5 Big Fat Six Pack Abs Lies

If you want to get a flatter stomach or rock hard 6 pack abs, you need to do much more than just crunches and sit-ups. Here are 5 big fat lies about abs and fat loss that may be holding your back from getting the 6 pack abs and flat tummy you deserve.



Big Fat Lie #1: You can crunch away the fat on your abs

It doesn't matter if you do a million crunches a day, it is impossible to "spot-reduce" abdominal fat. Like the old saying goes "you cannot out train a bad diet"; abs are made in the kitchen & not the gym. Diet is responsible for 90% of your results! In order to burn the fat that is covering up your abs you need a good diet & a solid strength training program backing it up.

Big Fat Lie #2: You have to do abs every day to get a six pack or a flat stomach.

Abs are just like any other muscle. You wouldn't train legs every day so why would it make sense to train abs every day? Instead of overworking your abs on a daily basis, train them twice per week and throw in some unconventional ab exercises like Mountain Climbers and the Stability Ball Jackknife for an extra edge.

Big Fat Lie #3: If you do a bunch different ab exercises and a ton of reps, feeling "the burn" is all that matters.

Crunches and sit-us are two of the least effective exercises for developing eye popping six pack abs. Not only is doing an exercise where you can bang out hundreds of easy reps useless, but crunches and sit-ups can also cause lower back pain. Be sure to focus on quality reps and not the quantity of reps. Maintain strict form and stick to abdominal exercises where you can only perform sets in the 15-20 rep range.

Big Fat Lie #4: This new fat burner pill will help me lose my abdominal fat.

Your six pack is not locked inside of a miracle potion or marketing pill. In fact, many of these "fat burner" pills can make your abs look worse because they eat up more muscle than fat! Stick to a fat-burning, muscle-building diet all year round and you will see better results than any fat burner pill will ever give you.

Big Fat Lie #5: You can't get a flat stomach or ripped six pack abs because your genetics suck.

You may hear people tell you that you will never lose your belly fat and get a six pack because you just don't have the "right genes." The sad part about this statement is that many TRAINERS will even tell people this nonsense!

If you have a trainer that ever tells you this crap make a run for it! The truth is that even if you have the "worst genes" ever, if you make better food choices and start working out smarter you can pretty much get any type of body you want.

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Jamin Thompson is an internationally recognized fat loss expert, fitness model, motivational speaker, and sports performance expert. He is the author of the best selling fitness and diet e-book, The 6 Pack Secret: Fat Burning Secrets of The World's Top Fitness Models which has helped thousands of men and women from all over the world build muscle, lose fat, and remain healthy for life without the use of supplements, fancy machines, or long boring cardio workouts. Learn how to increase your metabolism and get rid of stubborn fat by visiting: http://www.the6packsecret.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamin_Thompson

Why Fat Burning Pills Don't Work

Caught your attention, huh?

I've decided that I'm going to do a new category on Nutrition.  I believe it to be the very core of better health and losing weight.  We cannot expect to achieve any of our health goals without proper nutrition.  Protein and essential fatty acids are very important to be successful.  Are you consuming a gram of protein for each pound of lean body weight?  If not, you are not nourishing your muscular system to help it become stronger and leaner.

With all the fads and promises of a quick fix out there, it makes it hard to know what to do or what to take when it comes to nutrition supplements and vitamins.  Promises of taking a pill and not having to exercise and you can still lose weight are misleading.  You lose muscle but the fat stays, stubborn as ever, because burning fat for energy is harder than burning muscle.

