Want to get great abs? Here are ten things you can start doing right now to develop a lean six pack of your own:
- Cut out all processed carbs. To get a great set of abs, you need to cut the number of calories you eat. The easiest way to do that is to eliminate the processed carbs from your diet. Why? Simple. They’re calorie-dense. 1 cup of green beans has 47 calories while 1 cup of brown rice has 218 calories.
- Stop drinking your calories. Did you know 8 oz. of orange juice has 111 calories, while 8 oz. of Coke has 100 calories? Both are empty sources of calories and do nothing to help you slim down that midsection. Yes, orange juice has some vitamins. So what? Take a multivitamin and save yourself the 111 calories.
- Eat more protein. When you diet, you always risk losing muscle mass. Increasing your intake of lean protein can help spare that precious muscle. Plus, protein releases a hormone called glucagon that helps shut off the hunger switch.
- Lift weights. Lifting weights helps burn calories, yes. But weight lifting provides a much lesser known benefit for fat loss. It does a wonderful job of controlling your blood sugar. Keeping your blood sugar from becoming elevated helps burn fat throughout the day. Sugar stored in the muscles is used to contract the muscle during your workout. In the end, your muscles have been depleted of sugar, making it easier for any incoming sugar to be stored.
- Simplify your meals. One of the toughest parts of dieting is trying to figure out what to eat. One of the easiest ways around this is to keep your menu simple. Stick to simple meals containing lean sources of protein and high-fiber veggies. Don’t worry about creating culinary works of art when trying to form new habits of healthy eating. Keep It Super Simple.
- Eat more fiber. Have you ever seen those little sponge critters that expand when soaked with water. Well that’s exactly what happens when you eat food that’s high in fiber and then follow it up with plenty of water. Fiber makes you feel fuller longer, allowing you to feel satisfied without having to consume a lot of calories.
- Go for a walk…or two…or three. The more calories you burn, the faster you’ll get great abs. One easy way to burn some calories is to walk. Walk whenever you can. Going to the grocery store for a few items? Ditch the car and hoof it. Get out and enjoy a nice evening with a walk.
- Get your healthy fats. Udo Erasmus put healthy fat on the map. For most of the ‘80’s, fat was the enemy of every dieter. Not any more. If you believe you need to eat low-fat meals to lose fat, you’re sadly mistaken. Fat, specifically omega-3 fatty acids can actually help you lose fat and get great abs. Start with one tablespoon every day and increase it to two if possible.
- Eat breakfast. With readily available high-quality protein powders and awesome gadgets like the Magic Bullet, there’s NO excuse for not getting a healthy breakfast down your gullet first thing in the morning. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. A simple fruit smoothie with protein powder
and a splash of omega oil will give you the energy you need to get your day off to a roaring start.
- Write your goal down. I’ve left the most important for last. Few people think of goal-setting as a weight loss activity. But if you don’t know exactly where you want to end up, how can you expect to get there? Before you get up from your computer, open the free text editor that comes with every computer and write down exactly what you ant to accomplish…by when…and most importantly…WHY you want to achieve it.
Want another tip to get great abs? Find someone who has done what you want to do and do as they did. Joel Marion is just such a person. Check out his story at Cheat Your Way Thin.
