How Do I Get A Flat Stomach And Fix Feeling Bloated?
How do I not only lose fat but enjoy the feeling of having a flat, defined stomach. How do get rid of the bloated feeling?
When you are working hard on your fat loss goals, nothing feels better than actually feeling the results coming in. A flat and defined stomach is the big reward at the end of a a fat loss phase. But even though you are on track, you may feel the occasional bloated stomach and get the idea that you are not making progress.
In this article we go into the causes of the bloated feeling, what it means and what you can do to solve it.
The cause of a bloated stomach
Some causes of bloating may be temporary while other causes may be more structural. Bloating is usually caused by eating foods that our body takes a while to digest. Sometimes the ingredients in the foods are something the body can not digest easily. Usually in combination with being able to go to the toilet properly, this can cause an irritated feeling. This can be a temporary after a 'cheat meal' or more structural if you have been neglecting eating good foods and proper digestion for a while.
Does bloating mean I am gaining weight?
If the bloating is in combination with being in a prolonged calorie surplus, the answer is yes. If you have been hovering around your maintenance calories or even in a calorie deficit, the answer is no.
How to fix bloating stomach and feel a flat stomach
- Drink enough water to help with digestion
- Avoid eating processed foods as much as possible. Not only the usual 'junk foods' but some protein bars deemed as healthy can cause irritation in the stomach as well, for example. The more ingredients a product has, the higher processed it is
- If you are gluten intolerant, avoid or minimize gluten
- Keep you carb intake moderate or moderately high. Not super high!
- Chewing properly and taking the time to eat the food helps with digestion
- Avoid drinking alcohol as much as possible
- If you need to go to the toilet, don't postpone your visit for too long!
- Moderately high amounts of carbonated drinks (both the regular and 'zero sugar' versions!) can cause irritation
- Spread your meals throughout the day and avoid eating huge meals at once.
- Don't eat close to bedtime. Not because the calories are harmful (myth) but because your body needs to be able to rest properly and not having to digest a huge amount of food at the same time
- Do not have huge inconsistencies in meal size, meal timing and food sources while eating and try to stick at a routine. The body craves routine and anything that is a major change will not allow the body to adapt