10 Tummy Flattening Tips

Here's a quick quide you can follow to help flatten your stomach. Print this list out and
post it somewhere in your house where you'll see it.

1. Walk/jog for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week to boost your metabolism in order
to burn that fat.

2. Limit your sugar intake. Sugar adds empty calories and promotes weight gain. Learn
how to minimize sugar in your diet.

3. Purchase a Pilates DVD and do the exercises at least 2-3 times per week. Pilates
works on toning your entire body with concentration on your powerhouse (middle
section) and will improve your flexibility.

4. Add fiber to your diet and cut down your intake of the bad carbs. Foods such as white
bread, pastas, potatoes, and white rice should be limited. Eat brown rice and whole
wheat bread instead. To get that needed fiber increase your intake of fresh fruits and
vegetables (especially the leafy green ones).

5. Drink skim milk instead of whole milk. Keep your dairy intake at a minimum because
these products often cause bloating and gas.

6. Perform proper crunches at least 3 times a week to train your abs. Avoid sit-ups
because they really do very little to firm your stomach. Sit-ups work your hip flexors
more than anything else.

7. Drink plenty of water. You should be drinking 6 to 8 glasses per day. Not only will it
help fill you up so you eat less, but it aids in digestion.

8. Stop eating within 3 hours of bedtime. If you have to munch on something, eat a
small portion of vegetables or fruit. Not eating late can make a huge difference.

9. Eat smaller meals more often instead of 2-3 big meals per day to keep from having
that bloated look and feeling. Eating more meals actually kicks up your metabolism.

10. Take a break from healthy eating once in a while and treat yourself to your favorite
dessert. If you completely deprive yourself of the foods you love you'll run the risk of
going back to your bad eating habits. Moderation is the key.

Just remember that slow and steady wins the race when it comes to slimming your
waistline and flattening your stomach. There's no such thing as losing your stomach
fast. You have to work at it daily and remain consistent with your diet and exercise.
If you remember nothing else, remember this: A flat stomach comes with TOTAL BODY
FITNESS - not just from spot toning your stomach with crunches.

Speaking of total body fitness, here's another one of my favorite sites. Online Body
Management is an online fitness site that designs custom workout plans to fit your
weight loss goals.

Whether you want to tone up, gain muscle or lose weight, OnlineBodyManagement will
develop the plan that's perfect for your needs. This is a superb site for getting your body
in tip top shape!

Breathe Your Way to a Flatter Stomach

Many people don't realize how important correct breathing is when trying to tone and
flatten the stomach.

When doing ab crunches, it's important to exhale and breathe out as much air as
possible on your way up from the floor. This adds more power to the movement and you
will be working your abs more effectively.

Once you get to the top of the crunch movement, breathe in and out a few times before
you lower your body down to the floor.

Also, when you're doing standing trunk twists, it's important to exhale deeply as you
come around on each side.

An Easy Breathing Exercise

Here's an easy exercise you can do during the day to help strengthen your abdominal
muscles. You can do this while sitting at work, home, or wherever.

Sit up straight and inhale as much as you can. Make sure your abdominal muscles
move out farther than your chest.

Exhale slowly and hold your stomach in for 3-5 seconds. Repeat this process again for
at least 20 reps.
The great thing about this breathing exercise is you can practice this throughout the day
no matter where you are.

Train Yourself to Breathe Properly

The following exercise will not only teach you how to breathe properly and help tone
your stomach/ab muscles, but it can cleanse your lungs and relax your mind.

Most people breathe incorrectly. They breathe through their chest instead of their
abdominals. When you inhale, your abdominals should rise higher than your chest.

The following exercise will train you how to breathe the correct way.

1) Lie flat on your back. You can either do this on the floor on a bed. Just be sure you
are able to completely relax.

2) Place your hands on your lower abdominal region and inhale. As you inhale, feel your
hands rise as your abdominals rise and move away from your body.

3) Now exhale slowly and feel your abdominals lower toward the floor.

4) Repeat this at least 20 times and do this as often as you can. The longer you can do
this, the better the benefit.

Not only is this exercise relaxing, but it teaches you how to breathe properly. Over time
you will be able to breathe like this automatically without effort.