The Abs Diet: 9 Guidelines For Men & Women

Wednesday, September 19, 2018, 17:12

If you are busy sculpting your abs with twists, crunches and static holds to build strong muscles without focusing on an abs diet, then you are very less likely to reach your goal. To achieve a chiselled and washboard look, you need to also follow a proper diet. Let's see what an abs diet is.

What Is The Abs Diet?

The main aim of the abs diet is to flatten your stomach and make you lose weight. The abs diet is built around 12 nutrient-packed foods which are thought to provide all the vitamins, minerals and fibre your body needs to survive. It also helps in building lean muscles and burns body fat.

Making healthy choices is the first step towards creating ripped abs but, at the same time, your calorie intake should be on point. So, following certain guidelines of the abs diet will let you achieve ripped abs and make you lose weight.

Read on to know the guidelines of the abs diet for men and women.

1. Eat Five Or Six Meals A Day

There are many people who still eat two to three large meals daily and often end up eating nothing for hours. This surely can make you lose weight and fat but, you can't train your body in burning fat effectively which is crucial for managing weight.

Consuming a healthy meal or snack every three hours throughout the day will stabilize your blood sugar levels, provide adequate nutrients to the body and help in controlling unwanted food cravings for sweets and fats. This will lead to more glycogen storage in the liver and muscle tissues.

To look slimmer and build your ripped abs, you need to eat more often and the schedule could be something like this:

Breakfast - 8 am
Snack - 11 am
Lunch - 1 pm
Snack - 4 pm
Dinner - 6 pm
Snack - 8 pm

2. Don't Stay Hungry

By the time the human body signals that it needs nutrients, you would be already deprived of them. To avoid this, eat before the hunger strikes your body. You could have a glass of protein shake and a banana or a protein bar which is low in sugar.

Most Read: 6 Simple Yet Effective Tips To Control Your Hunger

3. Stop Calorie Counting

Don't count your calories as it will make you lose focus and motivation. According to a study done by the US Department of Agriculture, men were asked what they ate and checked it against reality. It was revealed that men aged from 25 to 50 were consuming twice the fats, grains and sweets that they estimated.

So, if you eat six well-balanced meals every day, you will be able to regulate your portions through fibre and protein.

4. Limit The Intake Of Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks add calories to your body which you do not want when you are following an abs diet. These calories in alcohol are empty calories which will further make you eat more and encourage your body to burn less fat. So, in a way, it leads to the storage of fat in the body.

5. Make These Superfoods Your Staple Diet

The abs diet will allow you to focus on a handful of food types to meet your core nutritional needs. These foods include nuts, beans and legumes, green vegetables, dairy products, instant oatmeal, eggs, lean meat, peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain breads and cereals, whey powder, and berries. Incorporating these superfoods into your diet will satiate your cravings and taste buds.

6. Power Every Meal With Protein

How much protein should you eat in a day? A person who is physically active and trains regularly require 0.8-1 g of protein per pound of body weight which is enough for gaining muscles and losing fat. Also, protein boosts your metabolic rate. So, include foods rich in protein like chicken, turkey, and egg whites in your diet. And vegetarians who are following the abs diet should include protein foods like brown rice, cottage cheese, soy, beans and legumes.

7. Drink Smoothies Regularly

Consider making your smoothies with the superfoods for the abs diet. These smoothies can act as a meal substitution and as a nutritious snack as well. Making smoothies will save your time, fill you up due to the presence of fibre and yes, it will also satiate your sweet cravings if you blend berries or peanut butter together.

Most Read: 10 Best Super Energy Smoothies

8. Eat Complex Carbohydrates

Bulk up on complex carbohydrates from foods like potatoes, pasta, brown rice and vegetables. As a rule, you shouldn't eat more than 2 to 3 g of carbohydrates per pound of body weight.

Also, it's essential to divide the equal amounts of carbs in your every meal.

9. Drink Plenty Of Water

Water is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. If your body isn't hydrated your training efforts will suffer. According to the journal Physiology of Sport and Exercise, the body can't deliver amino acids to the muscle tissues without adequate water.
So, don't wait until you are thirsty as this is a signal that your body is dehydrated.