Bust out the crop tops and bikinis, ladies! I'm dishing my secret (it's really no secret, just common sense) for getting a lean tummy with abs that you'll want to show off all summer long.
Of course, you're not allowed to cut corners in the gym, but for some of us, the tummy is the hardest place to lose weight - no matter how many crunches you're doing. This is where nutrition comes into play.
Here is my #1 (super elaborate) tip to shedding belly-fat to expose that six-pack:
Cut out sugar
Sugar is probably one of the main culprits hindering you from getting the abs you want. I've noticed when I cut sugar from my diet, within as little as 2-3 days I see a positive difference. Not only do I look leaner, I feel better, and that's what it's really all about. If you're experiencing a mental barrier keeping you from cutting down or eliminating sugar from your diet, take a second to think about how sugar packs on the pounds:
How does sugar make you fat?
Excess consumption of sugar is almost guaranteed to mess up your waistline. This is partly due to how the liver processes sugar. Sugar is a carbohydrate that the body can quickly use and convert to energy. However, when sugar calories aren't used almost immediately for energy, the body wastes no time converting and storing those extra calories as fat through a process called lipogenesis. The excess calories that come from the sugar you consume are metabolized by the liver and turned into fat, then secreted into the blood, and stored wherever it is that you tend to put on weight (often the tummy, thighs, and butt).
What about fruit?
Drop the processed sugar, keep the fruit. Fruits are whole foods, full of fiber and nutrients, and are much lower in fructose than refined sugar. I eat tons of fruit to curb my sugar cravings (I have one hell of a sweet tooth), and unless your doctor says they're a no-no, consider whole, fresh fruit to be nature's sweet gift to you and dig in. Processed sugar - whether it's plain old table sugar, brown sugar, agave, honey, maple syrup - is what I stay away from. It's been extracted from it's purest form and processed to a concentrated form of sugar. It's okay to indulge every once in a while, but when I'm really trying to get my abs to pop, I generally avoid the things on my naughty list.
The naughty list:
syrups (maple syrup, agave)
table sugar (white, brown, raw)
fruit drinks with added sugar
dairy desserts (ice cream, fro-yo)
Another thing to keep in mind: food manufacturers have gotten sneaky and hide sugar in places you may not generally think to look. Check the labels on packaged and processed foods like bread, pasta, milk and other dairy products, cereals, and pretzels. If sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, malt syrup and/or any word ending in "ose" (i.e. glucose) is on the label, I put it down and walk away.
It takes discipline - lots of it, especially if you have a sweet tooth like mine - but when I think about how good I'll look and feel by giving up some of my guiltiest pleasures, it puts it all into perspective. Like I said, I don't completely deprive myself of sweets, but 85% of the time, I stay away from the stuff on my naughty list and when I do, it pays off 100% of the time.
Oh, and I drink lots of water, too! I drink at least 6 (16 oz) bottles of water a day. This keeps me hydrated and flushes out toxins.
I hope this tip helps, and happy eating! :)
Twitter: @lvrightlkgood | @tbody89
kaledo-art
jacobvanloon
2087
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu