Most people would prefer a sexy six pack of abs to show off, in addition to the benefits of having a strong core. However, it’s tough work and even with all those sit-ups, you still aren’t seeing the results you crave. If that’s the case, check your diet.
If your an athletic person who works out regularly chances are you have strong abdominal muscles. Perhaps not insanely strong, but probably enough to see a 6-pack if you’re diet habits are right. The keyword here is routine. Form your healthy behaviors and stick to your nutrition routine. Allow yourself some time to do as you please, living by the 80/20 rule, eliminating as much of the 20% as possible.
Diet and Nutrition Plan for 6 Pack Abs

In addition to the diet intake habits below, you’ll want to live healthy in all areas of your life. In addition to nutrition, focus on:
- Sleeping at least 8 hours per day.
- Form a healthy, successful routine.
- Walk places, stand up, move around.
- Exercise your core like your muscles if you want it stronger.
- Write down a realistic, yet challenging time frame to see your 6-pack abs.
- Be happy, stress less. Your body functions better when feeling good.
Drink a lot of water
Start your day off with a large glass of water to flush the toxins and get the body going. Wait an hour if you can before eating breakfast. Eat it big or small, up to your eating style.
Continue to drink water throughout the day. Don’t drink too much water when you’re eating, as it’s good to let the stomach acids to their work without too much additional liquid. It’s good practice to avoid drinking a lot of water right before, during, or right you eat. 30 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Sip your beverage of choice at dinner, ideally calorie-less water if you’re looking to see those abs.
Breakfast should always be healthy
By beginning your day with you something nutritious, you are setting the tone for the rest of your day to come. All your actions will follow suit, from a healthier lunch choice to even better performance at work. Even if you fast the morning over, make your first food choice healthy.
Consider fasting
Humans have evolved from hunters and gathers who didn’t always have access to food ’round the clock. For this reason our bodies do not always need to eat. Sometimes it’s beneficial to fast for a meal, a day, or longer. Drink plenty of water during your fast, though not too much. This helps flush out the body’s toxins.
Some people consume fats like coconut oil during these intermittent fasts, mainly aiming to keep carbs to zero. Consider skipping a meal or modifying the way you eat, perhaps by eating earlier in the day, and less at night. One popular, science-based method is a 16/8 diet. This restricts eating to only during an 8 hour period in the day, and fasting the other 16. This provides a simple, less demanding way to see how fasting may improve your health.
Figure out the best diet for your body type
There are plenty of trends and lifestyle designs when it comes to consuming your food. Most choose 3 more or less equal meals per day, with some snacking. Others do 1 big meal, and whatever else they need to get by. Some even fast. There are a myriad of ways to receive your needed nutrition and calories to strive. Test what’s best for your body. Take it slowly and give your body a few days if perhaps going from eating smaller meals 5 times a day to only 2 bigger ones.
Don’t eat too late
When you eat something your body needs to work to digest the food, so don’t eat too late. This is why you can get tired after eating a large meal. While it’s fine to take a nap after you eat lunch or an early dinner, if that’s your main sleep for the night, it will suffer. Your body works for several hours to digest its food and your body cannot achieve the deepest quality sleep it needs while it’s working. In addition the calories really do stick around longer later in the evening. After dinner, don’t have have much more than a light light snack, and don’t eat 2 hours before bed.
Cut out the sugar
This one’s obvious. Fruits are your friend, so the key here is ‘added sugars’. Candy, soda, chocolate, none of it’s good for you. The simplest way to do this is don’t ever buy it and you won’t have it in your house. Then you can allow yourself to cave on occasion while out to eat or while on a night on the town.
Reduce your carbs
Carbs are essentially sugar. Whether complex or simple carbohydrates, they all get converted to sugars in the body. This is your fuel. It’s necessary and ideal if they come from fresh, plant sources like oranges, bananas and sweet potatos. Don’t overdue it though. Always think if the carb is “nutrient-dense” meaning is there any good in this at all?! Good carb example – butternut squash, bad carb example – cheese curls.
Drink green tea
Ditch coffee, which is acidic and choose green tea. It’s loaded with antioxidant and fat-burning super molecules. If you’re cutting out caffein, choose an herbal tea such as Holy Basil or Rooibos
teas. If you need more of a kick, opt for black tea. If you hate tea and herbal tea, maybe just put some some lemons, limes, grapes, pineapples, cucumbers, or whatever other random fruit and vegetables to make your own fresh, nutrient-boosted flavored water.
Eat a balanced nutritious diet
Broccoli is healthy and you know this. So eat it. Since it seems the government is always changing what’s good for you and what’s not, these basics remain: Fresh wild-caught fish, pastured raised meats and eggs, local fruits and vegetables, plenty of water and healthy sources of fat. Add some soup made from bone broth for collagen in there.
If you eat Double Double, you look like Double Double. – Wanderlei Silva
With a solid workout ethic and the combined diet tips, you should see some abs popping through real soon. Share some tips for the others, I’m sure we missed a ton. Thanks!