Want 6 Pack Abs? Avoid These 3 Diet Mistakes

Are you dieting for six pack abs?

If you're serious about losing your abdominal gut and sporting a set of sexy, visible abs... then you should take a few minutes to read the rest of this article. I'm going to spill the beans on some BIG mistakes people make when dieting for the allusive abs and how to be sure to avoid them. The mistakes are very common, and making them can - and more than likely will - ruin your plans.

The most important KEY to getting your six pack is... DIET. Now I do not mean diet as in some fad diet, or the latest Hollywood diet. I mean 'diet' as in what you eat and how you eat. Understand? I hope so. 90% of success when trying to develop six pack muscles comes from the foods we eat and how we eat them.

So you want to focus on the calories. Make sure to get your calories from nutrient dense foods. It's also a necessity that your diet consists of foods that are high in fiber, good sources of protein, complex carbohydrates and a moderate amount of fats (“good Fats” - meaning unsaturated).

Now we will look at the diet mistakes you’ll want to avoid IF you hope to get that six pack.

Mistake # 1 - Failing To Set An Achievable Goal

This mistake is so common it needs to be the first we deal with.

Goals are the most important factor when trying to achieve anything worthwhile. Goals should be specific and written down. They should also be achievable. If you set goals that are TOO BIG for YOU to achieve, you will be setting yourself up for failure!

Yes, you want to challenge yourself in your goal setting, but you need to keep things within reason. If you fail to reach your goals... it can be destructive on many levels, and can destroy your long term plans and goals. It can also cause those old bad habits you had before you started your program to return. Just look at Arnold. How can you avoid making this mistake?

Set fat loss goals that are realistic for YOU. Where you are now, the amount of extra body fat you're carrying around, and your level of conditioning, etc. Keep it realistic, okay? Here's an example: it’s been 10 years since you’ve last worked out, you have poor eating habits and you're carrying around 50 lbs. of extra flab - setting a goal to get rid of these 50 pounds in 60 days is simply NOT realistic

BUT...

Setting a goal to lose these 50 pounds in 9 or 10 months is something a bit more achievable. It's by far an easier goal for you to wrap your mind around - believing it is doable, which will help in getting those sexy six pack abs you’ve ever wanted.

The key is to be truthful with yourself and where you actually are now. Make sure to track your results in a journal until you reach your goals. Once these goals are met, it’s time to set new ones. You will need goals to help you maintain this new body, and the washboard ab muscles that you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Mistake # 2 - Look At Your Diet As A Short Term Sacrifice

Another HUGE mistake to be avoided when dieting for abs is seeing the program as something you only need to do for a short period of time. The main problem here is that when you reach your target goal - visible abs, you will STOP doing the things that made you successful. (Then most fail to set new goals to maintain the results you’ve achieved - see No. 1).

If you see your diet as a short term sacrifice you will more than likely fall back into your old habits. All of that flubber you worked so hard to get rid of will return with a vengeance. Now I'm not trying to pick on anyone here, but this is a major reason why people put back on all that weight they lose – they didn't discover how to turn their diet changes into permanent lifestyle changes.

Here's how to avoid making this abdominal killing mistake: look at the changes your diet program is asking you to make as permanent lifestyle changes. When you get your six pack, set new long term goals to keep your abdominals looking nice and tight.

Mistake # 3 - Trying To Be That 'Perfect' Dieter

At first the ‘perfect’ dieter is all gung ho about their new found diet plan. They're more than determined to follow, live, sleep, eat and breathe their new diet plan perfectly. And for a few days, or a few weeks, they are flawless.

BUT then something happens... something always happens when you're dieting. As a result, they eat something they shouldn't have – maybe a slice of Pizza, a hunk of chocolate cake or a few pieces of KFC fried chicken. Then they stop their diet because they see themselves as having failed the plan or goal.

The big mistake perfect dieters make is that they try to follow their programs so strictly that they don't allow themselves any room for mistakes - they don't incorporate 'cheat' days into the plan. Then, when they can't follow the diet to the tee, they quit.

So to avoid making this big mistake, please forget about being perfect. Don't quit just because you had something you shouldn't have had. Don't push the panic button. Learn from your mistake, move on and stick with it. A good abs diet should always allow cheat days, so you can eat some of your favorite foods or desserts as a thank you to yourself for sticking to the program.

So let’s forget about being Mr. Perfect. It’s okay you can have some pizza or some chocolate every now and then, as long as you make up for those extra calories in your workouts, and you cycle down your calorie intake.