Flat Stomach Foods: So Do They Exist
First things first: there are a whole load of things that affect how women carry fat, and particularly, how we carry stomach fat. There are factors you cant control, like your genetics, hormones and metabolism, and then, of course, the things you can mix up, such as your daily movement and what foods youre eating.
So, can what foods you eat affect your levels of stomach fat? Sure but its not quite called that. While some foods are more nutritionally dense and beneficial for your overall health than others, I wouldnt say theres such thing as a flat stomach food’, shares Lauren Windas, registered nutritionist at Ardere.
However, in order to achieve a flat stomach and the body composition you desire, your focus should be on eating in a healthy calorie deficit and enjoying a balanced nutritious diet, as well as strength training, running or exercising regularly, she goes on.
Creating The Illusion Of A Flat Stomach
How Can I Reduce My Tummy Fat
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Learn all you can about sugar
Know where it’s hidden and eliminate it from your diet until you reach your goal.
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Make sure you eat little and often
Three meals and two snacks per day and always a combination of a little low GI carbohydrate, a little good fat and some protein.
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Get your heart rate up
You have to get your heart rate up and do a little exercise every day. It needn’t be fifteen minute gruelling HIIT sessions that may injure you or hardcore boot camps.
You have to find what works for you because you need to adopt these habits forever. And forever is a really long time.
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Aim high
Most people underestimate how easy it is to succeed and smash their goals, once they find a programme that works. So aim high. You get one life and we want you to live it in your best body ever.
Louise Parker, based in Belgravia London are a 50-strong team of dietitians and world-class personal trainers, supporting clients all over the world.
Louises first book, The Louise Parker Method is published on 5 May and is available now to pre-order on Amazon.
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Reintroduce Foods & Habits Gradually
Gradually reintroduce dairy and meat products after three days if youve given them up. Continue to eat mostly healthy balanced meals, while enjoying your favorite treat foods here and there if they tend to be high in sugar, sodium, or saturated fat.
Keep eating lots of fiber from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains so you wont have any trouble with digestive problems or constipation . And try not to skip meals, because this will only make you more hungry in the long run.
Remember that all diets are just temporary solutions to losing weight good nutrition is something you should always stick with even after youve reached your ideal weight.
Because Your Body Does Not Care If A Calorie Has Come From A Haribo Or Honey
…by the time it’s broken down on its way to fat storage.
A huge focus of the Louise Parker Method is giving scientific, realistic advice.
So not a diet that starts on Monday and comes to a grinding halt on Friday, but really, truly change the way you eat forever.
Ask yourself: Will I still be doing eighty per cent of this plan in five years time?
If so, that rules out juice fasting, 5:2 or anything that’s just not enjoyable, do-able, sociable and sustainable.
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The 30 Best Ways To Get A Flat Stomach
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Losing the fat around your midsection can be a battle.
In addition to being a risk factor for several diseases, excess abdominal fat may make you feel bloated and discouraged.
Luckily, several strategies have been shown to be especially effective at reducing your waist size.
If you dream about having a flat stomach, this article may be just what you need.
Here are 30 science-backed methods to help you reach your goal of a flat stomach.
You’re Doing The Wrong Type Of Workout
Listen up here. “Only doing abdominal-focused workouts, like crunches, won’t help,” Luke emphasises Belly fat is simply where your body stores energy, so you need to take a whole-body approach to tackle it, he reckons. Try HIIT training he says it’s “a great way to burn fat and get your heart rate up”, with squats, burpees and treadmill sprints all being examples of moves to try.
Emily agrees, saying that, in its simplest form, training abs alone, won’t get you abs. “Focus on the staple movements and progressively getting stronger at them over time. I’m talking about your planks, crunches, twists, holds and v-ups.”
She also points out that compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, overhead press and pull-ups are all effective at activating and working your core. Her final two cents on it? “Moving your body in a way that feels good, and keeps you moving consistently.” Hear, hear.
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How Does Belly Fat Accumulate
Were still learning about the exact mechanisms behind how we accumulate stomach fat, especially visceral fat, but we do know that stress and the hormone cortisol plays an important role, regardless of our age or life stage. In addition to this, a poor diet which is high in fast-releasing carbs and low in protein, combined with alcohol consumption, a lack of exercise and disturbed sleep will all influence our girth.
Another factor is our genetic make-up, researchers believe our genes influence how effectively we burn energy, our behaviour and our risk of developing obesity and associated diseases.
You’re Consuming Too Much Sugar
“If your diet consists of lots of sports drinks, sugar-sweetened drinks like fizzy coca cola and flavoured waters, or sugary foods like chocolate and cakes, it will make losing weight harder,” Dr Luke reckons. He also explains that while whole fruits and vegetables are undoubtedly good for you, they can also sometimes cause weight gain if you eat too much, as they have high levels of natural sugars in them. “Low-fat food options might have high amounts of added sugar in there too, so make sure to check the food label”, he warns.
Plus, cutting back on the amount of simple carbohydrates you eat, like pasta and bread, and substituting for healthier alternatives, like courgetti, could help with weight loss. “It wont be easy, but by dropping your overall carbohydrate intake , you will have the best chance of tackling your belly fat,” shares Dr Luke.
