how can i keep my stomach relatively flat?

Question

i'm always bloated even if i eat a very small meal. i'm 5'8" and relatively skinny but my stomach looks like im pregnant, how can i flatten it??? thanks.

Answer 1

For one, stay out of Mickey D's, and do regular situps and walking regularly

Answer 2

Your question suggests that it is bloating rather than lack of muscle tone causing your problem so situps or any other exercise will not help.

First you should see a dr to rule out medical conditions such as diverticulitis or irritable bowel. If you have one of these conditions, treating it should remove the problem. If not it is necessary to examine your diet.

It is not the quantity but the kind of food that will cause bloating. Check your diet for the following: legumes (all kinds of beans and pease), cruciferous vegetables (eg cabbage, brussels sprouts), excessive amounts of fat (chips and similar snack foods have huge amounts of hidden fat, as does chocolate) and fizzy drinks. Also wine especially cheap wine.

Once you eliminate the foods causing your bloating it will disappear. To help the process, try taking some charcoal tablets which you can get cheaply at any chemist. They are absolutely safe and it is good to have some on hand anyway as they are first aid for any accidental poisoning. They will make your stools very black so don't panic when that happens.

Oh and finally, make sure your posture is really good - poor posture can make the stomach appear to protrude more than it should.

Answer 3

A couple of tips. First, you must eat foods low in fat. Fattening foods cause belly bloat. Second, when exercising, you must always hold your stomach in. People have a tendency to not focus on their core (stomach) except when doing sit-up's. However, whether you're running, doing the treadmill or elliptical machine, you must always remember to keep your stomach in and tight (don't forget to breathe though!) This should reduce the little bit of belly that is sticking out.

Answer 4

Acidity and Stomach infections bloat your stomach. Check for these with your physician. Once you are cured of this, jog(depending on your age). Jogging flattens your tummy. In the mornings lying on your back, lift your legs(together) a few times. Progressively increase the number of times you do this. Sports shops sell the exercise ropes and these help you in doing this exercise.
Avoid taking green salads and fried stuff-these bloat your stomach. Coffee and tea add to your problems-minimise on them

Answer 5

Eat foods with fiber as you might not being forming stools right. Fiber helps drag the 'crap' out of your intestines. And also extreme starvation causes bloated stomach though i doubt you are such a case.

Answer 6

Everybody wants a tight, firm midsection. You can tone your abs and get rid of that pot belly but there is one important point you first need to understand.

You cannot spot reduce anywhere on your body. You can spot tone your muscles in the area you are targeting, but you cannot spot reduce.

Here's an example. Look at your belly in a relaxed mode. Now suck in your stomach muscles.

Your pot belly is pretty much gone. Did you suddenly lose weight in that area?

Of course not! The same thing happens when you begin to properly exercise your ab muscles. The muscles become stronger and pull in the unsightly girth. Your abs look tighter and you look better, but unless you have actually lost weight overall, you have not actually lost any fat in that area.

To lose fat in the abs, you must lose weight overall. To make your abs look slimmer and sexier, you must develop the ab muscles.

One of the best pieces of exercise equipment you can purchase is an exercise ball, also called a swiss ball. Every time you do exercises on this ball, your ab muscles come into play. The abs are working to keep the ball steady and to keep you from falling off.

You can easily do two of the following exercises on the ball and increase the effectiveness.

1. The Bicycle

This has been proven to be one of the most effective ab exercises you can do. You cannot do this one on the ball.

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head. Lift your legs off the ground and raise your shoulders a couple inches off the floor.

Do not pull your neck with your hands. Push your lower back tight to the floor. Bring your left leg towards your chest while rotating your right elbow to touch your left knee.

Don't strain. As you return to the starting position, begin bringing your right knee in and rotate your left elbow to touch your right knee.

Work up to twenty repetitions each leg. Do them slowly.

2. Crunch

You are probably familiar with this one. Lay on your back with either your hands behind your head or on your chest. Legs are in a V-shape with your feet flat on the floor.

Once again push your lower back tight to the floor. Begin to raise your head and shoulders off the floor, tightening your ab muscles. Do not pull on your neck. You are only raising your shoulders a few inches off the ground.

At the top of the movement, hold for about one second, then return and repeat. Work to twenty repetitions. This is excellent on the exercise ball!

3. The Plank

Lie on your stomach. Feet are straight and close together. Push off the floor, raising up on your toes and your elbows. Keep your back straight and tighten your ab muscles. Hold for thirty seconds. Return and repeat for three to five repetitions.

Again, this exercise is excellent on the exercise ball.

Do these three exercises at least five days a week and the ab muscles will tighten up and you will look and feel great.

Now it's time to look at your diet.
Try to eat foods that are low in fat and high in complex carbs. For example if you are drinking whole milk or cheeses move to skim milk and fat free cheeses.
Plain oatmeal will fill you up for breakfast and will keep you full for quite a while. I also like it for dinner on a cold and rainy night.
Steamed veggies are absolutely perfect for any diet. They are low in fat, low in carbs (except for carrots & corn) and low in calories.
Fruits are also very good.
When eating meat, stick to lean cuts and remove all visible fat.

Since you get full quickly, try having 6 smaller meals instead of 3 large ones.

And don't forget water, water & more water & NO SODA!

Answer 7

Ultimately, you'll need to modify your body fat index.

The % of body fat compared to lean muscle will ultimately determine the muscle tone you will project in your appearance, e.g. how cut you will appear.

For women and men, body fat index is totally different. Where men will accumulate body fat in concentrated ares (e.g. stomach, thighs, waist). Women are genetically designed to dispose an even layer of fat across their body as they are genetically engineered to bear children.

Therefore, it's relevant, that if you're looking to achieve a six pack, you monitor your body fat index.

Men who are cut should have anywhere for 10% - 5% body fat and women should have anywhere from 20% and lower.

The key to maintaining a low body fat index with lean muscle mass is proper nutrition (including monitoring of caloric intake and supplements) and a proper strength training program.

As your body fat index % gets lower, the harder it is to maintain. For men who are in the 7 - 3 % range, it's common to practice an aggressive cardio routine of up to 40 mins, two times daily, five days a week.

Answer 8

Liposuction.

Answer 9

Hi its doing cardio that loses body fat and then keeping abs tone through crunches, under every belly is six pack abs its the cardio that burns the fat and trims you down then the toning.

Answer 10

Stand up straight, do excercise for that area (crunches won't work, I know). Stretching like your reaching for the sky everyday helps too, helped me.