Abs Are Made In The Kitchen!

Keywords: abs, fitness, healthy, healthy eating, clean eating, health, nutrition

Have you ever heard that a fit body is 80% diet and 20% exercise? Chances are you have because it’s true!

You can do crunches all you want but never see the defined abs you are dreaming of. If you are at the gym doing crunch after crunch and guzzling down a sugary sports drink, you are not going to get the results you want. Sorry.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret… Abs are made IN THE KITCHEN! Notice how I didn’t say gym? Of course it is important to train abs twice a week just like any other muscle group, but if you want the flat, chiseled abs, then you are going to have to put your biggest effort into the kitchen. 

When it comes to flattening your tummy, my advice is to:

• Eat clean
• Clean eating works. It not only makes you feel better overall, but it helps break down fatty tissue stored around your midsection.

• Commit 100%
• You have to be able to commit to clean eating. Cheat meals are of course acceptable. We would go crazy without a splurge once in a while, but you can’t have a cheat meal three meals a day!

• Know what you’re putting in your body
• Don’t obsess over eating perfect. It’s not possible, and you will just drive yourself crazy. Just be aware of what you’re eating. I don’t recommend tracking calories, but keeping a food log isn’t a bad idea. That way you can celebrate when you write down “egg whites” for breakfast instead of “bagel and cream cheese.” :)

• Avoid sugar and saturated fat
• Have a sweet tooth? Me too. Try sweetening up your day with honey, agave nectar or a natural sweetener, such as Truvia or Stevia.
• Healthy fats are extremely beneficial and actually essential to your diet. Try adding healthy fats such as avocado, oils and nuts. Olive oil is a good salad dressing substitute, and is great to cook with.

• Drink A LOT of water
• Believe it or not, water helps flush excess water from your body. It also flushes toxins and excess sodium. I cannot tell you enough, DRINK A LOT OF WATER!

I know clean eating is not easy. Planning ahead and writing out a meal plan really helps me stick to my diet. Here’s an example of what I would have in a day: 

Breakfast:

• 1 cup egg whites with spinach, feta cheese, turkey and tomatoes.
• Fresh fruit

Snack:

• 25 almonds
• 1 cup baby carrots with hummus
• OR rice cakes

Lunch:

• 4 ounce chicken breast
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup veggies

Post Workout:

• one scoop 100% whey protein with 8 ounces of water

Dinner:

• 4 ounce chicken breast
• 1-2 cups veggies
• fresh fruit

Bedtime Snack:

• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• cottage cheese is a good source of casein which is a slow digesting protein.

Veggies I eat:

• asparagus
• broccoli
• spinach
• zucchini
• carrots

Fruits I eat:

• strawberries
• bananas
• raspberries
• grapes
• watermelon
• kiwi

*** Keep in mind that this is just a simple meal plan. It is basically an "outline" of my meals that helps keep me on track. I stray from this a little and add some things here or there. For example, with my chicken for lunch I might put it in a whole wheat tortilla and add some cheese and hot sauce. Or I might put peanut butter and raspberries on my rice cakes.

*** I snack on fruits and veggies throughout the day. Fruits contain high amounts of natural sugar so I try not to eat more than the recommended amount of 2 cups. 

*** I have a pre-workout drink before my workouts everyday, and I take the supplements that I discussed in one of my previous blog posts. :)

My next post will have lots of yummy recipes for you, so stay tuned! 

If you have any questions about healthy eating, comment below. :)