Losing weight is no easy feat, especially when your trouble area is your stomach. Yes, ladies, we all yearn for that flat stomach with no side chichos that create undesirable muffin tops. But no matter how many sit ups and crunches we do, those abs remain hidden in a blob of fat. There's a saying that goes: "Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym." So all that hard work you've been putting in to exercise and tone up probably has been backfiring because your diet is not on point.
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By switching up certain foods and adding others into your daily meal plan, you'll be able to achieve that six pack in no time. But first you have to make sure to eliminate certain foods that could be harming your diet and the chances of getting rock hard abs.
Here are the six of the worst foods to avoid if you want a flat stomach!
Soda
You may have a hard time giving up your sugary daily pick-me-up, but this carbonated beverage is causing you more harm than good. Soda contains high-fructose corn syrup which is not processed like natural sugar and instead goes through the liver first. Not only are you feeding your body excess unnatural sugars, but the carbonation causes bloating. Instead, switch that Coke for water or green tea which is loaded with antioxidants.
White bread and other refined carbs
You're probably reeling with horror thinking that you have to give up arroz, but that isn't the case. White flour and refined carbohydrates provide no nutritional value for our bodies and get digested so fast that it raises our insulin and blood sugar levels. This only means that these foods increase your chances of storing extra belly fat. So replace that white rice with brown to increase fiber and trim fat from your waistline.
Salt
Next time you reach for the chips, think about how they are sabotaging your efforts to get a flat tummy. Sure our bodies need some salt, but the more sodium you intake, the more bloated you will appear and the more fluid you will retain. Make sure to keep your sodium levels below 2,000 mg a day to avoid this and other health complications.
French fries and other packaged goods
You may be crying at the thought of giving up McDonald's fries or Oreos, but the main culprit here is trans fats. Trans fats not only raise your LDL (bad cholesterol) but it increases your chances of heart disease and you guessed it, belly fat. Instead, make sure your diet is high in mono unsaturated fats (found in avocados, nuts, olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats found in omega-3 fatty fish, sunflower seeds, whole grains)which help increase your good cholesterol.
Fatty meats
If you're a bacon lover, this might be hard for you to stomach. Avoid meats that are fatty such as steak, sausage, and bacon because the body has a hard time processing both the fat and meat at the same time. Since the body cannot burn them fast enough, they turn into that unsightly fat that settles into your hips, belly, and other body parts. Instead opt for leaner cuts of meat such as chicken, fish, and beans to get your fill.
Frozen meals
Sorry, but Lean Cuisine could be sabotaging your diet. Frozen dinners don't contain enough food to keep you full and lack nutritional content since veggies are sparse. Sodium content is also through the roof with these meals containing 700 mg to 1,800 mg in one serving. If you do choose to buy foods frozen, let them be frozen vegetables and fruits in their most natural state. Avoid those which contain sauces, cheese and any other additives.
