Top 5 Foods for Your Abs
Getting a perfect set of abs is difficult. The process however, is fairly straightforward. Everyone has a set of abs. Unfortunately, the body loves to store fat in your midsection and as a result, any definition is obscured. The solution is to force your body to burn that excess fat by creating a calorie deficit – burning more than you eat. When you burn more than you eat, your body is forced to make up the shortfall of energy by drawing on fat stores which causes weight loss and increased muscle definition. Here are a few food selections that can make this process faster.
1. Fruits. The typical American snack is high in calories, low in nutrients and does little to curb hunger. Fruits are a great alternative to the typical snack because they are low in calories, taste good, high in nutrients and most importantly, help keep hunger levels low because of their high fiber content. Fiber is digested very slowly keeping you satisfied for a long period of time. Keeping hunger away is important because when you get hungry, you get cravings. Cravings are generally for unhealthy junk food that doesn’t help you get abs.
2. Salads. Like fruits, vegetables and salads are a great alternative to the typical snack because they are very low in calories while high in nutrients and fiber.
3. Water. There is nothing magical about water that will help you burn fat or lose weight. Water can however be helpful when it’s used to replace high calorie drinks such as soda, sweet tea or fruit juice. These drinks are very high in calories and sugar but provide little in the way of nutrients or fiber. They are liquid candy (empty calories). High calorie drinks are digested very quickly, add a lot of energy to your bottom line yet provide little in the way of curbing your appetite. Getting rid of high calorie drinks is one of the best steps you can take when trying to get a set of defined abs.
4. Low Fat Foods. Fat contains 9 calories per gram while carbohydrates and proteins have only 4 calories per gram. If you eat 1 gram of fat versus 1 gram of carbs/protein, the 1 gram of fat will cost you 9 calories while the carbs/protein will cost you only four. Cutting fat out of your diet will result in a larger calorie reduction than carbs or protein. Try eating low fat substitutes of your favorite foods, particularly dairy. Keep in mind however that it is an excessive calorie intake that causes fat storage. It doesn’t matter whether the excessive calories come from fat, carbs or even protein. Too much of any food will make you fat.
5. Lean Sources of Protein. The problem with protein is that it is sometimes associated with a high saturated fat content. Saturated fat is bad for two reasons: it can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and it is very high in calories. While completely cutting meat out of your diet will go a long way in reducing your overall calorie intake, you can instead cut out the fatty meats and focus on eating lean meats such a chicken, turkey, seafood and some cuts of beef.
The Bottom Line
Getting a perfect set of abs is difficult because the body loves to store fat in the midsection. The only way to burn that fat is to create a calorie deficit which forces your body to use fat for energy causing weight loss and an increase in muscle tone. Controlling your calorie intake is the most important step you can take to get a six pack and the foods outlined above will help you do just that.
