Ladies who went from squishy stomachs to six packs...

24

Replies

  • MartialPanda
    MartialPanda Posts: 919 Member
    Drink more water, have less sugar and SALT. For the abs to show through. A lot of times (for me) its my salt intake so i have water weight. bleh. Add some more protein and VEGGIES!!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I personally favour protein over carbs due the fact it takes more to make energy from protein (25-30% wasted) against carbs (6-8% wasted) and generally people find protein easier on the appetite and less hunger and appetite control needed.

    It isn't good for anyone to eat only protein, though, unless they were consuming over half their calories in fruit and veg...all the research I've done over the past four years points towards long term health problems, degenerative diseases, digestive issues etc etc...if done over a long period of time. It might do wonders for the physical form, but for vanity's sake, I'd never ever put my health at risk. Nothing wrong with potatoes, rice, pasta etc...entire healthy slim populations of people have thrived on these foods.

    Then don't!

    Remember I said 'I personally'. Not 'you should'.

    Simples.

    EDIT

    Just realised I left half the diet out (3 days lo carbs, 1 day carbs)!

    Meal 1: 80g oatswith water, and a scoop of whey protein.
    Meal 2: 120g chicken breast and veg
    Meal 3: 120g extra lean steak, veg and 60g wholegrain rice or similar
    Pre-Workout Meal: protein shake
    Meal 4: protein shake, 15g Glutamine
    Meal 5: 120g white fish, 2-3 baby potatoes potato and veg
    Meal 6: protein pancake with 30g peanut butter; Sounds delicious.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    So what other things should I be adding to my daily meals? Or taking away?

    Depends what kind of diet you can sustain long term.

    Step 1: Maintain a healthy and reasonable caloric intake - slight deficit to lose, slight surplus to gain, even to maintain.
    Step 2: Maintain healthy macros: start with
    - .3g of fats per lb of total body weight
    - 1g protein per lb of lean body mass
    Step 3: Be patient
  • Lyra89
    Lyra89 Posts: 674 Member
    I personally favour protein over carbs due the fact it takes more to make energy from protein (25-30% wasted) against carbs (6-8% wasted) and generally people find protein easier on the appetite and less hunger and appetite control needed.

    It isn't good for anyone to eat only protein, though, unless they were consuming over half their calories in fruit and veg...all the research I've done over the past four years points towards long term health problems, degenerative diseases, digestive issues etc etc...if done over a long period of time. It might do wonders for the physical form, but for vanity's sake, I'd never ever put my health at risk. Nothing wrong with potatoes, rice, pasta etc...entire healthy slim populations of people have thrived on these foods.

    Then don't!

    Remember I said 'I personally'. Not 'you should'.

    Simples.

    EDIT

    Just realised I left half the diet out (3 days lo carbs, 1 day carbs)!

    Meal 1: 80g oatswith water, and a scoop of whey protein.
    Meal 2: 120g chicken breast and veg
    Meal 3: 120g extra lean steak, veg and 60g wholegrain rice or similar
    Pre-Workout Meal: protein shake
    Meal 4: protein shake, 15g Glutamine
    Meal 5: 120g white fish, 2-3 baby potatoes potato and veg
    Meal 6: protein pancake with 30g peanut butter; Sounds delicious.

    Well, THAT is better :wink:
  • emily_bird
    emily_bird Posts: 236
    Do what you want with this info,I'm just sharing it . Disagree or agree, it's up to you make up your own mind. I haven't read what the others have written, but I posted this because I remember getting a newsletter on abs recently.Good luck and I hope that you can get the abs that you want soon!



    3 Killer Techniques That Get Rid of Stubborn "Ab Flab"

    So You Can Carve Out Those Ripped Abs

    Without Starving Yourself or Doing Hundreds of Sit-Ups
    Written by Shin Ohtake, Strength Coach, Fitness & Fat Loss Expert, Author of MAX Workouts


    We all want great abs. In fact, “abs” consistently rank as the number one body part people are most attracted to in the opposite sex AND want to improve most about themselves. So, I’m going to set the record straight and give you the TRUTH about losing that spare tire so you can reveal those lean, defined abs hiding underneath that stubborn layer of belly fat.

    Have you been doing countless sit-ups, crunches and side bends hoping to flatten your stomach, but you haven’t noticed a bit of difference whatsoever?

    Hell, at some point you’ve probably been so determined to get rid of that stubborn ab flab that you tried every “As Seen on TV” ab gadget out there. (I admit, I tried a few myself back in the day). Yet, even after religiously crunching it out on your new ab sculptor after every workout, you finally came to the conclusion that your mid-section looked exactly the same as it did before you bought the darn thing!

