We all want to look like a superhero with our shirt off. There are very few visual cues quite like showing off a shredded set of abdominals. Rocking a six pack is a huge ego boost and is guaranteed to get you attention whether you are male or female. There is a reason a cut stomach is such an effective attention getter – they are tough to get and therefore relatively rare. A six-pack takes not only a significant amount of exercise and physical effort, but it also requires smart eating and self-control.
Here at Evolve Daily, we have already covered stomach blasting exercises, as well as what foods you should try and focus on to get cut, but there is still one more critical piece to this puzzle – the foods you need to avoid if you want to reveal those stomach muscles. You could have a firm stomach and could be eating all the foods we suggested, but if you don’t remove specific items from your diet, you will never get the sexy definition you seek.
High-calorie and carbohydrate foods are of course on this list, but there may be a few that surprise you. So without further ado, here is our list of the six pack killing foods you need to avoid:
1) Alcohol
We are starting off with the big one. When you get to know enough fighters and athletes, you know that the concept of “work hard, play harder” applies to many. While it is important to be able to unwind and relax after the stresses of work or training, doing so with alcohol may be severely limiting in multiple aspects – including getting that six-pack. This may sound like blasphemy to many of you, but cutting alcohol out of your diet can significantly improve many aspects of your training and physique.
Most are aware that beer is chock full of both calories and carbohydrates, and if you are regularly drinking beer and trying to get a six-pack you might as well try to swim up a waterfall, but even liquors can make it hard for your body to cut excess weight. Though alcohol itself is less than ten calories, your body prioritizes it for metabolizing. This takeover of priorities means it is stopping you from burning any stored fat.
Multiple studies also link alcohol to breaks in your diet. The loss of self-control that makes it so fun is also likely to cause you to gorge on chicken wings and pizza. It’s a one-two combination towards a more prominent gut.
And let’s be honest, the day after a night of drinking, are you really training at your peak?
2) Sugar-Loaded Liquids (Soda, Juice)
Most everyone knows that soda is loaded with sugar, and therefore calories, which cause you to pack on the pounds quickly. But, it isn’t just soda you need to watch out for though. Although most fruit juices are full of vitamins, they are also full of sugar. Downing a bottle of fruit juice can often give you as many calories as a single meal of lean meat and vegetables. Try to stick to low-sugar vegetable juices if you must have a flavored drink and stay as far away from soda as possible.
Diet soda isn’t much better, and should be avoided as well. Though diet sodas will be low in calories, the substitute sugars they utilize can wreak havoc on the body. There are even studies that directly correlate diet soda to having more fat around your waist! The linked research shows that diet soda drinkers can expect up to three times more abdominal fat than those who stick to water. Anything that contains artificial sugars like saccharin need to be avoided.
3) Fast Food
This one is a no-brainer. Fast foods are full of sugars, fats, carbohydrates and everything else that leads to a bigger gut. The food is also correlated to lower energy levels and creates a downward spiral of fat and sugar dependence and lower training results.
4) Carbohydrate-Heavy Foods
We touched on this a bit with beer and fast food, but it is worth exploring further. Refined grains and carbohydrates are in a massive amount of the food you eat, and may all along have been the unseen culprit holding you back from looking your best. Just take a look at some of your favorite snacks, including simple crackers or a slice of bread, and you will see that they are full of carbs. Carbs when not adequately burned are eventually turned to sugar and stored as fat.
While some vegetables, like roots, that are high in carbohydrates are generally ok – other items traditionally thought of as healthy should be avoided. Stay away from pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, etc.
5) Sugary Foods
This is another obvious concept and overlaps with soda and fast food, but there are a few high-sugar culprits that may not be so obvious. Items like dried fruit, canned soup, salad dressing, granola bars, and tomato sauce all typically have a high sugar content that can kill your chances for a defined six-pack. Make a habit of checking the labels of the foods you eat and go for the low-sugar alternatives to your favorite brands.
6) The Wrong Health Foods
Be careful what you eat, even if it’s labeled as “healthy”.
We need to have a quick chat about certain “health foods” that may be keeping that extra fat on your stomach. Certain bodies will process these differently, so if you are eating any of these items try to cut them out for a month or two and see if you notice any significant changes in how you look.
- Dairy products like whole milk and Greek yogurt. These very often can hinder your ability to look cut. Though the protein content is high, they won’t get you to where you need to go.
- Fruits such as bananas. I know this may sound a bit crazy, but fruits are not the healthiest thing you could be eating if you want to shed weight. They are packed with sugars and often bring negative returns. Though we recommend apples for their negative calorie count, all fruit (mainly due to their inherent sugar) should be eaten in moderation.
- Protein bars. Though it is essential to get the right amount of protein into your diet, protein bars are often the worst way to do it. So many are packed with sugar and carbohydrates. There are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between.
So, are you guilty of eating any of the 6 foods above? Remember, to get in shape (and develop that hard-to-get six pack) you need to pair a healthy diet with exercise. So if you are tired of being unhealthy and want to get into the best shape of your life, one of the best ways to do so is to start training martial arts. Not only will you burn fat while building muscle, you will also have fun learning practical self-defense skills that you can use. Give martial arts a try and sign up for a complimentary trial class today!
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If you have any other questions regarding Evolve MMA and the programs we offer, you can get in touch with our membership executives at the following locations:
Evolve MMA (Far East Square)
26 China Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 049568
Phone: (65) 6536 4525
Evolve MMA (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road
#06-01 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Phone: (65) 6536 4556
Evolve MMA (KINEX)
11 Tanjong Katong Road
#02-52 KINEX
Singapore 437157
Phone: (65) 6288 2293
Evolve MMA (Clarke Quay Central)
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#04-18 Clarke Quay Central
Singapore 059817
Phone: (65) 6226 2150
