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It’s no secret that more people than ever before are struggling to achieve and maintain weight loss, specifically to lose their abdominal fat and get abs. There are so many things that play a part in getting abs and keeping them, and I’m going to share them with you.
No matter where you are in your journey to getting abs, know that it is possible for you. Here is your guide to getting abs fast and keeping them.
Mindset
Every guide to achieving anything should start off with a positive mindset, even a guide to getting abs fast and keeping them. lol
A positive mindset is the first thing you need to create the foundation for achieving weight loss and getting abs. You have to believe that you have abs. When you look in the mirror, no matter what you see, you must still be grateful for the body you have now and the body you will have when you get those abs you want.
I know this seems crazy, but the more you love yourself, the easier it will be to achieve your weight loss goals. Your unconscious thoughts about being fat, unattractive, and undesirable will radiate negative energy from you, to you, and to those around you.
It’s not your body’s fault that you are overweight. Your mindset about food and taking care of your body is at fault.
No matter how you look at it, it won’t help you.
Know Your “Why”
Knowing why you want to lose weight will help you stay connected to it. Everyone’s “why” is going to be different, and that’s okay.
You may want abs for swimsuit season. Or, you may just want abs as a symbol of your core strength to help you do that handstand you’ve been practicing.
Your “why” puts the fire in your belly. It is what gets you up and moving at the gym when you don’t feel like it. It’s what makes you choose non-dairy when you would prefer not to. It unites your passion and drive. It creates continuous intention.
Figure out what your “why” is and never lose sight of it, and it will be much easier to stay on your path to reach your goal.
You Need A Plan
I’ve said this to myself multiple times….If you don’t plan, you plan to fail. Having a plan is a major key to achieving your goal.
When you have a plan, you take the guesswork out of what you are going to eat, and what workout you’re going to do.
When you don’t have a plan, you will get burnt out from figuring things out as you go. This will create problems with your ability to be intentional. It will make it hard to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Here’s a prime example. Before I start training a client, we go over their goals and create a plan. Each week I check in with them to see how the program is working for them. If something is not working, we change it.
This puts us on a better path to achieving their goals. Not to mention, once they reach their goals, they will have a framework of things they know work for their body that they can continue long-term.
A plan will help hold you accountable as well. Once you begin to see results, you will be more motivated to continue.
Let’s face it, when you don’t have a destination, you don’t know where you will end up. It could be at your goals or somewhere else. Why not plan to get to where you want to be?
Why Is It So Hard To Get Body Fat Down?
This is a question I get all the time from men and women. They work out hard, starve their bodies of their favorite foods, and they still don’t see the body fat melting off.
There is a six-part answer to that question. If you address all six of these aspects, you will be on the fast track to getting abs faster and keeping them.
It’s A Process
Understanding that getting abs or weight loss, in general, is a process. There is no one size fit all or one-week diet that will lower your body fat percentage.
You can lose weight on the scale and still have the same amount of body fat. I’ll say that again. You can lose weight without losing body fat or changing your body’s composition.
It takes trial and error, patience, and perseverance to reach your health goals. It will be easier for some, harder for others, but it’s one of those things that will be worth it long-term.
Accepting and loving yourself every day, being grateful for what you are experiencing and learning, and allowing yourself to evolve throughout the process is a great way to stay on track with your goals.
Finding A Diet That Works Best For Your Body And Lifestyle
The diet that you choose will depend on your goals and your lifestyle. Food is fuel. Food is life. Listening to your body and understanding how and what foods will work for you. Food is a huge part of your guide to getting abs fast.
One of the best ways to shock your metabolism is to carb cycle. That means to rotate how many carbs you eat to get your body to start using fat for fuel.
What you eat will depend on a combination of stress, food, and sleep, what you know works for your body, and how active your lifestyle is.
Track Your Macros
Your body needs a certain amount of calories to maintain itself and a certain amount to burn fat and kick your weight loss into high gear.
When you stick to a specific amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, you find out what is working and what’s not working for your body.
Checking your weight weekly on the same days will determine how those macros need to be adjusted based on your results.
For example, if you gain a pound one week, your macros will change to compensate for the weight gain. The goal for the next week is to see a weight decrease, not an increase.