    The thing is, your abs do get sore after doing isolated ab exercises and so it makes you think (or hope) that the exercises are working. But the soreness eventually goes away, and your belly flab sticks around like that annoying neighbor that you just can’t seem to avoid. Frustrating, I know.

    It may be hard to believe, but the best way to tone up your stomach is WITHOUT trying to specifically target the abdominal muscles. I know it seems to make sense to try and “spot treat” your abs—that is, until you discover what the role of your abs really is…

    Most people think that abs are made to crunch, twist, and bend. However, it’s the complete opposite! The role of your abdominal muscles is to prevent your mid-section from crunching, twisting, and bending. You heard it right, your abs are a stabilizing force designed to resist movement and protect your spine.

    So even though you “feel the burn” when you do crunches and other traditional ab moves, you’re actually putting unnecessary pressure on your back, causing more harm than good. These isolated exercises can cause lower back injuries by forcing your spine to flex too much.

    Here Are The 3 Keys To Getting Rock-Solid Abs:
    #1 - Burn Off That “Ab Flab”
    Intensity is the most important factor if you want to put fat burning on auto-pilot. Why? Because high-intensity workouts trigger the “Afterburn” effect (like I talked about on Day 2) by spiking your metabolism for up to 2 days after your workout is over. This scientifically proven method has you burning fat around the clock (literally)!

    The real trick to maximizing fat-burning with high-intensity training is choosing the right exercises. The most effective exercises are full-body, functional exercises (like I talked about on Day 1). These compound exercises activate your core and enable you to recruit more muscles simultaneously, which creates a bigger metabolic demand on your body and triggers the release of your fat burning hormones—so you can finally bring that six pack out of hiding.

    #2 - Strengthen Your Abs
    Strengthening your abs will reinforce your core stabilizers to promote a strong, healthy back. In the video below, I’ll demonstrate some simple, effective functional ab strengthening exercises that you can start incorporating into your workouts right away:





    #3 - Cut Down On the Biggest Fat Causing Foods
    I’m talking about carbs. Now before you say, “Oh no, not another low-carb diet!”, there’s something really important you need to understand…

    Carbs break down into sugar…and sugar is THE biggest reason that you carry fat on your body. Why? Because sugar stimulates a fat storage hormone called insulin...

    Let me explain: Insulin is a powerful hormone that’s secreted by your pancreas in presence of sugar. So the more sugar you eat, the more insulin your body will secrete…and that means more potential for storing excess FAT. That’s because any excess sugar your body can’t metabolize gets turned into fat! And the worst part is that your insulin hormone loves to store fat in the belly area for men and in the hips, butt and thigh regions for women. So any excess sugar that your body doesn’t metabolize, guess where it’s headed?!

    This is why cutting way down on carbs causes nearly instant fat loss. It’s not a matter of opinion, it’s the science of how your body metabolizes food. Not to mention, most of the “carby” foods out there are highly processed and absolutely terrible for your overall health (you wouldn’t believe some of the health problems these foods have been linked to).

    Now, I’m not saying you should eat like a rabbit all day long, but I’m not going to sugar-coat it either (pun intended!). If you aren’t willing to make some changes to keep your carbs in check, you’re NOT going to get flat, washboard abs no matter how much you exercise because you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.

    Tomorrow’s Lean Body tip is, “Why Long, Steady-State Cardio Keeps You Soft, Flabby, & Injury Prone…And What To Do About It”

    Talk soon,



    Shin Ohtake

    Author, MAX WORKOUTS

    Strength Coach, Fitness & Fat Loss Expert
  • LaurnWhit
    LaurnWhit Posts: 261 Member
    Bump!
  • nashai01
    nashai01 Posts: 536 Member
    bump
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    So what other things should I be adding to my daily meals? Or taking away?

    Depends what kind of diet you can sustain long term.

