Flat Abs FAST!
Have a class reunion, wedding, or just want to shine with a flat tummy in a hot new dress? These easy no-fail tips will get you flat abs fast! Yep, just a few simple adjustments can help you reduce belly bloat and give you a slimmer, sleeker appearance in as little as 1 to 7 days, depending on the degree of belly bloat.
Tips for Flat Abs in a Snap:
1) Cut out the alcohol!
If you are drinking one or more cocktails a day, your body will have consistent low level inflammation that promotes belly bloat and hinders weight loss. Skipping the cocktails for one week, even 1 or 2 days, will give your abs a flatter, sleeker appearance. If your event is a week away, start now!
2) Drink more water
Water is so important to our bodies. Just these two tips alone will give you flatter abs almost immediately. Your body will love you for getting rid of the dehydrating alcohol and adding in the extra hydration. Your reward – flat abs!
Make water more interesting by drinking it out of your favorite wine glass. Studies show that one of the key reasons women like to drink wine is that it helps them relax after a long day. If that’s your routine, like it is mine, just the act of holding a wine glass is relaxing. When I want super flat abs, I grab my favorite wine glass and fill it with water and float one of these >> fresh mint, dill, lavender or rosemary leaves, a fresh cucumber slice, or a lemon, lime or orange slice. Keep flavored water chilled in your refrigerator for ease of use.
3) Be done with dairy
And that includes cheese. Major cheese culprits: cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, and cream cheese. Replace milk with almond milk. Dairy contains enzymes that hinder digestion and promote belly bloat. Cut out the dairy, have sleeker looking abs – and you’ll feel better, too!
4) Reduce sodium!
Do you love salt like most people? Start re-training your palate to like foods that have less sodium and implement these tips: a) taste the food BEFORE you automatically salt it, b) use kosher salt which has less sodium than table salts, c) cut the amount of sodium you add to recipes by half. Your tastebuds will change over time and you will no longer enjoy overly salty foods.
5) Cut out the white stuff, almost
The best “white” food is cauliflower. Starches like white bread, white rice, and white potatoes spike blood sugar, cause cravings, and do nothing to promote a flat belly. Replace white bread with whole grain, replace white rice with wild rice or quinoa. Even with whole grain bread, wild rice and quinoa, keep portions to 1/2 cup to 1 cup per serving and don’t load up on sodium. Instead, maximize flavor by adding cilantro and anti-inflammatory spices like tumeric, cumin, and cinnamon which will help reduce belly bloat.
6) Savor the sweets another day
Pass on desserts at dinner, skip the breakfast pastries at the office. They’re not worth it. Really, they are not and they add belly fat. Save desserts for when you really want to enjoy them, like during the holidays, at the wedding, or on your birthday. Sugar, in general, is not your flat abs friend. The less sugar you eat, the less you will want. Truth!
7) Engage the abs
Creating stronger ab muscles will provide a more solid “floor” underneath any excess belly fat on top. Having strong ab muscles will help give a slimmer appearance under your clothes. Bonus, strong abs help you maintain good posture which in turn gives an instant boost to a slimmer appearance.
I recommend doing at least 200 ab toning exercises daily to strengthen those muscles. Here are some of my favorites:
*Lie on your back and alternate raising your right leg and touching your toe with your left hand (yes, you have to crunch up to do this). Then, lift your left leg and touch your toe with your right hand. Repeat for 25 repetitions.
*Do seated Roman twists for a count of 50
*Do “bicycle” kicks but like this: bicycle left, bicycle right, bicycle left and hold for 2 counts. Bicyle right, bicycle left, bicycle right and hold for 2 counts. Repeat 12 times. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat, again, 13 times.
*Do 25 “reach for the sky” situps with or without a medicine ball. This means to hold a medicine ball (or other weighted object), sit up and push the ball up to the sky and then back down. Sit up, reach for the sky, back down. Repeat for a count of 25.
To get in 200 repititions, repeat all of these exercises again.
If you follow these tips to the letter everyday for one week, I promise you will see a visible difference in your abs and rock that dress!
