The Real Way to Get a Flat Stomach

As Americans continue to gain weight, weight loss companies continue to take advantage. The internet and television are saturated with advertisements aimed at selling products and programs that claim to give you a flat stomach, fast. But expensive machines alone won't give you the washboard abs you desire. Before you wade through the numerous weight loss ads, stop and think. Go back to basics to get a tight waistline.

Instructions

• 1

  Watch what you eat. Diet is the first key to a flat stomach. Battling the bulge requires a balanced diet of protein, vegetables, fruits and grains. Avoid refined sugars and flours, which can raise insulin levels and add fat to the midsection. Some foods can also cause bloating. Starchy foods like white rice, potatoes and bread give many people a bloated stomach, regardless of how much fat they may be carrying. Foods high in sorbitol, like apples, prunes, bananas and diet beverages with artificial sweeteners can also cause bloating. If you plan to go out, or need your stomach to be in top condition, don't eat these foods on the same day.

• 2

  Vitamins will help maintain a healthy metabolism.

  Get your vitamins. According to the March 2010 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vitamin D has an effect on belly fat. A study published in the journal shows a direct correlation between a lack of vitamin D and an increase in muscle fat. In addition to Vitamin D, lack of zinc, selenium, and Vitamin E can impair thyroid function. A sluggish thyroid can add pounds to the stomach by slowing metabolism. Add a daily multivitamin to your daily regimen to help reduce the size of your waistline.

• 3

  Work your core. Crunches are good, but they only work the muscles on the front of your abdomen. Find a routine that works your core, or all the muscles on your abdomen. A great core-building exercise commonly used by athletes is called "planks." To do a plank, get into push-up position. But instead of putting your weight on your hands, place your elbows and forearms on the floor in front of you. Your feet should be apart behind you and you should be on your toes. Try to hold this position for 60 seconds. Repeat three times. If you struggle to hold up for that long, hold as long as you can and build up to the full minute.

• 4

  Jumping rope is a good cardio exercise that will burn fat.

  Burn fat. A hundred crunches a day won't give you a flat stomach if there's a layer of fat covering your midsection. Muscle building and toning exercises may give you a toned abdomen, but they don't burn fat. Cardio exercises such as aerobics, bicycling, swimming, jogging and jumping rope are essential to gaining a flat stomach, because they help your body metabolize fat.