How to Rid Yourself of Belly Pooch Forever

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

Clean eating and hitting the gym can help you reach your weight-loss goal, but you might find you have a little extra pooch around your midsection. Here are three things you can do to help you achieve a trimmer belly.

(Looking for a program that will help you get a flat tummy—and keep it that way? With our Lose Belly Fat—For Good routines, you can see results in as little as two weeks.)

When Eating
Take an honest look at your diet and your bathroom schedule. Your belly might not be caused by fat but by air trapped in your digestive system. If you're not getting enough fiber (you need 25 to 30 grams a day), constipation can cause bloating. On the other hand, overdoing it on fiber or eating too many gas-producing foods like broccoli, apples, or beans can also make your belly pooch a bit. Thankfully, there are also foods you can eat—like blueberries—that are proven to diminish belly fat, so sip on this flat-belly smoothie or crunch on this flat-belly salad to keep you regular and help you debloat.

When Doing Cardio
Studies show that including interval training in your cardio sessions is proven to diminish stomach fat. If you find that you normally stick to a consistent pace when running, biking, or swimming, mix it up by adding 10- to 60-second, fast-paced or sprinting intervals—here's a 45-minute treadmill workout that does just that. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) works on the same principle as intervals, where you push to your maximum training for a period of time and follow up with a shorter rest period. Give this type of workout a try with our full-body 10-minute HIIT workout.

When Strength Training
Basic crunches can help tone your abs, but they only target certain abdominal muscles. Incorporate full-body exercises like variations of plank or core moves using a ball. Simply balancing on one leg on a BOSU will target your core, too. Also, try using different types of equipment—this 10-minute abs video features a small hand towel to sculpt your core.

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