Exercise alone is not sufficient. A healthy diet and lifestyle will greatly help you to achieve your body goals! Self-discipline is a must but also you have to enjoy it to make it last. If you want to get tighter abs and flat stomach, here are the tips that will help you to achieve your body goals during the quarantine.
1. Eat Nutritious Food
If you eat healthy, achieving a flat stomach would be easy. You need to change your diet and eat more healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and cut down on junk food, like candy, chips, and fast food. Just by making this simple switch, you’ll see a world of difference to your stomach. Add beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, healthy fats, low-sodium foods and avoid MSG.
2. Avoid Midnight Snacks
As you sleep, your body slows which will prevent your body from digesting the food in your stomach properly. You are also much less active in the evenings and at night, which means that your body is more likely to store the calories you consume late at night as fat, rather than burning them as energy.
3. Monitor your plate always
Eating too much the right food is also not good. You should eat just enough until you feel full, then stop. Use smaller plates and chew slowly when you eat. Take small breaks in between every bite of food when eating. The extra time will give your stomach a chance to realize that it’s full, thus preventing you from over-eating.
4. Eat low-glycemic index foods and lessen your sugar intake.
These items take longer to digest, so you feel full longer. Your body will slowly absorb the nutrients so you’ll avoid any spikes or drops in your blood sugar until your next meal. Some of the best low-GI foods are:
- Cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, dark leaf lettuce, onions, peas, tomatoes, watercress, broccoli, bananas, apples, and berries are all good foods to eat.
5. Eat a protein-rich snack between 3 and 4 p.m.
According to experts, eating a protein-rich snack at the magic hour between three and four in the afternoon will boost your metabolism and balance your blood sugar. A protein bar, pumpkin seeds, and low-fat cheese are also good.
6. Eat small, frequent meals.
Replace your usual system of eating three large meals a day, with eating smaller, more regular meals. Many people make the mistake of eating nothing at all between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, especially when they are trying to lose weight.
7. Cut down on alcohol.
Alcohol, particularly wine and beer, is full of calories (scary fact: one 750 ml bottle of wine contains roughly 600 calories). Alcohol consumption also releases estrogen into the system, which is undesirable, as excess estrogen causes the body to retain weight. Perhaps more importantly, alcohol stimulates appetite and causes willpower to melt away, making you much more likely to binge on all the things you’ve been depriving yourself of, like burgers, fries, pizza, chocolate, and potato chips.
9. Drink plenty of water.
You should replace all your regular beverages with water, especially soda and sugared drinks which are full of empty calories and will cause your stomach to bloat. Take water with you wherever you exercise or do strenuous activity and take water breaks during hot or heavy workouts. Drinking lots of water will help to flush toxins out of your system and keep your bowels moving, both of which are essential for a flat stomach.
