5 tips to get a flat stomach for the summer

25 May 2017

Summer is fast approaching, and it’s a time where you’ll want to be in the best shape. Losing fat around your middle can be a challenge, but if you follow these 5 tips and maintain a healthy diet, you should see a difference in no time.

1. Keep up the cardio

This is by far the best way to not only lose stomach fat but improve your overall health because cardio exercises burn a lot of calories. It is recommended that you do 150-300 minutes of high-intensity cardio weekly, this means roughly 20-40 minutes per day. This can be anything from brisk walking, running, biking or rowing. If you’re the type of person who would rather train in a group, why not try a bootcamp?

2. Eat more fibre

Soluble fibres absorb a lot of water which in turn slows down the passing of food through the digestive tract. Studies have shown that this causes the stomach to expand and make you feel full. Plus, these fibres may decrease the amount of calories your body can absorb from food, reducing the chance of fat accumulating around your waist. Pack your fridge with foods such as blackberries, sprouts, oats, avocados and legumes.

3. Cut out sugar and refined carbs

This might be the hardest tip to follow, but it is essential if you want to achieve a flat stomach. Firstly, limiting carbs has been shown to have huge benefits for weight loss, low-carb diets will target the fat that makes your waistline expand. Sugar is linked to some of the most common diseases in society today including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and liver disease so decreasing your consumption is not only beneficial to losing weight. Certain studies show a direct link between a high intake of sugar and waist size, one of the main sugar culprits is sugar-sweetened drinks. Don’t be fooled by ‘diet’ and ‘no sugar’ labels.

4. Drink enough water

You’ve probably heard it before but drinking enough water on a daily basis does promote weight loss. How? Drinking water temporarily increases your metabolic rate and could increase your total daily energy expenditure by up to 100 calories. Drink a glass of water before each meal, and you’ll feel fuller and eat less. Water can also help to relieve constipation that can ultimately cause belly bloating.

5. Try probiotics

You might be thinking: “what are probiotics?” well, they are live bacteria that play a huge role in the process of weight loss and weight maintenance. Research into overweight and obese people has shown that they have a different composition of gut bacteria than those who are at a healthy weight which may influence weight gain. It is believed that regularly consuming probiotics will reduce the risk of weight gain by shifting the balance toward beneficial gut flora. Foods that contain probiotics include certain yoghurts, kimchi and pickles but there is a wide range of supplements available too.

There are a lot more strategies than this to help you achieve your weight loss goals, but by incorporating some of the tips above into your daily routine, you’re bound to see a difference over time. Remember to keep up the good work and be patient – change doesn’t happen overnight.