Health & Fitness

How To Get A Flat Tummy In A Month

8. Consume Probiotics

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Probiotics are non-pathogenic or good bacteria found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. These microorganisms improve digestion, boost immunity, and reduce cholesterol and blood pressure (25).

Scientists believe that probiotics increase energy utilization, insulin sensitivity, and satiety (26). Consume half a cup of full-fat yogurt or 8 ounces of buttermilk (without salt), and 1 small bottle of probiotic drink per day. Avoid kimchi and pickles.

9. Avoid High-Sodium Foods

Sodium is an essential nutrient. But consuming too much sodium from food sources can cause water retention, cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure ). The CDC recommends consuming less than 2300 mg of sodium per day .

If you want to lose belly fat, you must give up on high-sodium foods like fries, pizza, fried chicken, frozen foods, biscuit, sausage, salami, bacon, canned soup, bottled sauces, ketchup, pickles, and kimchi.

10. Snack Healthy

Follow healthy snack habits. Consume carrot, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, banana, apple, muskmelon, pistachios, melon seeds, pepita, berries, coconut water, freshly-pressed juices without sugar and salt, khakra, dhokla, thepla, and other snacks under 100 calories. Drink 8 ounces of water after you snack.

protip_iconQuick Tip
You can also consume other healthy snacks such as dark chocolate, kale chips, hard-boiled eggs, and whole-grain crackers.

11. Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a great way to push your body to the calorie-burning mode. All you have to do is fast for a few hours and then eat whatever you want. It is a great plan for people trying to lose belly fat quickly. If you are not sure how to start, here’s a comprehensive guide to intermittent fasting.

survey conducted among 1,200 US healthy adults found that 87% of Americans have tried intermittent fasting. Around 50% of them found this diet very effective and 37% of them also found it somewhat effective. It was also found that 87% of the people on this diet found it inexpensive.

protip_iconFun Fact
Numerous celebrities, including Elon Musk, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Kourtney Kardashian, and Hugh Jackman, engage in intermittent fasting.

12. Start Cardio

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Cardio is a great full-body exercise that helps you burn fat and get a toned body. This fitness practice can stimulate weight loss up to 2 kgs (4.4 lb) and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and lung disease . Set aside 30-45 minutes every day to do the following exercises to lose belly fat:

  • Warm-up – 10 minutes
  • Brisk walk or jogging – 10 minutes (8 mph)
  • Crunches – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Bicycle crunches – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Leg raises – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Burpees – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Leg in and outs – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Russian twist – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Scissor kicks – 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Mountain climbers – 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Spider climbers – 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Elbow plank – 2 sets of 30 seconds hold
  • Cool off stretches – 5 minutes

13. Do HIIT And Resistance Training

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and resistance training can help you lose belly fat . HIIT induces EPOC (Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption), which means that you will burn fat even after 2 hours of exercising .

Scientists have found that HIIT aids 28.5% greater weight loss than moderate-intensity workouts .  Resistance training, on the other hand, prevents muscle loss and helps build lean muscle .  Do the following HIIT and resistance exercises to engage your abdominal muscles and reduce belly fat:

HIIT

  • Sprints
  • High-intensity rope jumps
  • Jump squats
  • Jump lunges
  • Box jumps
  • High knees

Resistance Workouts

  • Resistance band crunches
  • Resistance band leg lifts
  • Resistance band bicycle crunches
  • TRX knee tucks

14. Keep The Stress Away

Stress and worry increase cortisoli  levels in the body. This, in turn, causes fat accumulation in the belly region . Try meditating, drawing, painting, dancing, traveling, and learning a new skill to reduce stress and release the “happy hormones.” You can also talk to a licensed therapist. 

Eman, a blogger, talks about how she started her weight loss journey to get a flat tummy, as well as the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. She adds that stress and emotional eating contributed to some of her weight gain. She writes, “I was definitely an emotional eater. I would eat when I was bored or sad. I ate somewhat healthy food. I just ate a lot of it.”

 

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