A woman's abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, has side effects beyond vanity. According to Harvard Health Publication, stored stomach fat can release hormones such as leptin and adiponectin, which affects appetite and insulin sensitivity. A flat stomach is good for your confidence and healthy for your body. To flatten and smooth your stomach in two months, a lifestyle change is required.
Out With The Bad
Different foods react differently within your body. While a handful of jelly beans and an avocado may have a similar amount of calories, one aids in fat loss while the other aids in fat storage. A food's affect on insulin is highly related to its affects on fat. Refined and enriched -- otherwise known as white -- carbohydrates and sugar cause a nearly instant spike in insulin levels. This promotes an increase in fat storage, particularly in your stomach. Avoid white flour and sugar as well as any pre-packaged foods as they contain a high amount of unnatural chemicals and preservatives. Focus on foods that have a stabilizing affect on your insulin levels. This includes a high intake of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, beans and legumes, whole wheat and healthy fats.
Drink Your Way To Slim
Your body is made up of approximately 60 percent water. Through daily activities and perspiration, your water levels fall and failing to replenish what you have lost leads to dehydration. Dehydration affects nearly all areas of your body including your metabolism. Achieving a flat and smooth stomach is nearly impossible when a lack of bodily water keeps visceral fat firmly in place. Aim for at least eight glasses of water every day. Signs of proper hydration include rarely feeling thirsty and passing light yellow or clear urine. Not only does dehydration slow the use of stored fat but it can also increase fat deposits. When not properly hydrated, your body is unable to successfully remove toxins from your body. Thus, these toxins are often stored within fat cells. Also, these fat cells have the capability to expand for continuous storage space, leading to bloating.
Break A Sweat
Exercise is a necessity when trying to flatten your stomach within two months. To shed fat and build lean muscle, perform 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five to seven days per week. Bicycling, running, swimming and dancing burn fat in all areas of your body and raise your metabolism even after your workout. Additionally, jumping rope, belly dancing and kickboxing raises your heart rate with the added benefit of strengthening your core. To specifically target your abdominal muscles, engage in three to five days of strength training every week. Basic, effective moves include crunches, planks, side planks and mountain climbers. Since muscle burns more calories naturally than fat, you will burn additional calories even on days you skip the gym.
Hit the Snooze Button
Especially if you are engaged in daily physical activity, it is crucial that you acquire enough sleep on a nightly basis. Sleep deprivation leads to an increase of the hormone ghrelin, causing an increase in appetite, and decreases the hormone leptin, which suppresses hunger. The result is often over-eating the following day. However, those who gain proper sleep release more growth hormones. Growth hormones are responsible for cell regeneration, bodily growth, reproduction, and building and repairing muscle. Thus, higher levels of growth hormones equals a faster metabolism. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the average adult have between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.
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