There are a number of ways on how to gain weight but keep flat stomach that you can use as will be discussed in this article.
While it can be quite easy to lose weight and maintain a flat tummy, maintaining a flat stomach while gaining weight can be a real challenge.
This is because it is difficult to control the distribution of the calories you consume throughout your body in your quest to increase your body weight.
Be that as it may, it is very much possible to gain weight without increasing your belly fat.
These tips mostly revolve around dietary changes, but you can combine them with the appropriate exercises for better results.
HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT BUT KEEP FLAT STOMACH
Below are 12 tips on how to gain weight but keep flat stomach;
1. TAKE WHOLE, UNPROCESSED FOODS
Whole grains like dense cereal, brown rice and wheat germ are full of calories and nutrients that are less likely to cause accumulation of visceral fat in your belly.
As long as you make the right food choices, meals with whole grains can increase your caloric intake without accelerating visceral fat accumulation in the belly.
However, you need to make sure you space out your meals when whole grains are incorporated to avoid bloating.
2. REDUCE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE
Alcohol is loaded up with plenty of liquid calories with no nutritional value. Heavy drinking is linked to increasing the accumulation of visceral fat around the abdominal area. If you are looking to maintain a flat stomach while gaining weight, you should reduce or stop taking alcoholic drinks.
3. AVOID OVERCONSUMPTION OF FULL-FAT DAIRY AND FATTY MEATS
According to a 2014 study, taking too much-saturated fat from full-fat dairy and fatty meats can cause visceral fat which accumulates in your stomach.
As much as you are not worried about the weight you gain by eating foods rich in fats, you should take care not to consume too much of the ones with saturated fats to avoid gaining belly fat too as you gain bodyweight.
4. AVOID SKIPPING MEALS
When you skip meals and deny your body calories, your body presumes that you are stressed, prompting cortisol.
Cortisol is a fight or flight hormones released by your body whenever it perceives you are under stress.
Being a stress hormone, it seeks to replenish your nutritional sources because it presumes you are fighting or fleeing your stressor, hence increasing your appetite.
This may cause the body to store visceral fat around the abdomen.
Furthermore, during a fight or flight response, the ‘fuel’ needed by your muscles is sugar which makes you crave carbohydrates when your body is under stress.
Carbohydrates can be a source of unwanted fat in the body.
5. INCREASE YOUR CALORIE INTAKE GRADUALLY
If you are looking to gain weight, you have to consume more calories than you burn; your diet has to be on a caloric surplus.
However, this does not mean you should binge on calorie-dense foods so you can gain weight fast; this may cause unhealthy weight gain and increase visceral fat in the belly.
Instead, you should aim at increasing the number of calories in your food gradually to avoid overwhelming the body with sudden extra calories as this may cause it to store some of the extra fat produced in the belly.
According to the American Council on Exercise, an increase of 300 to 500 calories in your daily diet is reasonable.
6. AVOID JUNK FOOD
One of the ways on how to gain weight but keep flat stomach is reducing your junk food intake. While binge eating junk food may seem like the easiest way to gain weight, it may not end well for your tummy. Junk foods have high-fat content which may cause weight gain in the belly. They also contain processed sugars that will make you feel hungrier and make you consume high-calorie foods that may make you bloat.
7. EAT A BALANCED DIET
This helps balance blood sugar levels in your body hence inhibiting insulin production and reducing the cortisol level in your system, which in turn regulates your appetite.
8. DO EXERCISES WHILE STANDING RATHER THAN SITTING
Standing while doing exercises to shedding your belly fat will engage your core muscles hence trimming the fat around your abdomen.
9. GET ENOUGH SLEEP
You may be eating healthy and maintaining healthy weight gain, but if you do not get enough sleep, your body’s cortisol levels may rise, causing you to feel hungry and crave for carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates generally increase the blood sugar level, which converts the glucose produced from the carbohydrates into fats. These fats can accumulate in the belly, causing the unwanted belly fat.
10. REDUCE YOUR SODIUM INTAKE
When you consume high sodium foods, your body tends to hold on to fluids that make you feel bloated.
Since most packaged and prepared foods have high sodium content, you should eat foods in their natural state such as fresh fruits and meats without added sauces.
This can help you gain weight without bloating. You can also request that your meals be prepared without added salt when you go to restaurants.
11. EAT A LOT OF PROTEIN
Increasing your protein intake is another tip on how to gain weight but keep a flat stomach. As mentioned before, your diet needs to be on a caloric surplus for you to gain weight.
One of the important nutrients that aid in weight gain is protein. Protein is the building block of muscles.
Studies show that eating a lot of protein can help increase both muscle mass and strength. Another 2012 study also found that people who consumed high-quality proteins such as beef and milk had a relatively lower percentage of visceral fat.
Therefore, while you need to reduce the fat and carbohydrates in your food, ensure you increase the protein content. This can help you gain muscle weight without belly fat.
12. EAT MORE SOLUBLE FIBER
Foods that are rich in soluble fibre can give you a “full” feeling for a longer time, which can reduce the amount of food you eat randomly between meals.
Fibre also enhances the functioning of the digestive system. A well-functioning digestive system can reduce bloating and keep the stomach looking flat.
Soluble fibre also reduces fat accumulation around body organs, which can reduce your waist’s circumference.
One study showed that each 10-gram increase in the daily intake of soluble fibre decreased visceral fat by 3.7% over a period of five years.
CONCLUSION
Although it can be a tad bit challenging, gaining weight while maintaining a flat stomach is very achievable.
It just requires a bit of dedication and self-discipline, especially regarding your eating habits, to ensure that your tummy remains flat as much as you are gaining bodyweight.
Thanks to this article, the many ways on how to gain weight but keep flat stomach are now at your disposal.
The results may not be immediate, but if you stay consistent and observe these tips, there is no doubt that you will soon be able to notice the changes you desire.
