Flat Stomach & Weight Loss FAQ's

How long does it take to flatten my stomach?

It depends on how much you need to lose. But if you can stick to a healthy diet and a consistent exercise routine, you should start to see results in six to eight weeks.

However, don't expect results if you eat healthy and exercise for 3 days and then go back to your bad habits. The key is to be consistent with both your diet and exercise and you will maximize your results.

What's the best exercise to flatten the stomach?

Cardio exercises are the best, not crunches. Ab crunches tone and give you definition, but cardio (jogging, aerobics, etc.) burn the fat that is hiding your abs.

You could do 500 crunches per day, but if you aren't burning your body's overall fat, you'll just be building muscle on top of our existing fat.

I'm not saying not to do crunches, just understand it's the cardio that burns the fat. Ab crunches are only effective if you are doing consistent cardio and maintaining a healthy diet.

Videos like the one below will help you boost your metabolism so you can burn that belly fat...

Finding it Hard to Stick to That Healthy Eating Plan?

I get a lot of e-mails from people who have trouble sticking to their healthy eating plan. They do very well the first 3-4 days, but after depriving themselves of what they love so much they end up giving in on day 5 and splurge on all the wrong foods again.

Suddenly the healthy eating plan is history!

If you are trying to change your eating habits and find it hard to stay focused, here's some advice and I think you'll like it...

Don't Try to Quit Cold Turkey!

You may not realize it but a lot of bad foods can be addictive. You could be an addict of sugar, fast food, salt, etc. So for most, it's very unrealistic to drop those foods from your diet for weeks or months at a time.

So don't torture yourself like that. Make gradual changes in your diet and when you get down to the desirable weight, you can still have the foods you love, just have them in moderation.

Let's say you love white bread and soda (not necessarily together, I might add!). You realize they are a big part of why you are overweight. Sure there may be other foods you abuse but for now let's just pick one or two.

Instead of trying to change your diet cold turkey and eliminating all the bad foods, just try eliminating one or two of them for 2-3 weeks without changing anything else. You may be surprised at how much weight you'll lose, especially if you go overboard on a certain food.

What this does is helps you stay motivated. At the end of the 2-3 weeks you'll notice you've lost some weight and if you just eliminate another bad food you can lose even more!

Rather than setting a goal to eat all healthy foods for 4 weeks and then getting frustrated on day 3 and quitting, you are setting smaller, more attainable goals that you know you can reach.

Weight loss is a mental game and so many people give up quickly because they stop believing they can give up the foods they love for any extended period of time.

But as you gradually give up certain foods/drinks and start seeing results, you'll realize you can make the changes in your diet and the results will be encouraging.

There was an Oprah show where a woman gave up soda for a month with no other diet changes and lost 30 pounds.

Now, I will say that is probably not going to be the norm unless you consume very large amounts of soda (she admitted this was her problem). But if you take one food or drink you abuse and give it up for a significant time period you may be surprised at the results.

Here's Your Eating Plan Assignment

Choose one or two foods (or drinks) you abuse. For example if you have to have a soda with every meal, drink water or a sugar-free drink instead.

Or if you have to have dessert after every meal, eliminate the dessert and eat a bowl of fruit or a handful of nuts. Or if you're really brave, eat NOTHING for dessert. :)

Another goody is eating before bedtime. Make a commitment to not eat at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Make sure it's something you really abuse. And if you don't eat/drink a lot of one thing choose a group. For example, you could choose to give up salty foods or all candy. It has to be something substantial enough to see a difference.

1) Weigh yourself before you start

2) For the next 3 weeks, do not consume the food(s) or drink(s) you chose to eliminate.

3) Don't make any other changes to your eating habits and be careful not to choose a make-up food to replace what you're giving up unless it's a healthy food. That will defeat the whole purpose.

So if you are giving up soda, you could replace it with water, but it would be worthless to replace it with beer or kool-aid.

4) At the end of the 3 weeks weigh yourself to see the difference.

If you really chose items that you truly abuse, I guarantee you'll see a difference and that's with no exercise involved.

The Lesson

The point of this article is not to say you can lose as much weight as you want by eliminating one or two foods. It's to help you stick to your weight loss goals by gradually preparing you to eat healthier.

Of course if you want to lose larger amounts of weight and keep it off, you are going to have to continue to eliminate the bad foods, exercise and more importantly maintain a healthy diet.

If your plan is to do this long enough to lose X amount of pounds and then go back to eating whatever you want, not only are you screwing with your metabolism, but you'll have to start all over again when you're ready to shed the pounds again.

This routine will hopefully get you started and keep you motivated long enough to realize you can indeed lose the weight. It will also show you how much of an impact certain foods can have on your weight.

