I have always been struggling to get a flat belly. It is quite of an obsession for me to be very honest. Not talking about social media and the aesthetic based world we live , a flat stomach is overall a sign of good health. It is the sign of healthy levels of fat and shows the absence of bloating.
So just for this reason, it is OKAY to want a flat tummy and be ready to do anything on earth to get it. 😉
With no surprise, it is important to mention that your diet and food habits are the most important factor to investigate.
Are you eating too salty? Are you an emotional eater? Do you try to restrict yourself? Asking yourself these questions will help you being more conscious about what and how you ingest every day.
Making it easier to recognize when you’re not acting the best way towards your diet.
Nonetheless, you could also use daily practical tools (more about it down below) that will, combined with a healthy diet, significantly reduce your waist size.
Without further ado, here’s the golden guide to finally know how to get a flat stomach! :
First thing first, food choices matter, a lot. Make healthy food choices, most times. You’re human, so am I, allow yourself a little treat every now and then, you deserve it! Restricting yourself and not eating the food you really want ALL the time every single day will only create more frustration, more cravings, so more binging. And boom you can say bye to your flat tummy and hi to the never-ending weight loss loop!
What’s eating healthy? It’s eliminating processed foods to eat foods that are as close to nature as possible.
-> Fruits and veggies, starch (rice, quinoa, buckwheat, sweet potato…) , nuts and seeds, eggs, fish and meat. Plus, the more food variety you get in, the better.
1. Avoid snacking all day
We are all different when it comes to meal’s quantities and eating frequency. Some will prefer small amounts of food to be able to eat many times a day, and others will enjoy 1 to 3 spaced consequent meals.
If you wanna eat all day and feel like that’s what’s best for you, then go ahead.
But it’s important to consider that the more snacks you take in a day, the more your digestive system has to work, the least you’re putting your body into a catabolic state (burning fat).
I’m NOT saying you should be eating every 7 hours or start intermittent fasting, but rather exposing you some facts. Of course, if you decide to cut down on snacks, you’ll have bigger meal quantities.
Another thing to mention here: Diner just before bedtime isn’t ideal if you’re seeking to loose fat. I know many people (myself included) don’t mind at all to eat let’s say at 9.30pm then head in bed at 10pm. But the truth is, while you’re lying down and sleeping, your digestive system is slackened. So it is actually working way longer than it would if you’d be sitting around wide awake.
When digestion is happening, and also when you get insulin spikes, the release of Growth Hormone (GH) is highly altered. GH increases the breakdown of stored fat and rises the use of this fat to create energy.
So if it possible for you, try to have your last meal of the day at least 2-3 hours before hitting the sack.
2. Relax and take time to enjoy your meal
Jumping on your plate and devouring your meal in front of your smartphone is the very last thing you wanna do. Take a deep breath and focus on savoring small bites, one at a time.
Some of you might think « I’m always so busy, I can’t dedicate half an hour just to eat ». Well, you should tho. There is always a way to squeeze in some other stuff to make room for what matters right?
Having time in front of you to relax, sit down and enjoy this meal will HUGELY impact your diet. You will : get so much more pleasure from the food you’re eating, take time to chew properly and your digestive system will thank you for that, you will also be more receptive to your hunger, making you able to know when you’ve had enough so you can’t stop eating.
Did you once wish you could be strong enough not to finish your plate because you’re full? Well, you can do it. As anyone.
Every one can and should stop eating when one’s body is saying « no more ». Satiety’s feeling is ordered by the leptin hormone. This one is sent to your brain 15 to 20 minutes after the first mastication, to tell you to stop eating. That’s why it is so crucial for you to plan on taking your time for the meal ahead and really focus on what you eat.
3. Listen to your hunger
Ahhh… Hunger. Feeling hungry can be both an amazing and horrible feeling according to me. The question here is… Are every times you feel hungry a sign of real hunger? Or do you feel hungry because you’re nervous, or feel lonely, sad? Maybe you tend to neglect hydration, and you’re confusing thirst with hunger…
So, try to listen to your hunger when it comes out. Try to identify if your body is asking for food OR if it is compensating negative emotions or dehydration.
