How to Get a Flat Stomach ASAP

Trying to get a flat stomach in a short amount of time by drastically cutting calories and doing hundreds of sit-ups will not give you the desired results. Not only does your body's survival mode will kick in where it holds onto fat out of fear of starvation, you are also teaching yourself bad eating habits which can lead to an unhealthy yo-yo effect. Instead of dieting, you should adapt healthy eating habits that you can easily maintain. Regular physical activity, both cardiovascular and strength training, should also be part of your lifestyle.

Instructions

• 1

  Consume smaller meals frequently throughout the day instead of having three large meals. Keep your metabolism running by providing your body with constant nutrition. Eat a small meal every two to three hours of the day, aiming for a total of five to six meals.

• 2

  Watch what you put in your mouth because a flat stomach is highly dependent on what you eat. Avoid oily foods, refined carbohydrates, sugar, alcohol, foods cooked in hydrogenated oil and fatty meats. Eat fiber-rich foods, such as oatmeal, cabbage, spinach and leafy green vegetables. Consume lean protein including turkey, fish and chicken.

• 3

  Limit your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day. According to fitness trainer Jillian Michaels, consuming more sodium can lead to belly bloating due to water retention.

• 4

  Make water your main drink of choice since it flushes out toxins, promotes digestive health, delivers nutrients to your body parts and keeps bloating at bay.

• 5

  Skip long, same intensity cardiovascular workouts and do interval training three to four days of the week. Interval training burns more calories compared to long cardio session, in a shorter amount of time. Additionally you also burn fat and keep the metabolism going even when you are at rest. Jog, walk or bike at low intensity for several minutes before switching to high intensity for a few minutes. Go back and forth between intensities, working your way up to 30 to 45 minutes per day.

• 6

  Lift weights to increase muscle tissue which boosts your metabolism into overdrive so you burn fat all day long. Workout all body parts on three days of the week. Exercise different body parts on different days of the week, allowing one rest day in between workouts.

• 7

  Tone and tighten you abdominal muscles by doing exercises that target the obliques and the upper and lower abdominals. Train lower abdominals first because if you do the upper abs first, you may not have sufficient strength left to properly train the lower abs. Perform reverse crunches and leg lifts. Incorporate side bends and elbow to knee crunches for the obliques and work the upper abs with sit-ups and crunches.

• 8

  Avoid cortisol levels from increasing by staying relaxed and calm and not allowing stress to get to you. Breathe deeply and practice meditation. Increases of cortisol, the stress hormone, increase fat around the middle. According to the University of New Mexico website, cortisol is associated with appetite, cravings for sugar and weight gain.

• 9

  Drink green tea daily because it boost metabolism and help burn fat. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, substances called catechins in green tea have a fat-burning effect.