Trying to Get a Flat Stomach? Men's Biggest Mistakes

The chiseled washboard midsection that seems to grace the pages of every health and fitness magazine at the supermarket makes men stand there, staring at the photo while wondering if that is really possible. Some just give their belly a little pat, smile while shaking their head, and move on to the chips aisle in search of some garden salsa and a long sleeve of Pringles; however, others find the idea of flattening out their curving stomach as challenging, something they might just be able to do.

Then the process begins. They may just buy that magazine that stopped them in their tracks, or they may grab one of the others claiming on its cover to show you the secret to a rock-hard stomach in only six weeks. Off to the healthy side of the store for some broccoli, spinach, and egg whites, and then home to do some type of workout.

Then, after that, it all depends. Some stay motivated and see results. Others fall off the wagon quickly and live life until they get re-inspired to try again. Yet, then there is the group that keeps working but experiences little in the way of rewards.

It's for these guys that I have written this piece.

I know that I have been driven by a number of ideas to get and stay in shape, and I too have had some difficulties with keeping on the straight and narrow. But, in all my time with exercise fads and disciplines, the most frustrating moments have happened recently, as I have crept ever closer to forty.

You see, the body doesn't respond the way it used to -- this I know for sure. It's not that it can't, generally speaking, it's just that things have changed. Therefore, so must you. Expecting the same results you had ten years before is a recipe for pure disappointment, and a one-way ticket back to the hot wings bar.

So, keeping this idea in mind, these are a few of the pitfalls I have encountered. Since realizing them and taking a few steps to control, if not completely remedy, them, I have found the fitness results I want.

1. Forgetting that liquids count too: My favorite drink for years had been lemonade. Loved it. That is until I read a study that stated an individual bottle of Minute Maid Lemonade has as much sugar as five ice cream sandwiches. I nearly fell off my chair. That made me start thinking about the calories involved in the liquids I ingested. In the end, I changed to a healthy diet of water and white grape juice. Not too exciting, but much better for me than those lemonades.

2. Timing the food: People like to eat, for the most part, but too few realize that when you eat impacts how the body receives the food and what it does with it. Sensible, healthy meals are a must if you want to trim that belly. However, you also have to consider instituting consistent eating times. When my job got crazy and my meals started get sporadic and rushed, I found myself incapable of feeling fit in the core. As a result, I started to get as predictable as possible, with three healthy squares a day and some quality snacks in between. I found that I never felt too hungry, so I grazed and gorged less.

3. "I can eat that because I just worked out": Oh boy, this is a big one. You just spent ninety minutes at the gym, sweating and pumping away. Then, after you get home and shower, you fire up the grill for your favorite double cheeseburger. You look at it with a smidge of guilt, but the craving in you whispers, "It's okay, you just worked hard. Treat yourself". While I agree that splurging is important sometimes, it can't be done right after you kill yourself in the gym. Just not good timing physically or psychologically. You will not just "work it off", so be smart about what you fuel the body with.

4. Eating like a man should: Heaping piles of mashed potatoes and an 18-ounce porterhouse steak will make you feel manly, but it'll make your belt scream for mercy when you try to put it on the next morning. I love steak and all the other nap-inducing food that can drench my plate, but small portions of good food with lots of color on the plate will let me live a little longer and be able to see my shoes without swinging my belly to the left or right.