Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tips from Jillian Michaels



I saw these tips for flattening your abs and thought I would share. I know most people (including me!!) are concerned about their abs. Bring on the watermelon!!


1. A big part of ab definition is managing water weight. This means that you should reduce your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams a day and up your water intake to 80 ounces a day. The more water you drink, the less water you will hold.

2. Eat foods that are high in potassium (like watermelon). This will help you reduce bloat, giving definition to your abs. Other things to try: cranberry juice mixed with water, dandelion tea, asparagus, and try taking a couple teaspoons a day of apple cider vinegar. This vinegar helps to maintain healthy levels of potassium in your body.

3. You can spot-reduce belly fat, but you have to engage in a regimen that burns body fat. This means counting calories so that you are burning excess body fat.

4. When you hit the gym, go hard. Work at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for optimal fat-shedding results. Try workouts that are core-based and use multiple muscle groups, like mixed martial arts or Yoga flow.

5. Avoid processed foods, alcohol, and lack of sleep. Those three things increase cortisol levels, which is one of the hormones believed responsible for storing belly fat.

2 comments:

Priscilla said...

Good tips! I have a hard time with the water thing. I'm not in the habit of drinking it all the time, like I should be. I'm really starting to notice it now that my mileage has increased, because my skin is super dry, my hair is dry, my eyes are dry, my lips are chapped...I think I'm a little dehydrated most of the time. I've got to get busy drinking!

Lindsay said...

How lovely to get a comment. I'm never sure if anyone cares what I have to rant about.

I'm the same way about drinking water. And I know how important it is! There are days that I think back and realize I did not drink any water at all. I do find it much, much easier in the summer when it's hot.