The big myth about getting a flat, jelly-free belly is that you have to do crunches and plank exercises day in and day out. It’s unbelievable how many different devices have been created just to target the mid section – ab rollers, ab glider, ab circle…..all claiming to “melt away the pounds”.
The truth is …. no matter what the infomercials tell you, you cannot roll, glide, or squeeze your way to a sexy stomach.
And here’s WHY: you already have abs! Maybe they are not as jacked as the model on a cover of your favorite fitness magazine, but you already have abs. The problem is that they are hiding under a layer of fat.
Solution is then simple (I said simple not easy)…Get rid of the fat, and you will see your abs. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to give it a try and find out for yourself 😉
Hear me out, I am not suggesting to give up on core exercises! Working on your core is important for a more defined look of those muscles and more importantly building the cores strength.
However the best thing you can do on your journey to a six pack – is to shed the fat.
There are many other benefits to shredding the extra layer of fat- you will be improving confidence, your looks, and your comfort with your body but most importantly your health. Midsection fat is the most harmful kind of fat to your health and is often an indicator of stress.
As explained by Dr. Yen in an article on https://www.flexxlabs.co/, abdominal fat bears the blame for many health problems because of it’s location. It resides within striking distance of your heart, liver, and other organs–pressing on them, feeding them poisons, and messing with their daily function.
So if I haven’t convinced you yet about the danger extra fat plays on your health by all means, crunch away. Don’t be disappointed or surprised when your midsection actually gets bigger.
Spot toning without overall fat reduction is the totally wrong approach to getting flat abs, unfortunately that’s what most people do. That’s why we are exposed to new magic infomercials promising the impossible – “Scientists in China have discovered a revolutionary shortcut to six pack abs”
Give me a break….are we really this naive to fall for this BS ?!?!
With my clients and students I constantly stress the importance of taking care of your torso, not so you can look like a cover model (though that’s not a bad thing), but because a healthy middle means reduced chances of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and sleep problems.
Here are 8 simple dietary changes to start with:
1) Limit sugar intake.
2) Lower added sodium intake.
3) Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid the “whites” (white noodles, white rice, white bread, white sugar, white flour, etc…)
4) Drink more water and drink less calories.
5) Remove foods with preservatives and ingredients you can’t pronounce (pre-packaged, pre-cooked, altered from it’s natural state type foods.)
6) Include good fats like avocado, coconut oil, almonds and flax in your diet.
7) Get plenty of protein (try .5g – 1 gram for every pound that you weigh each day)
8) Cut on alcohol
Give this a try for two weeks and I guarantee you’ll see a major reduction in bloat and abdominal fat.
Be sure to check out our latest workout video
https://activevegetarian.com/the-ab-attack-workout
to learn an effective core workout routine.
Dedicated to your health
Zuzana