Use the chart below to get an idea of where you should start.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting is another way to manage your eating schedule. It allows you to stay on track of your macros while kicking your metabolism into high gear.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting also lowers glucose resistance, cholesterol, and even blood pressure.
Since your body is focused on digesting food all the time, it can work on doing other things like healing, resting, and detoxing.
The result is better sleep, coordination, and even a better mood. For more on intermittent fasting, check out my article, How Intermittent Fasting Benefits Weight Loss.
Change Your Relationship With Food
Having an unhealthy relationship with food will be expensive financially, physically, and mentally. Eating out all the time costs money. Eating based on emotions will cause weight gain and inflammation and all kinds of chronic issues. Eventually, these things will begin to impact your mindset, self-esteem, and overall health.
Don’t get me wrong. You should permit yourself to enjoy the foods you like. However, it is crucial to understand which foods work for your body and cause weight gain.
One way to upgrade your relationship with food is to lower your chances of making bad food choices. When you buy groceries, avoid buying sweets and processed foods. When you get that craving, go out and get it. Also when you are craving current types of food you could be mineral defiant in current vitamins and minerals.
Let’s face it, for some of us, it’s easy to eat those foods, especially if you have to choose between taking the time to prepare your food.
Inflammation
Sometimes what looks like extra fat around your midsection could actually be inflammation. This means that your body is working to protect you from something, whether it be stress (which we will get into later), allergies, or even a traumatic experience or injury.
Allergies
Do you know that when your body has contact with an allergen, your entire body has some level of inflammation?
The inflammation doesn’t stop in your nasal passages, even though those may be the only ones you notice. The inflammation impacts your joints and muscles as well.
If you are experiencing allergy symptoms and notice that your recovery is taking longer, that’s why. The same is true for feelings of weakness and prolonged wound healing.
Allergens aggravate and stimulate your immune system kicking it into high gear making it work harder to fight off the allergen. If the immune system uses most of its power to fight off the allergen, it can’t work as hard as it usually does to facilitate muscle and joint healing and recovery.
Trauma
Trauma to the mind and emotions cause hormonal balances that cause a release of cortisol (I will talk more about that next). Physical trauma causes swelling in the injured area as part of the healing process.
When an injury happens, the injured area gets flooded with white blood cells and other fluids to prevent and kill any bacteria and replace dead and damaged cells with new healthy ones. The swelling is a sign that your body is doing what it was made to do.
You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
We all need water because we are water. Our bodies are between 60 and 70 percent water. That means if we aren’t drinking enough water, we are dehydrating ourselves.
This negatively impacts our physical performance, brain function, and energy levels. Water to us is like gas and oil in a car. If we don’t get enough, we are prone to injury, mistakes, unclear thinking, and inflammation.
Drinking enough water can also enhance your metabolism and flush out toxins which can aid in weight loss.
You’re Not Sleeping Enough
It is crucial to get enough sleep. Sleeping gives your body the time and space it needs to detox and heal. While you sleep, specifically between 10 pm and 2 am, your kidneys and liver detox from the day before.
One thing to keep in mind here is to avoid eating three hours before bedtime. When you eat a late meal, your body will be focused on digesting food, not detoxing, creating inflammation.
Then, throughout the next day, you will feel fatigued. Your body will be searching for energy, and instead of taking a nap, you will drink coffee, or worst, confuse the search for energy with hunger and order that double burger you’ve been craving for weeks.
These things only compound the inflammation, never addressing the issue at hand, which is you not getting enough sleep. For more on how sleep impacts your overall health, check out 9 Reasons A Lack Of Sleep Hurts Your Overall Wellbeing.
Stress Management
Managing your stress is one of those major keys to weight loss and lowering inflammation in the body. When you don’t manage your stress, it’s hard to stick to your macros because you will always crave food or either never be hungry. How it impacts each person is different.
Struggling with stress management will result in hormonal imbalances and a constant release of cortisol in the bloodstream. Your body is essentially using the fight or flight response as a way of living, not a tool to deal with stress.
On Cortisol
If Cortisol becomes dysfunctional, it will cause cycles of pain, depression, and inflammation. It is essential to cope with everyday stressors to decrease how much cortisol is getting released into the bloodstream.
