Eating for a six pack. Advice please.

ktob
ktob Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I'm working on a six pack (or as close to that as possible) which I'd like in place by my birthday. I've got a couple of months...

I know it's quite hard for women to achieve a six pack as we naturally are built to hold more fat. But I'm going to give it a go. With that in mind, I've upped my protein (for muscle) and am cutting down my fat. My question is, what about the good fats, like those from salmon, mackerel, eggs and other protein rich foods. Should I cut those down too? It seems almost impossible to get fat intake percentage down below 30% and still eat high protein. (I don't eat any meat or shellfish by the way, just fish.)

Would be great if you could share any thoughts, advice, or your own experiences of getting (or not getting!) a six pack. Thank you!!

Replies

  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    It seems almost impossible to get fat intake percentage down below 30% and still eat high protein.
    You seem to think that consuming fat makes you fat. :huh:

    Consuming too many calories makes you fat.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Common misconception.

    Your body doesn't store fat. It stores energy as fat. Any excess energy - whether from protein, fat or carbs - will be stored as fat. The converse is true - if you have an energy deficit, you will burn fat. Even if literally 100% of your calories came from fat that day.

    Among body builders, the most common macro settings on MFP are -

    Protein - 1g per pound of lean body mass. e.g. if you weigh 150lb and have 30% body fat, you'd eat a minimum of 105g of protein a day.
    Fat - 0.35g per pound of total body. e.g. if you weight 150lb you'd eat a minimum of 53g of fat a day. Make the majority of them 'good fats' if that makes you feel better about it.
    Carbs - whatever is left after you've exceeded your protein and fat intake. Up to your calorie limit.

    Follow these macros, along with a moderate calorie deficit and resistance training, and you have the best chance of meeting your goals.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Dietary fat =/= bodyfat, keep that in mind.

    If you want to drop bodyfat, resistance exercise + a moderate calorie deficit + macro partitioning appropriate to your training is the way to go.
  • ktob
    ktob Posts: 12 Member
    I eat to a calorie deficit but where those calories come from must surely affect a body's performance, and its ability to build muscle and so many other things...?

    I may well lose weight buy eating low calorie diet of biscuits and cake but that is not going to get me a six pack - even if I exercise hard.... or maybe it would? This is my dilemma.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    I eat to a calorie deficit but where those calories come from must surely affect a body's performance, and its ability to build muscle and so many other things...?

    I may well lose weight buy eating low calorie diet of biscuits and cake but that is not going to get me a six pack - even if I exercise hard.... or maybe it would? This is my dilemma.
    You already have a 6 pack. It's just under the fat.

    Carbs provide 4 cals per gram, fats 9 cals per gram. They're both important energy sources, and DIETARY fats are important to hormone regulation so are vital to losing BODYfat.

    And yes, they do affect performance and that is one of the most important considerations in deciding your macros - some people do better on higher carbs, others on higher fats. It depends what kind of exercise you undertake for the most part, and factors like tempo, rest periods etc can factor in too.

    Protein is what builds muscle, and helps retain it as you lose weight - fats and carbs don't play near as important a role in that particular aspect. As you're wanting to REVEAL your 6 pack, lowering your bodyfat is all you need to do, and at the end of the day you just need a deficit for that to happen - the deficit is taken from energy sources in your body to keep you functioning, and one of those primary sources is bodyfat.

    And yeah, eating cake and biscuits could get you a 6 pack, coupled with an appropriate protein intake and resistance exercise.
  • ktob
    ktob Posts: 12 Member
    Common misconception.

    Your body doesn't store fat. It stores energy as fat. Any excess energy - whether from protein, fat or carbs - will be stored as fat. The converse is true - if you have an energy deficit, you will burn fat. Even if literally 100% of your calories came from fat that day.

    Among body builders, the most common macro settings on MFP are -

    Protein - 1g per pound of lean body mass. e.g. if you weigh 150lb and have 30% body fat, you'd eat a minimum of 105g of protein a day.
    Fat - 0.35g per pound of total body. e.g. if you weight 150lb you'd eat a minimum of 53g of fat a day. Make the majority of them 'good fats' if that makes you feel better about it.
    Carbs - whatever is left after you've exceeded your protein and fat intake. Up to your calorie limit.

    Follow these macros, along with a moderate calorie deficit and resistance training, and you have the best chance of meeting your goals.

    Ok thanks. It was a lifting book that advised to cut fat. I guess it's kind of in line with what you're saying about the grams based on lead mass. Will see how I get on.
  • ktob
    ktob Posts: 12 Member
    You already have a 6 pack. It's just under the fat.

    You're right!! I've got a bloody awesome six pack but it's hidden under around an inch of fat. (I blame the kids!) Lol.

    Some great comments from you all, thank you. I feel quite relieved that I probably don't need to limit fat even more. I can just keep on enjoying what I'm doing. For now at least....!

    Thanks.

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