Most of us don’t stress about a bit of belly fat hanging over our waistbands during the winter—after all, damage control is just a body-shaping undergarment away. But now you’re headed to a place where not even Spanx can save you: the beach. The frustrating reality is that the midsection is one of the trickiest areas to tone. That’s why even women dedicated to regular exercise often can’t iron out their abs. Fortunately, with expert help, we’ve come up with the ultimate tummy—flattening plan. Not only is it super effective, but it’s likely loads easier than the agonizing ab workouts you’ve been putting yourself through.
Get Flat Abs
Rule #1 – Attack your hidden core muscles
Crunches target only superficial muscles, so they aren’t the most efficient way to work your abs. Hard fact: To burn one pound of fat, you have to do 250,000 crunches, according to researchers at the University of Virginia. That’s 100 crunches a day for seven years. Uh, no thanks.
Instead, you need to target the muscles that lie beneath the superficial ones: your transverse abdominis, multifidis, and internal obliques. Strengthening them pulls in your middle like a corset, keeping the area looking flat and toned. “Not only are these muscles weak in many women, but most of us don’t have a clue about how to engage them,” says celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, whose clients include Jennifer Garner and Elizabeth Berkley.
The core moves here target these “hidden” muscles. To practice engaging them, try this drill from Waters: Lie on your back and place your palms just below your navel. Exhale and allow your tummy to expand as far as you can, then focus on pulling your belly button toward your spine, drawing your abdomen toward the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
Rule #2 – Move your butt
Your booty and your belly are unlikely partners in crime. Here’s why: Over time, sitting around too much renders your glutes practically useless and causes your hip flexors—the muscles that connect your hipbones to your legs—to become stiff. This couch-potato combo tilts your pelvis forward, which increases the arch in your back and puts stress on your spine. From a cosmetic standpoint, it pushes your abdomen out, making even a relatively flat stomach bulge. That means that to lose your gut, you’ve got to work your butt.
The glute bridge march and hip-thigh raise will help you get a stronger behind. Combat tight hip flexors with this stretch: In a lunge position, lower yourself so your back knee is resting on the floor. Push your hips forward, keeping your back upright, until you feel a stretch in the front of the hip. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, and repeat. Switch legs. You can increase the stretch by reaching your arms over your head.
Rule #3 – Eat flat-belly foods
You can’t see ab muscles if they’re buried under a layer of fat. Excavate them by following these easy dietary guidelines.
Pump up your protein intake Substituting meat, fish, dairy, and nuts for carbs can reduce the amount of fat around your middle. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada assessed the diets of 617 people and discovered that when they exchanged carbohydrates in favor of an equal amount of protein, they reduced overall belly fat.
Eliminate added sugar The average American eats about 20 teaspoons of sugar daily in the form of processed foods like soda, baked goods, breakfast cereals, fruit drinks, and even flavored yogurt. That’s about 325 empty calories every day. All that sugar increases insulin production, which slows your metabolism.
Don’t fear fat Research shows that diets containing more than 50 percent fat are just as effective for weight loss as those that are low in fat. “Fat is filling and adds flavor to your meals—both of which help you avoid feeling deprived, so you can stick to your diet,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., a nutritionist in the Los Angeles area. Eat foods rich in monounsaturated fats, such as olives, nuts, and avocados; research has even found that it’s OK to enjoy whole foods that contain saturated fat (including milk, cheese, and butter) in moderation.
Beat the bloat No matter how much ab fat you lose or muscle you tone, if you’re bloated, you won’t look (or feel!) your best in a bikini. Carbonated beverages, and even good-for-you foods such as beans and broccoli, can make your stomach swell. And keep your sodium intake in check: Nutritionists suggest you stay under 2,000 milligrams to avoid retaining excess water. (Most of us get closer to 5,000 a day.)
Rule #4 – Stop stressing
Your stock portfolio. Your in-laws. Your never-ending to-do list. We get it—life is hard. But anxiety can produce extra cortisol, a hormone that encourages the body to store fat, particularly in your belly. According to researchers at Yale University, your midsection is four times as likely as the rest of your body to store stress-induced fat. Help keep anxiety in check by taking little breaks from work every 90 minutes. “It’s almost like recalibrating your body—reminding you to breathe and relax,” Waters says.
Another way stress sabotages your abs: When tension runs high, we reach for fattening foods. To keep your hand out of the office candy jar, keep it out of reach. In one study, participants who had to walk six feet to reach the candy ate up to seven fewer chocolates per day than when the jar was conveniently located at their desk.