A constant flow of cortisol into your bloodstream and the look of inflammation will be the least of your problems. In fact, it will become a risk factor for chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart trouble, and obesity.
Hormonal Imbalances
So we’ve talked about cortisol, but there are four other hormonal imbalances you need to be aware of.
Estrogen
Let’s start with estrogen. Too much estrogen can cause issues in men and women. It can cause weight gain, fatigue, and inflammation. For men, it can be a risk factor for heart problems. Things to watch out for in the diet that produces this are overeating soy and dairy.
Too little estrogen for women can produce the same result. In many cases, women who are experiencing menopause go through the process of diminishing estrogen.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone present in men and women that supports overall wellbeing. When a man has high progesterone levels, his level of estrogen increases (see estrogen above). High progesterone levels in women are associated with bloating, anxiety, depression, and the inability to maintain a steady weight.
Low progesterone levels in women cause irregular periods, a low sex drive, and frequent miscarriages. In men, insufficient progesterone can cause erectile dysfunction, fatigue, hair loss, and weight gain.
Testosterone
Testosterone supports male development and bone health, and healthy reproductive tissue in women. In men, low testosterone symptoms are low sperm count, mood swings, erectile dysfunction, and reduced sex drive. Women sometimes experience fatigue, muscle weakness, reduced sex drive, and weight gain.
Insulin
Lastly, insulin is the hormone that breaks down fat and protein to regulate your metabolic process. High levels of insulin or hypoglycemia are heart palpitations, anxiety, dizziness, and sweating.
Symptoms of low insulin or hyperglycemia are dehydration, constant hunger, weight loss, and fatigue.
Can you see how imbalances in these hormones can contribute to the inability to burn fat?
Things You Can Do To Start On The Right Foot
I know this seems like an information overload, and it is. It takes a lot of time and trial and error to figure out what works for your body.
This guide gives you the information to better understand what could be causing a struggle in your weight loss, fat burn journey to abs.
My goal is to take a lot of the guesswork out of the process and make it easier for you to get started.
Bloodwork
Getting your bloodwork done is a simple and effective start to understanding what mineral deficiencies you may have. A lab test is essentially a mineral deficiency test that tells you if you have low vitamin D or high insulin.
If something is off, you can address it, making it easier for you to reach your goals.
Allergy Test
An allergy test is essential to knowing which foods don’t work for your body. It will tell you which foods you are allergic and intolerant to.
Once you get the results, you can eliminate and limit the foods that cause an allergic reaction. This is a great way to lower inflammation in the body.
Practice Yoga and Meditation
Practicing yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques is a great way to cope with everyday stressors and lower stress. What works for each person will be different.
Some may prefer yoga asanas. Others will find that meditation is the best way to cope with stress and gain clarity on where they are and where they want to be.
Breathing techniques help manage emotions and get oxygen to the organs and muscles. It promotes calmness and healing.
The more you can face life, relax in the present, and release what doesn’t serve you, and embrace what does, the healthier you will be mentally, emotionally, and physically.
When you have reached this point, you can tune into what your body needs and have the space to provide those things for it to thrive and achieve your goals.
Ab Workouts To Get You Started
These are tried and true ab workouts that will strengthen your core. Each exercise is to be done in 4 sets with 30 repetitions, three times per week.
Beginner Abs
- Planks
Planks work the following muscles in the upper body: major and minor rhomboid, trapezius, pectorals, serratus anterior, biceps, triceps, and the latissimus dorsi.
They also work these muscles in the core: rectus abdominis, obliques, and the transverse abdominis.
How-To: Begin by lying on your stomach with your elbows and forearms at your side. Align your elbows and shoulders are.
Lift your torso off the ground by pressing into your forearms and toes. Use your core as leverage by contracting it to hold your body in a steady plank position. Maintain a neutral spine and neck and slightly tuck your pelvis inward.
Hold this position for as long as you can. Be sure to maintain proper form. When the form is compromised, release the position.
2. Bird dog
The bird dog works the following muscles: erector spinae, rectus abdominis, and glutes.
It also works the latissimus dorsi, transverse abdominus, trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor, anterior and medial deltoids, posterior deltoids, serratus anterior, and gluteus medius/minimus.
