When it comes to getting a smaller gut many turn to dieting and exercise. These are great but there are also more practical ways to ease your blot without stressing. Having too much fat around your belly can be a signal for the risk of diabetes or heart disease. As with everything else a few changes here and there can really make a big difference.
It’s definitely not easy to get a flatter stomach as there are a lot of other things that can be factors. Some factors of excessive weight in the stomach can be genetics, hormones, and of course overeating. Some want to immediately turn to flat belly foods but we know how that goes. Improving your overall health can be done easily with some tweaks that will help build healthier habits and help reduce stomach bloating.
Please remember with all things diet and exercise it is best to consult your physician should you need help. With that being said weight loss, exercise, health and body image are all complex subjects that differ from woman to woman.
Start Here First – More Fiber
For a lot of women that problem with bloating can mean not having enough fiber intake. This is probably the first and easiest place to begin when trying to tackle a small pot belly or muffin top. The key with fiber is to make sure that you are adding it slowly and increasing gradually. You don’t want to add fiber too quickly or it could have the opposite effect of what you are trying to get accomplished.
Simply adding more vegetables, fruits, and grains is a great start. By choosing high fiber cereal for breakfast and incorporating fruits and vegetables for your snacks will put you on your way.
Stay Away from Too Much Sodium
Too much sodium will have you retaining water and looking like a swollen balloon. If you are trying to de-bloat please just cut back on the sodium intake. The problem for many is that the foods that are good for you actually can be causing the bloating and gas. Kale, broccoli, and cauliflower are wonderful choices however they can lead to gas pain and bloating if you eat other foods that are high in fiber. Below are a few things that you can do and changes to make to get a flatter stomach:
Get Plenty Of Rest
Who would have ever thought that going to bed earlier would help you get a flatter belly. Well, not only does going to bed earlier ensure you get proper rest, but also helps with keeping that metabolism going strong. Plus if you are in bed early the chances of late night snacking is avoided. While this may be hard for some you should really aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Try Adding Ginger to Your Eating
Ginger is great for flavor and adding it to tea or water is a great way to add it to your diet. Not only is ginger shown to improve digestion it has wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is also a natural diuretic, which helps you excrete water, and help with sodium and water retention. If you want food to pass through your gut faster while reducing bloating and gas add ginger into the mix.
Listen to Your Body
As women we tend to ignore when we have to go to the bathroom. Whether it’s work, the family, or helping a friend when our body tells us it’s time to go we need to go. If you don’t use the bathroom when your body is telling you, you will put it off until later. Once you’ve trained your brain to dismiss going to the toilet you set the stage for bloating and constipation. So please have a seat when your body says go.
Have a Cup of Joe
Coffee seems to just keep winning. From helping with fat loss to being a natural diuretic coffee keeps on shining. The caffeine found in coffee can help decrease bloating because it will help your body get rid of excess water. Coffee can help you get a flatter stomach as it is also a stimulant. This means it will get your bowels moving and help get rid of the waste that could be causing you to bloat.
Sit Straight, Upright, Good Posture
Good posture will also help with the problem you are facing. It is said that sitting up straight forces your body to engage your stomach muscles. Kim Lyons from “The Biggest Loser” states, When you have good posture, you’re automatically engaging and toning your stomach.” So sit up straight and stand tall.
Drink More Water
We know, if you are bloating and trying to get a flatter stomach, why drink more water? Well the truth is that when you are dehydrated you cause your body to actually hold more water. Yes hold more water! So drinking actually helps the body stop retaining extra. You should drink at least eight cups of water daily. If you think that’s too much consider the fact that should your body feel that you are dehydrated you can hold up to 4-5 pounds of excess pounds around your waist.
Stop Chewing Gum
Yes we’ve all heard that you should chew gum to stop you from eating but did you know that chewing gum can actually keep you from fitting into those skinny jeans? The American College of Gastroenterology stated that chewing forces you to swallow more puff producing air. That air just sits in your stomach and gives you the uncomfortable bloated sensation.
Eat More Nuts
Well as funny as that may sound, research has linked eating nuts with women having a smaller waist measurement. It’s just something about those nuts that will make your body feel more satisfying than if you were to snack on pretzels. Nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats. Remember earlier we talked about sodium so be sure to go with unsalted nuts. You don’t want to eat more nuts only to increase the sodium puff that salt versions may cause. A handful of nuts is all you need.
Get Your Probiotics On
Eating a daily serving of a probiotic rich food like yogurt, miso, buttermilk, or sauerkraut is going to help a ton. Probiotics are what are known as the ‘good’ bacteria. These types of bacteria help your digestive system break down food which prevent gastrointestinal issues. Gastrointestinal issues are just one of the reasons you may not have a flat stomach. The top probiotic rich foods are yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, and pickles just to name a few.
Stop Stressing
Stress is the leading cause of so many issues and a bigger gut is one of them. When you are stressed it causes the body to increase production of stress and steroids hormones. As you can imagine this negatively affects your digestive system. These extra hormones cause constipation in a major way. On top of that the stress levels increase the production of cortisol. Cortisol is the “fight or flight” hormone that adds the excess fat to your stomach. Trust us you don’t want it doing that! So relax and stop stressing your midsection will thank you for it.
Points To Remember
So remember ladies, even though “how to get a flat stomach,” is frequently searched for and talked about in many group chats there are no secret sauces. There are no workouts that will teach you how to get rid of belly fat by spot reduction. Your body decides where fat is stored and where it will pull it from for energy. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, stop stressing, build a strong core and eat well. When it comes to a flat stomach you are going to have to get to a healthy body fat percentage that works for you and decrease your midsection.
