5 Ways To Improve Your Eating Habits (And To Get The Flat Belly You’ve Always Dreamed Of)

As hard as it might be to believe, the holiday season is right around the corner, and with it comes the inevitable tug-of-war between eating right and gorging yourself on cookies, candy, and eggnog. Let’s face it; we’re only human, and enjoying festive food and drink is an essential part of the holidays. But our Fitness Expert, Pam Sherman, has compiled a short list of healthy eating habits that’ll help you make it through the holidays without putting on the pounds. Following these pointers along with sticking to a disciplined exercise routine will help you to stay healthy, happy, and will put you one step closer to the flat abs you’ve always dreamed of.

1. Find ways to deal with your feelings besides eating them. We are a nation of shoving our feelings down with food(and I’m not talking about apples and broccoli). This never ever solves whatever issue we are dealing with. Then there’s food regret on top of the original problem. Go to therapy, pet your dog/cat, call a friend, journal, get out of the house, get a massage… you have to find a way to cope without overeating. Life is full of happy, sad, anxious, depressed, fun, awful and everything in between. Feeling your feelings is okay and even good to do. Eating them is not.
2. Set your alarm to go to sleep. We always think of an alarm to wake up, but why not use it to go to bed? We are a nation of tired people. With so many things at our fingertips--Netflix, the internet, Youtube--it’s hard to go to sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, your brain screams for sugar, not vegetables. Your body will be too tired to exercise. And you’ll most likely drink too much coffee. You will be tired and wired.
3. Think about your meals based around your veggies first! For most, veggies are an afterthought but they are SO important for our bodies. The fiber helps keep us full and acts as a scrub brush in our arteries for the blood to flow freely. Adults have close to 100,000 miles of arteries...we need to keep them clean and flowing!
4. Change your perception about food. Too many people focus on the can’t when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Focus on the CAN. You CAN eat every vegetable out there, as well as fruit, avocados, nuts/seeds, lean protein, beans/legumes, etc. Focusing on the negative never works well.
5. Look at your health in the long term. In our insta-society, so many want the quick fix on their health journey. There is no such thing. Mastering the mundane--sleeping enough, drinking more water, eating more veggies, finding and doing the movement you like day in and day out for years will be life changing. But you won’t notice the difference tomorrow or the day after. Your health is a long term investment!

While these 5 steps will help to keep your belly flat, they’re only a portion of the bigger picture in achieving the results you're striving for. In order to see real results, you’ll have to instill a dedicated fitness routine into your life as well. Looking to kick start your fitness journey to flat abs? The AbCoaster® provides people of every fitness level with a simple, effective, and fun core workout that’ll give you the flat belly that will last you through the holidays and the rest of your life.

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