Just can't get rid of your flabby belly, even though you do sit-ups
and crunches until you're ready to drop? Maybe you're so mortified
by the condition of your abs that you've relegated your bikini
and lowrise jeans to the dark recesses of your closet.
Before you dump on (or just plain dump) your workout for not
giving you killer abs, you should know the real culprit may be
your diet -- or even your high-stress lifestyle.
If you want to go from fat to fab abs, new research shows that
what you eat is just as important as how -- or even how much --
you work out. And lifestyle counts, too, because stress doesn't
just mess with your head, it also can induce a pooch.
Following are six strategies from the country's leading weight-loss,
nutrition and stress experts, all designed to get you flat abs
in just four weeks (see our "4-Week Fiber-Up Guide"),
plus three delicious, lowfat recipes that will fill you up without
making you look or feel bloated.
Tip 1. Eat more fiber.
Not eating enough fiber may be a major reason women are getting
fatter and flabbier. To ditch the fat and show off firm, beautiful
abs, you need to eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily, says leading
fiber researcher David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., professor
of nutrition at the University of Toronto, and a member of the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Food and Nutrition Board. Fiber,
which is the indigestible part of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain
foods helps you achieve flat abs. For best results, increase your
fiber intake slowly over the course of one month and drink plenty
of water to keep food moving through your system as quickly as
possible.
Tip 2. Opt for a sensible amount of high-quality carbs.
For flatter abs, make carbs 45-65 percent (202-292 grams based
on an 1,800-calorie diet) of your total daily calories. Balance
is the key here, so don't go below 45 percent (202 grams), or
above 65 percent (292 grams), which can lead to water retention,
bloating and temporary weight gain that shows up in your middle.
When you eat carbs, they break down into glucose, which is stored
as glycogen in the muscles and liver. When glycogen is stored,
it carries with it three times its own weight as water, compared
to no water at all for protein and fat, according to Peter Garlick,
Ph.D., a professor at Stony Brook University in New York.
