🧠Get Informed - Get Fit🔥: Melt Away Tummy Fat 🥵

Let’s talk about abs.

Let me be real with you—getting abs and keeping them is no easy feat. It takes time, dedication, and a whole lot of effort.

🍋First off, don’t feel pressured to chase abs just because it’s the “in” thing or the start of a new year.

Remember, everyone’s body is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. That’s the beauty of our uniqueness—every body is worthy of love and respect.

However, if you’re ready to embark on this journey for yourself, it’s crucial to have a realistic expectation of how long it’ll take to see those abs.

🍋Spoiler alert: abs won’t magically appear in a week, two weeks or a month. (So PLEASE stop listing to those “ab challenges” that promise you a flat tummy or abs in 20 days, it’s not realistic.

There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline because everyone starts from different places.

✨But here’s a rough guide✨

To have visible abs, women typically need to aim for a body fat percentage of around 12-19%. ( All depends on genetics and body build).

You can figure out your current body fat percentage with machines at the gym or by using callipers and online calculators.

Safe fat loss is around 1-2% per month. So, if you’re at 25% body fat now, expect about 6 months to see abs.

At 30%? Closer to a year.

🍋How to calculate your body fat percentage:

For women: (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x age) – 5.4

As such, say you were a 5ft, 4-inch 25-year-old woman who weighs 120 pounds – you would have a BMI of 20.5. You could estimate your body fat percentage to be about 25% using this calculation:

(1.2 x 20.5) + (0.23 x 25) - 5.4 = 24.95

🍋What's a good body fat percentage for women?

According to The Royal College of Nursing, a healthy body fat percentage for women aged 20 to 40 is between 15% and 31%. As you get past 40, your ideal body fat percentage might get higher.

In the first four weeks, ramp up your physical activity and overhaul your diet. Abs are made in the kitchen. Reduce sugar, white bread, white rice, white pasta, and potatoes.

Drop alcohol for the first month and limit coffee to one a day.

Focus on a balanced diet full of fibre, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, unrefined carbs, and healthy fats.

Protein is key for fat loss and muscle gain.

After the initial four weeks, you’ll need to keep working hard. Eat whole, healthy foods six days a week and train your abs at least two- three times a week for 30 minutes at high intensity.

You’ll also need to be doing at least one to two days of total body movements, combined with cardio and stretching, are essential.

Don’t listen to people who say lifting weights is better than hiit or cardio. They both are good, don’t just do one.

🍋According to research, cardio workout typically burns more calories than a weight-training session. Weight training is better for fat loss and building lean muscle, but strength training can also make you build muscle under fat - making you appear larger if you’re not eating heathy and doing cardio. While cardio will help with weight loss, improving cardiovascular health and helping to uncover the muscle you've sculpted.

A HIIT session can help you burn more calories in fewer minutes. Combining cardio and weights often helps you lose weight, burn fat, and build muscle.

🍋Follow a structured plan, not random workouts, and balance exercise with rest, sleep, and hydration.

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🍋Why Some Popular Diets Won't Help You Get Abs or Lose Weight

👎Fad Diets and Unsustainable Restrictions: Many popular diets, like the grapefruit diet or cabbage soup diet, promise quick results but are overly restrictive and nutritionally unbalanced. They often lead to short-term weight loss but are difficult to maintain, causing people to regain the lost weight once they return to their regular eating habits.

👎Low-Fat Diets: Low-fat diets were once popular, but they often replace fats with sugars and refined carbohydrates, leading to poor satiety and increased hunger. This can result in overeating and ultimately weight gain, hindering your progress towards achieving abs.

👎Single Food Diets: Diets that focus on consuming one type of food, such as the “banana diet”, lack the variety needed to provide essential nutrients. They are not sustainable in the long run and can lead to nutrient deficiencies, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight and muscle tone.

👎Very Low-Calorie Diets: Extremely low-calorie diets can cause muscle loss along with fat loss. Since muscle mass is essential for a toned physique, losing muscle can make it harder to achieve visible abs and maintain a healthy metabolism.

👎Juice Diets and Juice Cleanses: Juice diets and cleanses often promise rapid detox and weight loss, but they are not effective for long-term fat loss or achieving visible abs. They typically involve consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for several days, leading to a significant calorie deficit. While you may lose water weight initially, juice diets lack sufficient protein and healthy fats, which are essential for muscle maintenance and metabolic health. The lack of fiber can also lead to hunger and cravings, making it difficult to stick to, and any weight lost is usually regained once normal eating resumes.

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🍋How Some Diets Can Help You Lose Weight and Are Healthier and Easier

🫶Mediterranean Diet: This diet focuses on whole foods, healthy fats, lean proteins, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. It's sustainable and balanced, promoting steady weight loss and overall health. The inclusion of healthy fats like olive oil and nuts can help you feel full longer, reducing the likelihood of overeating.

