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Now we’re moving on to part 2 of the six-pack abs reveal. As I mentioned in the guide to getting abs fast and keeping them, it is a process. Unless your makeup includes a constant high metabolism, you will need to work to burn off the excess fat.
We all have abs, no matter how big or small they are. But we will never know what they look like, no matter how many core strengthening workouts we do, unless we burn the fat.
I won’t get into exercise in this post because it’s not the second most crucial aspect of achieving a six-pack abs reveal.
It’s….drum roll, please…
DIET!
Let’s face it, doing hours of cardio will only get you so far without the proper diet. You can’t out workout a bad diet. You can’t keep up.
I’ve seen clients try to do this, and they reach a plateau and never get their body fat down enough to reveal their abs.
So, let’s dig deeper into how we can create a diet that turns your body into a fat-burning machine.
Get An Allergy Test
An allergy test is an excellent start to any fitness journey. The reason is that you aren’t only working out and dieting to look better but to feel better too.
Ever wake up sneezing or with nasal drainage, and you’re not sure why?
It could be that you are intolerant to something that you ate the day before. While this may seem minor, it is causing inflammation in your joints, muscles, and abdomen.
Allergens aggravate the immune system and cause it to work hard to fight off what your body doesn’t like. This causes inflammation in your entire body to try and flush out the culprit.
Aside from making inflammation look like fat, the problem with allergens is that it slows down your ability to heal and recover from exercising.
I found out that I was allergic to salmon and wheat, which I used to eat regularly. Now that I limit myself with these foods, it’s easier to stay lean.
This is not something that you are obligated to do, but I definitely recommend it. It will help you long-term to know which foods you can’t tolerate.
Drink Lots Of Water
Next, I want you to drink lots of water. Water keeps us hydrated and promotes an increase in metabolism. If you aren’t drinking enough water, keeping up with your workout schedule will feel like a struggle.
A lack of water makes you feel sluggish and inhibits your ability to think clearly. Nine times out of ten, it will cause your body to search for energy, and you will mistake that for hunger and overeat.
I recently experienced dehydration. I kept feeling tired no matter how much sleep I got. With the humidity levels above 100 in Virginia, I started to realize that I was dehydrated.
I drank about four bottles of water and noticed my energy and clarity come back. I was able to power through my workout.
Don’t make the same mistake I did.
Feeling fatigued is only the beginning. If you don’t get enough water, you increase your chances of injury and mistakes due to unclear thinking. Let’s not forget that dehydration triggers inflammation.
Track Your Macros
Now that we are past the two foundational things that can help you decrease inflammation and increase your metabolism, we can move onto tracking your macros.
Keeping track of your macros helps you understand where your calories are coming from and how they impact your body. If you discover that upping your carbohydrates helps you perform better in the gym without adding extra weight, you’ve found something that works for your body.
It holds you accountable for what you are eating and the results you get. For example, if you know that today is your off day, you can lower your carbohydrate intake to prevent weight gain.
The more consistent you are, the closer you get to understanding how your body responds to certain foods.
If you know how much your body needs to maintain itself (muscle mass, energy, and function), you are on a better track to losing weight.
Your maintenance macro count is what you at least eat every day. Working out will require an increase in protein, carbohydrates, and fats for recovery and muscle building.
Check your weight weekly on the same days to determine if you need to eat more or less to reach your goal.
To make things easier for you, I have included this macro calculator. Just put in your information, and it will tell you how many calories to eat to reach your goal by a specific date.
This is a great place to start.
If you would like additional help with this, I am always here to help you answer any questions and help you create a diet plan to meet those macros effectively. Contact me at transitionalfitnesscoach@gmail.com
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is one of my favorite methods for weight loss and fat burn. On most days, I have my first meal at noon. Then My last meal is around 8 pm.
Some days I only eat one meal which lets my body fast for 23 hours. This gives my body time to burn through all the calories I’ve eaten and start to burn through the fat. It works in your favor every time.
Intermittent fasting gives the body more time to heal, rest, and detox. When your body is not managing stress and digesting food, it can take care of itself. If you aren’t eating every two hours, your body has time to recover.
What I like about it the most is that it lowers your chances of overeating because you only eat within the allotted time slot. It also gives you more time to focus on other things.
Food is life but focusing on preparing food three times per day takes up time, especially if you are not meal prepping.
The overall result is a better mood, less inflammation, restful sleep, coordination, and increased energy. If you are interested in trying intermittent fasting, read more about it here.
Change Your Relationship With Food
If you remain consistent with your diet and understand your “why”, you will slowly begin to change your relationship with food.
The more you understand when you are hungry versus needing more sleep or more water, you will be able to understand what you body needs.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the foods you like. I recommend that you do, but have limits. If you love pasta and you crave it, eat it. But don’t eat it for two weeks in a row and question why you aren’t meeting your goals.
One life hack I always recommend is to avoid keeping the sweets, sodas, and foods that work against your goals in the house. This lowers your chances of making a choice against yourself. When you crave the ice cream, go out and get it. If you keep it in the house, you’re going to eat and eat and eat and eat until it’s all gone.
You may even choose to eat that instead of your chicken and rice. Or, you may even eat both, which is counterproductive to your goals.
And that’s only half of it.
The more you eat processed foods, added sugar and sweets, the more your level of inflammation will increase. It also makes you more susceptible to chronic disease.
Let’s Recap
The four things you can do to burn fat, increase your metabolism and get you closer to your six-pack abs reveal are:
- Get and allergy test.
- Drink lots of water.
- Track your macros
- Give intermittent fasting a try
These four things will help you change your relationship with food over time because you will discover what works for your body and what things you need to stick to in order to be healthy and get the results you want.
If you need guidance or have questions about this, feel free to contact me at transitionalfitnesscoach@gmail.com. I am here to help.
As always, don’t play with your body.
You only get one!
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