Advice on reducing tummy

After my delivery (3yrs ago), my tummy is not reduced. it looks as though, I am 3 mth pregnant.How to reduce my Tummy?
(October 11, 2010)

The human body is made up of bones, organs, muscle tissue and fat. Muscle and fat are things that can be modified or altered through exercise and diet. Human beings tend to eat food three or four times a day. This means that there is no continuous supply of food for nutrition. The body thus stores food that is not immediately consumed in the muscle tissue and in the liver.


This food is gradually released during the day when there is no food being consumed. This ensures that the body has energy throughout the day which can be used for voluntary and involuntary processes. Food that is not used at all may be converted into fat. Fat is stored in the body to help with conditions where the individual is starved for nutrition. In such a situation, fat begins to be broken down so that it can be used for nutrition. Starvation diets, however, are dangerous, as they create a situation where the individual’s body is under great strain and may not be capable of performing normal daily tasks.
 
An exercise regimen is therefore recommended for anybody who wishes to lose weight and lose fat. Fat is processed only after the body has run out of its normal nutrition. Exercise should therefore be performed a few hours after the last meal so that the body has no choice but to begin breaking down fat for nutrition. Many people believe that reducing tummy fat involves abdominal exercises. These exercises only tone the muscles of the area, especially if they are performed quickly and not continuously. When an individual begins exercise, the body provides energy from readily available food sources. It is only after these sources have been eliminated that the individual ends up burning fat. Endurance exercises are therefore much more effective at burning fat. Fat is distributed around different parts of the body. Gradually, exercise will help to burn all the excess fat in the body until the individual has reached a desirable body state. The tips to reduce tummy fat therefore include walking, jogging and running as endurance exercises. Light weight training over a period of time can also be tried. Other endurance exercises like sit-ups and push-ups can be tried. Finally, one can also use stomach crunches after a large percentage of the unwanted fat has been eliminated. Another simple and effective exercise to reduce tummy fat is the Stomach Vacuum, where you need to exhale and then suck your gut in.

One must also follow a diet to reduce tummy fat. Exercise will help to a certain extent, but if the individual is not eating healthy, then the exercise will not be completely successful. The first step in such a diet is to check the food being consumed and reduce its fat content. Processed food and junk food should be eliminated and replaced with nutritious foods. In many cases, the individual is actually unaware of what nutrition is being provided to the body. By simply analyzing the food being consumed, an individual can improve the diet for tummy fat reduction. Healthy Diet and exercise together should make it easy for the individual to lose weight and improve overall physical fitness.

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Tummy reduction and diet are interlinked and this calls for a lot of perseverance. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat proves beneficial. Increase the dietary fiber, as it contributes to satiety. This ensures decrease in intake. Foods that are a storehouse of dietary fiber are vegetables, raw fruits, whole grains, cereals and so on. Opt for fresh vegetables and fruits, instead of juices, as the latter is devoid of fiber. Increase your three meal pattern to five or six meals. This helps in decreasing your intake. It also suppresses the appetite and prevents bingeing. Bingeing is the act of eating snacks and other junk in between meals. Pizzas, burgers, potato chips and other junk foods are a strong 'no-no', especially with carbonated beverages or fizzy drinks. A healthy breakfast helps to suppress the appetite, throughout the day. Skipping meals increases the pangs of hunger by the end of the day. This results in bingeing excessive calories and fat. Adequate amount of water, around eight to ten glasses, helps in the removal of drugs, toxins and other metabolites.

Include intermediary snacks, such as baby carrots, pretzels, and cherry tomatoes and so on. Avoid refined and processed foods, such as sugar, white flour and so on. Fresh and wholesome foods are better, as they are more nutritious and healthy. Avoid the use of clarified butter, margarine, lard and butter and other forms of saturated fats. Vegetable oils, such as groundnut, safflower, sunflower, soy, and flaxseed oil are unsaturated and healthier to the system. Replace whole milk and dairy products with skimmed milk and fat free milk products.  Avoid smoking and alcoholic beverages. Deskinned poultry, fish, egg white and lean meat are good sources of high quality protein.  Avoid processed meat, such as hamburgers, as they have fat layered between them.

Reducing tummy is also possible by regular activity. Increase your physical activity at home by dusting the house, cleaning the car and scrubbing the floor. Opt for washing clothes by hand, as it involves bending and other kind of expenditure. Use the stairs, rather than using the elevator. Walking, swimming and jogging are exercises that fail to require any sophisticated gym equipments and are easy to practice at any part of the day. Bend forward to touch the floor and raise yourself. This is a simple exercise to help in a flat tummy. Spot reduction is not really possible with exercises. Try your luck for a flat abdomen, as crunches and reverse crunches are highly effective for a flat abdomen. Workouts are important to burn the extra calories, which in turn helps in loss of extra pounds. The reverse crunch involves lying flat on the floor, on your back. Lift your legs and bend the knees at 90 degrees. Lift your hips with the legs in the air and hold. Bring them back to the floor and lift them. Perform this for eight to twelve times, for thrice a week. Alternative therapies, such as meditation and yoga are also helpful in reducing tummy.