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5 Flat Tummy Myths (and 3 Steps to Tight Abs)

It's bathing suit season and you want flat abs to flaunt.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people believe. Don't waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Take diet pills to speed results.
I know it's so tempting! The ads make compelling claims about the power of popping a pill, but don't fall for it. There is no ‘magic pill'. Diet pills are more likely to burn through your pocketbook than to slim you down.

• Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with intense exercise.

Myth #2: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.
Excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a toned look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your tummy.

• Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #3: Turn to packaged diet products to boost results.
Don't fall for the foods that are packaged as ‘diet' or ‘weight loss' aids. Quite often these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need, and certainly won't help you attain that tight tummy.

• Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #4: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to achieve tight abs.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while slimming down. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars (see the recipe below for Power Oatmeal).

• Tip: Don't give up all carbohydrates - instead stick with whole-grain carbohydrates.

Myth #5: Starve the chub away. Trying to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective it can also be dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

• Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat small wholesome meals throughout the day.

Now that you know what not to do in order to achieve tight abs, it's time to go over your flat tummy game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

• Step One: No more junk.
  The best way to do this is by purging your kitchen. Throw out the sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat – don't eat junk!
• Step Two: Eat whole foods.
  Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
• Step Three: Come train with me.
  This is the most obvious step. You're ready to get into great shape and I'm in a unique position to make that happen for you. Call or reply to this email to get started on an exercise plan that will get you those amazing abs.

You Snooze, You Lose (weight)

Sleep matters when it comes to losing weight.

Your body requires a certain number of hours for rest and recovery, especially when attempting to slim down. 7 to 8 hrs per night seems to be the right amount.

A study that followed nearly 70,000 women for 16 years showed that those who regularly slept less than 5 hours per night weighed more than those sleeping 7 to 8 hrs per night.

Power Oatmeal

This oatmeal is packing a powerful ingredient – protein. Mix a scoop of your favorite protein powder into your oatmeal to transform an already healthy breakfast item into a power-packed quick and healthy breakfast that will fill you up and satisfy. Servings: 1

Here's what you need...

• 1/2 cup whole grain oats
• 1 cup water
• dash of salt (optional)
• 1 scoop high quality protein
• 1 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts (divided)
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins (divided)

1. Mix the oats, nuts, raisins, and water together in a over-sized microwave safe bowl (in case it tries to boil over). Microwave on high for 2 to 4 minutes.
2. Stir in protein powder once it has cooked, top with any remaining nuts and raisins.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 325 calories, 7g fat, 41.7g carbohydrate, 10.2g fiber, and 25.7g protein.

The Role of Carbohydrates (carbs) and Proteins in a Healthy Diet

by Michelle Huston, BS, NSCA-CPT, *D, NASM-CES & PES 

In the eleven years that I've been a certified personal trainer and over 8-1/2 years teaching group exercise classes prior to that, I've fought through many variations of the low carbohydrate to even no-carbohydrate diets. In my opinion, the carbohydrate fears erupted after the low-fat diets seemed to result in people gaining and not losing weight, which was due to many believing that they could eat as much of a food item as they wanted as long as it was non-fat. It was after this that the many individuals began hearing and following the extremely restricted carbohydrate diets--specifically the first version of the Atkins diet.

I've spent years educating members, clients, patients, friends, and even family members on the basic nutritional reasons why our bodies require carbohydrates--especially to those who are in the health clubs trying to lose weight with exercise and even more to those who are participating in sports. Many individuals have been misled by these diet programs to believe that we as professionals are lying to the public and that we are only trying to make sure we continue to keep our clients by ensuring that they do not lose the weight and reach their goals (yes, I've actually heard this from a member.)  This is never my goal and is the reason that I've helped a number of my clients lose up to 50 lbs and more, while at the same time increasing their endurance, strength, and most importantly their health!

I continually teach individuals that carbohydrates are an essential nutrient, which is our body's primary fuel source for physical activity. I explain to them that it is the type of carbohydrates that can lead individuals down the wrong path and can prevent them from reaching their goals. It is important that they consume complex carbohydrates over the more popular simple sugar type of carbohydrates. If an athlete wants to ensure that they have the energy necessary to complete their practice or their game, they must ensure that they are providing adequate kcalories in carbohydrates, so that their body will not prematurely fatigue.

