How to Get Rid of the Abdominal Bulge

Whether you have a beer belly, a spare tire or a minor bulge in your abdominal region, attaining a flat stomach is possible. You have to be willing to put in the hard work and change negative eating habits. Getting rid of an abdominal bulge may the hard part, but the good news is that keeping it off is easy. However, losing weight and tightening abdominal muscles takes time and patience. Like the old adage goes, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Instructions

• 1

  Reduce your body weight. Losing pounds will reduce your abdominal bulge. When your body loses weight, most of the time it comes off the abdominal region first, according to Dr. Michael Jensen, M.D., an obesity researcher at Mayo Clinic. The best way to lose excess weight is to limit your calories and not exceed the daily recommended amount for your gender, age and activity level. According to "Cooking Light" magazine, generally women ages 25 to 50 need 2,000 calories a day, women older than 50 need 2,000 or less, and men older than 24 need 2,700 calories a day. For a precise individual calorie count that incorporates your lifestyle and exercise routine, try an online nutrition calculator, such as Healthy Body Calculator, found on Dietitian.com.

• 2

  Eat more nutritious foods. Eliminate processed and sugary foods for ones that are high in fiber, low in fat and whole-grain. If your diet lacks sufficient fiber and fluids, bloating can occur, which makes your stomach look as though it is bulging, according to Dr. Jensen.

• 3

  Strengthen your abdominal muscles. Doing core exercises will tighten your abdominal muscles that help tighten your belly and redefine your stomach area. Attend a Pilates class three to five times a week and add core exercises, such as bicycle crunches to your daily cardiovascular exercise routine. To execute a bicycle repetition, lay on your back with your hands resting gently behind your head. Your leg starting position will be knees bent with your feet flat on the floor. Using your abdominal muscles, lift your chest off the floor towards your knees, keeping your chin directed to the ceiling. From here, twist to touch your elbow to the opposing knee by bringing your opposite knee towards your elbow. Left knee to right elbow and repeat on the other side. Between touches, the resting leg straightens out, but is kept several inches off the floor. Start by doing three sets of ten repetitions. Gradually add repetitions as your fitness increases.

• 4

  Stand up straight. If your abdominal bulge is minor, improving your posture will automatically pull in your stomach, according to WebMD. Align your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in a straight line. Keep your shoulders open by gently squeezing your shoulder blades together.