With all the effort you are putting into toning your midsection by giving up some of your favorite foods such as chocolate bars, cup cakes, pizzas and pies, your stomach should be hard like iron, but there is always a bump right at the belly button area. If you are conscious about your belly, fear not for you are not alone–more than 62% of the women are most conscious about their belly than any other body part.
However, regardless of what happens, the idea is to have faith and change your philosophy about losing weight. Reconsider your ideas about weight loss, turns out that some of the traditional weight loss, tummy flattening methods are just techniques that will not produce satisfying results in the long run, or no satisfying results at all.
Weight loss… From a new perspective
Rule #1: Having more meals does not necessarily cut down fat
You have probably heard about dividing your 3 large meals into 6 smaller ones – it turns out that this does not actually work for everyone. You should focus on a routine that suits you best, if you believe that 3-4 substantial meals are enough to keep you satiated, there is no reason why you should force yourself to have 6.
The biggest problem that led to the theory of having 6 smaller meals was that people often had snacks that acted like meals and meals that acted like feasts. The calorie intake of snacks has increased from 360 cal to a killer 580! Therefore, no matter how healthy your snack is, each bite counts and will add up to your calorie intake. If you consume 500 calories just through snacks, you are bound to gain 1 pound in every two weeks. Therefore, decrease your portion sizes if you increase your meals—count your calories! (For some healthier snack ideas check out our list of fat burning snacks).
Rule #2: Cut the C.R.A.P.
No, we do not mean crap (that’s actually a good thing), cut the C.R.A.P. that’s right, ditch the Caffeine, Refined sugar, Alcohol and Processed foods.
Rule #3: Eat to lose weight, do NOT starve!
If you have been trying to lose weight around your belly, good news is that you do not have to starve yourself. Experts have proven that losing your tummy weight can be an easy task if done effectively. To successfully achieve a sexy stomach, focus on consuming MUFAs – monounsaturated fatty acids. MUFAs are healthy fats that actually aid in weight loss. If you incorporate these foods into your weight loss diet plan, you will lose belly fat.
Nuts and nut butters
Research shows that people who consumed more nuts and nut butters containing monounsaturated fats trimmed more of their waistline than those dieters who consumed low fat varieties of food. It does not matter what nut or nut butter you eat with your diet foods, they are all superb choices as they all contain healthy fats that will help you lose weight. However, following rule 1, you must make sure you keep an eye on your potions that means you must consume ¼ cup of nuts or a tablespoon of nut butter, per day.
• Almonds are one of the best examples of MUFAs that also contain vitamin E to cut down cholesterol. Additionally, almonds contain fiber and vegetable protein.
• Macadamia nuts contain fiber that helps with your digestion.
• Pistachios contain zeazanthin, lutein and two carotenes that aid in muscular degeneration that occurs as we age.
• Walnuts contain omega 3 fatty acids and thus make excellent flat belly snacks as not only do they allow you to effectively achieve your weight loss goal, they protect your heart from many diseases and maintain the health of your brain too. Walnuts are a great source of essential fatty acids.
• A single serving of natural peanut butter contains magnesium that improves bone density, potassium that improves muscle health, vitamin B6 that boosts your immunity and also vitamin E which acts as an excellent antioxidant to burn down cholesterol.
Avocado
Avocados are loaded with MUFAs and are excellent sources of instant energy—thus making a superb power snack. Moreover, they also contain the most beta-sitosterol, a cholesterol burning chemical, than any other fruit. We’d consider the avocado as perhaps the healthiest, best green fat burning fruit of all.
Nonfat Greek yoghurt
Nonfat Greek yoghurt has a higher protein content compared to regular yoghurt, which makes it an excellent component of your flat belly diet. Nonfat yoghurt also contains probiotics — good bacteria — that aid in destroying the harmful bacteria in the intestines, which may contribute to stomach bloating.
Ideally, you should consume 6 oz per serving of nonfat Greek yoghurt. You can pump it up with some of your favorite fruits, whole grain cereal for breakfast or nuts.
