[rbhambha]

Elasti,

Congrats on taking control of this area of your life.

Losing fat in the abs area is the hardest thing to do, I think for both men and women. I've done a lot of research on the subject, and the only real way to get the flat stomach you desire is through consistent cardio, weight training, and eating properly.

I think it's essential to monitor your body composition, and make sure it's not lean mass (water weight, muscle, bone mass, etc.) you're burning off. To do this you should get a body fat caliper, or get tested at your gym regularly.

In order to eat properly, make sure you're getting enough calories to compensate for the calories burned with your new exercise program. If you aren't getting enough calories, your metabolism will slow down to compensate for this, and the LAST thing you will lose is fat. Your body will begin to eat muscle for energy because it is metabolic (burns fat), and that's the last thing it wants to do if you're not eating enough! So make sure you're monitoring your calorie intake and getting your daily needs.

I really do recommend doing cardio before you eat anything in the morning. The reason for this is because your body is in a fasted state, and you will burn up to 300% fat in a workout prior to eating breakfast, than after eating you're first meal. Try it out, it will kick start your metabolism, and it'll give you an "afterburn" effect that keeps burning calories throughout the day.

Weight training is essential so that you don't lose muscle when you're exercising. Make sure you're doing regular weight training (at least 3 days a week) to make sure muscle mass isn't loss. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism, and you don't want to slow down your metabolism because it's helping you burn fat!

Make sure you integrate all three, nutrition, cardio, and weights, and you'll be amazed at how fast you burn the fat. Also, make sure you're drinking at least 100 oz of water a day. The reason for this is that water helps your kidneys do their jobs (process urea, salt, and other waste products). If you aren't hydrated, your kidneys will need help from your liver. Your livers job is to process the fat you're burning throughout the day (amongst other things), so how can it do this if it's helping your kidneys out? It can't! Make sure you're drinking enough water.

I hope this helps. I've been on this plan for 12 weeks now and I've lost 6% body fat, lost 15 pounds, and actually gained some muscle mass (back from when I used to workout regularly.

Good luck to you!