Flatten Your Stomach: 10 Healthy Habits to Banish Belly Bloat

By Krystal Brown

Belly fat can make you avoid wearing fitted clothes and prone to serious diseases. That is why it is necessary to maintain a healthy routine to keep yourself fit and in shape. Here are some healthy habits that can help you achieve a flat stomach.

Perform Standing Exercises

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Achieving a flat stomach means that you have to perform exercises while standing, not just sitting. When your whole body performs movements during exercise, the fat around your midsection will likely be reduced.

Eat Lean Protein

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Eating lean protein, like meat and eggs, and drinking milk can help with a flat stomach.

Lean protein has a significant impact on reducing body fat because it makes your stomach feel full for a long time. Also, lean protein has the ability to strengthen your muscles without contributing to extra fat.

Avoid Sodas and Energy Drinks

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The high sugar content in sodas and energy drinks can increase the number of calories in your body. Too much sugar can also lead to increased body fat.

Thus, a simple tip to achieve a flat stomach is to reduce soda intake and drink more water.

Stay Active

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Staying active is the key to getting yourself fit and healthy. The more movements your body makes, the more active your muscles will become. When you do movements like walking, stretching, and using the stairs, your body stays active. 

This routine can help you reduce overall body fat, especially if your daily routine does not involve much movement.

Increase Fiber Intake

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Fiber intake is associated with a healthy digestive system. With a properly functioning stomach, you don’t feel bloated, and your belly fat would seem less.

Fiber also has the ability to make you feel full for longer. Thus, increasing fiber intake will help you eat less during meals.

Decrease Stress

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High levels of stress can affect the regular functioning of the body by affecting the regulation of blood sugar levels.

Increased stress also makes our body release cortisol. In return, our body starts to store fat. Thus, increased body weight and fat can also be due to increased stress.

So, you should not underestimate the long-lasting effects of stress on the body.

Stay Hydrated

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Staying hydrated is directly linked with several health benefits. Drinking more water not only nourishes the skin but also affects the overall body and metabolism.

You can avoid dehydration and bloating by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Also, drinking more water can make your stomach feel full, which is especially useful when you want to reduce your portion while eating.

Do Cardio

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Cardio tends to be more effective than simple exercise when it comes to burning fat around the belly. Cardio is also great in building overall health and strengthening the muscles.

Thus, adding cardio to your routine will help you achieve a flat stomach quicker than regular exercise. In general, 20-30 minutes of cardio is a great fitness routine.

Track Your Calorie Intake

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Keeping track of your calorie intake can be a good idea to determine how much food you consume. 

While you may eat less food, if it contains more calories, you will gain weight. Therefore, it is better to record your food intake for a few days or a week. This will give you a rough idea of what to cut in your diet.

Consider Intermittent Fasting

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Intermittent fasting is one of the best ways to reduce belly fat and achieve a flat stomach.

In intermittent fasting, you reduce the amount of food and eat only at specific times of the day. Most people eat one meal the whole day, while others take an 8-hour gap between meals.

In short, intermittent fasting is all about eating at the right time for a few days. With this routine, people actually feel their stomach fat has reduced.

Avoid Too Much Snacking

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Eating too many snacks along with your regular meals can be a reason for weight gain. Most people start eating snacks when bored, thinking they won’t affect their weight.

But the truth is: not controlling the calories can be dangerous when eating snacks. It’s fine to eat snacks with fewer calories throughout the day to skip larger meals. But eating calorie-rich snacks along with regular meals isn’t a good idea.

Consume Healthy Fats

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Completely eliminating fats from your diet won’t probably make you lose weight quickly. You should consume healthy fats to keep your body healthy and in optimal condition.

You should avoid canola oil and sunflower oil. Instead, we recommend consuming olive oil and sesame oil in your diet. They contain healthy fats.

Drink Green Tea

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Green tea and herbal tea are effective drinks to increase metabolism and reduce body fat. Even if you don’t intend to reduce weight, most people still drink green tea for increased metabolism,

With this increased metabolism, your body starts to burn calories faster and reduces the overall fat stored in the body. Thus, cutting cold drinks from your diet and replacing them with herbal tea is an effective way to achieve a flat stomach.