Eating super clean is everything. Absolutely everything. I ate sweets and carbs a lot while on 3 weeks vacation. My 6 packs quickly disappeared :/ also, drinking is bad. I bet your sis doesn't drink?

I agree to cut out the carbs. I have a six pack, and to be honest if I over carb for even a week with the same exercise routine, I can tell the difference in how my stomach looks. Oh and I don't do any specific "ab exercises." Crunches and such are really just going to build up ypur superficial abdominal muscles anyway. So even if you end up getting a 6 pack, you will still have a weak core which can led to back problems, etc. Overall core strength (cliche sounding as that is) is built by a more wholistic view of building strength and flexibility.

Anonymous wrote:What does eating clean mean?

And, yes I know how to google, but I get lots of different answers that way.

I was diagnosed with a leaky gut and had to go on what's called the GAPS diet. http://www.gapsdiet.com/The_Diet.html. Basically nothing processed, no grains, no sugars. After just a few weeks I had a hard six pack without changing my ab exercises. When I was younger, I was in the military and afterwards played a Div I sport. My fitness regimen was a lot more intense then, but I still had the "skinny fat" mid section. It was really amazing how quickly the transformation took place. Everyone is different, so YMMV, but for me eating clean was cutting out sugar and processed food, reducing the number of times I eat out, and cooking for myself. It's unfortunately more time consuming and more expensive generally.

Eating clean generally means eating food that is close to how it occurs in nature - not a lot of processing, additives, preservatives, etc.

What does eating clean mean?

And, yes I know how to google, but I get lots of different answers that way.

Anonymous wrote:abs are made in the kitchen.

+1

I've been going to a trainer. The kinds of ab/core exercises we do are not typical crunches/sit-ups.

But I do think it's mostly diet, in terms of seeing the ab muscles. If this is a priority for you, you may want to work with a trainer and have him/her show you some good core/ab exercises, then lose weight to show off the abs.

Many trainers will tell you that traditional an exercises are worthless. Do some planks here and there, but the crunches and sit ups will make your stomach bigger. Eating clean is the key to defined abs.

Your 45 min ab work out gives you the abs and core strength that goes with them so not useless, but they are hidden by pudge which comes from sugar and carbs.

I think people don't get the message that the way your body appears has much more to do with your food intake. Cut back on processed foods and sugar. My weakness is wine - although I've been eating cleaner the little pudge in my belly is there because of wine.

Anonymous wrote:My sister is very fit and has a 6 pack...a true 6 pack as in can see all 6 defined squares. She has a 2 year old but was equally as fit before the pregnancy. She told me that "maintaining a 6 pack takes about 15 minutes of added exercise a day, tagged on to whatever else you do. the hard part about maintaining them is eating clean enough for the muscles to actually show and stayed defined." I thought this was interesting and made my wonder if my 45 minutes of daily ab activity is basically useless. (i do maintain a healthy bmi and weight but perhaps its not "clean" enough)

Yes.

Yep, abs are made in the gym and revealed in the kitchen. Much like weight loss, it's 90% diet.

Your sister is right. Body weight is 90% diet.

abs are made in the kitchen.

My sister is very fit and has a 6 pack...a true 6 pack as in can see all 6 defined squares. She has a 2 year old but was equally as fit before the pregnancy. She told me that "maintaining a 6 pack takes about 15 minutes of added exercise a day, tagged on to whatever else you do. the hard part about maintaining them is eating clean enough for the muscles to actually show and stayed defined." I thought this was interesting and made my wonder if my 45 minutes of daily ab activity is basically useless. (i do maintain a healthy bmi and weight but perhaps its not "clean" enough)