Everybody would love to own a set of six pack abs. I know I would. Heck, I would settle for flattish abs. And most women would love to have a beautiful, flat, toned stomach. Both James Bond and Thor not only worked out really hard to achieve those flat, rippled abs, but they also conformed to a fairly strict dietary regimen as well.
Doing a thousand crunches a day in ten different positions may build up the underlying muscles, but no one will see them if there is a large layer of fat surrounding the area. This is why getting lean must go with getting mean.
To start with, boost your fiber intake. Fiber comes from fruit, vegetables and whole grains. You can't get enough of this, nor will it be processed in the same way, with meat. And make sure your fiber intake is from fresh ingredients. Stay away from anything processed. For example, if you eat a medium baked potato with skin, you'll receive about 3.8 grams of fiber. If you turn that same potato into scalloped potatoes, the benefit drops to about 1 gram, not counting all the extra fat that goes with a good recipe of scalloped potatoes.
For a good flat abs diet, you need about 25 grams of fiber a day and you need to be drinking a lot of water. By that, I mean probably more than the standard 8 by 8 rule. Because if you want that flat gut, you had better be doing some serious cardio as well. So, you may very well need 12 by 12 or more, depending on your size and conditioning.
Drinking plenty of water also has the added benefit of flushing out sodium, which is an ab killer. We only need about 500 mg per day with a max cap of 2400 mg. Yet, most Americans get way more than this. So, leave the salt shaker right side up!
Next, you need carbohydrates for energy. However, not too much. As this breaks down, it turns into glucose, which turns into fat. Therefore, keep this number between 45 and 65 percent of your daily total.
You also need protein to build lean muscle. Shoot for 15 to 20 percent per day of protein. Yes, it can be from meat, preferably white lean meat. But, keep your overall daily fat intake from all sources to no more than 20 to 25 percent.
Finally, I saved the best for last. Lay off the booze and caffeine. Pause, while I put on my sound deadening headphones. Guess I'll request a refund because I can still hear many of you screaming. Well, for one, they are both diuretics and will dehydrate you without giving you any of the benefits of water. And two, the calories in that light beer add up quickly and not in a good way. And, drinks like sodas will only blow you up from all the carbonation floating around in those bubbles, not to mention all the other nonsense they put in those things.
Okay, if you can do all of the above and stay stress free, which is important for keeping your cortisol level in balance and not depositing more fat around your organs, you too can look like the dream "hottie" you have pinned to your fridge.
Doing a thousand crunches a day in ten different positions may build up the underlying muscles, but no one will see them if there is a large layer of fat surrounding the area. This is why getting lean must go with getting mean.
To start with, boost your fiber intake. Fiber comes from fruit, vegetables and whole grains. You can't get enough of this, nor will it be processed in the same way, with meat. And make sure your fiber intake is from fresh ingredients. Stay away from anything processed. For example, if you eat a medium baked potato with skin, you'll receive about 3.8 grams of fiber. If you turn that same potato into scalloped potatoes, the benefit drops to about 1 gram, not counting all the extra fat that goes with a good recipe of scalloped potatoes.
For a good flat abs diet, you need about 25 grams of fiber a day and you need to be drinking a lot of water. By that, I mean probably more than the standard 8 by 8 rule. Because if you want that flat gut, you had better be doing some serious cardio as well. So, you may very well need 12 by 12 or more, depending on your size and conditioning.
Drinking plenty of water also has the added benefit of flushing out sodium, which is an ab killer. We only need about 500 mg per day with a max cap of 2400 mg. Yet, most Americans get way more than this. So, leave the salt shaker right side up!
Next, you need carbohydrates for energy. However, not too much. As this breaks down, it turns into glucose, which turns into fat. Therefore, keep this number between 45 and 65 percent of your daily total.
You also need protein to build lean muscle. Shoot for 15 to 20 percent per day of protein. Yes, it can be from meat, preferably white lean meat. But, keep your overall daily fat intake from all sources to no more than 20 to 25 percent.
Finally, I saved the best for last. Lay off the booze and caffeine. Pause, while I put on my sound deadening headphones. Guess I'll request a refund because I can still hear many of you screaming. Well, for one, they are both diuretics and will dehydrate you without giving you any of the benefits of water. And two, the calories in that light beer add up quickly and not in a good way. And, drinks like sodas will only blow you up from all the carbonation floating around in those bubbles, not to mention all the other nonsense they put in those things.
Okay, if you can do all of the above and stay stress free, which is important for keeping your cortisol level in balance and not depositing more fat around your organs, you too can look like the dream "hottie" you have pinned to your fridge.
With 15 years of researching and managing weight loss, Boyce Henry has some great healthy weight loss advice for anyone wishing to live a more fruitful life without all the torture of radical change.