieting alone could help you lose weight, but you may lose muscle mass. The more muscle you have the more energy your burn.
Dieting can help overall weight loss, but long term your body adapts and you can find that you lose muscle mass along with fat. You need to maintain or increase your muscle mass in order to burn calories and keep your metabolism revved up!
4. Sit-ups on their own will not make your abs show up. You could have the best abs in the world, but if they are covered in belly fat, you wont be able to see them!
You often see people trying to achieve great abs by doing hundreds of sits ups or variations of them. But the abs wont show if they are under a layer of fatty tissue. the only way to get your abs muscles to show is to lower your body fat, so there is less fat under the skin.
5. In order to see your abdominal muscles you need to lose weight overall.
You can’t spot train, you can increase the size of muscles that way, but you need to lose body fat all over for the fat to go under the skin.
6. Eat healthy fats like avocado, olives and nuts, but don’t overdo it!
Eating fat is not something you should avoid, but eat healthy fats that your body needs and as with all nutrition, don’t overdo it. Even dark chocolate has its benefits, but everything in moderation.
7. Exercise 3-4 times per week, be active each day and be CONSISTENT!
All success in life is achieved with consistency. If you keep working at something and adjust as you go along, keep doing what works and stop what does not. But you have to stick with soemthing to be able to determine whether it is working or not. Be consistent. Exercise 3 times a week, and this can be in smaller HIIT sessions (high intensity interval training), which have shown to help burn calories even after the sessions.
8. Reduce or cut out sugar all together.
Sugar can cause a huge number of diseases and inflammation in the body, cut it out completely if you can. If you can’t then choose healthy alternatives. (to see the3 part sugar video series, which gives some healthier alternatives subscribe >> )
9. Make sure that you get enough protein, but again don’t overdo it, foods should be eaten in moderation. An excess of most foods will cause you to gain weight regardless of how good they are for you.
Excess protein may also cause issues, but everyone needs protein to build and maintain muscle mass. Vegetarians need to source healthy proteins and not rely on dairy products for this.
10. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated
Every cell in your body needs water, so make sure you get enough each day and rehydrate if its hot or you have been exercising. (see article on water)
Bonuses
Manage your stress
Keep you mind healthy and manage your stress. The stress hormone cortisol is known for creating weight gain, particularly around your belly. Mindfulness and meditation are two great ways to manage your mindset in general.
Sleep well
Getting a good nights sleep is essential for a healthy mind, it allows you to feel rested and may give you more energy for you to be more active too. Hormones related to lack of sleep can increase you weight. So set your routine, turn off your technology and get a good nights sleep.
