How to Get the Flat Stomach You've Always Wanted

Many desire a flat stomach, but doing countless crunches alone is not going to get you that slim waistline. According to the Harvard Medical School website, if you carry excess fat around your middle, you increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Women can also get breast cancer and gallbladder problems. To reduce stomach fat, you will need to take a whole-body approach. Losing fat from your entire body will also reduce your stomach fat.

Instructions

• 1

  Get plenty of cardiovascular exercise to increase your metabolism so you burn fat. Choose from exercises such as walking, running, swimming, skipping or biking. Perform cardio at least three days a week, 45 minutes per day.

• 2

  Include strength training in your exercise routine. Use your body weight, free weights or weight lifting machines to tone and sculpt all parts of your body. Increase muscle tissue to speed up your resting metabolic rate so you burn fat even when you are at rest. Perform strength training exercises three days of the week on alternating days to give your muscles sufficient time to recover.

• 3

  Target your abdominal muscles with stomach exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, side bench and elbow-to-knee crunches. Targeted exercises will tighten and tone your stomach so that once the fat is gone, you will display a toned tummy and not soft, loose-hanging skin.

• 4

  Take yoga classes or meditate to control your stress levels. The Natural Health Website for Women states that constant high stress levels trigger the release of cortisol, a stress hormone that causes weight gain predominantly in the stomach area.

• 5

  Eat up to six times per day to stimulate metabolic burn, reduce cravings and avoid hunger. Consume small, healthy meals with foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Stay away from fattening, fried, processed, sugary foods that will sabotage your results.

• 6

  Get plenty of sleep at night, because this is when your body repairs itself and provides you with energy for the coming day. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.