Some of you may have seen that I have been writing a blog series on how to get a flat stomach (although I’ve been a bit inconsistent – sorry guys!). I have not always had a flat stomach myself as you can see from my progress photos. So I have put all the information and advice I know into these blog posts to help you!
This blog post is a summary of all the blog posts with the most important information that you need to know.
1. EAT A HEALTHY DIET
I’m sure you’ve heard it a lot – the best way to get rid of belly fat is through eating a healthy diet. Yes this is 100% true! Lots of people ask for the best exercises to get rid of fat on your belly, but no exercise alone is going to do this. You need a good diet!
So what is a good diet? Have a read of my own daily diet here and here, and my clean eating guidelines blog post.
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2. EAT AT A SLIGHT CALORIE DEFICIT BUT DO NOT STRAVE YOURSELF
If you eat more than your body uses up, you will gain weight. If you eat the same, you will maintain weight, and if you eat less, you will lose weight (to be put very simply) – read more about this here. However, eating at a severe calorie deficit can cause serious damage and make long-term fat loss more difficult.
To work out how many calories you should be eating on a daily basis, check out my blog post for calculations.
3. REDUCE YOUR CARB INTAKE
You do need carbs in your diet, but not as much as you may think. Your body can actually produce glucose (carbohydrates) by itself. So when you don’t eat enough carbs, your body turns to fat stores for energy (this is a good thing!).
Cut out all carbs that come from bad sources such as potato chips, sugary foods, desserts and things like white bread/pasta.
It may take a while for your body to adjust to a lower carbohydrate diet, so just be aware that you may feel a bit different. Obviously I’m not saying you can never eat these things again, just limit to once or twice per week as a treat.
Read more about low carb diets here.
4. REDUCE YOUR SALT INTAKE
Eating a lot of salt will cause your body to retain water in the abdominal region, making you look bloated. Reduce your salt intake by reducing the amount of high sodium, packaged foods that you are eating (i.e. bottled sauces, packet mixes) and reduce the amount of salt you put on the food yourself.
5. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Your body uses water for many important bodily functions. If you do not drink enough water, your body will hold on to as much water as it can. The result? Bloating due to water retention. Aim to drink 2 to 3 litres of water per day. Read some tips on how to drink more water here!
6. REDUCE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE
Nothing about alcohol is good for your stomach. You wake up the next day feeling bloated and yuck. Not to mention you will probably be feeling pretty crappy, eat bad food (both the night of and the day after) and skip the gym.
Try to reduce the amount of alcohol you have on a night out, drink 1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink, and choose healthier options such as vodka, lime and soda or organic wines.
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7. DO CARDIO AND HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING
These exercises are great for burning lots of calories! There is no exercise that will get rid of belly fat (you can’t spot reduce), but the best type of exercise to achieve fat loss is the ones that burn the most calories both during and after your workout.
Do a combination of steady state cardio (such as power walking, jogging and running), and high intensity interval training (such as sprints, cycling and weight circuits).
Check out some of my favourite HIIT workouts here and here.
8. DO AB INSTABILITY EXERCISES
To get better ab definition, include instability exercises into your program. This means using equipment such as the swiss ball, bosu ball, medicine ball and TRX bands. Try doing your crunches on the swiss or bosu ball, do planks or push ups on the bosu ball, or try the TRX bands for a challenge!
Here is my own favourite ab workout. Plus I have lots of great ab workouts on my Youtube channel!
9. STRESS LESS
High stress can interfere with your body’s hormones, particularly cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked to weight gain (particularly in the stomach area), as well as a reduced metabolism, sleeping problems and depression.
640Not to mention, stress can cause you to eat comfort foods and sit in front of the TV instead of hitting the gym! Managing your stress levels will have many positive impacts on your body, including less storage of fat on your hips!
10. LEARN YOUR BODY TYPE
There are three main body types and they all lose weight and build muscle in a different way. You and your friend may be on the same program but get totally different results.
You may look amazing and toned after lifting weights but your friend may get too bulky for her own liking.
That’s why it is extremely important that you learn your body type. I’ve designed a free Body Type Quiz you can take and learn how exactly you should eat and train to get the best possible results :)
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11. DON’T RESORT TO WEIGHT LOSS PILLS AND DETOX TEAS
I’m sure lots of us have tried them or thought about trying them, but they’re not the answer. There is no magic pill that will get you a flat stomach. And drinking those teas is pretty much like drinking a laxative. You’ll go to the toilet and lose some water weight, so you may think you’re losing weight. But really, you’ve just lost some water (not fat) and will gain this back. It will actually end up doing more long term damage. Avoid all of these!
As I mentioned, this is just a summary. I have lots of other blog posts on this topic. So incase you missed any, here they all are:
- Your abdominal muscles explained
- Get rid of belly fat
- Endomorph nutrition and workout program
- Mesomorph nutrition and workout program
- Ectomorph nutrition and workout program
- Six pack ab workout for women
- Oblique ab workout for women
- Lower ab workout for women
- What to eat to get rid of belly fat
- Best exercises to get a flat stomach
- 3 things you need to do know
- 3 mistakes you’re making
Hope you have enjoyed my blog series on how to get a flat stomach and have found it useful! xx
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It’s FREE
I’m really confused because on the ectomorph page you said they can have to eat a lot of carbs but here your saying none or low. Also, I am around your measurements but have a hard time loosing weight and getting a flat stomach, any tips and tricks you used? Thank you!
Hi Meaghan, Rachael here. Ectomorphs are about the only body type who can get away with eating more carbs. For most people, low carb is a much better option. The main thing you need to do is make sure you are doing high intensity workouts (either HIIT or cardio) at least 3-4 times per week to help shed stomach fat, and keep a consistent diet. There are no tricks, you just need to be consistent every day for a long period of time to get the results xx
Thank you!!! xoxo