I was going through my weekend emails and things that I get from places like JillianMichaels.com, MaxMuscle.com, WomensHealthMag.com and others when I came across this article from Max Muscle Sports and Fitness:

Excerpt from Real Life: LIFESTYLES OF THE FIT AND MAXED By Scott LeCates

To Diet or To Pop a Pill?
Still there is the temptation for a quick fix through socalled miracle fat burners. This seems to be the single greatest challenge for MMSN’s Certified Sports Nutrition Specialists. “People are tantalized with the proposition of the magic pill. Instead of taking a nutritional approach to their lifestyle, they will invest $50 to $60 a month into a single pill to do the work,” Chad said. “Two weeks later, what weight they have lost is mostly muscle and not 10 to 15 pounds of fat as promised. Reality is, it just doesn’t work that way.”

Tammy said fat burners have their place in a nutrition program but people who only use them to lose weight will burn muscle for energy. And, that is in direct conflict with the Max Lifestyle. When dieting, it is vital that people get enough protein and glutamine because without them, the metabolism will continue to slow as more and more muscle is lost. Protein has just 4 calories per gram and requires more energy to digest than carbohydrates or fats making it more thermogenic than any other macronutrient.

Fat burners can be used effectively after a person has hit a plateau in their fat loss program forcing the body to adjust to new caloric requirements.

     (You can read the full article HERE.)

 Proper nutrition is important - I can fully attest to that.  I would not have lost 32 lbs in 30 days* without it.  Well, there was hard work in there too, my personal trainer has been KICKING MY BUTT - but I've said it before that the core of being in better health - whether you are doing it to lose weight or just feel better - is proper nutrition.

*RESULTS NOT TYPICAL.  I firmly believe that by giving up soda and drinking at LEAST 8 glasses of water per day, giving up added sugars, simple carbs, adding more fiber and making sure I have my daily vitamin requirement, have given me these fantastic results.  I usually eat 1500-1800 calories per day based on my activity level, spread across 5-6 meals per day.  Eating that frequently was hard at first, but now it has become a way of life.

RECIPE - Vegetarian Egg Bake (Jillian Michaels)

I received an email this morning from Jillian Michaels and it's got me PUMPED!! I have been getting emails from her site every day for motivation - for a long time I just threw them out without reading - but now I'm reading them every day and it just helps get me ready for the day. How exciting!

The recipe she has in today's newsletter is for a Vegetarian Egg Bake. Here's a quote from her August 26, 2009 Newsletter Losing It With Jillian Michaels:

Are You Eating a Breakfast That Lasts?
As many of you know, breakfast is an absolute MUST in my book. Eating a hearty breakfast helps reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, keeping you satisfied throughout the morning and allowing your mind to focus on things other than your next food fix. While you probably don't have time to make a gourmet meal before work each morning, that's no excuse to skip breakfast. There's nothing easier than pouring low-fat milk into a bowl of whole-grain cereal; more involved recipes can be made ahead of time, or you can cut down on the morning workload they entail by preparing the core ingredients the night before. Try this vegetarian egg bake — it's packed with high-volume, low-calorie veggies and lots of healthy protein that will keep you satisfied and prevent energy lags later in the day. The salsa adds a nice kick! Make this the night before and give it a quick warm-up in the microwave in the morning.
Vegetarian Egg Bake
Ingredients

• 10 egg whites, beaten
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup salsa

Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine egg whites, milk, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
Spray a large, heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Sauté onion 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and spinach and sauté another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Transfer vegetables to egg mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled glass pie plate and bake 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Do not overcook.
Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature with salsa.
Makes 4 servings.
Get the nutritional information.

 Well you can count on me to make this and take a picture of it this weekend!  Right now, we are eating dinner every day with my mom - she's a great cook and has helped me tremendously in making better meal choices.  We are getting to the point where I think some good habits are created, and I might be able to cut the apron strings (a better metaphor might be taking off the training wheels - I might be wobbly on my own at first but I think I just might make it!) and work on cooking once a week for the rest of the week for me and my boys.

If you want to subscribe to this free newsletter, you can go HERE and enter your email address.  There are several choices for newsletters you can receive, the one for Jillian is towards the bottom.  If you don't want to subscribe on your own and just want a copy of THIS newsletter, you can email me at awesomedietbuddies(at)gmail(dot)com and I will be happy to forward it to you.