How-To: Kneel with knees hip-width apart and hands firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Contract the abs and use them as leverage to help you hold the position. Lift one hand and the opposite knee just an inch or two off the floor while balancing on the other hand and knee and keeping your weight centered. Your body should form a straight line.
3. Lying Leg Raise
The lying leg raise works the following muscles: Rectus abdominis and the internal and external oblique muscles.
How-To: Lie on your back flat on the floor, legs extended. Place your hands underneath your lower back and glutes. This gives your pelvis support in the exercise. Slowly raise your legs toward the ceiling, keeping the legs straight. Lift until your legs are straight in the air and form a 90-degree angle. Then, lower back down about one to three inches above the floor and repeat.
Intermediate Abs
- Hanging Knee Raise
The hanging knee raise works the following muscles: Rectus abdominis and external obliques, internal obliques, hip flexors, forearm muscles, and shoulder girdle muscles.
How-To: Start in a Hanging position from a bar with your body straight. Use an overhand grip. Engage and contract your abs and raise your legs, keeping them straight until they are at 90° to your torso. Then lower your legs back down. Control the entire movement.
- Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers work the following muscles: major and minor rhomboid, trapezius, pectorals, serratus anterior, biceps, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, hamstring, triceps, and quadriceps.
How-To: Start in a kneeling position with both hands and knees on the floor. Then place your right foot near your right hand and extend your left leg behind you. Then switch legs, keeping your arms in the same position. Continue for 30 reps.
- Stability Ball Knee Tucks
Stability Ball Knee Tucks work the following muscles: rectus abdominis, obliques, major and minor rhomboid, trapezius, pectorals, serratus anterior, biceps, triceps, and the latissimus dorsi.
How-To: Get into a kneeling position with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Contract your core and place one leg at a time on the stability ball.
The ball should be between the top of your feet and the top of the shins. Adjust here so that the ball is close to your body. Try to have your feet separated as much as possible as this will make the movement easier and help you maintain proper balance.
Press your feet and shins down into the stability ball and use your to pull the ball towards your chest as you bend the knees and bring them as close to your chest as you can.
Hold the position for a second and then slowly return to the starting position.
Advanced Abs
- Medicine Ball V-Up
The Medicine Ball V-Up works the following muscles: external oblique, internal oblique, and rectus abdominis.
How-To: Start with the medicine ball in your hands and lay on your back with arms straight behind your head and legs extended. Contract the abdominals and gently lower legs back to the mat. Then slowly raise feet and medicine ball straight up over the body. Repeat the movement.
- Standing Barbell Rollout
The Standing Barbell Rollout works the following muscles: rectus abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae (lower back). It also targets the latissimus dorsi (upper back) and shoulder muscles.
How-To: With your back slightly arched, roll the barbell out as far as you can. Eventually, the goal is to be on your toes with your body flat out in front but not touching the floor. Once you are fully extended, bring the barbell back to its starting position.
- Weighted Planks
Planks work the following muscles in the upper body: major and minor rhomboid, trapezius, pectorals, serratus anterior, biceps, triceps, and the latissimus dorsi.
They also work these muscles in the core: rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
How-To: Begin by lying on your stomach with your elbows and forearms at your side. Align your elbows and shoulders are. Add a weight plate to your lower back.
Lift your torso off the ground by pressing into your forearms and toes. Use your core as leverage by contracting it to hold your body in a steady plank position. Maintain a neutral spine and neck and slightly tuck your pelvis inward.
Hold this position for as long as you can. Be sure to maintain proper form. When the form is compromised, release the position.
Hire A Mental Performance Coach
Having a mental performance coach in your back pocket to help you track your progress and motivate you to stay connected to your goals not only holds you accountable but keeps you motivated.
A mental performance coach helps you address the underlying issues that are slowing down your progress. They handle all the data so that you don’t have to. All you have to do is show up and be intentional.
That’s it for this post. Please use this guide to getting abs fast to your advantage.
I am always here to assist you in your journey to overall wellness and, yes, your journey to achieving fat loss and abs and keeping them.
If you have any questions or concerns that I can assist you with, please email me at transitionalfitnesscoach@gmail.com.
And remember, don’t play with your body, you only get one!