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(Rated 4.07/5 from 27 votes)
Loading ...Abs Diet
The Abs Diet was created by David Zinczenko - the editor for fitness magazine "Men’s Health". The book is written in a style aimed at men, but the principles can be applied to anyone.
For many years most athletes, fitness models, and bodybuilders have applied the same basic fundamentals to their diet. Principles like eating often (5-6 times per day), building muscle, eating lean proteins, and aiming to eat whole unrefined carbs.
Sadly many dieters have failed to take note of these techniques, often believing that calorie restriction is the only way to lose weight.
Useful Information
Hidden under the glossy marketing-speak in the Abs Diet, you will find sensible and workable ideas for fat loss. The principles are not new, but simply repackaged for a different market. In fact the program is quite similar to Body For Life.
Whilst the book is called "The Abs Diet" - having visible abdominal muscles is about attaining very low levels of fat - rather than any magic diet, special exercise, or special piece of equipment. Attaining defined abs is difficult and challenging - but it sells, and many men now consider visible abs to be the pinnacle of a good body.
The 12 Power Foods
The Abs diet contains a 7 day meal plan, made up of 12 ‘power foods’, along with recipes. One meal per week is designated as a ‘cheat’ meal - where you eat anything you want. The book advises avoiding foods like fatty meats, processed/refined carbs, high-sugar foods.
| The Power 12 Foods |
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1. Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact. 6. Eggs 12. Raspberries and Other Berries If you are wondering why almonds, spinach, raspberries, and turkey were singled out — nothing scientific — it just helps to make a catchy acronym - absdietpower ! |
Cardio and Weights
Essential to the diet program is strength and interval training. This is based on the premise that building muscle increases metabolism which will assist in burning fat.
See a sample of the abs diet circuit training workout.
Do You Get A Flat Tummy?
This is what the author says in response to spot reducing:
"…you can’t spot reduce per se. That’s a myth. But if people lose weight - particularly if they’re doing some moderate exercise at the same time - they’ll lower their body fat and will likely notice that loss in their bellies since that’s where most of the fat lives…"
Unfortunately this isn’t quite true. Women, in particular, carry most of their fat deposits around the thighs and hips. Also, belly fat can quite often be the last place that fat disappears from. However the book does is aimed at men which may explain the authors comments.
Conclusion
The Abs Diet pretends to be something new. However it is simply a basic guide to strength training, good nutrition, and exercise. It provides good sensible nutritional advice, and, if followed correctly would result in weight loss and improved overall conditioning.
See More
Abs Diet - Official Site.Comments
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Thank you for this wonderful diet. It is very inspiring. I thought I could never lose weight(I weighed 300 pounds) then I tried this diet and I lost 250 ! I am so excited and my new husband loves my new body , thank you SO much !! (:
dear linda, i think your significant loss of body fat has caused you to forget how to write. point is, you either way 50 lbs or 250, fatty.
this is the stupidest diet i have ever heard of in my lifetime. and i have been living for a very very VERY long time. =) you should reconsider your dieting methods babeeee.
ignasio - weigh not way….. bit of a moron yourself matey!!
TO IGNASIO: Why are you calling her a fatty when you are on this website probably looking for a diet yourself? That was very dumb.
hahaha ignasio u got destroyed
I am an Athletic Training and Nutrition major at Grand Valley State University in Michigan and actaully this diet is very sensible. The key to weight loss is healthy eating habits and sensible excercise. However, one of the most important factors in a diet is changing the behavior patterns of the individual. If you lose a bunch of weight but dont actually change your behaviors, you will gain the weight right back.
TO ANGELIQUE: What do you believe is a good diet? You say that this is the dumbest one you have ever seen? What sort of research have you actaully done into dieting?
The Abs Diet promotes a weight loss system that is healthy and easy to follow. It is not a complex fad diet like so many that are out there. The instructions are simple.
TO HIGH SCHOOL CHICK: Not everyone who diets is overweight. Some people who are on websites like this one are researching diets to suggest to clients or patients or simply to inform themselves. I would refrain from calling others “dumb” before you know the circumstances of the situation. It will get you a lot farther in life if you reserve judgement until you have all of the facts.
to rae the reason for hsc comment is because no matter what cause a person to visit this site or any weight loss site should not be calling people fatty.
I’m still interested on the woman who now weighs 50 lbs..
PEOPLE, PEOPLE…COME ON! Let’s get it together and stay focused.
