One of the questions I get asked over and over is "how do I get a flat stomach?!" this coming from many exasperated women who are spending their precious time doing crunches every single day. The secret to a flat stomach is not in how many crunches you do in the day. Think about it, if you have a layer of fat over your muscles, how will they ever show through? You have to lose the fat over your abs before you can achieve the look of "six pack abs" or simply a flatter stomach. I've been able to watch many people transform their flabby stomachs into model worthy stomachs by following these important tips!

In order to achieve a flatter stomach you need to lose body fat all over, not just work out muscles in one area. Working out your abs only increases your muscle in your stomach, but unfortunately will not burn fat. I knew a guy in college who went from 300+ lbs. to 180 lbs just by strength training alone. It is true that his increased muscle mass helped him to lose weight by burning more calories. However, he did not have a muscular look, because he still had a layer of fat hiding his muscles. What did he do? He altered his diet, and began a cardio regimen to go with his regular strength training sessions. It wasn't long before his body fat percentage lowered and his muscles began to "pop".

I tell you this story because I think it is important to realize that crunches alone will not give you the results you are looking for. You have to first begin with your diet program. I highly recommend a slow carb program such as The Day Off Diet. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that eating slow absorbing carbs will allow you to shed fat in your midsection first. This is a crucial step in achieving a flatter stomach. Even if you've lost a lot of weight, or recently had a baby you can still improve the look of your stomach! I've seen this happen many times. The day off diet will provide you with the information, inspiration and tools you need to get a flatter stomach. The foods that you will learn to eat will increase your energy and stamina when you work out. I can't recommend this plan enough.

Next, you want to lose body fat all over. Strength training and cardio are very important for doing this. Cardio burns calories and fat, while strength training will replace that unsightly fat with lean muscle. You can then focus on strengthening your ab/core muscles only when you change your diet and increase cardio. Remember any time you do strength training, you need to give yourself at least two-three days of a resting period in order to repair your muscles and to inspire new muscle growth. You will also need to do increase your weights. After downloading The Day off Diet you will be provided with an optional strength training program that will help you to achieve a flatter stomach in no time at all.