If I were to say to you that you can get six-pack abs straight from your kitchen in four steps, the chances are you'd think I was joking. When I first heard this I also had my doubts but if you think about it, it's absolutely true. After all, you can work out as much as you like and exercise as often as you wish in order to get a rock hard six-pack, but if it's hidden behind belly fat, you won't be able to see it and neither will anyone else. The only way you're going to be able to flaunt your six-pack, is by getting rid of any belly fat you have.
Going back to that phrase, 'six pack abs are made in the kitchen', the key to getting there is going to be through diet and a lot of hard work. To get to a point where six pack abs can be seen you need to have a very low body fat percentage. Your body fat needs to be less than 10% for men and 14% for women. This isn't going to happen for many of us unless we make some serious changes in the way we eat.
The best way to burn fat is to put yourself into a calorie deficit. That means that we need to be using more calories than we eat. There are about 3500 calories per pound of fat. If you want to lose one pound of fat (3500 calories) per week you need to have a calorie deficit of 500 per day. You need to be eating 500 less calories than you burn. To lose weight you need to be eating less than what your body needs. That way it will start dipping into your food reserves. Working out is going to be the best way for you to use up that energy.
Here are 4 things that you can do in the kitchen to put you in that calories deficit and make it more likely for you to have your six pack abs revealed.
1. Eat less carbohydrates. Your body will use carbs before it turns to fat to be used for fuel. The lower the amount of carbs you have, the quicker your body will turn to fat. The problem with this is that when you are building muscle your body need all the carbs it can get to be used for good energy and by cutting them out you are taking away the best energy supply. This is, however, the best way to get your body to burn fat.
2. Eat more protein. The hardest thing about dieting is that your body has to do away with a lot of the fuel it needs for muscle growth and a very common thing that happens when people diet is that not only do they lose fat, they will lose muscle. Make sure that any major cuts you make in carbohydrates be replaced with protein. Still keep in mind that you need to be putting yourself at a calorie deficit so remember to eat less than your body can use in a day. Normally when you are trying to build muscle you should be having about 20-30% of your diet come from protein but doing this protein needs to be about 40% of your diet.
3. Cut back on bad fat and eat more good fat. Of course you need to be cutting the bad fat out as much as possible but you don't need to be cutting out all fats. Bad fats are the saturated and trans fatty kinds which can be used for energy and your body tends to store. The good kinds of fat are monounsaturated fats which aren't stored by your body, aren't used as energy, but are great at increasing your metabolism. Increased metabolism means helps bring about fat loss making it easier for you to see your six pack abs.
4. When one considers that the human body is 70% water, it stands to reason that it requires lots of water in order to remain healthy. Of course, everyone should drink plenty of water as it helps to clean the body and if you're on diet, then you need to also understand that your body will store water for later use if you are not drinking enough in the first place. Of course having water stored is certainly not something you want when you're trying to make that six-pack show through. Another benefit of drinking lots of water when on diet is that it makes you feel full as well. - 16004
Going back to that phrase, 'six pack abs are made in the kitchen', the key to getting there is going to be through diet and a lot of hard work. To get to a point where six pack abs can be seen you need to have a very low body fat percentage. Your body fat needs to be less than 10% for men and 14% for women. This isn't going to happen for many of us unless we make some serious changes in the way we eat.
The best way to burn fat is to put yourself into a calorie deficit. That means that we need to be using more calories than we eat. There are about 3500 calories per pound of fat. If you want to lose one pound of fat (3500 calories) per week you need to have a calorie deficit of 500 per day. You need to be eating 500 less calories than you burn. To lose weight you need to be eating less than what your body needs. That way it will start dipping into your food reserves. Working out is going to be the best way for you to use up that energy.
Here are 4 things that you can do in the kitchen to put you in that calories deficit and make it more likely for you to have your six pack abs revealed.
1. Eat less carbohydrates. Your body will use carbs before it turns to fat to be used for fuel. The lower the amount of carbs you have, the quicker your body will turn to fat. The problem with this is that when you are building muscle your body need all the carbs it can get to be used for good energy and by cutting them out you are taking away the best energy supply. This is, however, the best way to get your body to burn fat.
2. Eat more protein. The hardest thing about dieting is that your body has to do away with a lot of the fuel it needs for muscle growth and a very common thing that happens when people diet is that not only do they lose fat, they will lose muscle. Make sure that any major cuts you make in carbohydrates be replaced with protein. Still keep in mind that you need to be putting yourself at a calorie deficit so remember to eat less than your body can use in a day. Normally when you are trying to build muscle you should be having about 20-30% of your diet come from protein but doing this protein needs to be about 40% of your diet.
3. Cut back on bad fat and eat more good fat. Of course you need to be cutting the bad fat out as much as possible but you don't need to be cutting out all fats. Bad fats are the saturated and trans fatty kinds which can be used for energy and your body tends to store. The good kinds of fat are monounsaturated fats which aren't stored by your body, aren't used as energy, but are great at increasing your metabolism. Increased metabolism means helps bring about fat loss making it easier for you to see your six pack abs.
4. When one considers that the human body is 70% water, it stands to reason that it requires lots of water in order to remain healthy. Of course, everyone should drink plenty of water as it helps to clean the body and if you're on diet, then you need to also understand that your body will store water for later use if you are not drinking enough in the first place. Of course having water stored is certainly not something you want when you're trying to make that six-pack show through. Another benefit of drinking lots of water when on diet is that it makes you feel full as well. - 16004
About the Author:
Whether you want to grow muscles, lose weight or just get fit, visit Rob's blog at growmymuscles to discover some great tips and follow his journey to weight loss and fitness.
