Many diet programs and abdominal muscle building exercises are offered, but in reality, the fat in your body does not decrease. In order to get a flat stomach, you must reduce your overall body fat by reducing your calorie intake, eating a nutritious diet, and exercising regularly to burn calories. Although your stomach may not have flattened in a month, at least you have formed a new habit that is healthy and beneficial for your stomach and the rest of your body.
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Part 1 of 3: Improving Your Diet
Step 1. Reduce calorie intake
If you want to build a flat stomach, you must reduce body fat by burning more calories than you consume. By reducing your calorie intake, your body will use up stored calories in the form of fat that you want to lose.
- Know that kg of fat is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories. This means, to lose kg of body fat according to a healthy weight loss program, you must burn 500 calories/day more than the calories you consume for 1 week.
- Reduce calorie intake by choosing a low-calorie menu that is rich in nutrients, such as vegetables, fruits, and fat-free protein. Look for information on low-calorie foods through the HaloSehat website which also provides information on the exact weight of food ingredients to regulate calorie intake.
Step 2. Increase fiber intake
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains are great sources of nutrients and fiber-rich foods that can help with weight loss. Calorie intake should be adjusted according to age and gender. Find information on how much fiber you need each day through this table.
- There is an opinion that connects fiber and flatulence and does not recommend consuming fiber if you want to get a flat stomach. However, fiber intake helps smooth the digestive system so that the stomach does not look bloated.
- In addition, fiber consumption makes you feel full longer so you can reduce your daily calorie intake.
Step 3. Choose fat-free protein
The fat-free protein found in fish, poultry, and low-fat dairy products provides beneficial nutrition and does not contain excessive calories or unhealthy fats. These foodstuffs are also a source of energy so that you are able to exercise regularly which is one of the main requirements for getting a flat stomach.
- Prepare a breakfast menu that is rich in protein, low in carbohydrates and calories, and eggs so that you are ready to move throughout the day.
- Research has shown that the protein contained in dairy products makes you feel full longer, thereby reducing the desire to eat. Make sure you choose products that are low in fat.
Step 4. Choose soup as an appetizer
Having a healthy diet with fewer calories should keep you comfortable and don't neglect the nutrients you need. Know that soup is one of the most useful menu items.
- A study conducted by Pennsylvania State University proved that consuming a bowl of low-calorie soup before lunch or dinner can reduce calorie intake by up to 20%. This happens because you already feel full before finishing the usual portion of food.
- Prepare a soup that is beneficial because it contains many nutrients, is low in calories, low in salt, contains no fat, uses vegetables, lean protein, and is rich in fiber. Read the package of soup ingredients before cooking.
Step 5. Don't be fooled by the myths surrounding foods that can shrink the stomach
Be wary if you read or hear information that says that drinks or supplements with protein content can eliminate fat in certain body parts. Fat reduction will occur throughout the body or not at all.
Certain foods are considered to be able to shrink the stomach because it prevents flatulence or helps the digestive process, such as foods that contain fiber, probiotics, or are low in salt
Part 2 of 3: Exercising Well
Step 1. Remove the “fat jacket” from your body
You can use this simple analogy to determine the type of exercise that can reduce fat so that you get a flat stomach. Imagine there is a layer of fat that wraps around the stomach (and other body parts) like a "jacket" (to warm the body). Your goal in practice is to take off the jacket.
- Think of it this way: if you were wearing a light jacket, would you want to take it off while doing certain exercises? Choose aerobic exercises that keep you warm so you'll want to take off your jacket, for example: brisk walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, etc. Cardiovascular exercise is one way of burning calories that makes the body need energy intake from (and "release") the "fat jacket" in your body.
- However, don't just train your cardiovascular system and ignore muscle building and strengthening. During cardiovascular training, fat burning lasts as long as you train, but muscle will burn fat when you rest, so fat burning will increase due to muscle building. Therefore, you must do both exercises to maintain your health and metabolism.
Step 2. Do a variety of cardiovascular exercises
In order to reduce fat and weight, you should do aerobic exercise on average 30-60 minutes/day. Don't train too hard, but at least make your breath slightly out of breath so it's a bit difficult to talk and a little sweaty (remember the “jacket” analogy explained in the previous step).
- Cardiovascular exercise will speed up the rhythm of the heart rate and help burn visceral fat.
