NOT the usual crunches or fat-freezing!

Hello cozies!

Ngl, before making this post, I did look at other "How to get abs" posts. I then realised this space doesn't lack guidance on what exercises you can do to build your core muscles. I think many of us know by now that we can do crunches, leg lifts, planks, etc to train our core.

But what is not said is that doing ab workouts is not the most important thing!

Factors more important than doing crunches:

▫️Genetics

▫️Diet

▫️General wellness

I'll go into details for each! ⬇️GENETICS⬇️

I'm gonna be so real, most women who have 11s or abs are naturally lean to begin with. I feel this has to be said to set realistic expectations.

If you have a high fat percentage, it's not going to take you the same time as another person to get defined abs/11s if all things are equal when it comes to diet, lifestyle & workouts.

Ab lines can only be visible if the body is lean!

Genetics play a huge role, some of us carry more fat/weight in our abdomen area (this is the case for most women). Some of us are healthy with low body fat %, so abs are visible without trying as hard.

Before you read further, I wanted to talk about this first as a reminder to love and be kind to yourself. And celebrate how you were created by God❤️ It's amazing to want to improve yourself everyday, but not at the expense of your health! Healthy looks different on everyone, pleaseee remember this!

⬇️DIET⬇️

I know this isn't anything new. "Abs are made in the kitchen" 🙄🙄🙄

Sad to say, its true😭 Remember when I said you have to be lean to have visible abs? This is how you get lean:

1. PATIENCE - anything good takes time to happen. Flash diets are the worst for your health even if you get to your end goal quicker.

2. WHOLE FOODS - reduce your sugar intake to no sweet drinks, candies, ultra-processed foods or snacks. Take fruits if you're craving something sweet, or eat more vegetables and meats to feel full during your meals so you won't want anything more in between.

3. INCREASE STEPS - just by walking! Most of us have smartphones and our phones can track our steps without even needing any extra devices like a fitness watch. Try to double your average daily steps and pair it with a whole food diet. Your fats will begin to melt away. You don't even need to run. In fact, I won't recommend it. Just walk!

If you can do all 3 of the above for a month and nothing else, I promise your body will change. You may or may not have abs, but thats what the rest of the time is for. From month 2 onwards, you can do some exercises. I'll recommend strength training and ab workouts 2-3x a week! Once a week is also great:)

⬇️GENERAL WELLNESS⬇️

Are you stressed? Or lack regular sleep?

Both of the above can actually affect our bodies! Some of us are more prone to bloating or put on weight when we live with high stress levels and lack of sleep consistently.

With the 3 steps to get lean above, you'll definitely see progress, but if you can't rectify stress & sleep, it will be harder to reach your goals.

Honestly, increasing my steps in a day got rid of most of my stress and rectified my unhealthy sleep patterns. I take a walk first thing in the morning. The combination of fresh air and nature automatically makes me feel good and my body naturally unwinds at night as well.

⬇️MY JOURNEY⬇️

I used to do ab workouts & HIIT almost everyday. While yes, I had abs too, but my body was also unhealthily lean. I was about 5kg lighter and I did not have regular periods. This is a hugeee tell-tale sign that you're not as healthy as you appear to be with abs and all!

Though I am heavier than before, I literally fit into the same clothes now. Muscles take up less space in the body, and we all can benefit from higher muscle mass.

My goal is to help women reach their goals in a healthy manner. No fad diets, unrealistic expectations or overly intense workouts!

All the best girlies❤️

#abs #loseweightjourney #weightloss #weightlisstips #howtogetabs