Whether you are a woman or a man, if you want to get that famous flat abs at all costs, you need to have some information and tips in mind.
Flat ABS : Being in a caloric deficit
The body is very complex but you have to imagine that it works like a bank, with an energy balance system. If there is less input (calories from food) than output (physical activity for example), then your account (the human body) will lose capital (fat).
We must therefore aim for a smaller quantity of calories consumed in relation to our energy expenditure, without starving ourselves and consuming very few calories, which can be found in a diet that is too strict.
The most precise method is to note precisely what you eat each day for at least 2 to 3 weeks, notably with the help of the Foodvisor application, while recording your weight each day during this period. This will allow you to have a global and precise vision of your energy consumption, and to adapt your caloric total thereafter.
Flat ABS : Eat enough protein
Eat protein at every meal if possible. Studies suggest that it is best to spread your protein intake over 3 to 4 meals/snacks throughout the day to maintain optimal protein synthesis. In addition to helping you maintain your muscle mass during your weight loss, protein can be beneficial in helping you manage hunger because it provides a significant satiety effect.
It is not necessary to take in a lot of protein, but if you are physically active (which is highly recommended for a flat abs), you should aim for 1.3 to 1.8g of protein per kg of body weight per day, i.e. about 90g to 130g of protein per day for a 70kg man, and between 80g and 110g for a 60kg woman.
Don’t ban carbohydrates
Generally speaking, it’s not the carbohydrates that will make you fat, it’s the extra calories you eat during the day.
We also often hear that you should not eat carbohydrates in the evening. If there is one thing to remember, it is that the total calorie intake of your day takes precedence over the timing. So your body will not start storing carbohydrates as fat because it is 7pm for example!
Carbohydrate-rich foods (rice, pasta, bread, etc.) easily increase your total calorie intake, which is why we tend to get fatter with these foods, because it can be difficult to control portions. But it is not the food itself that makes you fat, it is the portions that are too large.
By cutting out carbohydrates, you will surely lose a few pounds quickly, but it won’t be fat… but rather water! Indeed, carbohydrates are stored in the form of glycogen in our body (muscles and liver). This glycogen is always bound with water molecules, and when you cut out carbs you cut out a large part of the water attached to the glycogen (1g of glycogen = 3g of water). So rapid weight loss is not a sign of fat loss.
Obviously, not all carbohydrate foods are the same. For example, you should limit industrial ultra-processed foods that are low in fiber and very often high in carbohydrates, fat and salt. Moreover, they provide little or no micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.), which are essential for health.
Test gluten-free and lactose-free
We have to be careful with the fashionable effect of these terms, but unfortunately the majority of the population consumes highly processed and industrial foods. Just by limiting this type of food and favoring a diet based on raw foods (less industrial), with more vegetables and less sugar, it can immediately make a difference on your intestinal flora, on the level of digestion, and the general well-being. An unbalanced diet has a direct impact on the quantity and “quality” of your intestinal bacteria, which can make transit difficult, create bloating and a swollen belly.
On the other hand, if you already consume very little processed and industrial foods, it may be interesting for you to go further. Gluten, which is a protein in wheat, can have a hypersensitive effect on some people. If you feel your belly is permanently swollen, reduce or stop eating wheat-based products (white bread, pasta, cookies, etc.) in favor of buckwheat flour, rice flour, etc. and see if this changes anything.
The same goes for lactose-based products, try to reduce or stop them completely to see what effect they have.
Do a minimum of sport
As you can imagine, it is not enough to pay attention only to your plate, physical activity also has a main role in a fat loss objective. It is especially a significant help to obtain a flat abs and also allows to maintain the muscle as much as possible, despite a caloric deficit, because yes the caloric deficit can make you lose muscle if it is too important, and we want to avoid this at all costs. Sport is therefore an almost indispensable step!
Tone your abdominal belt
To avoid having a swollen belly, the most important thing is to tone up the transverse abdominal muscle chain because they literally “strap” the belly by providing important support for the viscera. Our sedentary lifestyles lead us to spend more and more time sitting down, so these muscles tend to relax because they are not used very much in a sitting position, which favors a larger belly, which may be difficult to appreciate.
To deeply strengthen your abs, try to include several short workouts at home or in the gym each week.
For example, 10 to 20 minutes of gentle gymnastics exercises (pilates, yoga), taking care to keep your stomach tight and your perineum contracted for women, to avoid injury. If you wish to have more information on the subject, we recommend the excellent book by Dr. Bernadette de Gasquet “Abdominals: stop the massacre” which will give you the most suitable exercises to preserve the maintenance of the abdomen, the back and the perineum, while improving one’s figure and physical condition.
