Contents
show
The summer season calls for a flatter stomach. We get the love-your-own-body mantra, but it doesn’t mean you stay as is and you don’t even try. Surely, everyone wants to look good in their swimming outfits. Plus, it’s not just because you want to look great in the eyes of men or women, you’ll also be doing it for your overall health. To get a flatter stomach, we’ll naturally start with our diet. Here are 9 diet tips to get a flat stomach:
Eating right may be challenging in the beginning, especially if you’re used to eating ‘tasty’ food. But as you get older, your body will naturally long for the healthier options, not entirely, but you’ll probably find the cue yourself and make deliberate changes. The bottom line is that it’s better to start early. Don’t wait for a sickness to force you to change your diet.
You can start by eating lean protein, which usually are beans, nuts, and lean meat. Go for whole grains and not just wheat flour. Whole grains keep you satiated for longer, so this’ll help you not to get hungry all the time. Choose low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Products like ice cream and hard cheeses are high in fat, so you might want to avoid them.
Of course, healthy fats! Not all fats are bad, apparently. Avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fish oil contain monounsaturated fat, while seed oils have polyunsaturated fats. Both fats are good for you. The fats in processed and baked foods, however, are trans fat and they’re the ones you should steer clear of.
Finally, reduce your consumption of sodium as it causes the body to keep water, which makes you feel and look overstuffed. As an alternative, you can substitute high-sodium foods with healthier selections. For instance, you can go for sea salt in place of regular table salt since the former is lower in sodium. Some foods that have generous content of sodium are soy sauce, pepperoni, ham, bacon, and sauces, among others. Mostly, the foods you eat at restaurants are also high in sodium, which is why it’s healthier to eat at home because you get to make your own meals and choose healthier ingredients.
Many people may also eat right, but too much of it, which isn’t fascinating, either. To help you avoid from eating too much, eating of healthy snacks throughout the day can help you avoid hunger pangs. One trick is to eat using a small plate. With this, your plate looks full of foods but you’re actually eating less than your normal portion size. Half of your plate should also contain veggies.
Don’t be in a hurry to finish your food. Proper chewing of your food helps with digestion, making you feel less stuffed. Take small breaks in every bite when eating. This break will give your stomach the opportunity to realize it’s already packed. That way, you don’t overeat.
1. No snacking before bedtime
Naturally, the body slows down when you sleep, so putting food in it isn’t the greatest idea as it won’t get digested properly anyway. Your body is also less active at nights, so when you load yourself with so much food, your body is more likely to store the calories you consume late at night as fat instead of burning them as energy. That right there is a diet disaster if you’re trying to lose weight or get a flat stomach. The solution is quite simple – don’t eat anything when it’s near your bedtime.2. Go for healthier food
There’s no magical trick in getting a flat stomach, really. You just need to abide to the principle of proper nutrition, meaning fruits, vegetables, and whole grains most of the time – food items many regard as boring, but not as boring and unpleasant as belly fat, especially when you know you can do something about it but won’t because you prefer fast food. This right here seems to be the dilemma of many.
Eating right may be challenging in the beginning, especially if you’re used to eating ‘tasty’ food. But as you get older, your body will naturally long for the healthier options, not entirely, but you’ll probably find the cue yourself and make deliberate changes. The bottom line is that it’s better to start early. Don’t wait for a sickness to force you to change your diet.
You can start by eating lean protein, which usually are beans, nuts, and lean meat. Go for whole grains and not just wheat flour. Whole grains keep you satiated for longer, so this’ll help you not to get hungry all the time. Choose low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Products like ice cream and hard cheeses are high in fat, so you might want to avoid them.
Of course, healthy fats! Not all fats are bad, apparently. Avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fish oil contain monounsaturated fat, while seed oils have polyunsaturated fats. Both fats are good for you. The fats in processed and baked foods, however, are trans fat and they’re the ones you should steer clear of.
Finally, reduce your consumption of sodium as it causes the body to keep water, which makes you feel and look overstuffed. As an alternative, you can substitute high-sodium foods with healthier selections. For instance, you can go for sea salt in place of regular table salt since the former is lower in sodium. Some foods that have generous content of sodium are soy sauce, pepperoni, ham, bacon, and sauces, among others. Mostly, the foods you eat at restaurants are also high in sodium, which is why it’s healthier to eat at home because you get to make your own meals and choose healthier ingredients.
3. Impose portion control
Many people may also eat right, but too much of it, which isn’t fascinating, either. To help you avoid from eating too much, eating of healthy snacks throughout the day can help you avoid hunger pangs. One trick is to eat using a small plate. With this, your plate looks full of foods but you’re actually eating less than your normal portion size. Half of your plate should also contain veggies.
Don’t be in a hurry to finish your food. Proper chewing of your food helps with digestion, making you feel less stuffed. Take small breaks in every bite when eating. This break will give your stomach the opportunity to realize it’s already packed. That way, you don’t overeat.