With the onslaught of the high protein/low carbohydrate diets, many individuals and even many athletes have begun to believe that protein is the nutrient of choice. I continually hear from athletes that they were low on energy because they didn't have their protein smoothie, protein bar, etc. I explain to them that it is especially important that they first learn to consume a healthy diet before they introduce man-made/altered nutrient food products. I also explain to them that these smoothies, bars, drinks are all called supplements because they are meant for specific reasons to supplement a healthy eating plan and not to replace the food.

Lastly, I explain that our body requires a much lower percentage requirement for protein as it is intended for cell repair and tissue building and repairing.  However, when any macronutrient is consumed in excess (carbohydrates or protein) of what the body needs, it will turn the excess to FAT and store it. 

As I stated, I am an NSCA Certified Personal Trainer and am not a registered dietician.  If you are requiring a specific daily diet that needs to be generated for you, then you do need to contact a registered dietician; however, if you are looking to improve your body's appearance through healthy eating and appropriate exercises, please contact me as I'd love to discuss how you can change your health and your appearance and have a life at the same time.  Eating healthy should not be your life, it should be a component of what enables you to live a full and rewarding life!

Want to Look and Feel Younger? (An article from Michelle's FitnessConnect Newsletter)

Use Interval Training to Slow Aging

Related:

• Research/Exercise Science
• Sample Classes
• Sample Workouts/Program Design

Want to look and feel younger? While everyone will age, regular aerobic exercise can decrease your biological age by 10 years or more (Shephard 2008).

Interval training is an effective way to exercise at a high enough intensity to significantly increase oxygen demands and ultimately slow aging (Wright & Perricelli 2008). Interval training consists of short bursts of going all out followed by brief periods of active recovery. It allows you to exercise briefly at a high intensity in order to force the body to adapt in ways that slow aging. How can you safely interval train? Get suggestions below from author and consultant Amy Ashmore, PhD, who holds a doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Texas at Austin.

How to Interval Train

The best way to interval train is to keep it simple by changing one variable at a time; for example, increasing resistance on the elliptical trainer and maintaining speed, or increasing incline on the treadmill and maintaining speed. It makes no difference to the body which variable changes. All that matters is that the muscles work harder, oxygen demand increases, the heart rate goes up and thereby aging slows.

Designing Workouts 

Here are some variables to consider when creating interval workouts:

Speed. Increasing speed is an obvious way to boost intensity. However, speed can cause injury and should be used to increase exercise intensity only if you are conditioned and free from musculoskeletal injuries.
Incline. Adding incline, along with resistance, is an alternative way to increase intensity on most cardiovascular equipment. A change in incline changes the mechanics of movement by incorporating additional muscles or increasing output, both of which increase how hard the heart works and what the maximal oxygen consumption is.
Resistance. The greater the resistance, the harder the muscles work to move the bones. This variable can be manipulated by increasing resistance on cardiovascular machines or by incorporating added weight.
Relationship to Gravity. One of the most effective ways to train is to use body weight against gravity; for instance, by incorporating jump push-ups or squats into a workout.
Impact. Impact is most commonly associated with sustained, high-impact activities like jogging, but plyometrics (explosive movements such as hopping and jumping) are effective for adding impact moves in a nonsustained manner. Including a plyometrics component can increase the intensity of almost any exercise, but plyometrics calls for the same care that is needed when speeding up an exercise.
Lower Alternating With Upper. A simple way to increase intensity and then recover is to alternate a lower-body exercise like a lunge with an upper-body exercise like a dumbbell shoulder press. This strategy is particularly effective if you are out of shape. The lower-body exercise increases the heart rate, while the upper-body work allows a brief recovery.

SIDEBAR: All-Out Effort Versus Recovery

All-out efforts cannot be maintained for long; how long each all-out interval can be maintained depends on intensity and heart rate. The goal should be to sustain high-intensity exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute. “High-intensity” is anything that makes the heart work at 85% of maximum or higher. However, 85% may not be feasible for everyone, and you may need to modify your intensity level. The recovery time is proportional to the intensity and the length of the all-out phase. For example, 1 minute at 85% should require 2–3 minutes of recovery. Sticking to the exact time increments is not nearly as important as simply incorporating short bursts of high-intensity exercise in training sessions.


This handout is a service of IDEA, the leading international membership association in the health and fitness industry, www.ideafit.com.
 

References

Shephard R.J. 2008. Maximal oxygen intake and independence in old age. British Journal of Sports Medicine (E-pub ahead of print).

Wright, V.J., & Perricelli, B.C. 2008. Age-related rates of decline in performance among elite senior athletes. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 36 (3), 443–50.

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 6, Number 2

February 2009

© 2009 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.