7 Rules To Get A 6 Pack
The Sad Truth
I’m sure you have heard the saying, “abs are made in the kitchen;” well, that statement is very true. There is no amount of ab workouts you can do that can make up for bad eating.
Most of us hold fat on the midsection. We are just genetically structured that way, and it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. We all have fat cells in the abdominal region, some of us more than others. What’s worse is that the more fat you have on your belly, the lower your metabolic rate. Not only does your metabolic rate suffer, but so do your testosterone levels. Stored body fat contains aromatase, a nasty little enzyme that’s responsible for converting testosterone into estrogen. Excess estrogen triggers even less testosterone production. It’s a vicious cycle. The more belly fat you carry, the more estrogen you have, and the less testosterone, which in turn means more fat! If that weren’t enough, increases in estrogen and belly fat also trigger the release of other hormones that block fat loss in this area! This includes cortisol – the stress hormone that when present can increase fat deposition and storage in the abdominal area. So how do we trigger fat burning to turn on and melt off that abdominal fat? It starts by following a few simple nutrition rules. By being meticulous about your nutrition plan, you can ensure you are controlling what your body does with the food you are giving it. Furthermore, you can get the most out of the fuel you are putting in to make more metabolically active lean muscle, while at the same time burning off that layer of fat that is hiding your abs!
Rule #1 Avoid Sugar At All Costs
To lose ab fat, your diet needs to be low in sugar. High-sugar diets can eventually lead to insulin resistance. When we eat sugar, insulin is released to do its primary job, shuttle glucose to either the muscles where it can be used immediately to replenish loss muscle glycogen — our muscles primary energy source — or sent to fat cells to be stored. Our muscles have a limited storage capacity, so once the muscles are full, insulin has no other choice but to then shuttle directly to fat. What’s more, when insulin is turned on, fat burning is turned off! By limiting our consumption of simple carbohydrates, which are high in sugar, to only when our body is lowest in muscle glycogen — post-workout — we can ensure that insulin is only delivering sugar to muscle cells and not to fat. Additionally, by keeping insulin in check we can ensure our body’s fat-burning hormones remain elevated all day long! Choose complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, sweet potato, brown rice, green vegetables, or whole grains throughout the day, which are high in fiber and will provide sustained energy, while limiting the release of insulin.
Rule 2: Eat Five Or Six Meals A Day
If you want to keep your metabolism active all day long, you need to eat at least five or six small meals every day. Studies have shown that those who eat regularly and keep their energy levels balanced throughout the day are leaner than those who eat less often and have larger energy imbalances. That is, they are eating more than they are burning off between meals! To avoid energy imbalances, eat every 2.5 to 3 hours. This will ensure blood sugar levels remain stabilized, while controlling hunger cravings. It will also lead to better use of glycogen storage in the muscles and liver. It has also been shown that those who added 3 snacks a day and 3 regular meals balanced out their energy better, lost more fat, and increased lean body mass!
Rule #3 Cut Back On Carbs (Carb cycling)
Most of us eat way too many carbs throughout the day. You should never eat something with more than 40 carbs in one sitting. Start reading food labels! When it comes to dialing in to your abs, you don’t need to cut out carbs completely, but the amount of carbs you can eat will be dependent on your current condition and your ability to use and store carbohydrates. When we lower our carbohydrate intake, the body seeks out new sources of energy, essentially tapping into fat for fuel more efficiently. Aim for a carbohydrate consumption of about 20% to 30% of your total calorie needs if your goal is getting a ripped six-pack. For faster results, you can go as low as 10% of your total calorie needs from carbohydrates, but lowering your carbohydrates by this much can result in low energy levels, brain fog, and irritability so be careful! Do not go ultra low-carb for an extended period of time. Try carb-cycling to keep your body guessing! Lower your carbohydrate intake for at least 3 days, keeping them at 10 to 20% of your total calories. Once your body has depleted its glycogen stores, it seeks out new sources of fuel, including fat. On day four, up your carbs to 30 to 40% of your diet; this will shock your body and refill your stores for your next depletion. This is an effective way to efficiently use carbs, burn fat, and keep energy levels sustained!
