Achieving a flat stomach is a quest us women are eternally on. There are many factors that play a role in the ever fluctuating waist line. For most of us, the washboard abs you see a fitness model sporting on the cover of a magazine is unattainable and even if it is accomplished, keeping your toned six pack is another story altogether. Not even the model on the cover of the magazine can maintain her cover-worthy abs.
The real hard truth is that accomplishing a stomach that you could iron your laundry on is A LOT of work and for most of us that have jobs, kids, families and other priorities, it can seem next to impossible. Women in particular, store fat around their middle. This was designed to protect an unborn baby in the mothers womb. We also have hormones that kick into play during our fertile years that cause fat storage in the abdomen and waist area. And the same happens during menopause when our hormones start to shift and decrease.
So being that it seems we are already behind the eight ball on the war on belly fat, what can we do? Here are some tips to help you achieve a toned, flat stomach.
Detox Cleanse Daily
First thing in the morning it is a good idea to start your day with a warm cup of water with the juice of a fresh lemon squeezed in it.
For more advanced cleansing, you can add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little dash of honey. This may take some time to get used to but the benefits are worth it. This tonic is great for metabolism function, cleansing out the liver and supporting the immune system.
Chew your Food
Make sure you chew your food very well. This is very important for a few reasons. One, by chewing very well you produce more saliva and in saliva are the enzymes needed to break down and digest your food properly which will stop bloating. Another reason chewing your food is very important is it will stop you from eating too quickly which will help you not to over eat.
Stay Mindful
Remember to stay conscious when you are eating your food. We tend to let our mind wander and before we know it and entire bag of almonds are gone when we only intended to take a small handful.
Don’t Overeat
Always stop eating when you are full. Don’t feel the pressure to eat everything on your plate if you are full. Doing this will get you into a better habit of learning to listen to your body when it is full which will stop you from over eating and taking in too many calories
Plan your Meals
Makes sure you plan out your meals at least the day before. Keep a journal and write a plan down for the day so when you are hungry you have a plan and you aren’t reaching for everything in the fridge to fill that hunger while you figure out what you are going to have for a meal.
Drink Plenty of Water
This helps digestion and helps to break down your food. A good way to figure out how much water you need a day is to make sure you sip on water throughout the day and don’t let yourself get too thirsty. If you do, that means you are already dehydrated and it is hard to get satiated that way. You can always add a lemon or orange or lime to add some flavor to your water.
Stay Away From Artififical Sweeteners
They are so dangerous for your health but in relation to trying to attain a flat belly, artificial sweeteners are very gas producing and bloat causing. It is much better for your belly bulge to have either a little honey in your coffee or a teaspoon of sugar in the raw!
Eat Small Meals
Eat smaller portions more often instead of large meals less often. Eating smaller meals is much easier on your digestion so your digestive tract does not become overwhelmed trying to work so hard.
Don’t Eat Late at Night
Often times just changing this one habit can make all the difference in helping you achieve a flat stomach. Stop eating 3 hours before bed for your body to have a chance to go through its full digestive cycle over night. You will feel much better with more energy first thing in the morning as a side benefit, and of course it is a great way to fight waking up with a bloated belly!
Eat Warm Food
Have a cup of warm herbal tea with your meal. Your stomach actually needs heat in order for the digestive process to work properly. Your stomach needs heat in order to burn calories.
Working Out
Of course working out regularly will help to keep your fat storage level at a minimum. Focus on abdominal exercises at least 3 to 4 times a week with some resistance using either some weights or a band. Developing some core muscles will act like a waist cincher and it will pull the stomach in and tighten it up.
Watch Your Posture
This is a big one. Just being aware of how you sit and how you walk around can make all the difference from frumpy to fit and glamorous. Do a test in the mirror and stand relaxed looking at yourself from the side angle. Then straighten yourself up and see the magic happen!
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