"Flat abs are made in the kitchen" Is this true??
asizesix
Posts: 131 Member
Anyone had experience with mostly just changing your eating habits and seeing significant weight loss?
Due to the cold winter weather I'm having a hard time getting to the gym or running outside...I want to see how far i can get with light exercise and mostly just changing my diet.
Tell me about your experience or someone you know!
Due to the cold winter weather I'm having a hard time getting to the gym or running outside...I want to see how far i can get with light exercise and mostly just changing my diet.
Tell me about your experience or someone you know!
0
Replies
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The reason people say this is because for most of us, we cannot get good definition in our abs very easily. The overall body fat percentage required for a 6 pack is pretty low, plus if you are bloated, over full or retaining water, forget about it.
You can lose weight with diet only, you just won't get to eat as much. Not to mention, you'll probably lose a fair amount of LBM, not to mention strength and conditioning.0 -
I lost about 8kg just from dieting alone, not really dieting but just changing my eating habit, took me about 1 year but I have been keeping it off for 2 years now0
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Ab exercises do not cause you to get flat abs. They do not cause you to lose fat. They cause the muscle underneath the fat to get stronger. You must lose the fat to see this muscle. To lose the fat, you must reduce calories to a deficit. This reveals the muscle.
Yes, flat abs are made in the kitchen. Strong abs are made in the gym. Please don't get them confused. I hate seeing people kill themselves with crunches when crunches don't even burn the fat, and people just get frustrated without ever seeing results.0 -
Absolutely abs are made in the kitchen! There is a layer of fat over your ab muscles, so no matter how hard you work them out you'll never see them if there's too much fat. Reducing simple carbs (white flour & sugar)) is the key to getting visible abs because it will help lower your body fat percentage, making that layer thinner. Working out definitely helps, but carbs are key!0
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Nutrition = 90%, Exercise = 10%...0
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Thank you for this advice, my son who is a health fanatic has been telling me the same thing for the last three years! Funny how it is rarely mentioned.0
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YESSSSS... actually, achieving visible abs is just a matter of having a low body fat percentage. You can do lots of ab exercises and have a sturdy abs that is hiding underneath a thick layer of fat but if you don't do anything to lower your body fat percentage then it remains to be hidden. The only way to lower body fat is to eat clean that contains adequate amounts of carbs and protein and also in calorie deficit.0
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^ Good advice. There's no such thing as spot reducing.Ab exercises do not cause you to get flat abs. They do not cause you to lose fat. They cause the muscle underneath the fat to get stronger. You must lose the fat to see this muscle. To lose the fat, you must reduce calories to a deficit. This reveals the muscle.
Yes, flat abs are made in the kitchen. Strong abs are made in the gym. Please don't get them confused. I hate seeing people kill themselves with crunches when crunches don't even burn the fat, and people just get frustrated without ever seeing results.0 -
depends how fast you want those abs, but a good combination of both good nutrition(along with supplements) and hard work outs will get you there:)0
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I agree...
I have had abs for a while... could feel em under all the pudge... but they didn't start popping until I started watching how much food I was sticking in my mouth and the insane volume of calories they contained.0 -
Thirded.
^ Good advice. There's no such thing as spot reducing.Ab exercises do not cause you to get flat abs. They do not cause you to lose fat. They cause the muscle underneath the fat to get stronger. You must lose the fat to see this muscle. To lose the fat, you must reduce calories to a deficit. This reveals the muscle.
Yes, flat abs are made in the kitchen. Strong abs are made in the gym. Please don't get them confused. I hate seeing people kill themselves with crunches when crunches don't even burn the fat, and people just get frustrated without ever seeing results.
But, you will get the best results if you learn workarounds for all the little things that are holding you back. Once winter turns to spring there will be rain. Then there will be barbeques. Then it will be hot. There will always be something. My running is dialed back a lot in the winter, but I squeeze in enough to keep it a regular part of my life and to maintain my level of fitness.0 -
Absolutely abs are made in the kitchen! There is a layer of fat over your ab muscles, so no matter how hard you work them out you'll never see them if there's too much fat. Reducing simple carbs (white flour & sugar)) is the key to getting visible abs because it will help lower your body fat percentage, making that layer thinner. Working out definitely helps, but carbs are key!
Nope.
A calorie deficit is the key!0 -
YESSSSS... actually, achieving visible abs is just a matter of having a low body fat percentage. You can do lots of ab exercises and have a sturdy abs that is hiding underneath a thick layer of fat but if you don't do anything to lower your body fat percentage then it remains to be hidden. The only way to lower body fat is to eat clean that contains adequate amounts of carbs and protein and also in calorie deficit.
