Abdominal Diet Plan
People usually work out for one of three reasons: to reach a specific athletic goal, to get larger and stronger, or to get leaner and more "ripped." If you fall into the third category, your sign of success may be attaining "six-pack abs." While exercising regularly is certainly half the battle in the war for abs, the other half takes place in the kitchen.
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About the Abs Diet
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The Abs Diet is an eating plan designed by David Zinczenko, the editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine. Although Zinczenko works for Men's Health, the diet is equally appropriate for men and women. It is a six-week fat-loss blitzkrieg designed to help you lose stubborn abdominal fat, revealing the muscle waiting underneath.
The Theory
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Accepting that there are no shortcuts to sustainable weight control, the Abs Diet eschews the typical get-fit-quick schemes. It provides a well-rounded approach to nutrition that gets you to your goal while teaching you healthy eating techniques you can use for a lifetime. Although the Abs Diet itself is a six-week plan, you can easily transition the nutritional approaches within the diet into your regular eating routine.
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The Rules
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The Abs Diet is build around the concept of avoiding fatty, overly processed junk foods, high-sugar foods, and food containing refined flour. This means you will be sticking to mainly lean protein sources, healthy carbohydrates and healthy fats. While on the Abs Diet, eat five or six small meals every day. One meal during the week is designated as a "cheat" meal, meaning you can eat anything you want.
Power Foods
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The Abs Diet contains a list of "power foods" around which your diet should be based. These include: almonds (nuts), beans (legumes), spinach (green vegetables), low-fat dairy, oatmeal, eggs, turkey (lean meat), natural peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain carbohydrates, protein powder, and berries (along with other fruits). These foods are nutrient-dense and provide your body with a maximal level of nourishment coupled with a minimal level of calories, Zinczenko says.
Considerations
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While at first you will lose weight simply by virtue of replacing unhealthy foods in your diet with healthier alternatives, eventually you will need to become more stringent to see continued progress, Zinczenko says. Keep a food log while on the Abs Diet, recording daily what you ate and the total number of calories consumed. Weigh yourself weekly to monitor your progress. If you're not losing one to two pounds a week, drop your daily food intake by roughly 200 calories, then reassess in another week. Through incremental adjustment you will find the right calorie total for your body, bringing you that much closer to that coveted "six-pack."
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