Abs are made in the kitchen eh??

emmaloodledo
emmaloodledo Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
I totally get that we are what we eat and I know it is impossible to "target loss" in a specific area. I workout around 4 times a week, so I'm hoping this will be helping a bit. But I figure its all about eating clean and reducing the carbs and alcohol to really make a difference. Would you suggest a paleo type diet?? I am very keen to lose some belly fat, but I also live in the busy real world, so hoping for easy and quick after a long shift at work (I'm a nurse). I am very interested in some tips for food ideas if anyone is willing to share???

I have tried searching, but coudn't find what I was looking for, if anyone can point me in the direction of a previous thread that would be ace.

Ta muchly MFPers :smile:

Replies

  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    The best of the best.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TivRDePErA0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucHEVNX2c9o
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Eating clean, besides being a totally meaningless term, is completely unnecessary. Eat whatever you like, just maintain a decent deficit.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Oh my, yes, please adopt a paleo diet! It's the best because it excludes vast swaths of perfectly healthy food for no good reason.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Oh my, yes, please adopt a paleo diet! It's the best because it excludes vast swaths of perfectly healthy food for no good reason.
    I'm not a fan of paleo, but your comment was really not helpful. The person came here for suggestions, not snide remarks.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Eating clean, besides being a totally meaningless term, is completely unnecessary. Eat whatever you like, just maintain a decent deficit.
    I would expand on this and say that deficit and THEN macros. Specifically making sure you are getting enough protein.
    Abs are about muscle showing due to low body fat levels. For this you're going to get results quicker ensuring both are met.

    So rather than eating 'clean', I'd suggest focusing on getting enough protein, which time and again has been proven to reduce muscle loss.
    I'd also add a weight lifting routine to help the same.

    A basic guide is .8g of protein per lb of body weight.

    If you still want to tell yourself you're eating "clean" after that, go for it - it probably won't cause any problems :).
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    Oh my, yes, please adopt a paleo diet! It's the best because it excludes vast swaths of perfectly healthy food for no good reason.
    I'm not a fan of paleo, but your comment was really not helpful. The person came here for suggestions, not snide remarks.
    Out of curiosity, share with the OP what methods you have personally used to get well developed, visible abs.

    I'm not that person, but I got abs by lifting heavy things and eating whatever I wanted, as long as it fit my macros and calories for the day.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Eating clean, besides being a totally meaningless term, is completely unnecessary. Eat whatever you like, just maintain a decent deficit.
    I would expand on this and say that deficit and THEN macros. Specifically making sure you are getting enough protein.
    Abs are about muscle showing due to low body fat levels. For this you're going to get results quicker ensuring both are met.

    So rather than eating 'clean', I'd suggest focusing on getting enough protein, which time and again has been proven to reduce muscle loss.
    I'd also add a weight lifting routine to help the same.

    A basic guide is .8g of protein per lb of body weight.

    If you still want to tell yourself you're eating "clean" after that, go for it - it probably won't cause any problems :).

    Yep^

    Calorie deficit to lose the body fat. A good amount of protein and resistance training to build strength and prevent muscle loss. Eat enough nutrient dense foods to meet minimum micro nutrient needs and the rest can be whatever you enjoy.

    No need to follow any "diet" other than that or even if you wish to it should still meet those basic requirements.

    Add time and patience and you should be happy and healthy for a long time.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    "Abs are made in the kitchen" refers to the fact that to have visible abs you have to cut body fat. You don't have to eat clean or subscribe to any particular diet to do this...you just have to reduce your caloric intake. If you have very little weight to lose you would want only a very modest deficit. The other part of that equation is you have to have muscle for them to be visible when you cut the fat...which is where a good heavy lifting routine would come into play.

    Also keep in mind that having visible and defined abs requires one to be at a very low body fat %...an "athletic" figure for a women is generally around 20% BF which is pretty low for a woman...but visibly cut abs are not going to happen even at 20%...you're going to have to go lower than that...you might have some around 15% or so, but really we're talking 10-12% BF. For a guy that can be difficult to maintain, particularly as we age...for women, it is much harder due to women naturally have a higher BF%. To be honest, I know a couple of women who are that lean and have that low of BF% and they don't have regular menstrual cycles and one of them is trying to put on a little fat in order to get those back because she wants to get pregnant...no guarantees though. Not that that will happen to you, but something to be mindful of if this is really a goal of yours.

    Anyway, that aside...your diet (noun) should really be something that is personalized to you and that you can stick to. I personally eat a diet that consists largely of nutrient dense whole foods and I cook most things from scratch...but I do eat some processed foods...pretty hard not to these days, but I try to keep things to minimal processing. I basically try to get most of my nutrition from food.
  • CO_Sparkle
    CO_Sparkle Posts: 3
    cwolfman13 Great response to the post-seems very accurate and helpful feedback.
  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    "Abs are made in the kitchen" refers to the fact that to have visible abs you have to cut body fat. You don't have to eat clean or subscribe to any particular diet to do this...you just have to reduce your caloric intake. If you have very little weight to lose you would want only a very modest deficit. The other part of that equation is you have to have muscle for them to be visible when you cut the fat...which is where a good heavy lifting routine would come into play.

    Also keep in mind that having visible and defined abs requires one to be at a very low body fat %...an "athletic" figure for a women is generally around 20% BF which is pretty low for a woman...but visibly cut abs are not going to happen even at 20%...you're going to have to go lower than that...you might have some around 15% or so, but really we're talking 10-12% BF. For a guy that can be difficult to maintain, particularly as we age...for women, it is much harder due to women naturally have a higher BF%. To be honest, I know a couple of women who are that lean and have that low of BF% and they don't have regular menstrual cycles and one of them is trying to put on a little fat in order to get those back because she wants to get pregnant...no guarantees though. Not that that will happen to you, but something to be mindful of if this is really a goal of yours.

    Anyway, that aside...your diet (noun) should really be something that is personalized to you and that you can stick to. I personally eat a diet that consists largely of nutrient dense whole foods and I cook most things from scratch...but I do eat some processed foods...pretty hard not to these days, but I try to keep things to minimal processing. I basically try to get most of my nutrition from food.
    I love this post.

    There is also the fact that fat distribution has a genetic/heritable component and for some women, visible abs can be extremely difficult to achieve.
  • emmaloodledo
    emmaloodledo Posts: 12
    Thanks folks (giving the snarky comment a swift ignore????). I suppose I've always wondered exactly what people mean by "abs are made in the kitchen". I know some believe a calorie is a calorie regardless but I also understand our bodies process different food groups with different degrees of efficiency. I should probably eat more protein and less carbs though.

    I do eat at a deficit. I don't have much to lose so it's a slow process. Losing half to a pound a week at the moment. I very rarely eat processed food and cook from scratch in the most part. I eat a varied diet and try to get plenty of protein. I do indulge a bit more at the weekends and wonder if that is constantly scuppering me! I seem to have a blubby bit of tummy that I don't like! I guess I maybe should be patient and try not to go crazy at the weekend! I'm not interested in faddy diets as I see it more as a lifestyle, but wondered if the principle of trying to eat cleaner foods is more beneficial, that's the only reason I asked about Paleo.

    I am keen on trying lifting but I'm a bit scared as I have never done it before. I also have a scoliosis which makes it a little tricky (I have started another thread on here for some advice on that).
  • emmaloodledo
    emmaloodledo Posts: 12
    Don't do any fad diets like 80/10/10 or nonsense like that, that's for sure.

    1-1.25 grams of protein per LBM
    0.3-0.5 grams of fat per pound body weight
    The rest carbs

    Thanks! I need to do some sums. Excuse my stupidity but is LBM lean body mass??
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    LBM=Lean body mass (basically your weight without any fat)

    the 1-1.25 grams of protien is what I eat as well (1 gram is my aim) 120g
  • emmaloodledo
    emmaloodledo Posts: 12
    LBM=Lean body mass (basically your weight without any fat)

    the 1-1.25 grams of protien is what I eat as well (1 gram is my aim) 120g

    Thank you. I've done some sums and adjusted the nutrition thing on mfp. Will give it a go and see if it helps me ????.

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