🫶Intermittent Fasting: As mentioned earlier, intermittent fasting is an effective and straightforward approach to weight loss. By limiting the eating window, it helps reduce calorie intake naturally while improving metabolic health. This can lead to fat loss and better muscle definition, making it easier to achieve visible abs.

🫶Whole30: This 30-day program eliminates processed foods, sugars, grains, legumes, and dairy. By focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, Whole30 can help reset eating habits and promote weight loss. The emphasis on vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats helps maintain muscle mass and support metabolic health.

🫶DASH Diet: Originally designed to lower blood pressure, the DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. It's low in sodium and encourages nutrient-rich foods, promoting heart health and sustainable weight loss.

🫶Plant-Based Diets: Diets that emphasize whole, plant-based foods can be very effective for weight loss and overall health. They are rich in fiber, which helps you feel full and satisfied, and are generally lower in calories than diets high in animal products. This approach supports a healthy metabolism and muscle retention.

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Why These Diets Are ✨Healthier and Easier✨

✨Balanced Nutrition✨: These diets provide a variety of nutrients essential for overall health and maintaining muscle mass, which is important for achieving visible abs.

✨Sustainability✨: They are designed to be maintained over the long term, reducing the risk of yo-yo dieting and weight regain.

✨Satiety and Satisfaction✨: By including a balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, these diets help you feel full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to them.

✨Health Benefits✨: In addition to weight loss, these diets offer numerous health benefits, such as improved heart health, better metabolic function, and reduced inflammation, all of which contribute to a leaner, healthier body.

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🫶Why I like to Intermittent fast🫶

Intermittent fasting is a simple and effective approach to fat loss that is relatively easy to maintain. Research indicates that intermittent fasting can be just as effective for weight loss as traditional calorie restriction, and in some cases, even more so.

A 2014 review found that intermittent fasting can lead to a significant weight loss of 3–8% over a period of 3–24 weeks.

Additionally, a 2016 review suggested that for individuals with obesity or overweight, intermittent fasting might be a more effective weight loss strategy than very low-calorie diets.

Moreover, intermittent fasting can improve metabolism and overall metabolic health.

There are several methods to practice intermittent fasting. The 5:2 diet involves fasting for two days each week, while others may prefer alternate-day fasting or the 16/8 method, which involves an eating window of 8 hours followed by a 16-hour fast, which is the method I do.

By effectively reducing calorie intake and improving metabolic function, intermittent fasting can help you achieve a leaner physique and contribute to developing visible abs.

🍋REMEMBER, sustainable abs come from changing your habits and lifestyle—quick fixes won’t cut it.

I don’t care what you see from some of these insta and Lemon8 “health & fitness” creators, listen to your gym big sister on this. I’m not trying to sell you a fitness plan or a drink I made, I just want you to have all the information to make informed decisions on your health. 🫶

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✨Top Workout Apps made to Tone Your Abs at Home✨

Home workouts are a game-changer, especially now that we're spending more time at home. Sitting for long hours in front of our computers can have sneaky health effects, so staying active is crucial. If you're aiming for six-pack abs or just want to target your core, I've got you covered.

Here are the top five ab workout apps I've personally tried and recommend. You can download them today and start your fitness journey right from home.

🍋1. MMA Spartan System Home Workouts

It offers unique training sessions for various body parts, including your abs. Customize your workout routine to suit your needs and enjoy the added bonus of a nutritional plan to track calories, weight loss, and overall progress.

🍋2. Six Pack 30 Day Workout

Perfect for all fitness levels, this app guides beginners and challenges experts. Your workout intensity is tailored based on your body fat percentage, ensuring effective training. No equipment needed, plus it integrates with Google Fit to help you track your BMI and weight.

🍋3. Lose Belly Fat at Home

Ideal for women looking to burn fat with aerobic and cardio exercises. This app features video tutorials to ensure you nail the right posture, position, and timing for each workout. It's convenient and effective for at-home sessions.

🍋4. Daily Yoga for Abs

Struggling with stubborn belly fat? This app combines core-strengthening exercises with yoga-inspired moves. It offers a variety of daily workout options, whether you're targeting your abs specifically or working on full-body fitness.

🍋5. 7-Minute Workout Fitness

Short on time? This app delivers a complete workout in just seven minutes. However, I do recommend longer workouts, a workout is better than no workout. It also includes features like a water drinking reminder, virtual training instructor, calorie scanner, and customizable workout schedules to fit your busy lifestyle.

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‼️Know your anatomy‼️

🧠The muscles involved in the stomach and core include the rectus abdominis, which forms the "six-pack" and runs vertically along the front of the abdomen.

