Diet Coke Nutrition Facts 6 Pack Abs and the Vi-Shape Protein Shake.
Have you ever wondered how people get those rock hard abs? Do you spend hours in the gym trying to sculpt your body to no avail?
Are you one of those people that work out all the time, watch what you eat and diligent check in the mirror for any sign of ab definition?
Do you check out other people at the gym. Admire their backs, abs, legs and wonder how in the heck they managed to get so lean that you can actually see the muscles they've worked so hard to build?
This is an issue for so many people who work their butts (literally) off at the gym.
The do all the right exercises. They eat all the right foods. They never skip a workout. And yet, they find that they can just not get that gorgeous 6 pack that they dream of.
There is no question that genetics plays a role in the 6 pack debate. I'm sure you have a friend or two that smokes, drinks beer and only passes by the gym to ogle the women in the cycle fit classes. He doesn't have to work at it at all and yet has those abs that you're killing yourself for. Right?
I was married to one of those. My ex-husband played soccer. That's about it. On the way to soccer he would stop at McDonald's and have a Big Mac, fries and a Coke. No joke! Then he'd proceed to play 90 minutes of soccer. He only played once/week yet he had the 6 pack abs.
Quite frankly, this pissed me off. I was at the gym 6 days/week working on every muscle group. I would do the abs, butts, thighs classes, cycle fit, distance running (sometimes endless "long runs" on the treadmill to the same playlist over and over again) and nada! No 6 pack for me.
Granted, I had babies. But still, there are plenty of women out there who have had babies who also have 6 packs. The worst of it was knowing that under the flap of fat on my belly there lived a gorgeous 6 pack of rippling muscle.
I don't think the 6 pack was the reason for the divorce but it probably didn't help;)
I tried everything. I tried to get leaner with SouthBeach and I lost a few pounds but all that did was make the top part of my abs visible. I got down to a weight that wasn't possible to sustain and still, no 6 pack.
Weak from a lack of food, I turned to the internet to find some answers. It's not about how much you work out. It's not how much weight you lift or how many crunches you do...
ABS ARE BUILT IN THE KITCHEN!
That's right, it's about your nutrition. In fact, unless you're genetically pre-disposed to exhibit lean muscle mass, you will not find your 6 pack at the gym.
There are lots of things you can do to get there but you need to find a product that will give you the nutrients you need for optimal health in conjunction with the following.
On days that you're weight training you need to carefully think about the meals you eat. 50% carbs, 35% protein and 15% fats will help your muscle growth.
Cardio days need to have fewer carbs (30%) and more protein (50%)
Foods that contain starch like yams, oats, brown rice etc can be eaten before 5pm and vegies after 5.
If you're into nuts as a source of healthy fat you need to pair them with protein (not carbs)
On the days that you are NOT weight training you need to eat your carbs earlier in the day and stick with vegies as much as possible.
Be aware that there are healthy and unhealthy nutrients (you know that but here are some examples) Healthy proteins contain amino acids which build lean muscle mass, are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Wild salmon, beans, legumes, seeds and nuts.
Unhealthy proteins are loaded with saturated fats and hormones. Things like beef, bacon, lamb etc. You can get around this a bit by buying organic beef or bison which is 30% lower in fat than beef.
A really easy way to tell the difference between saturated fats (bad) and unsaturated fats (good) is that saturated fat is solid at room temperature. So butter and margarine are bad and olive oil is good. (this rule does not apply for everything but it's a good rule of thumb if you're unsure)
And finally foods like rolled oats, whole wheat, brocoli, squash, green leafy vegies (spinach) yams, beans and whole fruits are healthy carbs. Stay away from white flour in anything, sugar, soda, cakes and cookies.
It's pretty over-whelming to try to get your diet to this point without some help. While there are many protein powders and supplements out there most of them concentrate on building lean muscle and are not concerned with the caloric or nutritional intake.
A product like the Body By ViSalus Shape Kit takes the guess work out of your nutrition. You take 1 or 2 shakes/day depending on your workout plan and your goals. The shakes contain all the nutrition you need (and then some!) and gives you the peace of mind that you are putting the right fuel into your body to discover your 6 pack.
I've embedded a video below by Dr. Michael Seidman on the ViPak, what's in it and what you need to improve your performance.
Good luck. Give me a call or drop me an email and let me hear about your progress!
Diet Coke Nutrition Facts.