It's also a reminder that certain food can be addictive, and often times it's best to gradually eliminate those bad eating habits instead of expecting yourself to do it all at once.

Good luck!

Great Resource for Lasting Weight Loss

It's great when you've gotten down to your goal weight, but how do you keep it off? Lasting-Weight-Loss.com provides excellent tips and techniques for keeping those pounds off so you can remain at your ideal weight. I highly recommend it.

Forget Crash Diets. They Don't Work.

Dieting can become a bad habit, and crash diets can be very harmful to your health. In addition, they are also very ineffective for long-term weight loss.

Generally people use diets during a temporary period in which they tend to lose X amount of pounds.

There's that high school reunion in 3 months or that beach trip in two weeks and you want to look fabulous in your swimsuit.

You start out losing some weight by starving yourself and depriving your body of the foods they need and really like to eat.

Then when you're somewhat satisfied and/or tired of not being able to eat your favorite foods, you go back to your old ways of eating and end up putting on more weight then you had before.

Months later, you're fed up with your body and try yet another diet to prepare for that next big event you want to look great for. The crash dieting begins again. It's a never ending cycle.

Sound familiar?

This is called the rebound effect and it's terrible for your body because it affects your metabolism for the long-term and you end up gaining weight even faster each time.

The bottom line is...

Diets don't work.

A New Way of Thinking

If you want to lose weight, let's drop the dieting. The word "diet" sounds too temporary and is often associated with so many fad or crash diet plans like South Beach, Atkins, etc. By the way, I don't endorse any of them.

How 'bout adopting a new phrase instead -- new eating habits. In other words, make permanent decisions to cut out certain foods and replace them with new ones.

Of course, you'll treat yourself from time to time with your favorite foods. You should never fully deprive yourself of everything. Besides, if you're eating healthy 80% of the time, the occasional ice cream cone won't kill you.

This is a permanent lifestyle change and eliminates the rebound effect where your weight goes up and down like a yo-yo.

Now you might ask...."But what if I want to lose the weight fast"?

If you lose the weight too fast that probably means you're starving yourself and/or not getting the necessary nutrition your body needs to be healthy. That's never good no matter how much weight you lose.

Plus, weight loss that happens too fast can severely screw up your metabolism and cause you to gain weight quicker than you did previously if you start eating the wrong foods again.

I get emails all the time about how can someone lose 30 pounds in 2 months. That's just not realistic, nor is it healthy. You have to give it time.

The key to a healthy, effective weight loss plan is one that consistently cuts out the saturated fats, involves exercise at least 3 days/week and increases the amount of protein and fiber you consume. And yes, it does take time.

You should also be eating more meals, more often because digestion actually helps boost your metabolism. (Be sure you're eating the RIGHT kinds of foods, though).

So ignore those fad diet plans that have you eating two meals a day or completely cutting out all carbs and fat.

Believe it or not, we do need some carbs and some fat in our bodies. The problem comes in when we have too much it. They aren't as bad for you if you consume them in moderation.

As I said before you can still eat the foods you love. Yes, I'm talking about ice cream, cookies, cakes etc. Again...moderation is the key.

If you completely deprive yourself of the foods you enjoy most, you'll get bored and run the risk of going back to your old eating habits.

Make Healthier Choices

Having new eating habits simply means making better food choices. It sounds much better than dieting, and it doesn't have to mean you're starving yourself.

Here are some ideas for changes you can make little by little. Remember, this is not a diet plan, it's a permanent lifestyle that you should stick to from now on while rewarding yourself with your favorite treat from time to time.

And here's the best part...you WILL lose weight! Accompany this new eating plan with exercise and you'll lose even more.

• Eat whole grain bread instead of white bread
• Drink skim or soy milk instead of whole milk. Soy milk is very heart healthy and has lots of protein.
• Eat brown rice instead of white rice
• Drink water instead of soda
• Eat turkey bacon instead of pork bacon
• Drink fruit juice with low/no sugar instead of sweetened juice
• Eat oatmeal instead of cereals high with sugar
• Eat baked potato chips instead of regular chips
• Eat popcorn (stove popped or hot air) instead of microwaved
• Need a light snack? Eat almonds instead of potato chips. If you have to eat potato chips, choose the lower fat brands and eat fewer of them
• Eat whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta
• When you buy meats, choose the leaner varieties
• When you go to a fast food restaurant, order grilled chicken or a salad. Many fast food restaruants offer salads and healthier choices now.
• Pick one day a week where you can eat whatever you want! (This is very important and helps prevent burnout.) Just be sure to not overdo it. ;)

Notice I'm not suggesting you starve yourself. You're just making healthier choices with the current foods you eat.

Also, grab a copy of the Abs Diet Book. It gives terrific advice on the kinds of foods you should and should not be eating for a flatter stomach and a fabulous figure. It also includes numerous meal ideas and healthy desserts.