Are you eating breakfast?  Are you eating one that will last, like Jillian has suggested?  I used to be a no-breakfast person, but now I know I won't make it through the day without one.  It was a chore at first, trying to eat 5-6 meals per day - but with practice, you can do anything you really set your mind to doing.

Awesome Mind Tricks That Work

I remember reading these in Prevention Magazine.  I found them online as well and I thought that I would share them with you for some extra inspiration.  I think they've been in several issues this year.

--Jamie

"When My Mom Loses Her Weight, I'll Have a Step-Dad"

Well, Ladies - I was at the gym working hard with my trainer, and kicking BUTT!!  I was so into it and ready to move on to the next set of exercises that I didn't realize I'd had so much fun my time was up!  I was all... huh? Already?  No way!!  Yesterday was a GOOD DAY.  After I worked with him I did 15 minutes of cardio.  I do as much cardio as I can because my knees usually give me trouble after too long.  I can only do the treadmill because of the arthritis in my knees, but I'm walking faster and longer than I was before.

Once I was done with the treadmill, I headed to the scale.  This is the only scale I use.  I have one at home but I do not use it.  Because I write down everything I eat, I know what I'm doing right and wrong as I'm doing it.  Those choices will reflect on the scale whether I weigh every day at home or not.  I choose to weigh only at the gym - in roughly the same clothes, so my clothing weight is always very close to the same.

ANYWAY.... from when I started, I'm now down THIRTY TWO POUNDS.  This is about 5 or 6 weeks into it.  Before we know it, I'll be back where I was before my knee surgery AND I'll be able to continue to lose.

Want to know what a meal looks like for me?  Just take a look at some of the pictures I've taken of meals I've had.  I know that this is helping me.  I have protein shakes/meal replacements twice a day.  This gets me my vitamins and essential nutrients plus 35g of protein.  To eat/drink 2g protein for every pound of lean muscle mass is as hard as drinking a gallon of water a day!  Sometimes I don't make either one - but I know that if I keep plugging away, doing my absolute best, I'll make it.  In total, I have 5-6 meals per day and drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.  I trick myself to drinking my water, because instead of 5-6 oz of water for my protein shake, I use 16.  I've killed two glasses off of my requirements right there, just with one shake.  Because of all the water I drink, I don't get hungry.  And when I do, it's never ravenous.  Because I'm eating every 2 hours or so, my body doesn't have a chance to tell itself that it's starving to death and won't I eat something, anything, to feel better!  Protein stays in your system longer than carbohydrates.  If you chain your foods, such as eating a protein with a carb, your body will process it better and your metabolism will thank you for it.

One thing that really brings it all home is that my oldest son came back from his first day at school with an "About Me" book he was working on for class.  I'll never forget something he said about his family - "When my mom loses her weight, I'll have a step-dad."  Now I don't think he's considering taking my lost fat and making me a husband - but I think he knows that I'll be happier with myself, have higher self esteem that people might want to be around me more, and I might even start dating again.  This little stick-figure picture and paragraph underneath it made me proud of him, of what I've done, and was a good boost of confidence.

How are you doing with your program?  Feel free to ask me any questions, I'd be happy to help or offer encouragement - I'm great for that - but everyone has to be ready to make the necessary changes.  Whether it be to improve your self-esteem, improve your health, or just fit into better looking clothes (that don't look they were purchased at a TENT SALE) I am here for you to help you achieve your goals.

Maybe someday I'll become a motivational speaker or a personal trainer.  I guess we'll have to play that one out as it happens.

Hugs to everyone, please let me know how you are doing!!

--Jamie

TRACK YOUR SUCCESS

I came across a website earlier called FatSecret.com while I was looking for how many calories are in grape tomatoes. I couldn't find a good answer - one source told me 45 calories and I'm all !!!!!!! So I did a google search with different terms, and ended up on this site.

