Want the perfectly ripped six pack abs? It’s going to take a lot more than just crunches. Eating right is equally important.
More than something of novelty value, the ‘six pack’ has become more of a necessity. Without the perfect ripped abs, a person will be a dud in the cut-throat competition of the dating or the sports world! In fact, anywhere where the perfectly chiseled body is of value. But as good as it looks, it is going to be hard work to build the perfect abs. It takes more than just a regular abdominal exercise. It can also be a workout for the mind as exercising the required ‘abs’tinence is going to take some effort. What am I talking about? The six pack diet plan! It’s the mother of all diets plans and certainly one that requires mental toughness. And the more layers of fat that you have on the underlying abdominal structure, the harder it is going to be for you. So let me be really frank and give you no false hopes that this ‘six pack’ thing is child’s play. The abs diet, or more precisely, the six pack diet plan and exercise routine is tough stuff.
The problem is that you have some layers of tummy fat over your abdominal region. Possibly the ‘proteins-and-crunches’ approach might work and build the perfect abs, but it will be covered by a layer of fat and therefore will be invisible. What’s the point of having abs that cannot be seen?
Getting rid of tummy fat is no mean task. Perhaps it will be easy to get rid of the first few layers, but when you get down to that last layer (called love handles) where you maybe just 1.5 inches away from your goal, it is going to be very hard. To be honest, when you start a work out routine, it’s not the actual exercise that is important. What you eat during this routine is vastly more dominant over how you end up shaping yourself. This includes males and females alike. Regardless of how many hours you put in or how many reps you can throw in a go, what’s more important is what you eat and your ability and determination to follow the diet. No matter how bad you’ll feel about giving up eating burgers or a lot of red meat everyday, believe me, the reward is worth it in the end.
Six Pack Abs Diet Plan
Enough with the pessimistic thinking! Just remember, for all your effort, the reward is going to be just as great. Here are some things to remember when you are following the diet plan.
Let me start on how I feel you should shape the meal plan. In my opinion, you should go for 4-5 meals a day. This will help tame the problem of overeating. The idea is to give your body a constant supply of energy and nutrients throughout the day, whether you’re working out or not. If you starve yourself at breakfast, you’re going to hog out on lunches. So, better you fill up the tank in small quantities as and when your body requires it. You don’t have to starve, but you have to optimize eating. The breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day. Reason: Your daily activities will take care of the calories consumed at the breakfast. So your body will be fueled for your daily routine. Remember, it is not worth starving yourself and falling ill. The key is to eat right. And dinners should be kept a bit on the lighter side, as there is no activity for the body after dinner (except for a few insomniacs). If the calories consumed during dinner are not burnt (and they won’t be) they will be absorbed as fat. So remember, heavy breakfast, light lunch and lighter dinner. And throw in some snacks in between, from those given later in the article.
First, let us be very clear on what is good and what is bad for the diet plan. For one, excess anything is certainly not good. Excessive eating (or under-eating for that matter) is going to work against you. One can’t go off fats. Unfortunately, fats are required for daily bodily processes and body needs to be supplied with those. Same goes for carbs. Overdoing the protein isn’t good thing either as protein isn’t very easy to digest.
Now that we’re clear on that, let us define how much of what is required. Fats should be kept to their minimum requirement. Carbohydrates too should be kept as low as possible. On the other hand, you have to substitute these with protein and fiber. Yes. A good high fiber diet will help the metabolism and will help you feel full without adding any unnecessary calories.
Well, anything that comes in a pack or a can is better kept away. Processed foods generally have a lot more sugar than is required in the diet. Also, if you’re looking at cooking, stick to boiled and roasted foods, rather than fried foods. So, pack your meals with tuna, salmon and even chicken. Sushi is supposed to be one of the best diet foods. Also, you can add all those leafy vegetables and fruits which happen to be a good source of fiber and daily vitamins. A high fiber diet plan will also go a long way. But remember, not all fruits may be good for the diet. Among the tried and tested ones, raw apples are really good. You can also substitute the white bread with brown and white flour with whole grain flour. Other foods include oatmeal, whole grains and sprouts. I know it looks like a pretty raw deal, but with a bit of creativity and inventiveness, you can make the best of a bad deal. Club the spinach with roast chicken and brown bread to make a diet sandwich. To spruce up your oatmeal you can add prunes and raisins. Sugar free ice-cream once in a while is not bad either. Almonds make a pretty good mid-meal snack option. And yes, drink a lot of water.
Some things that are best avoided are packaged foods, soda, alcohol and sodium-rich foods. Red meat isn’t a good idea either. Watch the cheese and mayonnaise intake as well.
Diet Plan
8 am: Breakfast
1 chicken breast with 2 loaves of whole wheat bread or 1 cup of steamed brown rice and 1 small salad.
11 am: Snack
Turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread (NO cheese or mayo!!).
2 pm: Lunch
8 ounces of top round steak, 2 boiled red potatoes, 1 cup of cottage cheese (make it non-fat)
5 pm: Snack
Egg white omelet, 2 pieces of whole wheat toast
8 pm: Dinner
8 ounces of fish (salmon/tuna), 2 cups of whole wheat pasta, 1 small salad.
Finally, let me just say that, I for one, would never trust anyone who says that you can have a six pack in anywhere less than 4 months, especially if you’re starting from scratch (or a bulge!). Frankly, I trust only myself and the work that I put in. This is the method that I know and I feel that the more effort you put into getting the six pack, the more you will cherish it. There is really no substitute for hard work, healthy eating and exercise. Diet pills and other unnatural practices may seduce you, but they will only create a short-term effect and you might end up paying a higher price in the long term.
