After a 16 week journey of dieting and training it was time to hit the stage….

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Have you ever been to a trainer or nutritionist and they have asked you to keep a food journal of what you eat? So you write down all the healthy stuff – the chicken, veggies, and fruit, but somehow your forget to write down the ‘bad foods’ that you are suppose to stay away from – bag of peanut M&M’s, ice cream? Well, this ‘forgetfulness’ or ‘lying’ will only prohibit you from losing weight and make it harder for you to get a flat stomach.

Luckily for you your nose won’t grow like Pinocchio if you tell a lie, however, your waist line will begin to grow or keep from shrinking instead.  Not being honest with yourself, is the biggest thing keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals. Read the full story

Making sure you eat every few hours ensures that your metabolism is revving and the pounds are coming off – even when you aren’t at the gym.

Think of eating every few hours like putting a log on the fire to keep it burning.

Just like a fire needs energy (or a log) to keep burning strong – your body needs nutrients to keep it burning strong. Eating every 3-4 hours helps to keep the fire in your tummy going strong. Well, you don’t really have a fire in your stomach – but your metabolism is the fire that gives you energy. When you don’t eat every few hours the fire starts to go out and you have less energy. Less energy to focus at work. Less energy to workout. Less energy to even make dinner.

How can you keep the fire in your stomach stoked?

Try one of these Three Flat Stomach Diet snacks

Sliced Apples and Natural Peanut Butter – I’m sure we all remember having apples and peanut butter as a kid for an after school snack. Well, the benefits of this snack are STILL as good for you. The good fat in natural peanut butter helps to fill you up, while the apples give you a sweet treat to fill your sugar cravings.

Almonds and Goji Berries - The health benefits of goji berries are endless – from helping fight cancer, to helping you lose weight and give you energy to make it through the day. Don’t think that you are only going to get health benefits from the goji berries – almonds hold their own when it comes to nutrients. Almonds are full of nutrients such as vitamin E and fiber – while helping to lower blood pressure and heart disease. When you combine the goji berries with almonds you get a snack PACKED with nutrients.

Hummus and Veggies – Adding a snack with hummus is a great way to increase the fiber in your diet. The fiber in hummus helps keep you fuller for longer and avoid those unhealthy treats. Eating the hummus with veggies is a great way to add green vegetables to your diet and avoid extra carbohydrates (if you chose the alternative bread to eat with your hummus).

Any of these three flat stomach diet snacks will not only fit into your flat stomach diet, but they are quick and easy. You can grab them at the grocery store and throw them into your lunch, without much time or preparation. Once they are in your lunch bag you’ll be more inclined to eat them – keeping your fire stoked and giving you the energy you need to make it through the day, while working towards your fitness goals.

Want more Flat Stomach Diet Snack Recipes? Check out these:

Healthy Snack Options to Lose Weight

Four Healthy Snack Options

I spent the last week away from home (if you saw my Facebook status you know I was on a school trip with 100 5^th graders – fun).  The trip was fun, but while I was away for those four days I did not have the access to good food or the gym. AHHHH….what to do?

This is a common problem many people face when it comes to vacation or travelling away from home. You don’t always have access to a gym and you don’t always have access to food that you would normally eat on your flat stomach diet.

So instead of freaking out I kept in mind my three tips for traveling away from home….tips that you can keep in mind on your next business trip or vacation and not stray off the path to your flat stomach.

Tip #1 – Take a few days off from the gym

If you don’t travel often and this is just a quick trip away from home then make those few days your rest days.   If you are on vacation – it’s time to relax – not worry about whether or not you can get to the gym. Your body will appreciate the rest when you get home. Your muscles will be recovered and you’ll be ready to go when you get back.

However, if you’re really concerned with your workout routine – go for a walk or a run. Maybe take a hike or rent a bike if you can. Try a different form of exercise than those you are used too. Your body will still be burning calories and you will come home guilt free  because you didn’t miss all of your workouts.

Tip #2 – Watch what you eat

Since you are going to be eating out a lot while out of town – try going for those ‘healthier’ options. Stay away from the French fries if you have the options of veggies with dinner. Try a salad with the dressing on the side and stay away from too much fried food.  Don’t clean your plate either – we all know that restaurant portion sizes are way too much to eat anyways – so enjoy good food, but not a clean plate.

Tip #3 – Pack your meals before you go

If it’s a quick trip and you really don’t want to tempt yourself with the options of going off of your flat stomach diet – then prepare for the trip. Pack some protein powder, peanut butter, oatmeal and some healthy snacks. Maybe even pre-cook some chicken for the road if the travel time isn’t too long and get a fridge to store the food in when you get to the hotel. I’ve done this before when I went away for a quick trip and didn’t want to stray off of my diet.  It worked well and when I got back home I was ready to get back down to business on my flat stomach goals.

So, next time your job or your life takes you away from home – don’t stress out about what’s going to happen with your flat stomach workout.  Instead enjoy the trip by taking a few days off, being extra careful with what you eat or pack your meals so you know what you’re going to eat. But above all – don’t stress about missing a day from your routine, traveling is stressful enough. Instead, enjoy your trip and know in a few days time you’ll be back home and kicking butt on your flat stomach workout.