One of the most common reasons people decide to join the gym is to look fit and lose those extra pounds. Sport is healthy, it improves our well-being, it produces many physical and psychological benefits and it is also ideal for obtaining a slim figure .

Unfortunately, misinformation and false myths can lead people not to benefit from physical training aimed at reducing fat tissue, causing them to become demotivated at the first sign of change. When after a few weeks it is verified that the layer of fat that covers the body has not diminished, the discouragement can cause that we give up to continue betting by the healthy habits.

Tips for Losing a Tummy

Losing a belly can be a slow process depending on the percentage of body fat that an individual possesses , and in this dynamic physical, psychological and nutritional variables intervene that are not always taken into account.

Below you can find different strategies that can help you achieve a slim body.

1. Be realistic

Irrational beliefs and unrealistic expectations lead to frustration and demotivation . It is possible to find many articles on the internet and some fitness magazines that claim that it is possible to achieve a body 10 in four, six or eight weeks… This is totally false!

The process of fat loss will be a more or less long process depending on the percentage of body fat that we have and, therefore, the so-called “miracle” workouts can only work with people who have been practicing physical exercise for a long time and their percentage of body fat is low.

You may be interested in: “The Importance of Goal Setting in Sports Psychology”

2. Careful with diets

It is also common for some individuals to want to go on special diets to lose weight and end up frustrated by not achieving the desired results in the time they had estimated. Weight loss diets should be oriented towards a constant and lasting evolution , not abrupt, because otherwise a rebound effect could occur.

It is more appropriate to adopt healthy eating habits that include protein, low-fat dairy products, fruit, vegetables, whole-grain products and foods containing monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats (such as nuts or fish).

3. The importance of calories

What we eat is important, but if our goal is to lose fat in order to have a flat stomach, then it is necessary to burn more calories than we consume .

In other words, food control is a fundamental variable for fat tissue reduction. This is what is known as energy imbalance, a term made popular by Donnelly and Smith. According to them, and in order for a person to lose weight, it is essential that the caloric expenditure be greater than the food intake.

4. Cardio beam

And how can we increase the caloric expenditure? Regular physical exercise is an effective strategy. Now, it’s all very well to step into the gym and do a little weight training, but if you want to reduce your waist circumference you’ll have to do cardio. So if you want a flat stomach, go for a run on the beach or take your bike and ride a few miles. I’m sure your body will notice.

5. Take the dumbbells and make weights

Cardiovascular exercise is ideal for burning calories during sport . However, strength training can also be a good help to lose those extra kilos and thus achieve a flat stomach, as stated by Frimel, Sinacore and Villarreal in a study published in 2008.

Strength training may not produce as much energy expenditure during the session, but it increases the caloric expenditure after the session, since it increases the activity of the sympathetic system, and by increasing the muscle mass, there is an increase in the basal metabolism at rest, as well as a reduction in hepatic lipogenesis, conclude Strasser, Arvandi and Siebert in other research carried out in 2012. Weight circuits are ideal for burning fat and increasing muscle mass.

6. Mixed exercise, the best alternative

Both forms of physical exercise (cardio and strength) provide many benefits and are ideal for achieving a slim figure. However, combined training is more beneficial than if only one of these forms of exercise is used .

Regarding the impact of physical training on body mass and fat, a 2012 study by L.H. Willis found that mixed training has greater benefits than separate strength and endurance training.

7. Increase your NEAT

If we want to burn calories, physical exercise is ideal to achieve this; however, it is important to note that physical activity only represents 15-30% of the total caloric expenditure, since thermogenesis (the energy spent when consuming food) and basal metabolism, i.e. the energy required to keep the vital organs functioning, account for 10-15% and 50-70% of the total caloric expenditure respectively.

One of the best ways to increase basal metabolism is in NEAT ( Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis ). This is a scientific term to describe the daily activities associated with calories burned, in other words, it is physical activity performed with any movement made for the purpose of not doing sport. For example, climbing stairs, household activities, walking to work, etc. This should make you think about the need for an active lifestyle. Next time you go home, don’t take the elevator; and if you go to work, don’t get in the car and use the bike.

