Your diet and inactive lifestyle can lead to the accumulation of abdomen fat. So, get moving and learn how to have a flat stomach in 10 days.
If you are overweight, you must have noticed extra fat around your midsection. It is true that your quest for a toned tummy will involve eating healthy. But giving up junk food and eating healthy foods are not the only ways to lose unwanted bulge. You also need to start moving and performing exercises that particularly target your tummy. Your lifestyle habits can also have an effect on your stomach. Whether you want to slip into a figure-hugging dress or just want to be fitter and healthier, there are some easy yet effective ways to get a flat tummy. Know how to have a flat stomach in 10 days.
Causes of belly fat in women
Before diving into how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, know the reasons why women often gain weight, particularly the abdomen area. Menopause, the time when periods permanently stop, is one of them. It is associated with increased abdominal obesity, according to research published in Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology journal in 2023.
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Belly fat in women may have to do with hormonal changes. Adobe Stock
Women may also gain weight, particularly the midsection, in winter due to the following reasons:
Increased calorie consumption: “Cold weather often leads to cravings for comfort foods that are high in calories, sugar, and fat,” says fitness expert Yash Agarwal.
Reduced physical activity: People tend to be less active in winter due to shorter days, cold temperatures, and a tendency to stay indoors.
Hormonal changes: “Reduced exposure to sunlight can lower serotonin levels, increasing appetite and cravings,” says Agarwal.
Thermogenesis: The body may store fat, especially in the abdomen, to maintain warmth during colder months.
Metabolic slowing: A decrease in physical activity can slow metabolism, contributing to weight gain.
How to have a flat stomach in 10 days: Is it possible?
Want to know how to have a flat stomach in 10 days? Start by trying to burn 500 to 700 calories every day. However, you may get rid of extra kilos with strict dietary restrictions and exercise but do not expect it to happen overnight. “Combining cardio exercises and intense training with a low-calorie healthy diet may give you results within a few days. But at least 6 to 8 weeks are required to achieve an ideal weight and physique and see major changes,” says fitness and nutrition expert Aman Puri.
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How to have a flat stomach in 10 days?
You can learn how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, but make sure to follow these tips religiously:
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1. Plan your meals
Skipping meals to have a flat tummy is not the solution. Eat small and frequent meals throughout the day, a tip you should remember while learning how to have a flat stomach in 10 days. “Planning small and frequent meals helps manage appetite and keeps energy levels balanced,” says Puri. While planning meals, make sure to avoid fad diets.
2. Practice strict portion control
Strict portion control while eating is necessary for warding of excess calorie intake. Yes, this is one of the answers to your “how to have a flat stomach in 10 days” question. Using smaller plates and measuring cups for eating, checking labels for nutrient content, eating slowly, and avoiding binge eating can contribute towards stricter portion control.
3. Swap sugary drinks with healthy liquids
Drink more water instead of having sugary drinks while feeling thirsty. “Not only does it have zero calories, it’s also essential for flushing out toxins and maintaining hydration,” says Puri. Drinking more liquids like water can increase satiety, reduce hunger pangs, and help lose weight, including the abdomen area. Replace sodas, cold drinks, and processed drinks with water, green tea, lemon water and coconut water to reduce unhealthy calorie intake. A 2014 study published in The Journal Of Nutrition found that participants who regularly drank sugar-sweetened beverages, rather than diet soda, experienced more abnormal fat accumulation.
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4. Have adequate amount of protein
A protein-rich diet can help reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Protein-rich foods also provide satiety, leading to a reduced appetite. “Incorporate lean proteins (chicken, fish, and legumes) to boost metabolism,” says Agarwal. You should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
5. Incorporate more fibre
Adding more fibres to the diet can help curb cravings without adding extra calories to your meals. Fibre increases satiety and plays a key role in appetite regulation, according to research published in the Foods journal in 2019. “Opt for high-fibre foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to curb cravings,” says Agarwal. As you learn how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, eat foods with high fibre as well as water content, and low calories to increase feeling of fullness along with managing weight.
6. Practice mindful eating
Being mindful while picking up a combination of the right nutrients with minimum calorie content can help you manage excess calorie consumption. “Mindful eating promotes weight loss by sensibly choosing foods with controlled portions, preventing overeating,” says Puri. That’s why while learning how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, make sure to practice mindful eating.
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7. Maintain a food diary
Keeping a diary is not just to reduce stress. While learning how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, monitor your diet by maintaining a food diary. Such diaries can give you insight into how much you are eating, portion sizes, and patterns, and nutrition intake.
8. Have metabolism-boosting drinks
“Go for drinks like green tea, cinnamon-infused water, and cumin seeds water to help boost metabolism, supporting the weight loss journey,” says Puri. Green tea, which contains catechins, and caffeine, may help to increase energy metabolism, as per research published by Cochrane Library in 2012. Remember to drink metabolism-boosting drinks while learning how to have a flat stomach in 10 days.