It is a free community, and they offer a lot of tools to help you. Remember in my last post I said that each person is different, but the building blocks we have that work help others? That is what support and friendship is all about! I've already joined a few groups and a few challenges. Make sure to add me as a buddy!

OW!!! I Have Fishy Arms

My arms hurt. It hurts to type, it hurts to do my hair and makeup, it hurts to drive, it hurts to just sit here!! Wow, that personal trainer is beating me up GOOD. I can now feel muscle in places that was so full of fat I couldn't feel any muscle (plus the fact that I was really weak, too).

One thing I want to make very clear to everyone is that I'm not losing weight because of all the exercise. I'm losing weight because I'm writing down EVERY FREAKIN' THING I am eating. I'm losing weight because I don't cheat. I'm losing weight because I'm drinking tons of water. Like anyone else, I have good days and bad days. But I have more energy and I'm accomplishing a lot more than I used to. The fact that all my clothes are loose, and getting looser every day, also states I'm doing the right thing. I'll be happy to replace fat with muscle. I don't want to look like Mr. Olympia but it would be nice to have a trim, toned body. My tracking program says I'll hit my goal in February 2011 - and you know what, that's fine with me. I'm not a patient person but I also know this all won't fall off overnight. By then, I'll be well into the right habits of exercise and eating the right things.

I have an article a colleague at work brought me from Time Magazine about why exercise doesn't make you thin. I'll send it to the group so you can read it. If you have trouble reading it, it is the cover article in the August 17, 2009 issue - "The Myth About Exercise". What they say is true, but they leave A LOT out of the article. Like eating smaller meals, 5-6 per day to avoid major hunger pains, choosing healthier foods, etc. But it opened my eyes to what America thinks about exercise and I think everyone should read it. Edit: Leslie found the online article here.

Anything under 2,500 calories is a deficit - a deficit causes weight loss - but an optimal diet is between 15-1700 calories to maintain a working metabolism. My nutritionist has broken this down to 27g protein per meal with 6 meals. My carbohydrates are not wasted on sugar, sugar substitutes, soda, crackers, potato chips, or even popcorn. They are used on fresh or steamed vegetables to get me the fiber I need to move all that protein through my system.

The biggest hurdle of all is finding what is right for YOU. What's right for me might not be what's right for Amy, Leslie or Leona. But what each of us have are building blocks for the others to use and put in our own system. That's why all the fad diets don't work for most people - all bodies are different, require different things, have different activity levels, etc. Building your own program that works for you is the BEST way to be in better health and lose unwanted weight. The truth of the matter is, I wouldn't be this far without Leslie. Everything I've done, I've built because of the blocks she has given me. The blocks my mom has given me about lower calories and more vegetables have helped too - so now I can eat a lot of food with fewer calories, more satisfaction, no ravenous feeding or heaping plates of food - and I'm feeling better.

So what are YOU doing to build your "system"? What is working for you, what isn't? Please share with the others!

Hugs to all!

--Jamie

What's this thing?

Well, I love blogs. I thought if we started a blog where everyone could write to it, and we can post comments to each other, it might help. Remember, it doesn't have to be about a diet, exercise or anything important. I consider blogs to be blurbs - blurb what you are thinking, feeling or experiencing and share it with the rest of us.

As you can see on the right, all our posts to the yahoo group will show here too. This way you can see and do both things.

You should have got an email to post here, and you should also have gotten an email about the photobucket group album. If you feel the urge, send pictures of food or whatever. It's not just my album, it's ours.

I wanted to let you know there is a girl I work with that says I'm her only source of inspiration right now, I'm the only thing that is motivating her to eat halfway decent or even try to exercise. That made me feel good for ME, but feel bad for her. That is when I thought of you guys and felt we need to KICK IT UP A NOTCH! BAM! :D

Keep at it, ladies. You know what to do, you just have to put your mind to it and do it!

-- Jamie