six-pack

Six-pack abs — what diet plan should you follow?

 

Getting six-pack abs is not a difficult task when you do it the right way. Recent researches show that diet controls about 70 per cent of your weight loss but that does not mean that exercise isn’t important. But if you want fastest results, a smart eating plan is the foundation of your gut-busting programme. Nutritionist at Fitness First chain of gyms Ekta Tandon, lays down simple rules one can follow to get six-pack abs.

First things first – we all have abs but they are hidden due to the coverage of fat. In order to define and flaunt them, one must eat right and exercise.

It is rightly said that abs are made in the kitchen. This is because, you need to follow a strict diet in order to get them and also maintain them.

Here’s how you can do it:

Eat small meals: The rule is to eat small meals at equal intervals. So if you are eating often and eating good food, you would not have cravings for any kind of junk food. It will also help regulate your body’s blood sugar, which stabilises the release of insulin. This helps promote the use of fat as fuel and helps prevent it from being stored in the body. When excess fat isn’t stored, the abs are more prominent. Here are some food habits that you should change for your health’s sake. 

 How to do it: Eat three standard meals and three smaller snacks. For example:

• Early morning: 1-2 glass water
• 8-9 am:  Breakfast
• 11-12 pm: Snack
• 1-2 pm: Lunch
• 4-5pm: Snack
• 7-8 pm: Dinner
• 9-10 pm (if hungry): Milk   

Importance of protein: Protein plays a very important role during workout. The recommended daily intake of protein for a person is 1g/kg body weight. It increases or decreases according to the activity done by the person.

Protein acts as the building block for muscles but doesn’t bulk up the muscles, a myth that many people carry. The only way to bulk up muscles is to hit the gym and perform progressive resistance exercises. Protein helps provide the raw material to build muscle, but the protein has to be pulled into muscles through exercise.  

Non-vegetarians can get their share by eating white meat like chicken, fish, eggs, etc. For vegetarians the choice is no less, they can have cottage cheese, soya, sprouts, milk, curds, etc. One can even have protein shakes if needed. According to celebrity fitness trainer Kris Gethin, ‘A palm-sized portion of protein with every meal will help your muscles rebuild and recover from the stress placed on them during workouts. Since eating protein six times per day can get a little inconvenient, you can try drinking it occasionally.’ Read more about what you should know about whey protein. 

Hydration: It is very important to keep yourself hydrated. Water is an essential nutrient that is involved in every function of the body. Except for oxygen, there’s nothing your body needs more than an adequate supply of water. And the more you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right amount of water before, during, and after your workouts. Dehydration can make it hard to get the most out of your workout and in extreme situations, can even be dangerous to your health. 

Good carbohydrates: Carbohydrate is arguably the most important source of energy for workout. No matter what exercise you do, carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions. Once eaten, carbohydrates breakdown into smaller sugars (glucose, fructose and galactose) that get absorbed and used as energy.

Any glucose not needed right away gets stored in the muscles and the liver in the form of glycogen. Once these glycogen stores are filled up, any extra gets stored as fat. Adequate carbohydrate intake also helps prevent protein from being used as energy. If the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrate, protein is broken down to make glucose for energy. 

Fruits and veggies: Fruits and veggies provide you with all the nutrients and fibre which is required by our body. They are a storehouse of various nutrients and are a must-have if you want a fit body with six-pack abs. You can also refer to our weight-loss mega guide that’ll answer all your queries.

Following a well-balanced diet and exercising can help you get the abs you desire. A few exercises that are recommended include –abdominal crunches, lying leg raises, twists, plank, and wood chop.

6 foods for a six-pack

1. Vegetable Juices - High in nutrients and low in kilojoules, hearty organic veggie juices are an ideal meal replacement for strength and vitality. Make green-leafy veggie juices a daily routine if you want your six-pack abs sooner.

2. Mushrooms - Mushrooms are a six-packers magical wonder food; high in vitamins and low in kilojoules; they are one of the only foods that stay expanded in your stomach and give you that ‘full’ feeling. 

3. Tuna in spring water - High protein, low fat; real six-pack food.

4. Vegetables - Hellooooo vegetables!!! Eat many vegetables, very often. 

5. Eggs - The amino acids in eggs are converted into muscle more efficiently than any other protein fuelled food or drink. Recent research shows that eating eggs has very little, if any, effect on blood cholesterol levels.

6. Lean Chicken - High in muscle-building protein, lean chicken breast is a best friend in the kitchen.

Six-pack stoppers
Alcohol, white bread, white rice, white pasta, cheese, chocolate, ice-cream, sweets, chips, fries, crisps, soda/soft drinks, fast-food, processed foods/meats (bacon/sausage/salami etc), butter, margarine, commercial fruit juice, processed & packaged foods.


And make sure you check out these other tips on how to eat your way to a better body