Better Abs
Here are my quick top 10 ways to get better abs.
1. Do more cardio, body fat must be burned to expose the muscles below
2. Great abs start in the kitchen: eat lean meats, fruits and veggies and complex carbs
3. Great abs end by getting more rest: we need 7-9 hours a sleep a night. Start with an extra 10 minutes
4. Increase water intake: 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day for your body to function properly
5. Increase fruits and veggies: if you have 2 increase to 4 - your goal 7-10 a day. A plant based diet.
6. Count calories: If you indulge, you bulge.
7. Move every day! Include stretching!
8. Stop bad habits! Whether that is diet, being sedentary or skipping water for sugary drinks. Start somewhere…
9. Don’t quit! Very few people can achieve a six pack…that shows. It is underneath the belly fat. Don’t expect a 6-pack.
10. Be disciplined! Do something every day for activity. To strengthen your core, planks are a great place to start!
What? Where’s the ab exercises? Well…that is a great myth…there are NO abdominal exercises that will give you a flat belly if you have a fat belly to start…you need to start with this top 10 to get rid of the belly fat laying over your abs and the deep life threatening abdominal fat around your organs before you can ever think of having a flatter belly. So, the top 10 listed here will take you on that journey…then I’d be happy to help you work on those abs, join me for 1:1 Health Coaching today!
Read the how to’s for my top 10 below…
1. Do more cardio - The way to better abs is NOT an ab exercise…it is upping your cardio minutes. We should be doing 30 minutes of cardio every day to maintain our current status. So that’s 150 minutes a week…correct? If you want to work on that belly fat, then up the cardio to 160 minutes a week, and add in the other tips below to see results. If after a month of diligence with this top 10…add in more cardio…up to 300 minutes a week.
2. Great abs start in the kitchen - If you want better abs – take a look at your pantry…get rid of white everything – sugar, flour and replace with WHOLE grains and natural sweeteners such as honey. Remove anything with high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated/hydrogenated oils, high levels of sodium (greater than 200 mg in a serving) and fatty empty calorie foods such as chips and candy. You ARE what you eat…eat junk and you will be junk…you’ll never exercise off the calories you eat or supply your body with the fuel it needs.
3. Great abs end by getting more sleep. When you are sleep deprived you reach for more snacks…try getting to bed 15 minutes earlier and sleep 15 minutes later…our bodies need seven to 10 hours a sleep a night for optimal health…sleep deprivation will pack on the pounds and reduce your inhibitions for bad food choices and skipping your daily exercise routine.
4. Increase water intake. Our bodies are about 70 percent water…we need to replenish or drink up to half our body weight in ounces of water a day to flush out toxins and replenish our bodies with fresh water… water will keep you fuller, reduce the desire for high calorie/chemical laden beverages (especially soda!) and improve your energy level by flushing the body.
5. Increase your fruit and veggie (complex carbohydrates and fiber) intake daily. Optimally 10 servings but start with five to seven… you won’t have room in your daily calorie allowance for the junk, and the fiber will keep you fuller and reduce belly bloat from junk food!
6. Count your calories! Take your body weight times (nine) and (10) – this is your daily calorie allowance with a simple formula…you will not lose weight is you are eating too many calories. All calories – even “good foods” will be stored as FAT! Make your calories count…what you eat is as important as how much you eat…watch portions too!
7. Move every day! Goal…five miles every day, or 10,000 steps or 30 minutes of cardio (to maintain) are the daily guidelines. Balance, strengthening and stretching are additional time you need to spend in your workout. Thirty minutes is not enough…maybe a place to start, but you need to put sweat equity into belly fat loss!
8. Stop bad habits! Look at your habits and work on changing the bad ones…do you snack every day at 3 p.m. having a bag of chips and a soda…do you eat half your calories at 7 p.m. then go to bed on a full stomach? Do you skip workouts for TV time? Take a good look at your time management and habits…get help from EAP if you need suggestions on how to “find” the time to be healthy…or wait for disease or illness to force you to have the time…you now have the choice to make better habits!
9. Don’t quit! Don’t be a quitter…who likes to keep restarting “the new me”…slow and steady wins the race…keep making better choices with your food, exercise, sleep and overall wellness…don’t bail when the road gets rocky…eventually it will get better…just dig deep and complete the goal!
10. Be disciplined - Discipline will get you those better abs…be honest with yourself…this is what separates those that have great abs from those that wish they did…if you say…well – I don’t like veggies and I can’t …then don’t expect a change. No matter what, you need to be honest and make the best choices you can and work hard…there is NO easy way to great abs. There is no AB EXERCISE that will remove the fat layer on top of your muscles…you can strengthen them below the fat, but ab exercises will not get rid of belly fat…be disciplined on the above points to see results…the choice is yours!
