Flat Stomach Diet?

Discover 7 Ways to Cut "Hidden" Calories
How to Drink Your Way to Flat Abs!

Looking for a flat stomach diet? There are many fads and gimmicks that don't work. Check out these tips to cutting out calories and losing weight.

You probably have a friend or know someone like this: she complains that she can't seem to lose weight or get flat abs. She is doing all of the right things - eating the right foods and exercising constantly. In fact, she seemed to eat less than most people and definitely, by her accounts, exercises more than most, but she still can not lose weight. She wonders if she just need to find the "perfect" flat stomach diet and you figure she has a low metabolism. Then one evening, you go out to dinner and see why she is not losing weight.

After her fourth cocktail, she says that she was drinking more than she was used to. Apparently, she drinks a few cocktails at night, every night. This is why she is not losing weight. She doesn't need a magical "Flat Stomach Diet" what she needs is to realize all the hidden calories she is consuming everyday through her drinks.

When you are trying to lose weight and get flat abs, you often concentrate on the foods that you are eating. This is good - you need to watch what you eat when you are trying to lose weight.

But you also need to watch what you drink in order to get flat abs.

#1: Coffee/Tea

Whenever my dad wants to lose five pounds quickly without really trying too hard, he simply skips the cream and sugar in his coffee. This simple change allows him to lose weight. This is also be true for tea when you add sugar and/or honey.

Did you know that honey has 60 calories per tablespoon and sugar contains 48 calories per tablespoon?

It really is amazing the hidden calories we take in every day in our drinks, like coffee and tea. The primary culprit for these extra calories is the amount of sugar loaded into our daily drinks. I don't have a magic pill or flat stomach diet, but I do believe if you start drinking less sugar, you will see the pounds begin to come off and stay off.

#2: Soda Pop

When trying to lose weight and flatten your abs, soda should be off limits because it is nothing more than liquid candy. Even diet soda will not promote weight loss, but rather weight gain because the carbonation in the soda leads to additional weight and hampers weight loss efforts. Therefore, eliminate soda and diet soda when you are trying to lose weight with a flat stomach diet.

Check out the hidden calories in several of the common sodas (12 oz can):

Coca-Cola: 143 calories, 39.9g sugar
Dr. Pepper: 144 calories, 40.8g sugar
Root Beer: 153 calories, 39.3 sugar

I know people who stop at their local gas station and get a 44 ounce cup of soda. If drinking Coke, that's already 524 calories in just one drink! Wow!

#3: Fruit Juice

Instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, drink water. For example, one 8 ounce glass of 100% apple juice has 120 calories where one 8 ounce glass of orange juice from concentrate has a whopping 360 calories.

Juices, while some of them are good for you, they are still full of calories. There are other "juices" that are high in sugar. Therefore, it's important for you to read the nutrition labels. Look specifically for "100% juice" and "no sugar added" when reading the juice labels. When you look closely, you will notice that many "juices" have only 15% juice and a lot of sugar and hidden calories! This is just one way to start drinking your way to flat abs.

#4: Energy Drinks and Sports Drinks

Although they may give you that extra pep in your step that you need in your work day, energy drinks can be adding hidden calories to your waistline and defeating your attempts to get flat abs. For example, a 12 ounce can of Red Bull is 160 calories with 39 grams of sugar. Both energy drinks and sports drinks can be high in sugar content, so if you do decide to get one, check the nutrition label first!

Check out HammerNutrition.com products for some good quality, low sugar sports drinks. My husband is an avid runner and highly recommends their products. For example, HEED sports drink has 100 calories per serving and only 2 grams of sugar. Instead of sugar they use a natural sweetener called Xylitol.

#: 5: Alcohol

Alcohol is filled with sugar. People think that they can have wine and get away with drinking, still lose weight and get flat abs. While red wine may be good for you in some capacity, it is not recommended for you when you are trying to lose weight.

No alcohol is really "good" for you - it all contains sugar. Some of it contains more sugar than others. Mixed drinks, such as cocktails, usually contain the most sugar. The lowest sugar content that you can get in alcohol is from a very dry, red wine.

Let's look at the calorie content of a few common alcoholic drinks:

Red wine (5 oz.) = 127 calories
Budweiser beer (12 oz.) = 145 calories
Margarita (3.3 oz.) = 153 calories
Pina Colada (4.5 oz.) = 245 calories

#6: Smoothies

Smoothies are great for weight loss when used as a meal replacement. But, when used as a snack or drink on top of your usual calories, they can add on pounds fast. Many coffee shops now sell fruit smoothies. It sounds very healthy, but when you really look at the calorie and sugar content, many times it is not.

The bottom line? Use smoothies as a meal replacement and make them at home whenever possible. That way you can ensure you include the highest nutrition with the least amount of calories.

#7: Specialty Coffee Drinks

It's amazing how many people buy a specialty coffee drink everyday to start out their morning. The drive-through at Starbucks, Biggby, Panera, etc. are usually filled with their regulars. Is that you? If so, do you know how many calories you are consuming every day with that drink?

For example, a 12 oz. tall Starbucks Caffe Latte has 204 calories. However, when you make the small change of using non-fat milk you literally cut the calories in half to 100 calories.

How Many Calories Are in the Drinks You Consume Everyday?

I encourage you to use the food database at CalorieKing.com to find out. Knowing the calorie content of the drinks you consume is one step in a flat stomach diet. Many times there are hidden calories that you could easily substitute with nature's best drink: water.

It is just as important to watch what you drink as what you eat when your goal is to get flat abs. You may be consuming hundreds of calories a day with what you drink. The reason many of us can not lose weight is not because we have yet to find the best flat stomach diet, but because we are consuming more calories than our bodies need through the drinks we consume.

Drink Your Way to Flat Abs - Switch to Water

For some people, a simple switch to water from their every day drinks can make all the difference in the world when it comes to weight loss and flat abs. I knew a woman who was a heavy cola drinker who switched to water and claimed to have lost 30 pounds in a month just from making this simple lifestyle change.

If you want to lose weight and get flat abs, you need to not only watch what you eat, but also watch what you drink. Water, unsweetened coffee and unsweetened teas have no calories.

My Flat Stomach Diet Challenge

Want flat abs? Try this challenge: substitue all of your drinks to water for one month. Weigh in before you start and after you finish. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results!

But an effective flat stomach diet takes more than just cutting back calories. I finally found an abs book that shows you what REALLY works to lose weight and flatten your abs. Read my review.