For most women, the belly seems to be the toughest section to trim, tone and then keep that way. We all know that in order to achieve a flat midsection, you need to exercise and focus on those that target your belly. However, your diet and your lifestyle also play a key role in the size of your belly. So, instead of focusing on the exercise tips, I wanted to bring you some easy changes you can make to your diet as well as to your lifestyle. These tips will help to not only flatten your belly and keep it that way but they will also help in your overall health and well being.

Drink More Water: Water does not cause your body to bloat, it actually flushes your system and helps to avoid bloating. If your body is dehydrated, it will hold on to more water from what you eat and drink, causing your belly to bloat. Drinking 6-8 glasses helps avoid dehydration and your body’s natural defense of retaining water. Also, water helps to promote health digestion, which in turn helps you to avoid being gassy or being “backed up,” Want to jump start your metabolism and digestive system every morning? Drink a cup of hot water with lemon. The lemon is like a natural diuretic and the water helps flush it through your system.

Reduce the Stress in Your Life: Stress can increase your cortisol levels, which cause the body to store more fat cells, especially around the waist line. A great stress reliever is to do some deep breathing exercises a few minutes every day. Try to find a quite place where you can close your eyes, turn off your mind and take slow, deep breaths. Also, it is important to breath correctly. Many people inhale/exhale through their belly instead of letting the rib cage expand and contract. This can cause a distended look in your bell. Pilates expert, Brooke Siler suggests the following: lay on your stomach with a rolled up towel placed horizontally under your belly button, then breathing deeply. This prevents you from pushing your stomach out when you inhale and helps you learn how to correctly expand your rib cage. It also is a great way to kill two birds with one stone – learning to breath properly and a de-stressing exercise.

Get Enough Sleep: Lack of sleep can affect the production of Leptin and Ghrelin (hormones in your body ), which can cause you to feel hungrier and more prone to overreacting.

Cut back on alcohol intake and Stop Smoking: Alcohol tends to increase your cortisol levels, which can cause belly fat. Smoking also tends to increase cortisol levels. Most people think smoking keeps them from eating too much. However, the truth is smokers tend to have larger mid sections than non-smokers.

Get Enough Fiber: Fiber is great for helping you fill up and stay full. It also helps to avoid constipation (which can cause bulging in the belly). It is recommended to get about 25 grams of fiber per day. Foods like fruits, veggies and whole grains are rich in fiber. Or you can take a fiber supplement like Metamucil.

Focus on your Posture: Good posture helps you look thinner and your abs flatter. Conversely, slouching pushes your belly forward which makes it look bigger than it really is. Furthermore, slouching can undo some of the benefits you get from your workouts. So, try to focus on great posture all day – whether it is sitting at the office or standing in line at the store. Practicing good posture is a great workout for your core (your core is from your chest to your upper thigh). It keeps your core engaged and active. Some tips include sitting on the edge of your chair at work, home, etc to discourage hunching. Also, when standing, keep your shoulders back, head up (imaging a string pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling). Add some core strengthening routines to your workouts to help build your core.

Tags: alcohol, breathing, diet, fiber, flat belly, lemon, lifetsyle tips, posture, sleep, smoking, water