You may be after six-pack abs. You may have wanted to get rid of all that unwanted fat for good health. Your concern may be to be able to look good in a suit. Whatever the motive, your end goal is to get lean. The success of your quest for a flat belly is the product of training, diet and perseverance. One of the major reasons for you to not see results in spite of doing all the hard work is that you’ve gotten your facts entirely wrong. The infographic below by Fitness Republic includes everything you need to know about getting rid of that troublesome belly.
Below are the key points from the above infographic, summarized.
Rules for Fat Loss
Green tea is not only rich in antioxidants and a great metabolism booster but an effective fat burner as well. One of the micronutrients present in green tea (polyphenol) helps the fat burning process. Burning calories via running, swimming, biking and everything else that increases the heart rate is much more effective in getting rid of visceral fat, compared to resistance training. Breaking up meals into smaller meal portions but increasing the frequency of intake throughout the day distributes the calories and helps you lose weight much faster. You can also try carb cycling, which allows you to eat carbs without adding body fat.
Belly Flattening Superstars
Some of the listed food items are not only good to taste but highly helpful for belly flattening as well. One of them is almonds. Almonds can be used along with low-fat yogurt and berries to create a revitalizing meal for the morning. Moreover, fresh strawberries sprinkled over molten dark chocolate makes a perfect tummy flattening dessert. Flaxseed oil stirred into smoothie makes a healthy and hearty snack for the afternoon. Olive oils don’t just make great salads but extra virgin olive oil is arguably the healthiest oil for overall cooking. Pistachios along with honey and semi-sweet chocolate chips make a healthy sweet snack.
Change Up Your Lifestyle
Lifestyle change is another important step towards a flatter belly, as emphasized by the infographic above. You should eat lots of fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, broccoli and spinach. Try to consume as little sugar as possible. Eat portion controlled meals which include whole grain foods and mono-unsaturated fats throughout the day. Your focus should be on cardiovascular exercises during the workout routine. Avoid fried foods as far as possible as even little consumption of such foods can leave all your hard work undone. However, don’t skip breakfast so as to attain a flat belly as a healthy breakfast is essential to jumpstart your body’s metabolism.
No-crunch Flat Belly Workouts
Workouts are as important as diet for healthier abs. It’s not necessary that you spend hours in the gym: the focus should be on continuity. Even half an hour of workout every day without frequent hiatuses will reap rewards in no time. The exercises need not necessarily involve crunches predominantly, in contrast to the common belief. Try out no-crunch ab exercises such as overhead squats, pull-ups, split leg-arm raises, split leg-arm reaches and barbell landmines and see their benefits for yourself.
Other Things to be Concerned About
In spite of all your hard work and dedication, you may not be having much luck in attaining a flat belly. This could be attributed to several reasons. One of the reasons is lack of proper sleep, which increases the level of ghrelin that results in weight gain. Too much stress on the other hand releases a chemical called cortisol that lowers the process of fat burning. Packaged and fast food items meanwhile increase the level of cholesterol in blood. Involvement in exercises without full concentration also doesn’t help much. You may have spent hours on the workout but focused participation is what you need. A combination of different forms of exercises like cycling, yoga and aerobics can be even more effective. Featured photo credit: Chart via fitnessrepublic.com
