The Six-Pack Diet Plan

The Six-Pack Diet Plan
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Obtaining a six pack is a matter of lowering your body fat levels. In order to do this you will need to eat less, eat the right foods and eat small meals throughout the day. It is advisable to supplement your diet with an exercise regimen as this will speed up fat loss and give your abs more definition.

Protein

Consume more protein if you want to cut your body fat levels down so you can see your six pack abs. Protein is a biochemical compound consisting of amino acids that are vital for muscle building and maintenance. Muscle burns a lot of calories so if you want to burn fat, maintain muscle mass. Your body will not burn muscle for fuel and will be forced to burn only excess fat for fuel. Good sources of protein are poultry, seafood, beef and protein supplements.

Reduce Carbohydrates

Reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are essentially sugars that cause an insulin spike. High insulin levels prevent fat loss as the body uses these as fuel. Eat only complex, slow energy-releasing carbohydrates such as whole-wheat pasta, bread, brown rice and oatmeal. Cut out refined sugar, baked goods, candy and soft drinks.

Reduce Calories

In order to effectively burn body fat you will need to reduce your calorie intake. Measure your daily calorie needs using an online calorie calculator. Then calculate the calories in all of your meals and eat consistently less calories than you need every day. An excess of calories will be turned into fat even if these calories are in the form of protein or complex carbohydrates.

Multiple Meals per Day

Eating up to six meals per day will ensure your metabolism does not slow down. Bodybuilders use this approach to cut body fat levels down to about 3 or 4 percent. Your meals should only consist of 200 or 300 calories and you should eat every two to three hours. Typical meals will consist of oatmeal with protein powder, pita bread with tuna and chicken salads.

Exercise

Supplement your diet with a rigorous exercise regimen. If you are a beginner, do not overexert yourself. Performing ab exercises will strengthen your ab muscles but will not give you a six pack. Obtaining a six pack is a matter of reducing body fat levels. Exercises such as crunches will, however, give your abs more definition once you begin to reach low body fat levels. Do cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, circuit training and swimming. Incorporate weight training into your exercise regimen as muscle building increases the metabolism and ensures your lean muscle mass is not used as fuel on a low calorie diet.

References

Article reviewed by Contributing Writer Last updated on: Jun 20, 2011

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