Article by: Callie Hickman
Photo Credit: Dominic Ceraldi (taken during the 2014-2015 Dallas Stars hockey season)
Who’s pumped for another #WorkoutWednesday?! I am!
One of the most common questions I hear is: “How do I tone my stomach?” While the quest for the Holy Grail of a toned stomach is a noble one, it is not for the faint of heart. Aside from the people who are blessed with genetics that lend them perfect muscle tone and body fat percentages (P.S. if you are one of those people, I envy you!), the majority of the population has to put serious work in to see results. Yes, exercise is critical, but it is only a small piece of the puzzle.
Let me share one of the largest pieces of the puzzle with you: Abs are made in the kitchen. If you have been reading previous #WorkoutWednesday posts (or fitness blogs in general), you have most likely seen this phrase multiple times. You know, because it’s important! In order to see more muscle definition, you have to cut body fat. This needs to be done in a healthy manner by incorporating lean meats with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. Drink tons of water, stay away from processed foods, monitor your sodium intake, and limit alcohol consumption (I know that last one can be a bummer, but alcohol wreaks HAVOC on your metabolism).
Now ladies, this is important: Do NOT starve yourself. I repeat, DO. NOT. STARVE. YOURSELF. Not only will starving yourself zap your energy, but it will also raise your cortisol level (the stress hormone), which slows your metabolism and makes your body store stubborn fat. No bueno! My Fitness Pal, an app you can download on your phone, is a great tool you can use to track your macros, nutrients and calorie intake, as well as your activities.
Having a hard time putting together a meal plan for the day? Here’s a sample menu of what I eat on active days (and also used to eat on game days, practice and workouts days when I was an Ice Girl) :
Breakfast: 1/2 cup old fashioned oats mixed with 5 egg whites and blueberries. Yes, you can mix the raw egg whites into your oats and they will cook into a nice cake-like consistency (you can also use a low sodium whey protein in exchange for the egg whites. The one I have in my cabinet right now is Dymatize Nutrition’s Iso-100 Birthday Cake flavor). And black coffee. I can’t do without my caffeine, no matter how hard I try!
Snack: Apple with 1 tbsp of nut butter or a hand full of raw almonds
Lunch: 6 oz of salmon, steamed broccoli and cauliflower and 1/2 cup of brown rice
Snack: 1 cup of nonfat, plain greek yogurt (I added a little bit of cinnamon and honey)
Dinner: 4-6 oz of grilled chicken with wilted spinach and a baked sweet potato. I understand dinner can be tough on days you are on the go for practices, games and appearances….so if you absolutely HAVE to stop and grab something, stop by a My Fit Foods, Snap Kitchen or Chick-Fil-A. If you stop by Chick-Fil-A, go straight for the grilled market salad and light Italian dressing. Pass on the granola!
*Tip: Always keep raw almonds and fruit with you for times when you feel like your energy is low.
There are many great resources out there that provide meal plans; and I highly recommend finding a nutrition blogger you aspire to look like and following them on social media for tips and meal ideas.
