Dieting For Six Pack Abs – Starvation Causes Fat Gain
A diet for six pack abs doesn’t necessarily mean letting yourself go hungry. Getting a ripped midsection that rivals those of a Trojan warrior’s means staying active, getting ample rest, and choosing the foods you eat. It doesn’t mean skipping meals and starving yourself.
There are countless diet schemes to choose from and some of them actually work. The best abs diet programs are those that don’t necessarily minimize food intake but rather optimizes the sources of protein and energy to avoid excess fat, sugar and harmful substances. Our body’s metabolism slows down to a halt to try to conserve energy when we’re hungry and this can only mean slower fat burn.
Making it a point to eat lean sources protein like fish and chicken breasts instead of bacon burgers and hamhocks will supply your body with the protein it needs without adding blubber to your belly. Opting for complex sources of carbohydrates like whole-grain pasta and bread instead of plain white bread and rice will also help you avoid empty calories and speed-up fat-loss.
Eating healthier food will let you lose weight without going hungry and lose muscle tissue. Experts and nutritionists also say that when we eat is as important for rapid fat loss as what we eat. Eating healthy mini-meals frequently (every 2-3 hours) will help avoid binging. Most people tend to overeat when they let themselves go hungry. Our blood sugar drops when we start to feel those hunger pangs and this leads to increased appetite and binging on the next meal that comes.
Staying active throughout the week can also complement your six pack abs diet and double the speed of your weight-loss from fat. Combining resistance exercises (weight-lifting, push-ups, etc.) with cardiovascular exercises done intensely will shorten your workout sessions and have you out of your icky, sweaty gym clothes quicker.
Resistance exercises build muscle, and the more muscles we pack on our frame, the better our body is able to burn excess calories throughout the day (yes, even while we sleep). Cardio exercises raise our heart rate for sustained periods, causing efficient calorie burn and fast belly fat loss. Intense cardiovascular workouts are perfect exercises for six pack abs because they also boost metabolism and promote post-workout calorie-burn.
Lastly, getting ample rest and reducing daily stress will prevent our body from producing a fat-storing hormone called Cortisol from being produced. The more of this substance our system produces, the slower the effects we get from our abs diet and fat loss efforts. We can reduce stress by learning effective meditation (such as in Yoga or Tai Chi) and breathing techniques, as well as taking a more positive outlook on life.
Again, a diet for six pack abs doesn’t mean cutting-back on food intake and enduring hunger pangs. It’s all about choosing healthier sources of nourishment. Adopting an active, stress-free lifestyle can also speed-up fat loss and complement your six pack abs diet.
November 26, 2009 at 10:29 am
So basically, getting six pack abs means a total lifestyle change for me and not just trying to eat less and doing sit-ups and other ab isolation exercises. Great post, thanks!
January 18, 2010 at 7:08 am
It’s really all about calorie-management. The more we condition the body to burn calories more efficiently, the easier for us to get a great-looking set of six pack abs. Thanks for the visit!
January 18, 2010 at 6:09 am
Great content which I found very useful – will surely come back again.
January 18, 2010 at 7:06 am
Thanks for the visit! Checking-out your site as well. Have a great year ahead! ; )