Don’t throw yourself onto food whenever your brain tells you to. Take a step back and decide if whether or not your body needs this food. I know how hard this can be but be strong, you got this. It’s all in the mind.
4. Massage your stomach
Weird. I know, pawing your belly can seems a bit odd at first. But honestly, tummy self massage really worths it. It helps reducing bloating and improves digestive function.
Manipulating your gut area will allow more bowel movements and will then reduce existing constipation troubles1.
Studies2 have shown that 5 to 10 minutes of stomach massaging a day can significantly improve bloating feelings. It also automatically increases blood flow to the abdomen, making the organs in this area benefiting from it.
5. Move more
If you think you don’t have a flat stomach because you got excess fat over this area, then maybe you should throw in some physical exercise.
You do not need to go to the gym or kill yourself at running every day to burn fat down. Aerobic activity (low intensity but longer effort time) such as walking, swimming, or biking are great as they will push your body to use fats to fuel itself.
What’s really important here, is to choose that one physical activity you really enjoy doing. Moving can be so much fun, don’t make it a battle, it’s not supposed to be. 😉
6. Train your core
Okay, this ain’t a must to train your abs to get a flat stomach. However, strengthening your core will tone your belly and it will also get the tranverse muscle stronger. The tranverse muscle is very important for us here as its role is to hold the digestive organs in. The tranverse muscle is known for being the « flat belly muscle ».
7. Drink enough water
A lot of people feel hungry when they actually just need to be drinking more water. The line between thirst and hunger can be very thin and it’s easy to get confused between the two. To know if your hunger is actually a sign of thirst, just drink a glass of water and see if you still feel the need to eat afterwards.
Moreover, drinking more water will make your body consuming more calories. Yep, you got it right! Because your body is using energy to either cool down or warm the water up, it will automatically burn more calories. Of course, DO NOT start drinking 7 liters of water a day, this would be very dangerous.
8. Get enough sleep
And I’m not talking about a miracle overnight method to burn fat here…
Rather about hormones once again. Our body produces two hormones linked to our weight: Leptin, which regulates energy levels and keeps the appetite low and Ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your Leptin levels decrease and your Ghrelin increases. Therefore increasing your appetite while you’re going through your day.
We won’t say it enough: sleep is AS important as diet for a healthy body and mind.
To know how many hours of sleep you ideally need, do this: Pick a day you can allow yourself not to set an alarm to wake up. After how many hours did you wake up, feeling rested?
For a better accuracy, do this at least 2 days in a row. Otherwise, try do pick 2 days in the same week to do the experiment. When it’s done, find the average time of sleep your body naturally needs. Now you know how many daily hours of sleep you should get.
9. Hold your belly in a few times a day
I know this topic is highly debated and it’s fair to be the case. If tucking your belly in all day long could be pretty dangerous, doing some neuro muscular connexion with your core will tho be pretty beneficial. This will once again make your transverse muscle work and will also incite you to put those core muscles at work when it’s needed (during physical exercise daily physical activities). So, when you think about it (while driving or cooking for example) try to engage those core muscle in contracting them. You should still be able to breath normally while you do this. You do not want to imitate the popular « vacuum » exercise here.
10. Consistency is key
I’m not teaching you anything if I tell you that you won’t get a flat tummy in 24 hours. I’m not saying it will take you ages neither. The key for efficiency and fast results is… consistence.
I know there are a hundred of things we « should » be doing every day to be better, healthier, perform better, feel happier… But we are humans and it’s impossible to do all those things. What matters most here, is to do your best every day to work towards what truly matters to you. So if getting a flat belly is one of your priorities, make it a priority: Apply some those tips as much as you can, you’ll get this flat tummy, I promise! 🙂
I’ve decided not to talk about diet and food choices here. I truly think there are other fundamental pathways to walk on before restricting and limiting yourself. Dieting is what everyone desperately tries to do to flatten one’s belly. I did it too, for many years. That’s actually a BIG mistake and the best way to… get fat and bloated. How? Because restricting yourself creates frustration. Frustration is the best friend of binge and emotional eating.