I feel like I have seen this everywhere lately, and it’s 100 percent true: Abs are made in the kitchen. It’s the 80/20 rule: When you’re trying to lose weight, 80 percent of your results come from your diet, and only 20 percent come from exercise. This doesn’t mean you can stop working out; that’s still a huge piece of the puzzle. But if the scale isn’t budging, you really need to take a look at what and how much you’re eating.
You can work out 8 hours a day, but if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning, you will gain weight. This is one of the reasons why I highly recommend investing in a calorie-monitoring device like the Bodybugg or FitBit. Everyone burns calories at a different rate, and a lot of calorie estimations you get from the machines at the gym or calorie-tracking websites are created for the average body type. They don’t take into account your body composition and your individual metabolism. However, calorie-monitoring devices are incredibly accurate and can really help you track accurately. And if you track your food intake and your calories, and you create a deficit, you will get results.
Now, if you’re closely monitoring your calorie intake and creating a deficit, but you’re still not seeing the results you want, you need to take a close look at what you’re eating. If your diet consists mostly of unhealthy, processed foods, you won’t see results. The 80/20 rule also applies here. At least 80 percent of your diet must consist of healthy, whole foods if you want to see your abs.
Oftentimes, we think we’re eating healthy, but to stay on track we need to check in and be real with ourselves about every other month. I’m willing to bet you can think of one thing that you need to stop buying right now. It’s that one snack that you keep going back to … your Achilles heel that tacks on an extra 100 to 200 calories each day that you don’t even realize. If that sounds familiar, it’s time to be honest and ask yourself, “What do I need to stop buying right now?” That one thing could be hindering your results, and if it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it!
Your abs and your progress are largely determined by what’s in your kitchen. Aim to keep it clean 80 percent (or more!) of the time, and fuel your body for the results you want and deserve!