Beans
Research shows that dieters who consume beans have slimmer waistlines and have an overall weight that is much lower than dieters who consume other diet foods consisting of the same number of calories. The plus point is that beans contain a very high fiber content and low calorie content, thus making you feel satiated for longer.
If you are not sure about consuming beans as it may produce gas and lead to bloating, start off your diet with a smaller amount and gradually increase it. Make sure you drink plenty of water so that bloating does not become an issue.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the only plant sources that contain vitamin D. Studies show that an inadequate supply of vitamin D in your body may lead to the increase of tummy fat. Therefore, look for mushrooms with a higher ultraviolet light exposure (check the labels), as they may contain more vitamin D.
Quinoa
Quinoa, a whole grain, is an excellent belly fat burner. Moreover, quinoa also contains a complete protein and it is the only grain variety that consists of it. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer amount of time, thus acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Focusing on appetite suppressants will help you achieve your flat belly goals much sooner.
Flaxseed oil
Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acids and it is the best plant source of MUFAs. Flaxseeds also aid in the reduction of systemic inflammation which may contribute to cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Natural oils are highly beneficial to our health – check out the benefits of Hemp seed oil as well.
Olive oil
Olive oil is the best oil for salads and cooking as it consists mostly of MUFAs, which aid in the reduction of bad cholesterol of LDL cholesterol. The good cholesterol or HDL remains unaffected. Choose extra-virgin olive oil, as the greener your olive oil will be, the more antioxidants it will contain.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are rich sources of B complex vitamins. B vitamins play a very essential role in protecting your body against inflammation. Additionally, sunflower seeds are also packed with vitamin E. Sunflower seeds make excellent diet snacks as they act as appetite suppressants.
Coconut oil
Studies show that dieters who consumed 30 ml of coconut per day and included exercise into their routine lost more belly weight than those dieters who exercises yet consumed soy bean oil.
Air-popped popcorn
Popcorn are superb flat belly snacks but make sure you choose the air-pooped variety as 3 cups of air-popped popcorn only contains about 100 calories. Moreover, popcorn is considered to be a whole grain type, and numerous studies have shown that dieters who consume whole grains lose more belly fat than those who consume an equal number of calories from another food group.
Garlic
Garlic is truly a magical ingredient that can boost the flavor of many diet foods. Best part is that garlic helps reduce fat around the liver, detoxifies the liver and thus reduces bloating. Eating garlic with any diet food you like such as apples and honey before going to bed will allow you to reap its benefits and reach your flat belly goals.
Blueberries
Studies show that blueberries are excellent snacks for flat belly diets. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are rich in fiber and thus make you fuller longer. Additionally they are also packed with vitamin C, which helps your immune system and makes your skin look healthier.
Eggs
Studies show that dieters who consume 2 eggs per day, specifically for breakfast, lose more belly fat than those who consume the same amount of calories from other foods. Make sure you consume only 6 eggs per week.
Brown rice
If you are a fan of rice, consume the brown kind instead of white rice or pasta varieties. Pasta and white rice often cause stomach bloating, therefore, it is best if you stay away from the ‘whites’ as much as possible and replace them with healthier brown rice. Brown rice reduces stomach fat and lessens stomach bloating as well.
Dairy
Studies show that dieters who took 1200 to 1300mg of calcium per day, from dairy products trimmed down several inches from their waistline than people who consumed non-dairy varieties of the same number of calories.
Low-fat chocolate milk
Low-fat chocolate milk is an excellent post-workout energy booster as it consists of the perfect carb to protein ratio which will help you regain your energy after your exercise. This will help you lose fat instead of muscle—which is the problem with most dieters as they tend to lose most of their muscle mass while dieting. Restrict your portion to 8 oz and make sure you only use low fat milk – 1% milk fat instead of the reduced fat milk.
Chocolate
It is true that chocolate does help you lose weight, but how? Chocolate, more specifically dark chocolate or pure cocoa powder derived from cocoa beans, consist of antioxidants that help prevent bloating and protect the body from various diseases such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Make sure you have dark chocolate in moderation and have it with some fruit such as strawberries to satisfy your sweet cravings.
For more flat belly food ideas, check out our fat burning foods list and our recommended foods that burn fat and fat burning fruits.
