Top 5 Tips for a Flatter Tummy
IS THERE A MAGIC “SECRET”?
There is no “magic secret” to getting a flat tummy and toned abs – BUT there are a few simple things that we can do everyday to achieve a flatter tummy.
In this post, I’m going to show you my top 5 tips for getting a flatter tummy.
A SIMPLE METHOD
When I was trying to lose weight, I tried every kind of fad diet to lose weight (and I also tried lots of different fitness trends) – and what I found was that none of the fad diets worked, and none of the extreme exercise plans worked either.
I have tried the Paleo diet, a vegan diet, the Banting diet, a grain-free diet, a low-carb diet, a high-carb diet, a high-fat diet and so many more diets that I can hardly count them all!
After years of trying to lose weight, I found that a healthy balanced diet and a balanced exercise routine were the best things for weight-loss.
Once I started to be mindful about the amount of healthy food that I was eating (instead of cutting out entire food groups & over-eating other food groups), then I was finally able to lose weight and get a flatter tummy.
If we take the time everyday (it doesn’t have to be long) and make an effort to live a healthier lifestyle then a flatter tummy can be achieved!
Here are my top 5 tips for a flat tummy
1. Balance your diet
We’ve all come across (and may have even tried) a number of fad diets. I know that I’ve tried the high-fat diet, the low-fat diet, the high-carb diet, the low-carb diet, the high-protein diet and many more fad diets. I saw little to NO results from all of them! I have found (after more than 10 years of dieting) that a balanced diet is always best. Carbs are healthy, protein is healthy and fats are healthy – and they are all essential for good health… and they are also all essential for healthy weight loss! To lose weight and get a flatter tummy, make sure that you are getting enough all of the 3 macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats) in balanced amounts. Remember that there will also always be healthy and unhealthy versions of each – there are both healthy and unhealthy carbs, protein and fats. Eat good, whole, unprocessed carbs like quinoa, brown rice, whole rolled oats, steel cut oats, sweet potatoes, fruit and vegetables. Eat good quality, lean protein like nuts, seeds, legume, eggs and lean cuts of grass-fed meat, free-ranged poultry and wild caught fish. Eat healthy fats like cold-pressed oils, avocado, coconut, seeds and nuts.
2. Eat realistic serving sizes
These days in the Western world serving sizes are huge! People in general are eating larger portions of food than ever before in history. Unfortunately these huge portions of food can often equal a huge amount of calories – which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Get to know roughly how many calories you should be eating in a day – this will give you a basic idea of how much food you can eat (without becoming obsessed with calorie counting). For example, if someone needs to eat 1200 calories to lose weight then they will know that they can eat 1 banana with their breakfast (100 calories) instead of 12 banana’s (that’s an entire day’s worth of calories). Blending 1 banana in a smoothie with 1/4 avocado, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup water, a dash of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of almond butter makes a yummy, nutritious breakfast smoothie (and it contains all of the essential macronutrients).
3. Get some exercise (16 minutes)
Exercise is essential for helping us to shed that extra tummy fat! Sweating is good, in fact it is our body’s way of keeping “clean”. When we sweat our body is able to flush out toxins and pollutants absorbed from the environment… as well as unwanted belly fat. However, you don’t have to spend all day in the gym – sometimes 16 minutes is all that you need! Take part in my 16 minute workout challenge – everyone has 16 minutes!
4. Drink lots of water
We’ve all hear this time and time again, but that’s only because it’s so important! Dehydration is actually scarier than we think… it inhibits brain-function, affects organ health, affects joint-health, damages hair & skin, affects fat-loss… AND it makes our bodies super water retentive – just to name a few things! Water retention is bad if we want flatter tummies because it makes us bloated. Drinking lots of water helps the body to release stored water – resulting in less bloating. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and even more if you are exercising.
5. Get enough fibre
Did you know that increasing fibre intake is one of the best ways to lose weight? Fibre helps to clean out our systems (which can instantly drop overall body weight), keeps us fuller for longer (which means we’re less hungry) and regulates cholesterol levels. Get enough fibre by eating lots of fresh vegetables & fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes and whole grains that have not been processed (aka no white refined flours).
Here is a 3 day eating plan for weight-loss that you can download here on my blog – this is what I used to lose 40 Lbs!
You can have it if you want it!
A flat tummy and more toned abs can be achieved – it’s not impossible to get a body that you feel confident in. There is no “magic secret to getting into better shape – you have to put some effort in, but it is possible to achieve your goals.
Be mindful of what you eat by following a balanced diet and by eating realistic portions, do some exercise (start with 16 minutes), drink plenty of water, get enough fibre and you can start to lose weight and get flatter abs!
Liezl Jayne xo
Photo’s by Ross Charnock for liezljayne.com – styled by Liezl Jayne Strydom
