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COUNTDOWN TO ABS




























5 Weeks Out: Eat Whole Grains
Whole grains are higher in fiber, protein and other important nutrients, and they make you feel satisfied and full longer. Research also shows that women who eat whole grains weigh less than those who don't. Choose 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice and whole-wheat pastas. This step will help you avoid sugar and refined wheat, preparing you for next week's goal.

ONLY 4 MORE WEEKS!

MONTH 3: THE FINAL STRETCH

Welcome to the last four weeks of your fab ab journey. This month's goal is to build muscle endurance. Just as you did in Months 1 and 2, perform the program below three days per week, resting at least 48 hours between workouts. In addition, do your regular weight-training routine and increase your cardio to 4—5 days a week, 45—60 minutes per session.
WEEKLY NUTRITIONAL GOALS

4 Weeks Out: Eat "Clean"
Start eating clean, which means you need to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, and lean meats and fish. Minimize the intake of foods with preservatives, artificial ingredients, chemically altered fats and high sodium.

3 Weeks Out: Subtract Added Sugar
Consider that the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of added sugar daily—in the forms of corn syrup, glucose and table sugar added into processed foods—and that adds about 320 calories per day. Cutting these unwanted calories can help you lose the fat that seems to be holding onto your midsection.

2 Weeks Out: Revisit Your Journal
Two weeks to your goal, how's your diet? Look over your food journal entries. Have you been eating enough protein? How's your vegetable intake? Can you crank each up a notch? Identify the areas in which you might have been a bit lax and renew your commitment.

1 Week Out: Eliminate Salt
At this point, you have only seven days until it's time to reveal your abs at the pool, beach, park or gym. So if you've been using frozen meals for portion control, canned vegetables to get your five-a-day or deli meat for your protein fix, say no to them this week because they contain higher levels of sodium than fresh foods. Too much of this mineral can promote water retention and bloating—two things that can hide your hard-earned ab definition. Look at your journal to identify the sneaky ways salt gets in your diet and cut back. It may mean breaking up with your saltshaker. Hers

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