How to Eat Right for a Six-Pack

Eating a proper diet is essential in gaining a six-pack. Most people already have well-defined abdominal muscles, but these muscles are hidden under layers of fat. Men who want visible abdominal packs need to have less than 8 percent body fat, and women need to have less than 15 percent. A proper diet combined with resistance training and cardiovascular exercise will help you lose weight quickly and get well-defined, visible abdominal muscles.

Instructions

How to Eat Right for a Six-Pack

• 1

  Eat Breakfast. Studies show that those who eat breakfast have higher success of weight loss. Your body will burn more calories in the morning than it will in the evening. This is largely because our organs work best early in the day but use the later hours of the day to store energy for the next day. We are more likely to use "extra" calories obtained later in the day to store fat.

• 2

  Take in fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. Because most people already have defined abdominal muscles that are hidden behind layers of fat, your goal is to lose weight. Replacing high-calorie foods with foods low in calories, such as green vegetables, will help you decrease the amount of calories you take in while satisfying your hunger. You will lose one pound of fat for every 3,500 calories that you burn. The exact amount of calories needed to lose weight depends on your body weight, but an average 160-pound person needs 2,400 calories per day to stay at 160 pounds.

• 3

  Eat properly after exercising. When you do resistance training, you create micro tears in your muscles that your body repairs, making the muscles stronger than the originals. Your body will need protein to repair the muscle tears, as well as carbohydrates to replenish the energy you spent working out. Lean foods with proteins such as chicken breast and fish will keep the amount of calories you consume low while providing you with the protein you need. Keep the amount of fiber you consume low immediately after a resistance workout; an increased amount of fiber increases the amount of time it takes to get essential minerals to different parts of your body. However, you should eat foods high in fiber almost immediately after a cardiovascular workout. Wait 30 minutes to eat after resistance training and five to 10 minutes after cardiovascular training. You should be doing resistance training three times a week with a day in between each resistance session, and cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes each day, so it is important to eat properly after exercising.

• 4

  Create a food journal. Write down what you eat, the number of calories in your food and the time you eat that food. Include what you drink in the food journal. Be specific with what you write down. For example, instead of writing "cereal," write down "one cup of whole-wheat cereal, 2 ounces of 2-percent milk and a banana." A food journal will help you identify what your eating habits are and when you consume the most calories. Review your food journal daily. Use the food journal to eliminate any foods that are excessively high in calories and foods that have little nutritional value.