9. Stay away from stress
Improper sleep patterns and poor sleep quality can lead to changes in hormones and metabolism. They may hamper behaviour and cause mood changes, leading to overeating or increased food cravings. “Stress can also cause high cortisol levels which can slow down the metabolism, leading to a risk of obesity,” says Puri.
10. Eat less salt
While making dietary changes, make sure to reduce salt intake as it can contribute to water retention, which can leave your stomach looking bloated. Over 70 percent of dietary sodium comes from eating packaged and prepared foods like deli meats, burgers, pizza, and chips, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Limit sodium consumption to about 1 teaspoon per day.
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11. Restrict alcohol consumption and smoking
Consumption of alcohol can lead to visceral fat gain because it is high in calories. “Regular smoking can increase chances of insulin resistance associated with stomach fat accumulation,” says Puri. As part of learning how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, quit smoking and drink less.
12. Circuit training
This type of training involves short bursts of intense training within a short time interval with repetitions. “It burns fat and calories, boosts metabolism, aiding towards weight loss in a short span of time,” says Puri. Performing burpees, jumping jacks, leg lifts, and lunges during circuit training can help you shed stubborn belly fat.
Do crunches to have a flat stomach. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock
13. Include core exercises
The core muscles are present around the abdominal area. While learning how to get a flat stomach in 10 days, remember that exercising the core muscles helps trim belly fat. “Core-focused exercises like planks and crunches strengthen abdominal muscles, improving tone and structure,” says Agarwal.
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14. Perform cardio exercise
Running, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking are all examples of cardio workout. “These exercises cam raise heart rate, improve circulation and metabolism, which supports calorie burning and causes overall fat reduction, toning the body. Cardio workouts cause the body to use stored fat as its primary fuel, reducing the waistline,” says Puri.
15. Stand while exercising
Sitting exercises may be more comfortable, but doing them while standing up may be more beneficial. Substituting sitting with standing while exercising may prevent weight gain in the long term, according to an analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2018. When you stand up and workout, you activate more muscles to maintain balance. This way, you spend more energy while exercising.
A toned tummy takes time and patience. But if you are wondering how to have a flat stomach in 10 days, you can start by making dietary changes and performing multiple exercises. Also, remember that you may lose some weight in 10 days from the tummy but don’t expect something magical to happen. Have realistic expectations and aim for what can be achieved.
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Get latest updates on health and wellness along with How To
Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet’s Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.
Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health.
Wondering how much weight you should be lifting in the gym to build strength? Dr Stacy Sims says that not going heavy enough could be the biggest mistake women are making in their workouts.
What strength training looks like might differ (for example, some prefer callisthenics over classic weight training) for some, but one thing is clear – it needs to be a challenge.
This is something exercise scientist Dr Stacy Sims was keen to emphasise to journalist Clare Johnston on a recent episode of her podcast, The Honest Channel. The pair discussed why intensity really matters for women when they’re strength training, rather than just doing the same exercise for as many sets or reps as possible.
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Dr Sims says she believes many women don’t push themselves enough when working out, which is why we might not see results as quickly as we want. “There’s an inherent difference between building muscle and building strength. So we know that again, one of the first things that will come is strength, but how are we actually maximising that for women?” she says.
How much weight should I lift?
Dr Sims recommends lifting a weight you can complete for a maximum of six to eight repetitions, leaving just one or two in reserve. As she says in her video on perimenopause and resistance training: if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
Doing lots of repetitions with lighter dumbbells or other weights won’t have the same effect, she warns. Doing many reps over time improves your muscles’ endurance, but not how fibres within the muscle are working and how tightly they’re contracting, which is what you need to build strength – especially in perimenopause.
“When we start having changes in oestrogen, one of the first things that goes is pure power and strength because oestrogen affects our contractile proteins actin and myosin,” she says. She explains that adding load (lifting heavier) means actin and myosin “hold onto each other a lot harder and to have a very strong and tight contraction – that’s what strength and power are”. This means that if you’re not challenging your muscles to work harder through progressive overload, you won’t see the results you may be aiming for, because the proteins in your muscles are only ever contracting lightly.
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“It’s not just about building lean mass, it’s about how strong that muscle is as we go about building it. How do we go about preserving strength and fast-twitch fibres and all the things women need to conserve as we get older to have a really good health span,” Dr Sims explains.
Fast-twitch muscle fibres are needed for heavy weight lifting, sprinting and reaction ability, but they can fatigue quickly and reduce in size and number as we age. This is because of the fall in oestrogen we experience as we enter perimenopause. Men don’t have this problem because their testosterone levels stay more stable throughout their lives.
Taking supplements like creatine, alongside regular exercise, has been shown to improve this as well.
