Really! - how do you get a flat stomach?

BarbaraCarr1981
BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I want a flat stomach. Im not over weight and I think I should have a flat stomach!!! How do I get that exactly?
«13

Replies

  • smartandtrim
    smartandtrim Posts: 123 Member
    If you mean lower stomach, well, you have to do lower stomach toning exercises as well as lowing your bf%
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    eat less + exercise = flat stomach..

    you cannot spot reduce body fat it is going to come off where it wants...

    Do you do compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, over head press, bench press, etc? If not you need to develop a program around these moves...
  • goblue443
    goblue443 Posts: 50
    combination of burning fat, so cardio and eating less, along with abs exercises. running is great for getting a flat stomach because it uses your abs too.
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
    Lots of hard work exercising, getting your bf % very low.
  • rdrage73
    rdrage73 Posts: 17 Member
    I have found that doing speed workouts, in addition to distance running and a strength training program works best for me, but then that should work for everyone.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    ...by losing weight.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    If you are not overweight, then you need HIIT and heavy lifting routines. Works every time!
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    If you are not overweight, then you need HIIT and heavy lifting routines. Works every time!
  • cruiseking
    cruiseking Posts: 338 Member
    My Dr. who is insanely fit; told me that I have to go to bed hungry, and wake up really hungry. Eat more protein, less carbs (less fruit, more veggies), and finish eating by 6 p.m. . I'm having a tough time because I'm a night eater. Judging by him though, it works.
  • leighann881
    leighann881 Posts: 371
    Abs are made in the kitchen... seriously they are. Eat clean, clean, clean. Specifically no added sugars or processed foods.



    For added success, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. Strength training your whole body will make your body far more efficient. This helps tremendously when reducing BF.
  • suv_hater
    suv_hater Posts: 374 Member
    Do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    A lot of good advice here. My wife has a flat stomach, and she keeps it by religiously watching the kinds of food she's eating, along with more than an hour of exercise a day for at least five days a week. Getting toned in that region is not particularly hard, but keeping the fat from accumulating there is. Any little fat you gain typically goes to your midsection first, while any amount you lose is gonna be taken out of it last.

    Basically you need to lower your body fat percentage by minimizing sugar, quick carbs, sodium, etc. and maximizing protein intake. Processed food typically has very high level of sodium, which makes your body retain more water, which obscures the six pack underneath.
  • xF7x
    xF7x Posts: 143
    Lots of workout and healthy food.. Simple
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    Your Dr. Is an idiot.
  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
    Thanks for the info! Yes, I deadlift, OHP, squats, lunges, barbell rows. Play badminton once a week and go for a walk once or twice a week. I have been avoiding most processed foods but I still eat wholegrains like rice, pasta, bread. I always end up with more fruit than veggies. I have fish once or twice a week. I LOVE greek yogurt and peanut butter. I plan to reset JM 30DS on April 1st. I just did Level 1 so far and 2 times of Level 2. But it's been like 10 days since I did it again so Im just gonna restart the whole thing on April 1st. I have an issue with water so I always have MIO flavor enhancer in it. I currently eat around 1700 cals a day and my TDEE is 2024 and BMR of 1450 approx.
  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
    Oh and Im diabetic so I do stay away from processed sugars most days BUT when i do decide to "go on er", it's a all or nothing kind of thing. When it happens, I indulge in a chocolate bar, a $1 worth of 5 cent candies, a box of nerds, and some ketchup chips. This happens a couple times a month.

    Other times, I have sugar in moderation. like one icecream cone from Mcdonalds. Or one lollipop. or a 100cal bag of popcorn with butter.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I want a flat stomach. Im not over weight and I think I should have a flat stomach!!! How do I get that exactly?

    Lie down!!!!

    seriously though, what everyone else has said... lower your bf%
  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
    I want a flat stomach. Im not over weight and I think I should have a flat stomach!!! How do I get that exactly?

    Lie down!!!!

    seriously though, what everyone else has said... lower your bf%

    Ya, too bad I can't lie down standing up!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    My Dr. who is insanely fit; told me that I have to go to bed hungry, and wake up really hungry. Eat more protein, less carbs (less fruit, more veggies), and finish eating by 6 p.m. . I'm having a tough time because I'm a night eater. Judging by him though, it works.
    Lol wut.