Yeah I followed this diet after I bought the book 2 years ago. I was 310 LBS and made it down to 230, which was pretty good for my height of 6′1″. Today I now weight in at 210 LBS and all down to following the instructions of this diet.
Way to go Linda. I too am researching diets because I need to loose about 40 pounds. I have a desk job and work aprox 11 hrs a day. Honestly I do not like exercising every day. I am a meat(hamburger,pork chops & potatoes person. I do like vegetables also). I need something that is quick to put together when I get home. I am not a breakfast person either. So I am exploring all of these. I did join LA Fitness as it will be on my way to work.
If you lot spent half as much time in the gym as you do scoring points on eachother to make yourselves feel better, you would be in great shape. Very good diet.
Wow, this diet actually sounds reasonable! It sounds pretty healthy and sustainable. Finally, someone who got it right.
This diet is very sensible. It’s a better choice over the other “3 hour or 3 day diets” because if you start to eat this way after a week or 2 your body will begin to naturally reject foods with lots of sugar and fat and you will begin eating healthy all the time with not even putting a lot of thought into it. You then will begin to see a significant difference with your weight.
I agree with you, RA. I’ve been on the Abs Diet almost 4 weeks, and foods I used to absolutely live for (i.e., Jif peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate, etc.) are disgusting to me now. I would rather have fat-free cottage cheese with a banana and toasted almonds for “dessert.” Since I tend to eat a lot of protein, plus two snacks a day, I’m never hungry. This is a diet you can really live on.
oh wow. im surprised to hear that u would reject all those fatty-yummy food. i have to try this diet!
hey where can i get this diet? is it only in the book?
Honestly a diet that appears to ommit the foods I truely enjoy is no diet for me, but mostly I do eat these things anyways with a small chocolatey or salty treat each day. Weight Watchers is the diet for me though most don’t like the points system. What it really boils down to is what works for you. To each their own I say. Over all the ABS diet is a pretty basic, common sense diet to me.
I have always been in shape all my life but since I turned 48 a few months ago, I have noticed gaining weight without overindulging in anything. I am healthy, no meds. just multivitamins daily, yet I am overweight.Will this really work ?
Listen up with this diet it is foods that we eat anyways I have lost 40 pound on this diet I exercise 4 days a week with a spin class once a week on Saturday mornings as one of them. To be sucessful with this diet you have to eat the 5 to 6 times a day it seems like your eating alot but really your not, I suggest that you eat breakfast everyday do not skip this meal also make sure you drink plenty of h2o. I feel this diet has helped me in my everyday life I feel good about myself and it has also helped my 12 year old son with his weight because now he is eating fresh food not this drive through garbage. Well good luck to all a remeber it take 20 days for our bodys to make something a habit, this is not a diet to me it is a life change.
How do you use the p12 do you consume everything on this list everyday?
The recipies are basically good but could use a little reworking to make them tastier. Simple things like adding a few spices can make all the difference.
In my experience, this diet is a good, balanced diet (I’m a software developer, not a dietitian or nutritionist). The exercise was hard to fit in at first, but after about 4-5 weeks, I got used to it. I’ve been on the diet this time (I did it a few years back) for about 14 weeks now. I didn’t need to lose much weight (I have only dropped from 165 to 155), but my body fat % (according to my scale) has dropped from about 21% down to 19%, and my total cholesterol dropped from 276 at the start of the diet to 169 now.
The main complaint my wife had the first time we did this was that the food got boring. This time around, we are taking recipes from other sources, and applying the 12 power foods and making other substitutions to make them Abs Diet-friendly, with pretty good results. As David says in the book, almost anything for South Beach works pretty well here, and we’ve fallen in love with Kashi products.
I have found this diet to be easy to follow, easy on the taste buds, and if you can find 30-45 minutes a day to exercise, very effective.
I think you’re all stupid and if you’re gonna critic everyone then at least learn how to feel good about yourselves first!!!!!!!
sounds like the lot of you are retarded!
If anyone want this diet just tell me and i may be able to send it to you, is pretty cool, i have it in a torrent file and i love it.
Hmmm, this diet sounds promising…
I did this diet and lost over 100 pounds. Seriously. To eat six times a day it a blessing. And you become very full once you get into it because so many of these products contain fiber which are filling. I would STONGLY suggest this diet to all. PS. My cholesterol went from 210 to 151 in 6 weeks! Yeah, my numbers went down significantly when on this.