Witness The Fitness: Six Pack Abs - Part 2

It’s time for the second installment in our summer fitness battle against indulgence for the Six Pack Abs everybody wants.

Check out Part 1 before kicking off the real work today. 

Part 2: Do The Math

Oh, stop… it’s not that bad.

Every year, you probably put your body composition on a rollercoaster ride. Hibernate in the winter, whip yourself into shape by Memorial Day the Fourth of July, and then transition into hibernation mode again. 

Summers are the best — but they’re also the worst. It’s been the hottest summer on record; if you’re lucky, you’re sweating it out poolside and not in your cubicle between junkie sweats, but losing water weight isn’t going to help you get ripped.

By sunset, we’re out at the races again for a too tempting happy hour, regrouping with friends between conflicted summerings, or consoling a BFF over a tender break-up — all of which go longer and rougher than expected… Maybe it’s just me, but don’t the number of pizza and burger joints double after midnight? 

You can have Six Pack Abs and not avoid all your favorite indulgences; yes, it’s summer… but remember moderation.

Download the Calorie Counter app for iOS, Android, or Blackberry. 

There are tons of apps that help you track your diet, but this one scans barcodes, syncs across devices, and holds most nutritional info from groceries, alcohol, and restaurants. Most importantly, you can upload your own recipes much easier at their website for future logging. That’s better living through technology.

With this tool you’ll be able to figure out what and how much you should eat, but be mindful that: 

• Men should eat 12.5 calories per pound of current weight (with a daily max of 2,700 calories)
• Women should eat 11.5 calories per pound of current weight (with a daily max of 1,850 calories)

If you want to get ripped, you should eat less. 

Depending on your metabolism, one pound of fat can take 3200-4000 calories to burn off. Think about that before you blow it out on rich pastas, breaded anythings, or greasy sausage, egg, and cheese.

Now track your food for a few days. Try to stay under your customized calorie goal by 500 calories a day — not by eating less but by eating more lower-calorie fruits, veggies, and nuts. There is such a thing as lower-calorie booze (vodka over beer, martinis over fruity mixed drinks). If you need a hangover helper after a rough night, try a Lean Pocket or smaller portions of rich stomach settlers, but just don’t make it a habit.

But eating right alone won’t get you regular muscle defintion right away, so tomorrow we learn about exercise.

Now don’t lie this week — and try not to blow it out.

 

Roody Dallemand is a Health Fitness Specialist (ACSM), Kettlebell Instructor (KBC), and Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist (MAT) focusing on high intensity training and nutrition to help his clients live a better life. For more info, please visit him on his site.