Getting your abs to show can be a daunting process and I hope that my diet tips for abs article will shed some much-needed light on this topic.
You see, getting abs really is a function of two things.
1.) Having muscle
2.) Being lean
The reality is, everyone has abs – including you.
You just need a little help to get those abdominal muscles to show.
Don’t let the gurus out there convince you that you need to buy some special product in order to get abs.
You also don’t need fancy exercises to get abs.
You just need to follow these simple diet tips to get your abs to show!
But before we start, just understand that you don’t need abs in order to be fit or healthy.
It is really just a personal preference and it certainly doesn’t mean that you are not in shape just because you cannot see your abs.
Find a comfortable level of leanness for yourself.
It is personal!
And not everyone will look the same at lower body fat percentages.
Some people need to drop more fat than others in order to get their abs to show.
Either way, you are a unique individual and there should be no value judgment placed on you for getting your abs to show or not!
I’m simply going to share my top tips for getting your abs to show.
As a fitness model, I follow these principles myself in order to get my abs to show.
I also use these tactics for my clients that want their abs to show.
I hope you find use with these tips!
How Much Should You Eat to Get Abs?
As you can imagine, getting your abs to show is a process of diet.
Calorie deficit that is.
Burning more energy than you consume.
But just exactly how much should you eat to get abs?
Well, that comes down to one thing – your deficit number.
Medical professionals and scientists alike have shown time and time again that you need to be in a sustained calorie deficit in order to lose fat.
Ultimately, losing fat will not only define your muscles and let your abs show, but it is also cardioprotective!
How much fat you need to lose will be dependant on your starting put and where you hold your fat.
The key is – consistent fat loss.
Read this article to learn the formula for how many calories you need to lose fat.
Once you know your deficit number, it’s time to implement a diet plan and constantly follow it!
Healthy Eating: The First Step to Your Dream Abs
Once you know your deficit number, you need to fill your diet with healthy foods because healthy eating is going to make the diet process a whole lot easier than filling your calories with junk food.
While you can technically lose weight by eating whatever you want as long as it fits into your calorie range, I recommend healthy eating.
Healthy eating for our purposes will be defined as eating whole foods with lots of fiber and protein.
Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store and make sure you are eating 1 gram per pound of your goal bodyweight in protein.
So if you are 180lb and your goal weight is 150lb, you need to be eating 150g of protein.
Not only will this contribute to fat loss, but it will also help with hunger while you diet.
I wrote this article to describe in detail why protein is great for combatting hunger on a diet.
Pro tip: fiber and protein is the key to your abs!
Nutrition First, Strength Train Next
Now that you have your diet plan laid out and you are eating your calorie deficit number which you calculated from the article above, you need to add in strength training.
Strength training is going to build the abdominal muscles and will ultimately help them look more pronounced.
The reality is, your nutrition is the most important aspect to getting your abs to show, but having muscle is the second most important thing.
Perform abdominal exercises like the ones from this article.
But make sure your nutrition is number one!
Strength training is going to build the abs, but you really need to be lean enough to get your abs to actually show.
That’s why nutrition is first!
Suggestions to Improve Your Diet Process
Once you have dialed in on those two things: a calorie deficit and strength training, there are a couple of suggestions that I would like to give you to improve your diet process.
Number one is to be consistent!
You can’t get abs if you are not putting in the work.
Abs are made after months of consistent action strung together.
Number two is: do not give up.
Mess-ups will happen and you will falter from your diet.
It’s inevitable and nobody is perfect.
Get back on the horse after a mess up and move on.
Don’t try to overcompensate and eat less the next week.
You will only put yourself into a vicious cycle.
I hope you found these diet tips for abs helpful!
Feel free to reach out at jakob@rozefit.com for any questions you may have, I’d be happy to help you get started!
What’s Next?
After reading this article and you want to learn more about diet, exercise, and weight loss – check out these articles!
Who is Jakob Roze?
Jakob Roze is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and founder of RozeFit. His practice centers around empathic communication and relationship building. With an emphasis on pain-free, functional movement patterns and strength training, Jakob Roze assesses each individual’s needs and prescribes exercise modalities appropriately in order to facilitate long-term gains in strength and health. He draws from evidence-based approaches and applies the knowledge in a personalized fashion to facilitate body and lifestyle transformation amongst his clients.
