There is a phrase that you will see from time to time that says 'six pack abs are made in the kitchen'. If you are like I was the first time I heard that phrase then your head got scratched. The more you think about it though, it makes perfect sense. It doesn't make any difference what kind of work you do to get your stomach rock hard and muscular, if you don't have the fat removed, no one will see the muscles. If you want to have a six pack that everyone can see, you must remove the belly fat.
No matter what some products claim, the only way you're going to get six-pack abs, is through diet and hard work. Another fact you need to be aware of, is that in order to reach a point where your abs actually become visible, your body fat percentage needs to be very low. In fact, men need to reduce their body fat to 10% or lower while woman on the other hand, need to get theirs below 14%. For most people, reducing body fat to such an extent requires urgent changes to their diets.
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. Carbs are one of the bodies best sources of fuel and you can be rest assured, your body will always burn carbs before it starts burning fat. Of course, we can use this to our advantage if we want to lose weight because we know that if there are no carbs to burn, your body has to start burning some of its fat reserves. The less carbs you have in your diet, the more fat your body will burn. Unfortunately, if you're trying to build muscle, eliminating carbs is not something you want to do because they are the best single form of energy available. However, cutting carbs out of your diet never fails to deliver impressive results as far as fat loss is concerned.
2. Unfortunately for some, a diet most often results in muscle loss in addition to fat loss. This is a natural response of the body when it's denied an adequate supply of fuel, such as cutting the carbs out of your diet. Therefore, it's absolutely essential for you to eat lots of protein in order to substitute the carbs you're not getting. For the purpose of increasing muscle mass, more or less 20 to 30% of your daily diet should be protein. However, if you're cutting out your carbs then you need to increase this so that at least 40% of your diet is protein. One word or caution though, is that you still need to keep an eye on your calorie intake, always keeping in mind that while you're on diet, you need to eat less than what your body actually requires.
3. Most people nowadays are aware of the fact that there are good fats and bad fats. Good fats actually play a part in increasing your metabolic rate which then in turn increases the rate at which your body burns fat. These good fats are not stored for future energy requirements and are essential in a healthy diet. Bad fats on the other hand can be used for energy so the body tends to store them for later use, in form of body fat. Everyone should be cutting out as much bad fat as possible from their diets, but if you're on a diet, then it's essential that you do and also that you increase your intake of good fats.
4. Considering that the human body is approximately 70% water, it makes sense that it requires abundant water in order to operate effectively. Deprive your body of water and you can be rest assured, it will be storing water away when you do give it some. However, if you drink enough water to meet your body's demand, not only will you be helping to clean your system out but you'll not be giving your body any reason to store water. Additionally those on diet can benefit from the fact that drinking plenty of water allows you to feel full. - 15343
No matter what some products claim, the only way you're going to get six-pack abs, is through diet and hard work. Another fact you need to be aware of, is that in order to reach a point where your abs actually become visible, your body fat percentage needs to be very low. In fact, men need to reduce their body fat to 10% or lower while woman on the other hand, need to get theirs below 14%. For most people, reducing body fat to such an extent requires urgent changes to their diets.
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. Carbs are one of the bodies best sources of fuel and you can be rest assured, your body will always burn carbs before it starts burning fat. Of course, we can use this to our advantage if we want to lose weight because we know that if there are no carbs to burn, your body has to start burning some of its fat reserves. The less carbs you have in your diet, the more fat your body will burn. Unfortunately, if you're trying to build muscle, eliminating carbs is not something you want to do because they are the best single form of energy available. However, cutting carbs out of your diet never fails to deliver impressive results as far as fat loss is concerned.
2. Unfortunately for some, a diet most often results in muscle loss in addition to fat loss. This is a natural response of the body when it's denied an adequate supply of fuel, such as cutting the carbs out of your diet. Therefore, it's absolutely essential for you to eat lots of protein in order to substitute the carbs you're not getting. For the purpose of increasing muscle mass, more or less 20 to 30% of your daily diet should be protein. However, if you're cutting out your carbs then you need to increase this so that at least 40% of your diet is protein. One word or caution though, is that you still need to keep an eye on your calorie intake, always keeping in mind that while you're on diet, you need to eat less than what your body actually requires.
3. Most people nowadays are aware of the fact that there are good fats and bad fats. Good fats actually play a part in increasing your metabolic rate which then in turn increases the rate at which your body burns fat. These good fats are not stored for future energy requirements and are essential in a healthy diet. Bad fats on the other hand can be used for energy so the body tends to store them for later use, in form of body fat. Everyone should be cutting out as much bad fat as possible from their diets, but if you're on a diet, then it's essential that you do and also that you increase your intake of good fats.
4. Considering that the human body is approximately 70% water, it makes sense that it requires abundant water in order to operate effectively. Deprive your body of water and you can be rest assured, it will be storing water away when you do give it some. However, if you drink enough water to meet your body's demand, not only will you be helping to clean your system out but you'll not be giving your body any reason to store water. Additionally those on diet can benefit from the fact that drinking plenty of water allows you to feel full. - 15343
About the Author:
It makes no matter whether you need to gain muscle, lose weight or just get fit, visit Rob's site at growmymuscles to find some great ideas and accompany him on his progress to weight loss and fitness.