    My stomach is flat (actually somewhat concave) and I don't start eating until 7pm. Meal timing is irrelevant.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1905998

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15085170

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8399092

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8383639

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21123467

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
  • Davina_JH
    Davina_JH Posts: 473 Member
    Oh and Im diabetic so I do stay away from processed sugars most days BUT when i do decide to "go on er", it's a all or nothing kind of thing. When it happens, I indulge in a chocolate bar, a $1 worth of 5 cent candies, a box of nerds, and some ketchup chips.

    What are ketchup chips...? :huh:
  • dcyr009
    dcyr009 Posts: 93
    My Dr. who is insanely fit; told me that I have to go to bed hungry, and wake up really hungry. Eat more protein, less carbs (less fruit, more veggies), and finish eating by 6 p.m. . I'm having a tough time because I'm a night eater. Judging by him though, it works.

    I second this.
  • bviv89
    bviv89 Posts: 36 Member
    I have found that doing speed workouts, in addition to distance running and a strength training program works best for me, but then that should work for everyone.

    This. Adding sprints to my running workouts helped me lose 4 inches around my hips/lower belly in eight weeks. Also, doing ab workouts faster and combining intervals of lowering the heart rate and speeding it back up has helped my body fat.
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen... seriously they are. Eat clean, clean, clean. Specifically no added sugars or processed foods.



    For added success, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. Strength training your whole body will make your body far more efficient. This helps tremendously when reducing BF.

    second this! Eat well and lift and continue to lose bodyfat -- weight and composition are not solely based on the scale and the crap we google that says what "overweight" is
  • OddChoices
    OddChoices Posts: 244 Member
    Thanks for the info! Yes, I deadlift, OHP, squats, lunges, barbell rows. Play badminton once a week and go for a walk once or twice a week. I have been avoiding most processed foods but I still eat wholegrains like rice, pasta, bread. I always end up with more fruit than veggies. I have fish once or twice a week. I LOVE greek yogurt and peanut butter. I plan to reset JM 30DS on April 1st. I just did Level 1 so far and 2 times of Level 2. But it's been like 10 days since I did it again so Im just gonna restart the whole thing on April 1st. I have an issue with water so I always have MIO flavor enhancer in it. I currently eat around 1700 cals a day and my TDEE is 2024 and BMR of 1450 approx.

    Rice? Brown or White? White is not good for ABs.
  • Sambo004
    Sambo004 Posts: 549 Member
    They are definitely made in the kitchen. I work my butt off exercising 5 - 6 days a week and have been at goal weight for a year already, but those damn abs elude me. I am currently doing Chalean Extreme and I am noticing a difference finally, but I know I'm not going to get there until I stop eating sugar & refined flour products. I have really realised after months of seriously working on reducing my BF%, that I am not going to get there through exercise alone. "Abs are made in the kitchen" - as Chalene Johnson says during her ab workout.
  • cathdrew2
    cathdrew2 Posts: 136 Member
    I suspect the doctor was trying to get at creating a caloric deficit. Historically physicians have not been well-educated in the area of diet so he didn't do a great job of saying that.

    Are you talking about a stomach where you can see your abdominal muscles more distinctly or an area you can rest a plate when you are horizontal? You can have a decent amount of body fat (trim but not cut) and still have a relatively "flat" abdominal area depending on how your fat is distributed. Abs also do have some shape when they are built. How often and how many reps do you work your abs now? Mine now (post babies) respond best to daily work.
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    My Dr. who is insanely fit; told me that I have to go to bed hungry, and wake up really hungry. Eat more protein, less carbs (less fruit, more veggies), and finish eating by 6 p.m. . I'm having a tough time because I'm a night eater. Judging by him though, it works.

    Well then I should I have a flat tummy and I don't. This is me exactly.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen... seriously they are. Eat clean, clean, clean. Specifically no added sugars or processed foods.



    For added success, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. Strength training your whole body will make your body far more efficient. This helps tremendously when reducing BF.

    This is the only good advice in this thread.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
    Oh and Im diabetic so I do stay away from processed sugars most days BUT when i do decide to "go on er", it's a all or nothing kind of thing. When it happens, I indulge in a chocolate bar, a $1 worth of 5 cent candies, a box of nerds, and some ketchup chips.

    What are ketchup chips...? :huh:
    Lol, really? are you serious! They are like the best tasting, ketchupy, fatty fried potato of all time!!!!

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