Dr Sims says lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric exercises – explosive, high-intensity exercises such as jumping or hopping – helps women increase and maintain their fast-twitch muscle fibres. She says if we focus on lifting heavy weights for fewer reps, there’s no need to be in the gym for hours every week – welcome news for all of us.
As for how often you should lift weights, she suggests at least three sessions every week with active recovery days between them. This should include mobility exercises and zone 2 exercise, such as a walking workout.
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If you’re new to strength training, remember to speak to a trained professional first to ensure you avoid injury.
Walking and running share a number of benefits — but what about that sweet middle ground between the two?
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“Jogging is about creating a steady pace,” says sports and exercise medicine specialist Leonardo Oliveira, MD. “Instead of focusing on speed, you’re focused more on endurance with good, quality steps.”
Before your next jaunt, Dr. Oliveira shares the many benefits of jogging and how it can help improve your overall health and wellness.
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9 benefits of jogging
Unlike running, where you’re focused on targeting different heart rate zones, jogging involves keeping a more stable and persistent pace. If you’re jogging at a moderate intensity, for example, your target heart rate will usually fall into zone 2, at 60% to 70% of your max heart rate.
“When you’re jogging, you should be able to carry on a conversation as you breathe through your nose,” says Dr. Oliveira. “If you’re doing just 15 minutes of jogging three times a week, you’re already going to notice the benefits.”
Here’s how you can benefit from jogging.
1. Reduces stress
Jogging, like other exercises, can help decrease your stress levels. As an aerobic exercise, it helps release endorphins, which can boost your mood and create feelings of euphoria or satisfaction. Not only does it provide an outlet for pent-up energy, but jogging outside also allows you to spend more time in nature, which provides even more mental health benefits.
“Research shows exercise can be as effective as medication when treating depression because of its wide-ranging benefits,” says Dr. Oliveira.
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2. Burns calories
Jogging is a full-body exercise that offers a higher calorie burn than some other aerobic exercises. According to the widely used Compendium of Physical Activities, jogging burns about 7.5 calories per kilogram of body weight each hour. That means you can burn about:
8 times as many calories as sitting quietly
4 times as many calories as walking
2.6 times as many calories as stationary cycling
“Jogging will burn more calories in a shorter period of time than cycling, especially if you’re not used to exercising,” reports Dr. Oliveira.
3. Improves insulin resistance and boosts metabolism
Insulin resistance is one of the biggest barriers to having a healthy metabolism. Insulin helps your body break down glucose for energy. But if your body can’t do that, your metabolism slows down, leading to:
Lower energy levels
Weight gain
An inability to burn fat
“Exercising at higher intensities helps increase metabolism and insulin resistance,” says Dr. Oliveira. “But researchers have also found that even lower-intensity exercises, like jogging, for longer periods of time can have the same effect.”
4. Strengthens your heart
Jogging also has positive impacts on your heart and its ability to pump blood to the rest of your body. That’s because it contributes to hypertrophy, or the strengthening of your heart’s muscle tissues.
“As you develop endurance, the amount of blood in one pump increases,” explains Dr. Oliveira. “When your heart gets stronger, it contracts more efficiently, which decreases your resting heart rate.”
5. Improves lung expansion and gas exchange
The more you work on building endurance and stamina, the more likely it is that you’ll improve your overall ability to breathe — both at rest and while jogging.
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“Consistent aerobic exercise helps your lungs get stronger and more efficient,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Over time, you won’t need to breathe as often because each breath brings in more oxygen than before.”
6. Activates muscles
Jogging activates major muscle groups, including your:
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Back
“Strength training is a good complement to jogging because it can help strengthen all the areas of your body,” says Dr. Oliveira. “This can help you handle longer distances.”
7. Reduces stiffness
“Jogging is one of those activities where once you get going, you start to feel better,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “It’s an exercise that helps warm up your muscles and lubricate your joints, which can help with the overall sense of stiffness that comes with age.”
That said, jogging is still a high-impact exercise because it forces you to bear down weight as your feet hit the pavement. Consider working with a physical therapist or athletic trainer to reduce the risk of further injury if you:
Have arthritis
Have an active injury
Had previous sprains or fractures in your lower body
8. Improves endurance
“The more you jog, the more you’ll increase your functional aerobic capacity,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Someone who jogs regularly will have better physical fitness that will help them last longer on a bike or a walk than someone who’s just getting started.”
Your ability to breathe and move also extends to other daily activities that demand cardiovascular strength and endurance, like climbing stairs.
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9. Provides better quality of life and other mental health benefits
Research shows that any amount of jogging — even just once a week — can improve your quality of life and lower your risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular-related issues.
“Jogging is a great form of exercise, but it’s not the only one,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “The most important thing is to work on being healthy and strong. And for a lot of people, if you’re looking to advance your physical fitness, jogging is a good place to start.”
