However!
"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."
- Beverly Sills
To desire results, you're going to need to work for results! I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but sometimes, the smallest things can get in the way. Hence, here's another tip for you from my 3 Formula Series to get you the best midsection you've ever had.
Six-Pack Destroyers:
Watch out for this little buggers. I want all that hard work you've put forward in your Spinning classes, your concentrated abdominal workouts, and healthy eating to show off!
Clean your diet of...
1) Soda
One of the worst six pack ab offenders! Soda is not only filled with sugar (or artificial sweeteners), but the carbonation will cause your body to bloat. Studies even show that people who drink soda (diet or regular) are fatter. Your risk for obesity goes up by 41%! The University of Texas revealed that soda - most specifically, diet soda - caused a detrimental hormonal response. The result? Cravings for refined carbohydrates, sweets, and increase in calorie intake overall, as well as increase in production of a fat storage hormone.
How to Succeed: Write down the reason why you reach for soda. Remember, we are changing habits to healthier habits for a lifestyle and NOT a quick fix. There are many healthier alternatives that your body will love more - and you will feel the difference, I promise you. Try tea with a sweet alternative like Stevia, iced tea with lemon (no added sugar), even iced water with slices of fruit. There are so many great options out there, I'll tell you it's more fun to discover new teas than just running to the store to get soda.
2) Refined Carbohydrates/Sugar
I'm sure you know about this one. If you strip all the nutrition out of a food, there will be a lack of those great building blocks you're going to need for a head-turning six pack. Let's be real here. We all love more "bang" for our buck. If I told you that you were getting very little quality (nutrition) for how much you spend, wouldn't you want the quality stuff? Do your body a favor. Read the labels. Example: Have you noticed the bleached enriched flour in foods (if you can call them that) like donuts, crackers, cakes, cookies, breads? I'm not doing my laundry! Why would I feed my body bleached enriched bread when I could get a hearty loaf of bread with whole grains that fill me up and make me feel energized? In relation to abs, these white, processed refined carbs cause spikes in insulin and blood sugar, which equals easy fat storage. Get rid of them!
How to Succeed: Make painless changes - switch to whole grain, and make sure the label says WHOLE GRAIN. You can still enjoy your English muffin or piece of toast in the morning, it's just all about the switch to a smarter option.
3) Salt
Chinese buffet, pretzels, frozen meals, hot sauces, processed shelf foods... what do they all have in common? Sodium! ALWAYS, ALWAYS check your sodium before thinking a certain food is a "smart option." Not only does a large amount of sodium in your diet cause bloating, but it raises blood pressure, increases risk for osteoporosis, heart failure, kidney stones, hormonal imbalance, and dehydration. Americans especially consume too much sodium.
How to Succeed: Aim for LESS than 2000mg of sodium a day. Again, read the labels. There are many options out there for reduced sodium, or try your hand at spices - the best way to season food! My favorites include cumin, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, and herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary.
4) Trans Fats
We're looking at processed foods here. Anything listed as "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil," PUT BACK. These are toxic not only to your dream six pack, but to your health as well. Some examples of trans fats are crackers, bakery items, margarine, even frozen food items like pizza.
How to Succeed: If you are craving a cookie, make it from scratch with real butter and enjoy it once in a while. DO NOT buy it at the store because of convenience. I am furious that these screwed up oils are on the market! Throw out ANYTHING in your pantry or fridge that has this crap in it. There should be no excuses. Success is obtainable through this move alone, I assure you.
5) High Fructose Corn Syrup
Continuing with the whole "sugar attack" I made earlier, high fructose corn syrup is right up there along with the trans fats. Why is HFCS such a big deal? There's fructose in apples, right?
Fructose is a sugar, but in its natural form like in an apple - that includes fiber, antioxidants, and other needed nutrients - it is great for the human body to use for energy. When you mess up the chemistry, it becomes to the point that the body no longer recognizes that the stomach is full, blood sugar levels and insulin spike, and you lose energy quickly (sugar crash) and again, will encourage fat storage to increase in your midsection, thighs, butt... you get the idea. Fructose in high amounts messes with appetite, therefore making you unaware of the "full" signal we need to know when we've consumed enough. It's not a valuable, smart source of energy! Even in a Princeton University study, they discovered that rats who consumed HFCS gained MORE weight than those who consumed regular table sugar!
How to Succeed: Read your labels, people! I feel like a broken record when I say this, but it's the best way to know what you're putting in your mouth - simple as that. Products like ketchup, salad dressing, fruit drinks, soda pop... they all usually have HFCS. A healthy, sexy six-pack will not thrive under chemistry experiments. Lower that sugar amount - HFCS and table sugar - and you will see great results.
6) Fried Foods (Especially Fries!)
You knew I was getting to this, right? Quick overview here - fried foods are literally drenched in oil, aka fat, to make them crisp. While monosaturated fats are indeed healthier for you than trans fats or saturated fats, they still are fat and should be consumed with caution. Calories are the big deal here. Too many calories in the body means fat on your body, so listen up. French fries especially are a starchy carbohydrate and when you add in all that nasty oil, the greasy feeling you get after you eat them is no fake aftertaste. Again, we're spiking our blood sugar and insulin, making it easy for the body to store those calories as fat. Your six pack abs say NO, THANK YOU!
How to Succeed: Can't live without the taste of fried foods? Bake or broil them! One of my son's favorite meals is chicken tenders, so I'll take chicken breasts, dip them in egg and then dip them in whole grain bread crumbs. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes and voila! There are alternatives. Feel free to search out the web for recipes!
That about wraps it up with this entry for today. These are excellent examples of what can harm your efforts in obtaining that beach body as well as your health, so I hope you were able to pick something up today.
Remember, you CAN change your lifestyle and you CAN make smarter choices. It's like any other aspect of your life. In return, you'll turn heads. Confidence? Yeah, I think is a great reward in itself.
Take care, everyone.
Jen
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