Now you might be wondering about counting calories.

Well if you make healthier food choices like the ones above you are going to naturally be cutting calories (and fat) because the alternate foods I suggested have fewer of them.

Also, when you're eating out at restaurants, eat half of the meal instead of trying to devour the whole thing. Save the rest for lunch or dinner the next day. Portion control is very important.

So when the pounds start to shed and someone asks you if you've been dieting? Tell them you're not on any diet plan, you've just developed better eating habits. :)

Keeping your weight under control is not about dieting or starting the latest crash diet craze whenever the pounds start to come back on. It's about changing your eating habits for life! Your body and your metabolism will reward you in the long-run.

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this...

Diets don't work!

Healthy Snacks for Your Tummy

I get so many emails from people asking about healthy snack foods. While I listed some of the good food groups on the fat burning foods page, here are some more specific snacks you can eat that fall in line with flattening your tummy and losing weight.

Before getting started, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of David Zinczenko's The Abs Diet book.

It's not just your run-of-the-mill diet guide that tells you to lower your fat intake and starve yourself by eating 1,000 calories per day. :)

It shows you the 12 "ab friendly" food groups and gives examples of meals and snacks that incorporate all the groups.

He provides you with hundreds of recipes, examples of meals to eat at the popular chain restaurants and gives great explanations of what certain foods do to your body. It's very easy to read and small enough to carry with you.

There's even a chart that tells you the kinds of foods you should eat often and the kinds you should almost always avoid.

As David will tell you, dieting is not about starving yourself and going hungry, it's about choosing the right foods and enjoying them often.

Without further ado, here are some healthy snack foods you can munch on without feeling guilty...

Popcorn

As long as you don't saturate it in butter and/or salt (a.k.a. movie theatre popcorn) this is a very healthy snack.

It's very high in fiber and low in calories. The best kind to eat is the air popped but if you're going to pop it on the stove make sure you use oils with monosaturated fats like canola or olive oil.

Be careful with microwave popcorn. Check the labels for sodium and fat content because it varies from brand to brand.

Almonds and Other Nuts

You've heard the old phrase "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Well now people are saying the same thing about a handful of nuts.

The biggest weapon contained in nuts is the monosaturated fat. This kind of fat is actually good for you and can even help clear your arteries.

Nuts help fill you up and are also high in Vitamin E, fiber and magnesium.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps fight diseases such as cancer, asthma, osteoperosis and a host of other inflammations.

Sunflower Seeds Will Also Work

Sunflower seeds are like a cousin to the nut and contain a lot of the same good characteristics.

If you choose to eat these, be sure to choose the ones with low or no salt. Many people like to lick the salt from the shell and that's when a healthy snack turns into a not-so-healthy snack.

The salted shells are fine in moderation but just be sure to limit your consumption.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a delicious member of the legume family. It has a lot of the same good qualities as regular nuts, and is great because it will fill you up quickly.

If you ever want to hold yourself over to the next meal just eat a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter. That's 190 calories right there and you get a load of protein.

You can also add it to your fruit, crackers, or even a smoothie. It makes a great healthy snack.

Watch your consumption of it, however. Despite the protein, peanut butter is considered a high-calorie food. So be sure you don't overdo it.

Smoothies

Fruit smoothies can actually be used as a meal replacement if you pack them with enough ingredients.

Depending upon what you put in them, they can contain anywhere between 400 and 600 calories which will keep you full for hours.

The benefit to this kind of snack is you can get fruit, protein, fiber and dairy all in one delicious serving. The choice is up to you.

Lisa's Tip: If you live near a Smoothie King this is the best place to go! Not only do they have tons of flavors, but you can even ask for extra protein/whey powder (great for toning your stomach) and many other healthy ingredients that will give your drink a healthy boost.

Another Note: If you're watching your sugar intake, please understand that smoothies are very high in sugar - even though most of it is natural.

Sugar turns into fat when it's not burned off so I wouldn't eat a smoothie everyday. If you really find yourself enjoying them, see if you can order a "light" or "low sugar" smoothie. Many places offer that option.

Beef Jerky

Who knew? Beef jerky is actually a very healthy snack contrary to popular belief. On average one ounce of jerky contains about 70-80 calories, 12 grams of protein and around 1 gram of fat.

Just remember to buy your jerky at a health food store. The kind you see in regular grocery stores are generally high in sodium.

Low Fat Yogurt

An 8-ounce cup of yogurt generally contains 2-3 grams of fat and around 150 calories. This is a much better snack food option than something like ice cream.

A recent study showed people that consumed three servings of light yogurt daily as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost about 20 percent more weight than those who only cut calories.

Some recipes will even call for low fat yogurt to replace sour cream.