    Step 1: Maintain a healthy and reasonable caloric intake - slight deficit to lose, slight surplus to gain, even to maintain.
    Step 2: Maintain healthy macros: start with
    - .3g of fats per lb of total body weight
    - 1g protein per lb of lean body mass
    Step 3: Be patient

    I haven't got washboard abs, but I've been on this program for almost a year and step 3 is vitally important. I'm hoping in another year I will be less squishy and will have after pics to share.
  • JulieRoselovesFreeze
    JulieRoselovesFreeze Posts: 49
    There is a lot of good advice on here. I would also like to add that in addition to change in diet, I have gotten good results from taking classes- a couple core strength classes unique to my gym and also Les Mills CXWORX and Body Combat (all that punching is good for your obliques!).
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I don't have a 6-pack but I have noticed a lot more definition in that area than ever before. I eat at a slight deficit, keep my sodium levels low and do squats, deadlifts and other compound lifts and planks but no other ab work. I truly believe that the combo of diet and squats & deadlifts have made the difference.
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,077 Member
    Bump for later
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    As above^^ diet and compound exercises here as well. I don't have visible abs yet..I will though, it's a goal I am aiming for. II have lost the most measurement wise around my stomach, it's not really where I carried weight though. If you are losing fat at a steady rate eventually your abs may pop through. Just keep at it, nothing more to it I think personally. Gym, clean diet, water, repeat.
  • johloz
    johloz Posts: 176 Member
    May seem strange, but the most effective thing for my abs has been more squats.

    Do you do the squats with any weights?

    Yes and no. I do many variations of squats. I usually use weights in the form of dumbells, barbells, and kettlbells unless I am doing jumping squats.

    Please master proper form before adding heavy weights (or jumping).
  • sarahlouise7
    sarahlouise7 Posts: 198 Member
    I personally favour protein over carbs due the fact it takes more to make energy from protein (25-30% wasted) against carbs (6-8% wasted) and generally people find protein easier on the appetite and less hunger and appetite control needed.

    It isn't good for anyone to eat only protein, though, unless they were consuming over half their calories in fruit and veg...all the research I've done over the past four years points towards long term health problems, degenerative diseases, digestive issues etc etc...if done over a long period of time. It might do wonders for the physical form, but for vanity's sake, I'd never ever put my health at risk. Nothing wrong with potatoes, rice, pasta etc...entire healthy slim populations of people have thrived on these foods.

    Then don't!

    Remember I said 'I personally'. Not 'you should'.

    Simples.

    EDIT

    Just realised I left half the diet out (3 days lo carbs, 1 day carbs)!

    Meal 1: 80g oatswith water, and a scoop of whey protein.
    Meal 2: 120g chicken breast and veg
    Meal 3: 120g extra lean steak, veg and 60g wholegrain rice or similar
    Pre-Workout Meal: protein shake
    Meal 4: protein shake, 15g Glutamine
    Meal 5: 120g white fish, 2-3 baby potatoes potato and veg
    Meal 6: protein pancake with 30g peanut butter; Sounds delicious.

    Would this be the same quantities reguardless of what some one weighs?? Curious ;)
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Of course the diet would be different for different people, in terms of food weight.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    When I eat poorly, I lose a lot of progress...I really do believe that how your tummy looks is MOSTLY down to what you eat. Right now I'm a bit squishy again because I indulged a lot over the past couple of months! But after a few days back to clean eating, I've lost inches.

    totally this! i had really good definition of my top abs, and was starting to get there with the rest, but sadly life has got in the way and i am not eating as well, and now i feel podgy!

    getting and maintaining abs is HARD! but definitely worth it!
  • Roanokejoe2
    Roanokejoe2 Posts: 14
    Here's the thing nobody is willing to say: Six packs are genetic. Some people, no matter how low their body fat percentage, will never have a traditional six pack. You can be lean as all get out, do all the crunches you want, but the muscles will not form into that traditional shape. It's cool though. Go for a LOT of cardio to shed fat, lift weights for strength, and eat clean with as little sugar and junk as possible. Then see what happens to your physique.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Here's the thing nobody is willing to say: Six packs are genetic. Some people, no matter how low their body fat percentage, will never have a traditional six pack. You can be lean as all get out, do all the crunches you want, but the muscles will not form into that traditional shape. It's cool though. Go for a LOT of cardio to shed fat, lift weights for strength, and eat clean with as little sugar and junk as possible. Then see what happens to your physique.

    Six packs (eg cleanly showing) are not genetic, the number of abs are.

    I have 4 abs, some people have 6 and some 8.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,688 Member
    May seem strange, but the most effective thing for my abs has been more squats.

    Wow I need an education! Didn't know squats were good for the abs!!!

    I used to think this too! Maybe it's because squats build a large muscle and large muscles need more energy creating more of a calorie deficit. Also I think squats utilize the core too.
  • sarahlouise7
    sarahlouise7 Posts: 198 Member
    Of course the diet would be different for different people, in terms of food weight.

    Thats what i thought but wanted to check, thanks :)

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