You can do all the sit-ups you want and have abdominal fat covering your toned muscles if you're not eating a well-balanced diet, according to Fitness magazine. Get the abs you want by combining a healthy diet with your current exercise regimen. A good diet plan for abs will help you build abdominal muscle without packing on unnecessary calories.
Low-fat Protein
Most adults should eat 5-½ to 6-½ oz. of protein-rich foods per day, but most of it should be lean or low-fat, according to MyPyramid.gov. While whole-fat dairy and fatty cuts of meat offer protein, they can add flab to your stomach and contribute to high cholesterol. Low-fat sources of protein such as beans, legumes, nuts, eggs and low-fat or fat-free dairy can help you build abdominal muscle without tacking on lots of calories.
Healthy Fats
You'll cut down your intake of less healthy fats if you eat mostly low-fat protein, but you still need to take in some fat. Specifically, the American Heart Association recommends that 25 to 35 percent of your calories should come from fat, and the majority of it should be unsaturated. Some major sources of unsaturated fat are vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fish and avocados. A 2007 study in the journal Diabetes Care found that dieters who ate monounsaturated fat -- found in foods such as peanut butter and avocados -- were able to burn off more stomach fat than people who ate the same amount of calories but took in less monounsaturated fat.
Fiber
The high amount of fiber in foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables can help you stay full longer with fewer calories, which will contribute to a less flabby belly. Fiber can also trap food particles and remove them from your system before you fully digest them, meaning you won't absorb as many calories from what you eat, according to Fitness magazine. Aim to take in 25 to 35g of fiber each day. A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, a lunchtime sandwich on 100 percent whole-wheat bread and brown rice with dinner can help you reach your goal.
Drinks
What you drink may be reducing your ability to burn off belly fat through exercise. Alcohol, for example, doesn't fill up your stomach, but it is caloric. It also encourages your body to burn as much as 36 percent less fat, it can impede your body's production of hormones that help you burn fat and it causes you to store more fat than you consume, according to Women's Health magazine. Sugary drinks such as soda are also harmful. They add up to 150 empty calories in a single 12 oz. can. Replace your intake of alcohol and soda with green tea and water, which will help keep your metabolism high without packing on excess calories, according to Women's Health Magazine.
Meal Frequency
If you just eat three meals a day, you risk feeling overly hungry between meals and you may end up eating too many calories when you finally sit down to eat. You may also end up reaching for a nearby vending machine snack, which is likely to be full of empty calories. Bring a few healthy snacks such as an apple, a plastic baggie of low-sodium pretzels and celery with peanut butter to work with you to eat every two to three hours, says Women's Health Magazine.
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