Flat Abs Formula: Get a Flat Stomach

The Flat Abs Formula was created by Charli Cohen, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist who specializes in strength training and fat reduction techniques.

Cohen says that everything you have heard about getting flat abs is a myth. “Forget the starvation diets; forget the wasted hours on treadmill and the thousands of sit-ups.”

Instead Flat Abs Formula offers a method to help you attain the body you have always wanted, but more importantly to maintain it once you have achieved it. This flat stomach diet doesn’t require that you follow strict rules but allows you to adapt the guidelines to suit your unique lifestyle and goals.

Flat Abs Diet Basics

Flat Abs Formula is broken down into eight modules, each of which has a specific focus on subjects including body composition, designing your diet, exercise recommendations and goal setting. Cohen explains the differences between a fad diet and a lifestyle diet like the Flat Abs Formula. She says, “You can undergo an incredible body transformation by making flat abs friendly choices just 90% of the time”.

She also sets out to dispel many of the myths that are promoted by the diet industry in regards to a flat stomach and asserts that actual weight loss is meaningless and the most important thing is fat loss. You should aim for a fat loss of 1-2 pounds a week maximum.

While there aren’t any foods that are specifically responsible for abdominal fat there are certain foods that can cause bloating and excessive water retention. You don’t have to avoid these foods but you may want to bear in mind that they could potentially conceal flat abs, especially in leaner individuals. Some of these include dairy products, beans, broccoli, cabbage and diet soda. Carbohydrates don’t have to be limited with the exception of dieters who have insulin resistance.

Dieters are provided with information on how to determine their daily calorie requirement. Unlike other diets that recommend set amounts for the intake of carbohydrates, protein and fat, dieters are advised instead to eat according to their body type. Information is provided in Flat Abs that will help you determine your body type.

The general dietary recommendations in this flat stomach Diet are to moderately restrict your calories for a period of 10-12 weeks. This is followed by 10-14 days where you take a break from dieting. Once a week you have a cheat day where you eat freely. The purpose of diet breaks is to make sure your metabolism doesn’t slow down, which is a common occurrence with long-term dieting.

Information is also included regarding Flat Abs pre and post-workout nutrition.

Recommended Foods

Fruit, vegetables, oatmeal, rice, sweet potato, bread, pasta, salmon, herring, mackerel, chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, flaxseed, avocado, eggs, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, olive oil.

Sample Flat Stomach Meal Plan

Breakfast Scrambled eggs Oatmeal

Morning Snack @Protein shake@ with banana and flaxseeds

Lunch Sandwich with turkey, salad and avocado

Afternoon Snack Apple and peanut butter

Dinner Grilled salmon Baked sweet potato Steamed broccoli

Exercise Recommendations

Cohen says that the key to flat abs is to boost your metabolism by increasing your lean muscle. Weight training is recommended to help you achieve this goal.

A high amount of cardio exercise is not recommended because this can actually result in muscle loss. However that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do any cardio because it has benefits for cardiovascular health and can help to reduce appetite, but the amount should be limited.

Included with the program is a variety of workouts for beginner to advanced exercisers including “the two ultimate flat ab exercises”, full body weight training routines and the “eight-minute do anywhere cardio workout”. Advice is also provided on how to set up a home gym on a budget.

Costs and Expenses

The Flat Abs Formula will release on November 8, 2010

Pros

• Encourages consumption of a variety of healthy foods.
• Encourages a long-term approach to fat loss and flat abs.
• Includes guidance for designing pre and post workout meals.
• Diet breaks make it easier to maintain a diet over the long term.
• Emphasizes the importance of goal setting and motivation.
• Provides a list of scientific references for the flat stomach guidelines.

Cons

• Lacking in adequate guidance for meal planning.
• Requires calorie counting.
• Does not include a meal plan or recipes.
• Flat ab Exercise program requires weight training.

Conclusions

The Flat Abs Formula provides general guidelines that will help dieters to increase the effectiveness of fat burning and achieve a flat stomach. It does not provide a meal plan and does not appear to provide adequate dietary information for those without experience, which may make it difficult for some dieters to follow effectively in order to achieve the flat abs they desire.