Diet

• What you place in your mouth is a major factor in how your midsection will turn out. Improving your diet when you are trying to achieve a flat stomach is necessary in order to see permanent results. Start this diet overhaul by reducing your caloric intake to stimulate weight loss. While you are reducing your daily calorie amount, you should also start eating healthier foods. High-fiber foods containing whole grains, wheat, oats, and other soluble or insoluble fiber will help to lower cholesterol while speeding your metabolism. You will need this metabolic boost to encourage quicker weight loss through burning energy at a higher rate.
  
  Eating five to six servings of fruit and vegetables a day, as recommended by the American Heart Association, will help you to get essential vitamins and minerals that will help power your body during the workouts needed to flatten your stomach. To reduce calories, consume foods that are not calorie-dense. Take a cup of cucumbers and a cup or raisins, for instance: while both may seem relatively healthy, the truth is that the calorie-dense raisins have over 10 times as many calories as the cucumbers. Eat lean sources of protein found in soybeans, skinless chicken, and fish to reduce fat in your diet as well.
  
  

Exercise

• Without the toning that exercise will bring you, there is no way you will flatten your stomach in the way you would like. A mix of aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises are needed in order for you to see results. Start your exercise routine out by doing at least 30 minutes of continuous aerobic exercises three days a week. The more aerobic exercise you do, and the more vigorous the activity you perform, the better your results will be in a shorter period. Aerobic exercises such as sprints, jogging, walking, biking, and even swimming laps are acceptable for the purpose of flattening your stomach.
  
  Along with the slimming and de-fattening effect that aerobic exercise will bring, you should also strengthen your core and abdominal muscles to avoid a flabby look. The secret for obtaining a flat stomach is no secret at all. Crunches, sit-ups, leg lifts, and crossover crunches are still the best way to tone and flatten your stomach. Adding in other exercises like side bends, knee raises, and side crunches can help you focus on toning your lower abs and oblique muscles.