The world seems like it is obsessed with flat abs, and next to wondering how to get rid of the dark circles under your eyes or wrinkles it is the number one body image desire of most people. The desire for flat abs also fuels a multi-million dollar industry that is devoted to convincing you there is a magic formula to getting them. There are sure fire ways to help you get them, it just isn’t what you think.
Abs are made in the Kitchen
Flat abs start and stop in the kitchen. What you eat and how much you eat is going to have the most influence on when your abs make an appearance in your life. Don’t fall for the latest diet trend, stick to solid nutritional facts. Avoid sugar, eat more protein, eat nutritiously and control your portion size to start seeing the best result. Food that you cook yourself is not only going to be healthier than any pre-packaged diet food; it is going to be cheaper too. Juicing machines and all the rest of the gizmos can be a nice addition to making sure it is easy to eat healthy, but you don’t need anything more than what you already have in your kitchen to make it happen.
A six pack means low body fat
If you can see a six pack then what you are seeing is a body with low body fat. Body fat can be stored in many places but the place of preference is the area around your middle. This is a much different type of fat than what is found elsewhere. The fat here is considered by the body to be protection against starvation, which is why it is harder to lose. The more you can reduce your body fat, by decreasing calories and fat intake while increasing the calories burned in exercise; the more you will force your body to use that stored fat as fuel and lower your body fat percentage.
Work your whole body…not just your abs for results
The body burns fat for fuel when it is under the stress of exertion. Doing abs and crunches are going to make your abdominals stronger, but there is no such thing as a targeted exercise for fat burning. You have to get the whole body moving in order to get the whole body into needing whatever fat you have for fuel. That doesn’t get you off the hook with the ab exercises; it means they have to be part of a whole body routine.
Abdominal bloating/digestion problems cause tummy to poke out
If you are eating right and exercising regularly but your abs aren’t still showing, the problem may be in what you eat and how your body handles it. Different foods can cause bloating and digestion problems that expand the stomach. If your stomach is expanded, you can’t see the muscle definition. The best way to find out if this is your problem is to keep a food journal and write down how you feel and if you are bloated after you eat. This will help you identify the foods that are causing the problems.
Starvation mode causing body to store fat
Cutting calories to the bone or avoiding eating isn’t going to reduce your body fat. If you reduce your caloric intake too much, the body will enter starvation mode. In starvation mode, the opposite of fat burning happens. The body will protect its fat stores and burn muscle fiber and tissue instead. The fat around your abs is meant as a last resource for the body during starvation, if there are other things it can use for fuel it will. Starving yourself, even for just a few days of a fast, can also set you up for rebound eating which can pack on more weight than you lost. The truth on flat abs is that you get them by eating right, eating controlled portions and exercising more.
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