New Rules On Getting Lean For Those 6-Pack Abs

New Rules On Getting Lean For Those 6-Pack Abs

These are some new rules on getting a 6 pack only if it were so easy. So if your goal is to ditch those few extra pounds of fat, follow these simple rules to maximize your buff to flubber ratio:

RULE 1

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

The key to controlling hunger while also keeping calorie intake in check is to make sure the volume of food on your plate remains substantial. A common complaint among dieters is that they feel deprived when staring down at a plate or bowl that is half empty.

You can eat more for less by gravitating toward meals and snacks that provide plenty of volume but have a low energy density, which is calculating by dividing the number of calories in a food by its weight in grams. You will still eat plenty of food to keep you feeling full but will avoid a calorie overload. Water rich foods, like vegetables and fruits are ideal for reducing the energy density of a meal. Whole grains, legumes, lean meats and unsweetend low fat dairy are other items considered to be less calorie dense and should anchor your get lean diet.

So when preparing like salads, pastas, chilli, oatmeal stir frys and soups look for ways to incorporate plenty of low energy density foods to boost volume. For example try replacing some of the pasta on our plate with enough amounts of veggies, adorn oatmeal and yogurt with a pile of low calorie berries, replace flour tortillas with lettuce leaves when making wraps and tacos, infuse soups with plenty of beans, and add meaty mushrooms to burgers and meatloafs.

RULE 2

DITCH ADDED SUGARS

One of the best ways to clean up your diet to help you lean down is to say goodbye to most foods in your diet that come with sweet baggage. The average american is now pounding 19 teaspoons of added sweeteners daily, which contributes about 300 empty calories to the diet. The obvious soda pops and twinkies, the added sweet stuff lurks in a dizzying array of supermarket foods from salad dressings to pasta sauces cottage cheese to cold cuts.

Because food manufacturers are not required to divulge on nutrition labels how much sugar is naturally occurring and how much is pumped into the product, its vital to read ingredients lists when grocery shopping. Look out for the many euphemisms for sugar, including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin and evaporated cane and juice.

RULE 3

EAT FAT

Consuming fat can help cut cravings and overeating by slowing down digestion and making food more pleasing. Science shows that some dietary fat is needed to stoke fat burning metabolism, perhaps by favorably altering hormones. The only real way that you will transfer the fat that is on your dinner plate to your gut is if you are already taking too many calories. In other words, eating the right amount of fat won't make you fat any more than noshing on money will make you rich.

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