Fitness

4 Nighttime Tips Doctors Swear By To Get A Flat Stomach

August 31, 2017 by Lisa Cupido
shefinds | Fitness

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It's no secret that flat abs are one of our most requested fitness goals — and the one that seems the hardest to obtain. You can't shrink fat in one area of your body alone by spot training with sit-ups or Russian twists. But by keeping these four nighttime tips in mind and combining proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices, you can have the toned abs of your dreams. 

 

Photos: Shutterstock 

woman running

Do Cardio

Planks are fab. So are crunches and boat poses. But all of the ab exercises in the world that target just the ab muscles aren't going to be effective if there is a layer of fat on top of those muscles that prevents you from seeing definition.

 

If you have time after work and all of the many other duties you have to deal with during a typical day, getting your cardio fix in sometime before dinner is an excellent way of burning fat. Try running, walking, hiking, biking, high-intensity interval training — any exercise that gets your heart rate up. Just be sure to schedule cardio a few hours before bedtime so that the sudden boost of energy doesn't interfere with your sleep. 

miso soup

Eat More Soup

It may seem like a burden at first, but adding a soup like miso as your first course during dinner is a great flat belly strategy. Soup not only fills you up and discourages you from overeating, it's loaded with vegetables, fiber, and protein — and it's far easier to get all of these nutrients in one soup than it is to cook up a bunch of separate side dishes. A dish like tortilla soup with a few drops of spicy sauce will rev up your metabolism and help burn fat, while miso soup contains probiotics that reduce inflammation and keep your gut healthy. Start your evening with a warm bowl of soup and your abs will thank you. 

Greek yogurt

Have Greek Yogurt As A Bedtime Snack

Gone are the days when the only advice you'd hear about snacking before bedtime was: don't do it. Having a light, protein-rich snack before you hit the sheets is a good way to keep your metabolism running well and to satisfy your cravings in a healthy way. Choosing a low-calorie, high protein food like plain Greek yogurt provides an additional flat belly benefit: probiotics. The probiotics in yogurt kill bad bacteria in your gut and help the digestion process. The more effectively you digest food, the less chance of stomach bloat. 

woman sleeping

Get Enough Sleep At Night

If you plan on pulling another all-nighter to study or get work done, you may want to reconsider. Not only will sleep deprivation mess with your immune system, concentration, and overall quality of life, it can wreak havoc on your weight loss goals. Not sleeping throws the hormones leptin and ghrelin way off — and since those hormones are responsible for controlling hunger cues, you can see why having them balanced is important. Getting fewer than six hours of sleep at night can lead to unwanted weight gain over time. Make it a priority to turn off electronics and climb into bed earlier than usual and all of that sweet extra sleep will help you burn belly fat. 

Author:

Lisa Fogarty is a lifestyle writer and reporter based in New York who covers health, wellness, relationships, sex, beauty, and parenting.

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