However, Emily has a slightly different take on this one. She explains that, while Dr Luke isn’t wrong in saying that, nutritionally speaking, the above foods aren’t as nutritionally-dense, they won’t ultimately affect weight loss if you’re still maintaining a calorie deficit. “I’m a big believer that you don’t need to cut out foods or become consumed with ‘good’ and ‘bad’ labels when it comes to your nutrition,” she shares.
See, you don’t have to cut out the foods you love. It’s all about moderation.
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How We Lose Belly Fat
Weight loss is a systemic process, which means that energy is burned at an equal rate throughout the body, Dr. Petre says. In other words, your body doesnt burn fat from any one particular area before any other.
What may seem to be focal weight loss is actually a product of how our fat tissue is distributed, she explains. Women tend to store more fat around the thighs and hips, while men carry more around the waist. So, when weight loss occurs, its more visible in those areas.
However, there is a difference when it comes to which type of fat goes first. Visceral fat is more readily broken down by the body to use as fuel, per Harvard Health Publishing, so it responds to diet and exercise more efficiently than soft fat on, say, the hips and thighs.
Drinking To Flatten Your Stomach
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Fill Your Diet With Whole Foods
A great way to make this easy for yourself is to subscribe to the 80/20 rule when you’re grocery shopping, suggests NASM-certified trainer, Sarah Pelc Graca. “Before checking out at the grocery store, take a peek at your cartonly about 20% of the contents should be in a box,” she says. “For the most part, boxed foods like crackers, cookies, and frozen meals, are processed and include little nutrients and excess sugar. On the flip side, about 80% of your cart should include real foods, such as meat, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.”
Exercising To Flatten Your Stomach
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Lose Weight With Friends
If you struggle to lose weight on your own, consider making it a team effort. According to a study published in the journal Obesity during a 12-week, team-based weight loss competition, getting encouragement from teammate increased the odds of achieving clinically significant weight loss by 20%.
In our study, weight loss clearly clustered within teams, which suggests that teammates influenced each other, perhaps by providing accountability, setting expectations of weight loss and providing encouragement and support.
Simple Ways To Flatten Your Belly And Slim Your Waistline
It is that time of year again. Less clothes, more skin, and hopefully, less belly. As the weather warms up and bathing suit season grows closer, it is all about having a flat belly and a slim waist. Do you think that you have tried everything and that nothing works? Are you tired of starving yourself and then binging when your willpower wanes? No need to worry, these simple steps can help you slim down to look and feel your best this spring and summer.
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Consume A Combo Of Calcium And Vitamin D
Say cheese! Adding some extra calcium and vitamin D to your diet could be the best way to get the flat stomach you’ve been dreaming about. Over just 12 months, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville found that obese female study subjects who upped their calcium intake shed 11 pounds of body fat without other major dietary modifications. To keep your calcium choices healthy, try mixing it up between dairy sources, calcium-rich leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.
Diet For Losing Belly Fat In 1 Week
The goal of this diet is to consume the maximum amount of nutrients with minimal calories, fats and sugars. The following diet tips are recommended when aiming to lose weight:
- Eat six meals a day, once every 3 hours
- Drink at least two liters of water or green tea a day
- Eat a different salad every day and a piece of meat, fish or chicken that fits in the palm of your hand
- Eat two pieces of fruit a day, preferably low-sugar fruit such as berries, kiwi or orange
- Eat two yogurts with probiotics every day day as this will encourage your bodys bowel movements, and thus reduce abdominal bloating
- Eat less salt, and use more herbs for seasoning
- Drink one cup of boldo tea half an hour before lunch and dinner. Boldo reduces gas, and decreases bloating.
Weight loss programs that have lasting effects are those that involve regular physical activity and dietary changes, however, it is possible to see visible results in just one week if you follow the above guidelines. You can also do cosmotic treatments such as ultrasonic cavitation, radio frequency, and lymphatic drainage massage to eliminate excess fluid and fat and promote skin firmness. These treatments can complement this weight loss program.
References
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Look At The Quality Of Your Sleep To Help Lose Belly Fat
Dont underestimate the power of a good nights sleep, too. Yes, it can help combat under-eye bags but, according to the University of Leeds, adults who get more than six hours of sleep per night are likely to carry 3cm less around their waist.
Head to bed earlier and follow the WHhow to get to sleep guide to ensure a lack of shut-eye doesnt hold you back from losing belly fat.
Do More Cardio Exercise
The 2003 research indicated that exercise is a top weapon against visceral fat, backed up by a 2011 study which found that aerobic exercise is basically a magic bullet. Aerobic exercise is known to most people as cardio activities such as running and cycling, as opposed to resistance training . While participants in the study worked fairly hard , the researchers said lower-intensity but longer workouts should have similar benefits.
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Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack
Did you know hormones play a role in fat distribution? “A reduction in estrogen for women and testosterone for men, particularly as we age, can trigger the redistribution of fat to the stomach,” Clarissa explains.
Additionally, certain hormonal imbalances such as PCOS can increase the risk of insulin resistance which can lead to an increased production of fat cells. Eating a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol can increase our insulin levels which promotes fat storage, increase the risk of fatty liver, all resulting in a higher incidence of weight gain around the stomach. If you are concerned about hormonal imbalances, book an appointment to speak to your GP.