THE ABS DIET

Posted by admin on April 3rd, 2007 filed in Diet General, Diet Tools & Tips, Diet Reviews, Exercises

David Zinczenko, editor of ‘Men’s Health’ fitness magazine, created the ‘Abs Diet’ that is designed mainly at men, though his website www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/ also shows examples of women who have used it.  He claims that it is possible to:

“Lose up to 12 pounds – from your belly first – in just 2 weeks! … and get the lean flat stomach that everybody wants!” – Source: www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/ , © 2007 David Zinczenko

‘The Abs Diet’ is especially focused towards fitness gurus, athletes and bodybuilders, who have followed the diet principles of eating about 5-6 times each day, while trying to build muscle and eating unrefined carbohydrates and lean proteins.  In principle this does work, but with reduced calories it can be very unhealthy.

‘The Abs Diet’ does have a lot of high level marketing, which hides the common sense approach to properly losing weight.  However, these ideas are not innovative, having been around for many years.  This diet merely has rearranged the packaging, and is not unsimilar to the diet, ‘Body For Life’.

The site sells a book by the same name, which attracts men because it focuses on the fashion of ripped abs and a very low level of body fat.  In reality, such well-defined abs need more than a good diet to produce such finely tuned abdominal muscles.

The diet offers a sensible daily meal plan, covering seven days.  It consists of 12 ‘power foods’, useful recipes, and allows for one not so healthy meal along the way to help dieters curb the urge to cheat regularly.  However, it exercises some plain common sense by recommending that foods that are high in sugar, have excess fat (like fatty meats), and refined/processed carbohydrates be avoided.  Some of the good foods include nuts, beans, legumes, spinach, green leafy vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese, low or no-fat milk, unsweetened oatmeal, lean meats (turkey, fish, chicken, etc.), olive oil, peanut butter, eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads, berries and whey protein.  Most importantly though, the ‘Abs Diet’ insists on a strict exercise program, including circuit training and interval and strength training.

The author does claim that the power foods ‘… strip away fat like magic…’, a hard body can be achieved in up to 6 weeks, the diet erases decades of one’s looks, one’s sex life will be super, and that it is possible to live a pain-free life.  Realistically speaking, these claims are questionable.  Rock solid abs take a lot more than 6 weeks to achieve, even if one is undergoing the grueling 9-week Navy Seal workout, which this is not.  Aging cannot be totally erased once the damage has been done, and we all age eventually.  A better sex life may be true with a well-toned body and more energy.  However, a pain-free life is stretching things a bit too far.  Even athletes get headaches, backache and strained, sore muscles, don’t they?

In conclusion, the ‘Abs Diet’ is an excellent guide for a healthy diet and body.  However, there is nothing new about it, and a lot of the information it provides can be accessed by speaking to a fitness trainer and either your family doctor or a dietician.

Tags: Diet General, Diet Tools & Tips, Diet Reviews, Exercises

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