Ways to Flatten Your Tummy Forget crunches! There are other ways to trim that midsection

Some good advice from the Trinidad News:

Habits That Will Shrink Your Middle
Calm down. Too much stress can contribute to a potbelly. Stress increases levels of cortisol, a hormone that seems to direct fat to our middle, says Jacob Seidell, PhD, of the National Institute of Public Health in Bilthoven, Netherlands. To keep levels low, try this 5- to 10-minute stress reducer: Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Next, take several slow, deep breaths to help clear your mind. Continue breathing deeply and repeat the word "one" to yourself as you exhale. (If you get distracted, just bring your focus back to the word "one.") Practice this for 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day.
Skip the alcohol. That glass of wine with dinner may be part of the reason your jeans are too tight. Alcohol also tends to raise cortisol levels, sending fat to your belly, Dr. Seidell says.

To Get Rid of Belly Fat, You Need to Burn It Off and Feed Your Muscle!

Looking for the truth about what it REALLY takes to get rid of belly fat? You've got to learn to "burn the fat and feed the muscle." But don't take our word for it, check out what fitness expert Tom Venuto has to say:

"There are thousands of diet programs and dozens of people claiming to be experts. However, very few of these so-called 'Fat loss experts' practice what they preach or have the credentials and track record to back up their claims. "You're about to discover what might be the most powerful fat loss system ever developed. It's the same system fitness models and bodybuilders use to reach single digit body fat levels and achieve rock-hard muscle definition that makes them look like walking anatomy charts.
My name is Tom Venuto and over the past 14 years, through a long and painstaking process of trial, error and experimentation, I've developed a sure-fire, 100% guaranteed system for losing belly fat based on the little-known nutrition secrets of competitive natural bodybuilders and fitness models.
If you would like to learn how to lose body fat permanently... even in your mushiest spots... without drugs, without supplements and without screwing up your metabolism, then this will be the most important report you will ever read. I guarantee it and I've got the results to prove it!"

For more free information about Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" click here.

Is Your Belly Fat the Result of a Food Allergy?

Yesterday we talked about the basic principals involved in losing your belly fat: that you can't expect to keep doing the same things you've always done (both eating and not exercising) and expect to have a flatter stomach. If that concept is still foreign to you, please scroll down and read that post.

Another thing that people don't often consider is that some of their paunch (likely not all) could be due to a food allergy. In my case, I look fatter after I have eaten anything with wheat in. I also belch like a drunken sailor. But mostly, I look and feel bloated. My spouse discovered she had a gluten allergy (the basic ingredient in wheat-based products) and stopped eating things with wheat in them . . . and there are A LOT! Like high fructose corn syrup, gluten is in a lot of stuff other than bread and cookies. You have to pay attention to labels to make sure they're not sneaking it in on you!

The result, however, could be quite pleasant, if you're like me. Although technically I haven't lost any weight, a gluten-free diet makes me feel less bloated and I look thinner as a result. How many people have a gluten allergy in the United States? Hard to say, but if you think you might have even a mild allergy to wheat (In addition to the bloat and belching I also had to clear my throat frequently) why not give it a try. Plan a few "wheat free days" and see how you feel. In most cities it's much easier now to find gluten free products and most are quite good.

Tomorrow: what's up with all this water?

Belly Fat Basics: The Painful Truth

Let's be honest here: you already know that to get rid of your belly fat you need to do something different than you are already doing now. You either need to eat different food than you are currently eating, or you need to eat less of what you are eating now, or you need to move those abdominal muscles more . . . or a combination of those three.

There is no magic pill or "spare tire cream" that will make it go away without some kind of effort. If that's what you came here looking for, you can leave right now.

If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get the results you've always gotten. That's why for me, personally, the best place to start is with my diet. If I feel better, I will move more and be more motivated. If I exercise a lot (but keep eating like crap) I usually don't see any results. So, that's why there are three programs we recommend on this page to get you started. I won't call them diets because you really can't change the way you eat for a few weeks, drop some starvation pounds and water weight and expect to look trimmer in the long run. You'll just be tired and a little lighter in the wallet.

No, these are all lifestyle changers that will help you eat healthier and move more for life.

First up: The Idiot Proof Diet aka Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Sorry if you are offended by the name but so many people have had success with this that we could care less what the name of it is. Basically, it creates a menu for you online that tells you what to eat and when and it will keep you full, but help you shed the pounds.

Next: Top Secret Fat Loss Secret by Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst . This one is new and pretty radical, but if you have tried everything else and you still have a bloated stomach you can't get rid of, this might be the answer. But be warned: there are people out there who don't like what Dr. Suzanne is saying and they are trying to shut this website down.

Finally: Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle". This is a combination diet and exercise plan for those folks who have trimmed down, but still don't have the body they want. Tom's plan helps you push that last mile or so like no other program we are aware of.

The best part about all these plans? You can download any one of them TODAY and if they don't work for you, you can get your money back within 45 days. And you'll know if they work by then, won't you?

Next time, I'll share the trick that's worked the most for me.

Whole grains may help in losing belly fat

Really? Who would have thought of that one before? Of course, healthy eating has always been a key to losing weight, but what about that stubborn fat around your belly? Looks like it helps there as well. Here's more from UPI:

A diet with whole grains may reduce abdominal fat and lower the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, a U.S. study finds.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, determined a diet using either whole grains -- whole-wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal -- or refined grains -- white flour, white bread, white rice -- resulted in significant decreases in waist circumference and in body weight.
Both groups of 25 obese men and 25 obese women lost between 8 to 11 pounds on average, but weight loss in the abdominal region was significantly greater in the whole-grain group.
Lead author Heather Katcher, a Pennsylvania State University doctorate recipient and now at Tulane University, also found those eating whole grains experienced a 38 percent decrease in C-reactive protein levels in their blood. High levels of this inflammatory marker have been linked to a higher risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

How to Lose Belly Fat: Is It Possible After Having a Baby?

Ladies, have you found it more difficult to lose that extra belly fat since you had your kids? There's good reason for it. Here's more from Julie's Helath Club:

Though women have been having babies forever, the stretching, splitting, and recovery of the abdominal muscles has not been studied. It’s thought that the split should spontaneously reduce to less than 2 centimeters within a few weeks after delivery and that any urine leakage should cease within a few weeks after giving birth.
But if the core muscles, which include the pelvic floor muscles and the deep abdominals, are not working as a team, then "women may continue to have flabby, bulging, weak abs, or they may leak urine, or both," Neville said. (Women who undergo Caesarean sections have a different challenge because of the way surgery affects the abs.)
What women need to do is to retrain the abdominal and core muscles to be strong and coordinated so they work at the right time.
The core should be the first muscles to kick into gear; if they’re not and you’re doing ab exercises that focus on the six-pack muscle, your stomach may bulge, Neville said.
A physical therapist or certified pilates instructor can help with retraining the deep transverse muscles. It starts with learning to maintain a neutral (not too arched or flattened) position of the spine and pelvis.
Then you must learn how to contract the pelvic floor and the birthing muscle—the flat sheath of muscle that wraps around and attaches to the ribs, abdominals and pelvis—while moving the arms and the legs.