Rule 4: Choose The Right Protein
Not all proteins are created equal. You might know that you need to eat protein, plenty of it, and regularly, but if you are not eating the right proteins you can forget about getting those abs to pop! There are two types of protein – complete and incomplete. Complete sources provide all the essential amino acids your body needs to maintain, build, and repair muscle. Incomplete sources do not contain all the essential aminos. Incomplete sources tend to be from vegetarian or plant-based proteins. And even if they are considered complete, they might not contain the right balance of essentials needed for lean muscle building. Be sure to get the majority of your protein needs from complete sources including chicken, fish, turkey, egg whites, cottage cheese, whey protein, beans, and lean red meat (occasionally).
Rule 5: Avoid Alcohol
You can have 6 pack abs or you can have a 6 pack. Alcohol supplies 7 calories per gram — that’s almost double the amount supplied by protein or carbohydrates at 4 calories per gram and only two calories less than fat at nine calories per gram! Not to mention, most alcohol is not consumed alone, but as part of a mixed drink, further increasing the caloric content. Alcohol provides empty calories since it lacks any nutritional value. Worst of all, alcohol has a halting effect on the fat-oxidation process, since it is always the first and preferential energy source utilized by the body. Once in the body, alcohol is diverted to either the bloodstream or to the small bowel where it quickly finds its way to the liver for processing. Approximately 98% of alcohol that is consumed is processed by the liver and within the liver. Alcohol is processed in a short and simple pathway, by which a series of enzymatic reactions metabolizes alcohol into the useable form — acetate. This is the same byproduct that can be obtained via oxidation and breakdown of fat and sugars, but it requires much less energy to get the same results. Therefore, if present, the body will preferentially burn the acetate obtained from alcohol first, since the pathway to retrieve it is so easy. The more alcohol consumed, the longer fat oxidation or fat burning is halted. In fact, one study found that subjects who were given just two drinks of vodka and lemonade at 90 calories each, separated by a 30-minute interval decreased whole-body lipid oxidation or fat burning by 73% for several hours after alcohol was consumed. On top of all that, alcohol also has an appetite stimulating effect. In addition to decreasing fat oxidation, alcohol consumption decreases circulating levels of the important appetite-suppressing hormone, leptin, making it very difficult for leptin to regulate appetite. In fact, studies have shown that alcohol consumed prior to a meal resulted in greater caloric uptake when compared to a carbohydrate or soft drink.
Rule 6: Always Eat Breakfast And Start And End Your Day With The Right Food
Start your day off right; studies have shown that those who eat breakfast eat less throughout the day versus those who don’t! Eating breakfast helps refill your body’s depleted glycogen stores and gets your metabolic rate going! For the first meal of the day, get in a serving of complex carbohydrates like oatmeal or shredded wheat, and a serving of protein like egg whites or a whey protein shake. At the end of the day, your last meal should emphasize protein, and not just any protein, a slow-digesting protein to sustain your body and assist in the recovery process when you sleep. Protein sources such as casein protein powder, cottage cheese, or even Greek yogurt, are slowly digested by the body, providing your muscles with a sustained source of lean muscle-building aminos! For even slower digestion, add a source of fat to this meal, such as a handful of natural almonds, a few slices of avocado, or a tablespoon of nut butter!
Rule #7: Avoid Excess Sodium and Dairy
Sodium will make you bloat and retain water making it impossible to have a flat stomach. Most processed foods and fast food and restaurant foods are chalked full of sodium. Avoid them. Be careful with soups, try making your own or look for low sodium vegetable or chicken soups.
Dairy should also be limited. Dairy really isn’t that good for you especially cheese and milk. I drink almond milk and eat greek yogurt but pretty much avoid all other dairy products. Plus many people have food allergies to dairy and don’t even know it.
It's not an easy feat to obtain that coveted 6 pack but if you follow these rules diligently you could be well on your way to getting wash board abs!
