As temperatures rise, your outfits becomes skimpier and skimpier until you’ve reached the ultimate piece of clothing for showcasing your body: the bikini. Love it or hate it, you pretty much have to deal with wearing a bikini unless you want to wear a granny swimsuit. Bikinis can make or break your image and easily boost or undermine your confidence. Take your pick. Before you attempt to put on a bikini and judge yourself in front of a mirror, take some steps to get your stomach ready for summer.
Step 1
Plan a new way of eating. Don’t think of it as a fad diet—think of it as a common-sense approach to food. Opt for food close to its natural state and ditch anything that’s highly processed or with high amounts of sugar, saturated fat, calories or cholesterol. Load up on fruits, vegetables and whole grains while avoiding food containing refined sugar or flour.
Step 2
Eat often. It’s better to eat more small meals a day than to binge on three large meals.
Step 3
Eat a healthy breakfast every day.
Step 4
Exercise often. Meet with a personal trainer or become your own coach. It’s difficult to have flat abs if you don’t exercise.
Step 5
Do 30 minutes of cardio exercise five days a week. Swimming, cycling and running are effective. If you don’t have stamina, take brisk walks through your neighborhood.
Step 6
Incorporate weight training into your workout. Instead of targeting specific areas to tone, aim for more effective total-body workouts. Weight training produces lean muscle that will replace fat. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, you’ll lose weight more quickly if you pump iron.
Step 7
Do sit-ups and crunches, but know that while these exercises strengthen your stomach and build muscle, they don’t necessarily lead to a flat stomach. Crunches do not remove belly fat.
Warnings
- Consult with a health-care provider before starting an exercise program.
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