Most women dream of having rock-hard abs to show off whenever they please. Abs seem to be viewed as clear proof of being in peak physical shape. They’re incredibly desirable and just plain cool to have. So many athletes, celebrities and influencers have them that it can make you want them that much more.
All in all, it would be a massive lie to say that achieving abs is super easy. It takes a ton of time, effort and dedication to get abs that rival your favourite Instagram model. Here are some things to note:
You can’t target fat loss on your abs.
It doesn’t matter how many crunches, sit-ups, or whatever other ab exercise you do repeatedly; you can’t target fat loss to your abs. Yes, it’s true that exercising your abdomen could increase your endurance and strength in that area, but because you draw your energy from your entire body while exercising, it’s impossible to lose fat just for your abdomen. That’s why it’s more important to just focus on losing fat, regardless of where it’s coming from. Keeping a consistent calorie deficit by eating clean and doing a combination of cardio and strength training will be your most successful bet in losing fat— even if that fat loss doesn’t come from your abs.
Your diet has to be super clean.
In an ideal world, you could eat anything under the sun without any concern for gaining weight. While that would be nice, the reality is that this isn’t possible whatsoever. As previously mentioned, a calorie deficit is important to ensure fat loss. But what foods you consume to be in that deficit also matters more than you think. If you want abs that badly, you need to cut out (at least limit your consumption of) fast-food, refined-grain, soda and sweets— just to name a few. Center your diet around eating foods high in both fiber and protein.
Body positivity is necessary.
The biggest (and admittedly hardest) truth about achieving abs, is maintaining them. You may eat junk food a few days in a row for one reason or another. You may skip a workout or two because you’re enjoying your vacation. Maybe genetics is making it hard to get the body of your dreams. Whatever the case is, don’t believe that not having abs means you’re missing out or that you’re not in shape. Accept your body as it is— with or without abs. That doesn’t mean you should give up on achieving that look if it’s what you want. Rather, don’t feel discouraged or like it’s never going to happen.
Achieving abs can feel like a monumental task that’s next to impossible to achieve. But that’s not necessarily true. It’s just that, in addition to putting in the hard work required to get abs, you need to be honest with how hard the process will be. That means accepting some harsh truths on the matter. But with enough work, you can surely be as fit as you can be.
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