Healthy carbs include rye, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, and other nutrient-rich grains. Choose fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrients and low in sugars, such as citrus fruits, kale, arugula, and spinach.
Some people also choose to keep track of how they’re feeling and what they’re doing when they eat to notice patterns in emotional eating. Additionally, you should keep track of how long it takes you to eat each meal or snack. Eating slowly can help you feel full quickly.
Alternatively, if you don’t like the taste of water alone, you can drink tea or flavored water. Drinking enough water can also help prevent water retention, which can make your stomach appear larger.
Examples of empty calories include white bread, chips, cookies, jam, fruit juices, soda, and most sugary breakfast cereals. Foods high in saturated fats include baked goods, fried foods, fatty cuts of beef, lard, cream, butter, cheese, and dairy products made with whole or 2% milk. [8] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source
Store tempting foods out of the way so that you’re not able to access them easily. When you reduce your food intake by eating smaller portions, your body will eventually get used to eating less food.
Pay attention to your body’s signals so that you don’t eat too much food. If you want food, ask yourself if you’re really hungry or just craving more of the food’s taste or texture. The average person’s stomach capacity without any food in it is 200 mL, but when it comes time to eat, some people’s stomachs can relax to accommodate 1 liter of food or more. [11] X Research source
Aerobic exercise helps to complement the work that you’ve done by maintaining a healthy diet and makes your body utilize the energy that you’re getting from your food, rather than storing it as fat. To start out with aerobic exercise you can run, jog, or even just walk to raise your heart rate and get your body moving. After your stamina is stronger, you can move on to more high-impact activities.
Exercises like crunches, planks, and pull-ups engage your core stomach muscles and help to build strength in this area, which can result in a more toned look. Exercising your core won’t specifically help you lose belly fat, since you can’t target weight loss to one particular part of your body. [15] X Research source However, it can help you lose weight all over and tone the muscles in your belly so they look more defined.
Exercises like crunches, planks, and pull-ups engage your core stomach muscles and help to build strength in this area, which can result in a more toned look. Exercising your core won’t specifically help you lose belly fat, since you can’t target weight loss to one particular part of your body. [15] X Research source However, it can help you lose weight all over and tone the muscles in your belly so they look more defined.
Alternating workouts can also prevent your body from adapting to different exercises, allowing you to get the full benefits of each exercise.
Restrictive diets can cause you to “binge” once the diet is over, which can make you feel sick by filling your stomach past its normal capacity in one sitting.
Remember to always practice portion control to not gorge yourself or make yourself feel sick.
Eating several snacks or small meals throughout the day whenever you feel hungry can also help retrain your brain and stomach and make you more aware of your body’s hunger and satiation signals. [21] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source
