I feel like I am always getting asked the same question time and time again- “How do I get a flat stomach.. ripped abs?” This seems to be the most sought after desire for most people I have noticed. This is my abs part 2:
Abs are made in the kitchen people!!!!- Im freaking serious! I don’t know how many times I need to say this. You could do a million sit ups and it still wouldn’t matter. All your hard work will never be recognized..Why??? Because it has a layer of fat laying right on top-right?? Stomach fat seems to be one tough thing to get rid of but if you play by the rules you will get the results.
Diet:
-Calcium! If you are not supplementing this or drinking a few glasses of milk then your stomach line is not reaping the benefits. I take two calcium pills at night- and of course Vitamin D because us Northerners don’t get the beautiful sunshine all year round so ya got to get it for something (or you could eat some eggs. Yolk=high vit D). If you take Calcium you need to take vitamin D because it helps with the absorption of Calcium. Anywayyyz Calcium helps with that little devil of a hormone called Cortisol-aka that thing that makes you store stomach fat. And guess what?? We cant stop it- if anything we make it way worse. During stressful times your body has higher levels of cortisol-and during stressful times people tend to eat crappier and binge eat. I have to admit to this one myself. During finals week I will come home from the lib and stand in the kitchen and stress eat. So when you are stressed out try and eat as healthy as possible with healthy fats and as little as sugar as possible (I know this is a tough one)- Eat a lot of rich leafy greens, salmon and have some green tea to give your brain the energy it needs. And of course a few glasses of fat free/low fat milk!
-Milk also is a good source of CLA which can aid in belly fat loss (supplements of CLA are a little costly and a rip off). Studies have shown that people who regularly drink milk have a smaller waste line.
-A diet rich in fiber, with lean protein, healthy fats and lots of fruits and veggies will get you a nice A** six pack. My favs- Avocado, almonds, sunflower seeds, almond and natural peanut butter, chicken, salmon, oatmeal and apples. Focus on label reading looking for low sugar (less than 10g), monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and higher fiber and protein. Stay far far away from trans fats.
Alcohol:
This sucks but it doesn’t help you at all. Calories from alcohol don’t get used as energy- they actually by pass all that and go straight to fat storage- right in that stomach area. I know people arnt going to stop drinking but ovi drink spritzers, use diet mixers and drink the clear stuff (vodka). You can have some light beer but try to avoid it.
Exercise:
If you lift with weights you are using your abs so make sure you are doing strength exercises.
For cardio- if you get on the treadmill and run a million miles and spend half your day at the gym-hey go for it but your not really going to see much results because your body is going to get bored with it. Interval training is your best bet—
Treadmill- 2min lower intensity walk/jog (4/5.5) then take it up to a sprint for a min (8/9)
-I also try 3min at 4 then 3min at 7.5 for my longer cardio sesh
- 5min of running, pause the treadmill and jump off and do 20squats and 20 mountain climers- cycle this 5 or more times
Intervals- look online and print off some 30 min routines (try oxygenmag.com or menshealth.com)
My fav—500m row on the rowing machine and then do 2 sprints at full speed
Also I like to go to a stadium and run sprints up the stairs in the summer
Bloated??
Normally if you consume higher sodium you will tend to look a little bit bloated because your body is retaining water. Add some potassium to your diet and it will help you shrink- Drink so OJ, have a banana or avocado.
Also coco acts as a dietetic so have a little coco based hot chocolate (look for coco as the first ingredient) before you jump into your swim suit and you will see the definition better.
~last note- that picture is not me! I'm not saying I have the perfect abs I am still trying to get them too. I drink and eat sweets and carbs like other college kids. So take this information and do what you can but still have fun and live your life!!
Love Chels~
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