You don't have to eat clean0 -
depends how fast you want those abs, but a good combination of both good nutrition(along with supplements) and hard work outs will get you there:)
What supplements?0 -
Anyone had experience with mostly just changing your eating habits and seeing significant weight loss?
Due to the cold winter weather I'm having a hard time getting to the gym or running outside...I want to see how far i can get with light exercise and mostly just changing my diet.
Tell me about your experience or someone you know!
My trick is to eat more protein and vegetables, as both of these make me feel full with less calories. Also, vegetables help you get all the minerals and vitamins you need, while eating less. Also, I stay very carefully away from things that make me bloated, because if I am not physically active, I don't flush the water out as fast.
In the cold it is very easy to overeat on comfort food. The body wants you to have a little comfortable layer of fat to keep you from freezing, and the lack of light in winter often lowers the metabolism. All of this makes the winter a tough time for weight loss. Add Christmas, and it all gets worse! I try to combat the need for comfort foods by using spices on healthy options. Baked apples (no sugar or fat, just baked or microwaved) with cinnamon, for instance: it's warm, it's a happy baked scent, and it's just an apple.
Good luck!0 -
I see my abs, and I eat some sort of pasta everyday...and cheesecake too (check my diary, lol).
It's a CALORIE DEFICIT. Not specific foods.0 -
Wow thanks guys!! After reading lots about fitness/nutrition it's really become apparent to me that it's about what you put in your body. If we all ate clean, lean foods (in the right portions of course..) we wouldn't have weight issues to begin with!
As for the whole "you just need a calorie deficit" thing...I guess it's all about what you value as nutrition more...I would feel way better eating a giant fruit salad rather than a piece of cheesecake regularly (even if it turns out to be the same amount of cals).
I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.0 -
I know some very lean, muscular people who eat like that and are not skinny fat - the difference is that they get adequate protein intake and engage in strength training. Leanness comes from caloric deficit, period. Muscles come from adequate protein intake and strength training. There's no need to be orthorexic about eating as long as you're hitting your (properly set) macros.I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.0 -
As for the whole "you just need a calorie deficit" thing...I guess it's all about what you value as nutrition more...I would feel way better eating a giant fruit salad rather than a piece of cheesecake regularly (even if it turns out to be the same amount of cals).
I would be interested to see a comparison between satiation effects of cheesecake and a fruit salad, actually. I buy cheesecake in individual frozen slices at the supermarket- they run around 300 calories. 18gF, 24g sugar. Calorically similar fruit salad is going to be mostly carbs- probably in the range of 60-70g of sugar- obviously the fruit will have more fiber and more vitamins- but I suspect the satiety would be higher with the cheesecake because of the fat. I would be down with the fruit salad substitution if you had some nuts with it.0 -
Wow thanks guys!! After reading lots about fitness/nutrition it's really become apparent to me that it's about what you put in your body. If we all ate clean, lean foods (in the right portions of course..) we wouldn't have weight issues to begin with!
As for the whole "you just need a calorie deficit" thing...I guess it's all about what you value as nutrition more...I would feel way better eating a giant fruit salad rather than a piece of cheesecake regularly (even if it turns out to be the same amount of cals).
I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.
You must have been interpreting the responses you have got differently than me. Getting visible abs is about reducing your body fat - you can do that with a calorie deficit, period. Doing it 'healthily' and with regard to body composition, the 'what' does matter, but the 'what' does not necessarily need to be 'clean' either and will depend on your diet as a whole.
I eat pasta, ice-cream, pastries and cheese and you can see my abs. And I can assure you, I am not skinny fat. "Skinny fat" = a lack of LBM.0 -
If you want to be "skinny fat" then eat whatever you want as long as you remain in a caloric deficit. This could also (should say will also) lead to deficiencies of certain nutrients. I guarantee you that I will perform better eating a nonfat plain greek yogurt before a workout than somebody who ate a piece of cheesecake before a workout. Hands down. But if you want to be healthy then have 1 to 2 cheat meals a week and eat clean the rest of the time. In fact I am planning my first and only cheat meal of the week to be either tomorrow or sunday.0
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Wow thanks guys!! After reading lots about fitness/nutrition it's really become apparent to me that it's about what you put in your body. If we all ate clean, lean foods (in the right portions of course..) we wouldn't have weight issues to begin with!
As for the whole "you just need a calorie deficit" thing...I guess it's all about what you value as nutrition more...I would feel way better eating a giant fruit salad rather than a piece of cheesecake regularly (even if it turns out to be the same amount of cals).
I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.
