I totally neglect my abs because I feel they’re hopeless, soooo this week’s Move it Monday’s focus is on what else? Lower abs! Watch this video by Tony Cress which discusses the cardio, diet and ab exercises needed to perfect your lower abs. Ask any personal trainer and they will tell you abs are made in the kitchen which means you really have to watch what you eat if you want a leaner mid section. After the video I attached a list of  tons of good and bad foods that either help or hurt your abs. Combine diet, cardio, and a few ab exercises and you will be on your way to fab abs.

For more videos check out www.tonycress.com or add him on facebook! He def has the craziest abs ever, it stresses me out :/

Now onto your diet…

GREAT foods for abs

* Egg Whites- Another really good source of protein, egg whites are perfect to add to your six pack abs diet. Egg whites are great because they are very inexpensive to buy and you can do so many different things with them.

* Green veggies- Green vegetables work so well because they are low in calories and have a high volume content.

* Almonds- While almonds are a lot higher in calories and fat than some other foods, they are also an excellent source of healthy fat and will help to keep you feeling fuller longer. (Skip the salted, flavored ones sorry guys)

* Cottage Cheese- Not only is cottage cheese an excellent source of calcium, but it also contains a very slow digesting form of protein that will help to provide your muscles with a good source of amino acids for a number of hours.

* Natural Peanut Butter- Natural PB has a healthy fat content which not only keeps you fuller for longer, but it also contains heart healthy fats that increase your heart’s health.

* Grapefruit- Most people that eat grapefruits increase their insulin resistance, anything that improves insulin resistance also helps burn fat off of your hips.

* Fish- Any fish that is caught in the wild such as tuna, salmon and cod have numerous health and fat burning benefits to help you get six pack abs. The main reason is due to the high content of omega-3 fish oil. Fish oil has been shown to reduce the negative effects of sugar on the body, which helps to keep your metabolism high.

Click for more & for the 12 WORST foods you can eat!

It is not hard to remember the top twelve power foods, the 12 food can fit in one phrase “Abs Diet Power”

Almonds
Beans
Spinach

Diary
Instant Oatmeal
Eggs
Turkey

Peanut Butter
Olive oil
Whole grain breads
Extra whey protein powder
Raspberries

Now onto the BAD food for abs. Aka my entire diet…

Steer clear of these 12 worst foods that’ll crush your six pack dreams.

1) Margarine. It is loaded with trans fats, which are the worst kind of fats that one can ever eat, and it has a high caloric content. Health problems, including cancer, high cholesterol, and heart disease, have been associated with eating margarine.

2) White bread is devoid of all the nutrition that whole grain bread provides, making it one of the worst foods for a diet. It should serve as a complex carbohydrate, but it acts more like a simple sugar, as a result, white bread raises your insulin levels and causes your body to store more fat.

3) Duh, French fries. Many health experts suggest that even moderate consumption of French fries could be harmful for the body.

4) Processed Cheese—one of the worst foods for a six pack abs diet. With almost no nutritional value, processed cheese is rich in fat, salt, and calories. In fact, the law requires that most manufacturers of processed cheese label their products as “cheese food” or “cheese product.”.

5) Whole Milk contains 3.7 percent fat and, per glass, has twice as many calories as skim milk. Choose skim milk over whole milk for the best results.

6) Bacon and Sausage. One slice of bacon has about 100 calories, and to top that, most of these come from fats. In addition, the nitrates in bacon are converted into cancer-causing agents, so bacon must be avoided. Not a problem for me. Yuck.

7) Cookies and Crackers- Eating a whole box of these is not a difficult task, albeit they have no nutritional value. Just like white bread, they are high in simple sugars that keep your blood sugar levels unbalanced and contribute to fat storage.

High-sugar breakfast cereals. If you want a healthy breakfast cereal, look for one that’s made from 100% whole grains and is completely sugar-free.

9) Commercial Peanut Butter. High in fat and very calorie dense. Rather than eating commercial peanut butter that is loaded with unhealthy additives like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, its better to consume small amounts of natural peanut butter.

10) Donuts pack on pounds easily, for obvious reasons… they are high in fat, sugar, and calories.

11) Soft Drinks should be avoided altogether when you’re following a fat-loss program. These are loaded with sugar and calories, with zero nutritional value.

12) Ice Cream is a combination of saturated fat and simple sugar, and of course have tonssss of calories. Ice cream also contains artificial flavorings, preservatives, and fillers; obviously, it is one of the worst foods for a six pack abs diet.

Also avoid these sneakily packaged foods that appear healthy but most definitely are not!

* Reduced fat wheat thins- These would appear to be healthy because of the words “reduced fat” and “wheat” rightttt?  But if you look a little closer, some of the ingredients are: enriched flour, sugar, cornstarch, malt syrup, high fructose corn syrup….and there are quite a few more. Hmmm.  Not so good for your abs.

* Lean Cuisines or other high sodium foods- Again, you’re getting tricked by the word “lean” but it’s not just Lean Cuisine , most of these frozen meals aren’t that healthy.  Here are some of the ingredients: blanched macaroni product, sugar, blue cheese, modified food starch, corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, as well as too many other ingredients to type.

Conclusion?

1. Don’t eat foods that come in boxes or bags

2. Eat foods with as few ingredients as possible, which means you want foods as natural as possible. So I’m talking about berries, nuts, eggs, fish, lean chicken, spinach, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, etc.

I think this will be my New Years Resolution. Avoid these nasty foods!