Studies show that blasting your abs with lots of crunches will not trim your belly fat, just as curls won't give you thinner arms, and squats won't give you leaner thighs. Spot reducing fat, or the option of where you want to lose fat on your body, is a complete and absolute misconception.

The best way to get a leaner midsection is to get the weight out of your whole body. To do this, you're going to need the best mix of diet plan and exercise-something you can commit to long enough for your body to start tapping into the fat reserves in your belly.

There are as many ways to lose weight as there are people on this planet, but no matter who you are, here are 3 diet hacks to keep you on track as you lean back in your pursuit for a flat stomach.

Eat slow, chew more

Eating fewer calories to lose weight is really simple, but that's not to say that it's easy.

Forcing your body to burn its fat stores for energy is an uncomfortable process that might leave you feeling drained and with less energy, while getting used to smaller meals may leave you feeling hungry at first.

One perfect solution is to eat slower, chew more, and be patient.

There is evidence to support the theory that eating more slowly will help certain people feel more relaxed and full after a meal and minimize their appetite to eat more.

It takes time for your stomach to convey to your brain that it's full and happy! If you eat fast, you could bypass this signal and end up eating more than you actually wanted to feel full.

Make a consistent calorie deficit

In order to burn fat, which means pushing our bodies to reach into our fat reserves and use them for energy instead of food, we need to consume fewer calories than we burn in a day. The trick is not to overcomplicate your diet by demonizing specific food groups or macronutrients.

Aim for a deficit of around 500 calories a day. The best way to measure this is to multiply 12 calories per pound of body weight and eat as many calories per day.

If you don't do anything else on this list except reliably hit your regular calorie target, you'll lose weight.

Choose the right cardio

Believe it or not, exercise is absolutely voluntary when it comes to weight loss. When you eat the right amount of calories, the weight is going to come off eventually.

However, it would be much easier to create a consistent calorie deficit if you are involved and burn extra calories at least a couple of days a week. Plus, exercise is a lot healthier for your health than not exercising.

Cardio will definitely help you!