You must have been interpreting the responses you have got differently than me. Getting visible abs is about reducing your body fat - you can do that with a calorie deficit, period. Doing it 'healthily' and with regard to body composition, the 'what' does matter, but the 'what' does not necessarily need to be 'clean' either and will depend on your diet as a whole.
I eat pasta, ice-cream, pastries and cheese and you can see my abs. And I can assure you, I am not skinny fat. "Skinny fat" = a lack of LBM.
I concur... I don't eat "clean" (I've had people ride me about it too), but I do strive to eat pretty cleanly, and my focus has been shifting towards healthier eating now that I am calorie conscious... I used to sit down and eat an entire bag of doritos with a big bowl of sour cream and salsa, enjoyed with a couple beer - on a regular basis... I still do that from time to time, but now it's in much lesser quantities.
My success came from eating at a caloric deficit, and while the contents of my diary may not impress some, they're a far cry from what my eating habits used to be!
Add to that a fairly intensive bodyweight routine, and that's where I am right now.0 -
I know some very lean, muscular people who eat like that and are not skinny fat - the difference is that they get adequate protein intake and engage in strength training. Leanness comes from caloric deficit, period. Muscles come from adequate protein intake and strength training. There's no need to be orthorexic about eating as long as you're hitting your (properly set) macros.I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.
I understand that you can eat whatever as long as you have the deficit - however, if these people are eating like that consistently and watching their calories ..where does the nutrition come from? Considering that those foods are normally high in cals and usually processed...that leaves little room for proper nutritious food. You can be as skinny and muscular as you want, but eating truly healthy is the real challenge. Not saying I wouldn't enjoy a good slice of cheesecake here and there..
I guess I just have a hard time watching people who have a sugary fancy latte for breakfast with a muffin, possibly skip lunch because they're already at X amount of calories and then have a plate full of ravioli for dinner, plus dessert and call it a day.0 -
I know some very lean, muscular people who eat like that and are not skinny fat - the difference is that they get adequate protein intake and engage in strength training. Leanness comes from caloric deficit, period. Muscles come from adequate protein intake and strength training. There's no need to be orthorexic about eating as long as you're hitting your (properly set) macros.I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.
I understand that you can eat whatever as long as you have the deficit - however, if these people are eating like that consistently and watching their calories ..where does the nutrition come from? Considering that those foods are normally high in cals and usually processed...that leaves little room for proper nutritious food. You can be as skinny and muscular as you want, but eating truly healthy is the real challenge. Not saying I wouldn't enjoy a good slice of cheesecake here and there..
I guess I just have a hard time watching people who have a sugary fancy latte for breakfast with a muffin, possibly skip lunch because they're already at X amount of calories and then have a plate full of ravioli for dinner, plus dessert and call it a day.
The people who do it successfully don't do it for every meal. They work the treats they want in as *part* of an overall balanced diet, where the primary focus is getting nutrition and meeting their macro and micronutrient goals. Note that probably nobody who successfully does this eats a super low-calorie diet- we all go with a maximum 'moderate' deficit. It won't work if your goal is 1200 calories.0 -
I know some very lean, muscular people who eat like that and are not skinny fat - the difference is that they get adequate protein intake and engage in strength training. Leanness comes from caloric deficit, period. Muscles come from adequate protein intake and strength training. There's no need to be orthorexic about eating as long as you're hitting your (properly set) macros.I have a friend who watches her calories like crazy...but eats crap most of the time! Pasta, cheese, desserts and sugary drinks are her faves.. so shes basically just " skinny fat"..which is NOT a good look! Your body will hate you if you eat like that! Not to mention all of the health problems that can come with eating so much processed food and carb-loading every day.
I understand that you can eat whatever as long as you have the deficit - however, if these people are eating like that consistently and watching their calories ..where does the nutrition come from? Considering that those foods are normally high in cals and usually processed...that leaves little room for proper nutritious food. You can be as skinny and muscular as you want, but eating truly healthy is the real challenge. Not saying I wouldn't enjoy a good slice of cheesecake here and there..
I guess I just have a hard time watching people who have a sugary fancy latte for breakfast with a muffin, possibly skip lunch because they're already at X amount of calories and then have a plate full of ravioli for dinner, plus dessert and call it a day.
You need to look at it in the context of the overall diet - you seem to be taking extreme example.
I eat a mix of fruits, veggies, fats from different sources (including cheesecake, ice cream or cheese), get my protein in (some of which also comes from that latte you mention) and still have room for ice cream or cookies.0 -
I get that you can treat yourself. I just wanted to see if anyone has had success losing weight on changing their eating habits alone.0
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I get that you can treat yourself. I just wanted to see if anyone has had success losing weight on changing their eating habits alone.
Yeah, it's 100% doable. Calorie deficit is king.0
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