Saturday, January 10, 2015
How to Get Six Pack Abs Fast
Everywhere you turn, someone's promising the next secret to getting 6 pack abs. Some of these so called "secrets" have some degree of accuracy, while others have very little. Deciphering which methods are the best for getting those rippling abs you've always dreamed of is critical to achieving this goal.
Method 1 of 2: The Six Pack Diet
1Go for the good carbs. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach...and the way to a man's abs is through the kitchen. If you're not eating right (man or woman notwithstanding), your abs will (or won't, rather) show it.
Not all carbs are evil. It's the simple, white carbs that you want to avoid. Whole grains (aka "slow carbs") are rich in fiber and go through your system much more slowly (hence the name) than simple, refined carbs (the white ones). So don't shy away from the browns -- brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat and oats.
Pack on protein early in the morning. Because straight up, you'll eat less (and it's the building blocks you need to build muscle tissue). People who got 35 grams of protein at breakfast were less hungry throughout the day and saw favorable changes in the hormones and brain signals that control appetite. Getting six pack abs isn't necessarily about counting calories. But you do need to get rid of the fat on top of your abs to expose the muscles underneath them -- and eating a bit less will get you on track.Eating any breakfast was associated with increased feelings of fullness, a reduced desire to eat, and lower levels of ghrelin (a hunger-stimulating hormone) throughout the morning. But a protein-packed breakfast was associated with these benefits over the course of the entire day.
This doesn't mean go for the ham steak and eggs. To keep your calorie and fat levels in check, opt for Greek yogurt, egg whites, and Canadian bacon.
What's more, your body burns more calories breaking down protein than it does carbs and fats. Every little bit counts, right?
Cut out processed goods. Consuming most of your calories from processed and fast foods is going to produce an unhealthy body lacking in nutrients. Foods that have been through some sort of preservation have had their nutrients taken out and are really just empty, unhealthy calories. Definitely a no-go for a trim waistline.
To make matters worse, processing then adds in unhealthy fats, a ton of sugar or sugar substitute and synthetic vitamins and minerals. Most of these ingredients, including artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, are not even recognized as edible by your body. Think about that. These non-food ingredients are considered toxins and most will end up languishing in your system, often stored with fat.
Anything that's packaged is a processed good. That includes your "health" foods, too. Look for the top super foods (nutrient-dense, low-calorie fruits and vegetables, like broccoli). These give the most vitamins and minerals to energize your body and heal and prevent strain to the muscles.
Drink loads of water. Research shows that people who drink and drink and drink water lose more weight and keep it off long term. What's more, it'll up your metabolism to boot.
In a recent study, a 30% increase (albeit temporary) was seen within 10 minutes of participants drinking 17 ounces of water. And it's best to drink it cold -- your body takes energy to warm it up.
And you'll naturally cut out those sugary, empty calorie drinks like sodas and processed juices. That's killing two birds with one stone.
Consume healthy fats. Dietary fat that comes from primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oils, fish oils, a mix of nuts, natural peanut butter and avocado is actually good for you. While it's true that eating fat ups your caloric intake like none other, as long as you keep it between 20-30%, it can help you get results fast. That's because it helps stabilize your insulin levels which, if they get too high, can cause fat retention.
In addition, consuming fat will keep you sated for a longer period of time; eating just protein or carbs leaves you traveling back to the fridge. So as long as they're the good fats, you're good to go.
Eat often. Your body should never go hungry. When it goes hungry, it likes to cling onto fat and tell you to chow down on that pizza. If you're never hungry, your metabolism is always up and you're never left wanting.
Eat three standard meals and three snacks, equaling six times a day. Concerned about overeating? Don't be. Because the foods you'll be piling on are high in fiber, protein, and nutrition, you'll be sated with smaller amounts.
How to Think
Thinking is something that happens naturally in each individual, but there are ways to deepen your thinking abilities. It takes time and practice to become a better thinker, but it's a process you can hone all your life. Being a better thinker and keeping your mind sharp can help your mental and physical health in the long run!
Understanding Different Thinking Styles
Understand different types of thinking. There isn't one right way to think about things. Instead there are lots of ways of thinking, some of which are more effective than others. You'll need to learn different types of thinking, to better understand your own thinking processes as well as the thought processes of others.
Learn conceptual thinking. This is basically learning to find patterns and connections between abstract ideas so that you can form a whole picture. For example: you might use conceptual thinking during a chess game. You might look at the board and think "this configuration of pieces looks familiar" and use that to move your pieces based on how you see the pattern playing out.
Learn to think intuitively. This is basically what it means to operate on gut instinct (you should only operate on gut instinct). Often your brain is processing more than you realize, and that's gut instinct. For example: deciding you don't want to date a seemingly nice guy because your gut warns you off, and finding out later that he's a convicted sex offender; your brain was picking up on certain signals that you might not have been consciously aware of.
Learn the 5 thinking styles. Harrison and Bramson in The Art of Thinking postulated 5 thinking styles: synthesists, idealists, pragmatists, analysts, realists. Knowing where you fall and what styles you tend to use can help you better utilize your own thinking patterns. You can fall into one style or more than one, but using a variety of these styles can help you more effectively use your thinking.
Synthesists tend to enjoy conflict (they like to "play devil's advocate") and they tend towards asking "what if" type questions. However, they use that conflict to fuel their own creativity and can often do better seeing the whole picture.
Idealists more often look at the whole of a picture rather than just one component. They tend to be more interested in people and feelings than facts and numbers, and they prefer to think and plan for the future.
Pragmatists are the type that prefer to do "whatever works." They do well with quick thinking and short term planning and are usually creative and quite adaptable to change. Sometimes they seem to do things "on the fly" without any sort of plan whatsoever.
Analysts tend to try and break down problems into their specific components rather than dealing with it as a whole. They make lists and organize things and use lots of detail, so that their lives and problems remain orderly.
Realists are no-nonsense. They ask hard questions and tend to do whatever is required to solve a problem. They have a good grasp on the problem at hand and the tools with which they can solve it. They also tend to be more aware of what their limitations are. Most people have at least some measure of the realist in them.
Build up your critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is when you objectively analyze a situation or information by gathering lots of information and facts from different sources. Then you evaluate the situation based on the information you've gathered.
This basically means not taking things based on assumptions, not assuming that someone knows what they are talking about, and investigating things for yourself.
You will also need to understand how your own biases and perspectives color things, as well as what biases and perspectives other people present. You will have to challenge the assumptions you make based on your world view.
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