Achieving a flat tummy is an important goal for men and women alike. Many companies out there know this, and they produce one gadget after another promising you a flat tummy in several weeks or "your money back." Even if these tools do work, you can get a flat tummy without them by following some key strategies.
Dietary Adjustments
In order to lose your tummy, you must also lose the high-calorie, fattening foods. These include deep-fried foods, processed foods, refined foods and anything else that is high in saturated fat. Eat foods that are high in nutrients, such as lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans and whole grains. To keep yourself from overeating and to maintain high energy levels, eat small meals every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. Make these meals a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat. An example of a meal is salmon with steamed broccoli and a baked yam.
Water
Calories in the form of liquids are still calories and should be eliminated from your diet. Examples of these include soft drinks, fruits juices, alcohol, sugared coffee drinks and sweetened teas. Drink water in place of them because it has zero calories and it can also help to boost your metabolism. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get 2.7 total liters of water a day and men get 3.7 total liters day.
Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise can burn calories and reduce excess weight in your whole body, including your tummy. Aim for 45 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on 4 to 5 days a week. Examples of exercises include running, swimming, biking, elliptical training, rope jumping and stair climbing. To increase your caloric expenditure, do intervals. These are done by alternating between bouts of high intensity and low intensity. For an example, after a 10 minute warm-up, go at a high intensity for 60 seconds, then a lower intensity for 60 seconds. Alternate back and forth for 30 minutes and finish with a 10 minute cool-down at a light intensity.
Weight Training
Building muscle through weight training can help increase your metabolism and burn more calories. Do exercises that involve the chest, shoulders, back, triceps, biceps and legs. Examples of weight training include bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, tricep pushdowns, bicep curls and squats.
Abdominal Exercises
You cannot lose weight in your tummy with ab exercises, but you can define the muscles there once the fat has disappeared. Exercises to do include crunches, side crunches, leg lifts, hanging knee raises, decline crunches and bicycle crunches.
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