Losing belly fat and getting rid of bloating can be such a struggle. In fact, for many of us, our belly is the last place that ‘goes’ as we begin to lose weight. We could be losing inches from our thighs, arms and shed weight around our neck and face before we see the inches begin to shrink around our waistline.

Not seeing instant results can lead to frustration, so you need to keep in mind that just because you may not see the inches go from your waistline, it doesn’t mean you are failing in your weight loss goals. Weight will come off evenly, for the most part, meaning that you’ll see a reduction in overall weight all over your body rather than just in one place.

You’ve likely heard the term "spot reduction" right? This is when someone focuses on exercises that aim to eliminate fat from specific areas of the body. The truth is, spot reduction doesn’t work. If you focus only on one area of the body, you’ll still end up

losing weight from head-to-toe! This is a great thing because you’ll end up with an even weight loss and a better, more leaner frame.

That being said, incorporating core-based exercises into your weight-loss routine that specifically focuses on the major groups of muscles will definitely help you burn more fat. The bigger those muscle groups are, the more fuel they need (fuel being calories),

which will lead to rapid weight loss.

Let’s take a look at a few things you’ll want to avoid when focusing on getting that flatter, toned stomach:

Tip #1: Reduce Alcohol,

You may enjoy a few glasses of wine with dinner every night not realizing that these sugary calories can stack up, throwing your system off balancing and knocking you off track in your weight loss journey. Our livers process alcohol before they work on breaking down protein and carbs, which means that alcohol itself slows down

your body’s overall fat burning ability.

Tip #2: Muscles, Metabolism, Calories and Cardio

The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will work. Muscle beats fat when it comes to overall metabolic activity. This also means that the more muscle you have, the more calories you can eat and burn all day. For example, a woman that is 5’4", 150lbs, has 22% body fat, lifts weights and does cardio 4-5 days a week can eat 2,500+calories per day.

Tip #3: Chill on Pills

Weight loss pills and other items are usually never as effective as a good diet and exercise regime. When you want to lose that stubborn fat the best pill to take is a chill pill! The anxiety and stress you may feel from your daily life can cause extra cortisol to

be produced in your brain.

This hormone only encourages your body to store more fat (especially in your abdomen). Take time out of your day to simply relax whether it’s a few minutes of calm meditation in the morning or a quiet cup of coffee.

Tip #4: Eat and Drink More!

You should be very careful about how many calories you cut when you are focusing on a calorie deficit. If you are uncertain about how much you should be eating, you can use a Total Daily Energy