8. Reduce salt and sugar consumption (and refined products)

Reducing salt and sugar consumption does not mean you should eat bland foods, but to lose your stomach (and to enjoy better health in general) it is advisable to reduce this consumption. What is the reason for reducing salt and sugar? Excessive salt intake is responsible for fluid retention with consequent weight gain ; while sugar intake increases insulin levels.

What does it mean if I increase the insulin?

The consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugar products (with a high glycemic index) has increased in recent years. Carbohydrates are a major source of energy, especially when they are slowly absorbed (e.g. from whole grains). Carbohydrates are processed by our bodies to generate glucose, which is energy that our bodies use to function.

However, in high doses, glucose is not at all beneficial for our organism , so our pancreas, upon detecting the excess of this substance in the blood (known as hyperglycemia) releases insulin, the hormone in charge of carrying this glucose from the blood to the muscle and liver (if its energy sources have been exhausted) and to the adipose tissue.

Foods with a high glycemic index, such as carbohydrates from refined cereals (e.g. industrial bakery products) and sugar, cause the level of glucose in the blood to rise rapidly, causing the release of insulin to ensure that this glucose is stored, mainly in the form of fat. Therefore, it will not be of much help in losing a tummy. In short, pay attention to this type of food because it is not at all beneficial for your body.

9. Avoid light foods

Some light products may catch your eye because of the marketing campaigns behind them, but these supposedly low calorie products are not recommended for weight loss .

According to experts from the National Obesity Forum and the Public Health Collaboration (UK institutions), the abuse of these low-calorie foods can generate as much or more sugar and fat than they claim to eliminate. And we have already seen in the previous point what happens with excess sugar in the body.

10. Eat 5 times a day

Nutrition experts have been recommending, for decades, the intake of five meals a day . Our body is constantly consuming energy and therefore needs to be well fed in order to function at its best. This does not mean that we have to eat 5 heavy meals every day, but that, in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, we should add 2 snacks, one in the mid-morning and one in the mid-afternoon.

This way we spread the daily calories over 5 meals and it is possible to control the hunger levels, maintain the body’s energy and the activity of the metabolism and, in addition, it allows us to lose weight and control our weight, since we will not have an excuse to snack between meals.

11. Do high-intensity exercise

For decades, there was an idea that prolonged aerobic training was the most effective for fat loss. But, in recent years, science has shown that high intensity interval training (HIIT) also produces great benefits in reducing fat tissue.

This form of training consists of mixing short periods of very intense cardiovascular training (around 80-90% of our maximum heart rate) , with other short periods of moderate or low intensity (50-60%). Due to the demand for oxygen created by HIIT, the metabolism increases even after training has finished, allowing us to burn calories for several hours after physical exercise.

12. Work the core

To have a flat stomach it is not useful to work only the abdominals . However, if you combine cardiovascular work and also work other muscles of the body, you can focus on the core . Add crunches to your routine, but don’t do crunches every day because they are just another muscle and like the rest they need rest. The important thing is not that you do hundreds of crunches, but that you do them well.

13. Try Yoga or Pilates

Both Yoga and the Pilates Method have many postures that help tone the abdomen. Obviously, if you do not follow the advice given above you will not achieve your goal of a flat stomach. But these practices will allow you to stylize your abdominal area and achieve a slim figure, as long as you combine them with the previous advice.

14. Adapt to change

You’re already working out and you’ve managed to get a flat stomach? Well, adapt to the change, because you may have stagnated and need to increase the intensity or duration of your exercise sessions since, with time, our body will become more efficient and will not expend the same calories when it adapts to a type of exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day of the week in the early stages of training. In other words, a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week (5 days x 30 minutes). However, to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss, it is necessary to increase the training time after several months of physical exercise.

According to the ASCM, a volume of more than 200 minutes per week must be achieved or a caloric expenditure must be accumulated with exercise of more than 2000 kcal/week. The ideal is to reach at least one hour of training per day.

(Bonus) Hire a personal trainer

Achieving the goal of losing a belly is not always easy, because physical, psychological and nutritional factors come into play. Therefore, a good alternative is to hire a personal trainer who will assess and design a physical exercise program especially adapted to your possibilities and objectives so that you can achieve your goals safely and effectively, and also motivate and advise you to eat healthily.

With a personal trainer you will achieve results quickly and minimize the risk of injury.