- You can establish the same exercise routine by jogging around the house every morning. However, many people prefer a variety of aerobic exercises. The activity of tidying the house or yard is also beneficial if done with energy. Keep a diary every time you do aerobics so you can trace your activities back.
Step 3. Do strengthening exercises
In order for the shape of the abdominal muscles to be more visible, you must remove the fat in the abdomen first. However, don't just rely on cardiovascular exercise to get it. Trained muscles will build your body and burn calories when you rest, not just during exercise. Research shows that people who train with weights have a lower percentage of muscle mass than those who only train aerobically.
In addition to sit ups and crunches, you can build your abdominal muscles by doing "lower hips alternately" (hip dip plank) and "turning your hips while pulling your knees in" (inner thigh crunch lift). Core strengthening exercises will build overall muscle, but remember that aerobic exercise should be your priority
Step 4. Do other exercises that support the abdominal muscles
Ideally, in addition to building muscle that focuses solely on the abdominal area, you should also do exercises that use other muscle groups to increase fat burning. In addition, strengthening other muscles in the back, chest, shoulders, legs, etc. will improve posture so that your stomach looks more flat.
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Do the following exercises:
- Movement "lifting and extending" (pike and extend). Lie on your back while straightening your legs and arms. Contract your abs and then straighten one leg up. Try to touch your toes with both hands. Lower your arms and legs back to the floor to their original position. Repeat the same movement by lifting the other leg.
- Movement "bends knees and straightens arms" (knee up with overhead press). Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold two barbells at shoulder height, one barbell in one hand. Lean back slightly while extending your arms above your head and bringing your knees to your stomach. Hold for a moment, return to the starting position, then repeat the movement.
Part 3 of 3: Improve Your Stomach Appearance
Step 1. Maintain correct posture
Your mother means well when she admonishes you to stand up straight. Standing and sitting with good posture will get rid of a bloated stomach before you even think about how to lose fat and build muscle.
- Many people try to "pull the belly" in a certain way that doesn't last long. Correct posture can be learned and is permanent.
- Read the wikiHow "How to Stand Up" to learn how to practice proper posture.
Step 2. Reduce stress
It looks like you can shift responsibility to the cave-dwelling ancestors so that your stomach swells. The "fight or flight" reaction to protect yourself from the threat of danger will trigger the hormone cortisol as a sign for the body to store fat in the abdomen for energy reserves in case of difficulties.
- One way to reduce the hormone cortisol is to control the "fight or flight" reaction to relieve stress so as to prevent the accumulation of fat in the abdomen.
- Read the wikiHow “How to Relieve Stress” to learn how to identify, manage, and relieve stress.
Step 3. Get in the habit of getting a good night's sleep
Lack of sleep also makes the body experience stress. This makes cortisol hormone levels increase, which triggers fat accumulation. Adequate sleep needs are very beneficial for the body because it helps reduce the hormone cortisol so that it can prevent the accumulation of fat in the stomach.
Adults generally need 7-9 hours of sleep a night every day, but everyone's needs are different. The article “How to Become an Early Rise” explains how to determine how long you need to sleep and ensure that you are getting enough sleep
Step 4. Work on preventing flatulence
In addition to excessive fat, flatulence is often accused of being the (temporary) cause of an uneven stomach. Change the menu and diet to prevent flatulence.
- Excessive salt intake usually makes the stomach become bloated due to water retention in the body. While you can keep the salt container away, many people experience excess salt intake from ready-to-eat and packaged foods. Read the salt content listed on the packaging and choose foods with a salt content below the recommended level.
- Fizzy drinks are not only free of calories and nutrients, they cause bloating so you have one more reason to avoid fizzy drinks.
- Flatulence is sometimes caused by digestive problems. Choose dairy products that contain probiotics to overcome this, such as yogurt and kefir which contain live and active cultures.
- Constipation is also one of the causes of flatulence and makes the stomach feel fat. Overcome constipation with exercise.
Step 5. Drink water as needed
No matter what people say, drinking lots of water doesn't make you "water fat". Drinking water actually helps smooth bowel movements and prevents flatulence.
- Adults are advised to drink 2 liters of water every day. Drink before you feel thirsty and make it a habit to drink regularly throughout the day.
- Drinking a glass of water before a meal makes you feel full faster, thereby reducing your calorie intake.