🧠The obliques, which consist of the external and internal obliques on the sides, aiding in trunk rotation and lateral flexion; and the transverse abdominis, the deepest layer, which wraps around the torso providing stability and compression.

🧠The pelvic floor muscles support the organs in the pelvis and play a role in core stability.

🍋The abdominal region can be divided into three parts:

🍋the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques, each contributing to different movements and functions such as flexing the spine, stabilizing the core, and rotating the trunk.

Knowing the location and function of your muscles helps you train them more effectively by allowing you to target specific areas during your workouts. Understanding which muscles are engaged in different exercises ensures that you perform movements with proper form, maximizing efficiency and minimizing the risk of injury.

ℹ️For example, when you know that crunches primarily work the rectus abdominis, you can focus on engaging this muscle during the exercise.

ℹ️Similarly, understanding the role of obliques can help you incorporate exercises like side planks or Russian twists to enhance lateral strength and stability.

This knowledge also aids in creating a balanced workout routine that addresses all parts of the core, leading to overall better performance and strength.

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3-day ab routine that focuses solely on the upper abs, lower abs, and core muscles, without targeting the obliques.

✨Day 1: Upper and Lower Abs✨

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

* Jumping Jacks: 1 minute

* High Knees: 1 minute

* Arm Circles: 1 minute

* Bodyweight Squats: 1 minute

* Plank: 1 minute

Dynamic stretches: 5 mins

Workout (30 minutes)

1. Long arm Crunches

* 3 sets of 20 reps

2. Leg Raises

* 3 sets of 15 reps

3. Reverse Crunches

* 3 sets of 15 reps

4. Flutter Kicks

* 3 sets of 20 reps

5. V Ups

* 3 sets of 20 reps

6. Crunches

* 3 sets of 20 reps

7. Dead Bugs

* 3 sets of 20 reps

8. Plank

* 3 sets of 1 minute

Cardio Finisher

* Burpees: 3 sets of 10 reps

Cool Down (5 minutes)

* Stretching: Focus on your core and lower back

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✨Day 2: Total Body and Core✨

Warm-Up (20 minutes)

* Jump Rope: 10 minutes

* Dynamic Stretches: 5 minutes

Workout (30 minutes)

(Really Focus on squeezing your core for each exercise)

1. Barbell Squats

* 3 sets of 15 reps

2. Push-Ups

* 3 sets of 15 reps

3. Dumbbell Deadlifts

* 3 sets of 15 reps

4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

* 3 sets of 15 reps

5. Dumbbell Lunges

* 3 sets of 15 reps per side

Core

1. Hollow Body Hold

* 3 sets of 10 reps

2. Flutter Kicks

* 3 sets of 10 reps

3. Hanging Leg Raises

* 3 sets of 10 reps

4. Ab Rollouts

* 3 sets of 10 reps

5. Woodchoppers

* 3 sets of 10 repa

Cardio Session (10 minutes)

* Interval Training: 30 seconds sprint, 30 seconds walk, repeat for 10 minutes

Cool Down (5 minutes)

* Stretching: Focus on legs, arms, and shoulders

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✨Day 3: Core Focus✨

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

* Jogging on the Spot: 10 minutes

* Dynamic Stretches: 5 minutes

Workout (30 minutes)

1. Plank with Leg Lifts

* 3 sets of 15 reps per side

2. Toe Touches

* 3 sets of 20 reps

3. Hanging Leg Raises

* 3 sets of 15 reps

4. V-Ups

* 3 sets of 15 reps

5. Bicycle Kicks

* 3 sets of 20 reps (10 per side)

6. Ab Rollouts

* 3 sets of 10 reps

Cardio Finisher (5 minutes)

* High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): 30 seconds mountain climbers, 30 seconds rest, repeat for 5 minutes

Cool Down (5 minutes)

* Stretching: Focus on core, back, and legs

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✨Additional Tips✨

🍋USE WEIGHTS: Ladies use weights. Im not saying 20lbs or above. A simple 5 or 10lb dumbbell will do! You have to treat your abs as you would with any other muscle. You’re not going to make your stomach bigger by targeting you an muscles with weight, as long as you aren’t hitting your oblique muscles.

🍋Nutrition: Maintain a balanced diet with plenty of lean protein, fibre, fruits, vegetables, unrefined carbs, and healthy fats.

🍋Hydration: Stay hydrated throughout the day.

🍋Rest: Ensure you get enough rest and sleep for recovery.

🍋Consistency: Stick to your routine and make adjustments based on your progress and how your body feels.

Stay consistent and dedicated, and you’ll be on your way to achieving those visible abs! 💪✨

@Lemon8 Fitness

@Lemon8 Prod

@Feature Guide @Lemon8 Wellness @Lemon8 US

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