Here is some reader mail (and my answers in red) regarding using Eat Stop Eat to get 6 Pack Abs:
Hi Brad,
I Recently bought your book “Eat Stop Eat” and just started applying it by fasting once a week. I am not an obese person but have some fat around my gut.
Every week I exercise for 3 times using weights , swim for 30 min and skip rope for 30 min .
I also watch what I eat and monitor my weight. My One and only goal is to have a 6 Pack. I can feel I have it but the fat around my gut hide it from showing.
My Questions are:
1) Is a 6 pack reachable if I continue doing what I am doing ? Or is it that some people can never see their 6 Pack ever.
My Answer – Yes, a 6 pack is reachable. It may take some time and some changes to your current lifestyle, but I believe that everyone has the ability to have a six pack, especially if they are following Eat Stop Eat and weight training.
2) Will your Eat Stop Eat plan help me in seeing my 6 Pack?
My Answer – Yes, as long as you are fasting, weight training, eating responsibly AND follow these 5 tips ==> http://tinyurl.com/aqh9kw, Eat Stop Eat will definitely help you get a visible six pack.
3) What’s the Body fat percentage that I must have in order to see my 6 pack.
From my experience using Air Displacement measurements men typically have visible abs when they are under 10% body fat. However, it really depends on how you measure body fat and on how you carry your fat (some men have more or less subcutaneous fat covering their abs…this is mostly due to genetic factors)
4) How thick/thin does the fat around my gut need to be in order for me to see my 6 Pack?
Here is an easy way for guys to ‘bench mark’ their body fat loss – Take your height in inches and multiply it by 0.447 this is your IDEAL waist circumference (Approx 45% of your height). To have visible abs, you will probably need to have a waist circumference that is at maximum %46-47% of your height.
5) I am afraid of taking any supplements. Can I reach my goal without taking any supplements ?
Good news – There is no need for you to take any supplements to get a six pack. In other words it is completely possible to get a 6 pack without taking supplements.
Thank you for your time answering my questions.
6) I heard you have to take growth hormone while you are following Eat Stop Eat, is this true
NO, not at all, Eat Stop Eat is a method of naturally increasing your Growth Hormone during the times that you are fasting. You do not have to take any drugs or supplements to make Eat Stop Eat work for you.
BP
(as always my answers apply to natural people only…steroids make many of these measures obsolete)
Tags: 6 pack abs, abs, shredded abs, visible abs
Brad,
I have also found that my ability to get sharp six pack abs gets better every year. Meaning, that at the same body fat percentage my abs look better now then they did when I was 20 years old. This year I turn 40 and will probably have great abs without even trying too hard.
I also follow Eat Stop Eat and really got a lot out of your How Much Protein book. Thanks to both of these books, I realize that I don’t need to worry about muscle mass loss. As long as I’m performing resistance training 3-4 times per week and not overtraining, I can do short term fasts and have lower calorie days every once in a while and not worry about muscle loss.
Great Stuff!
Rusty
As always, awesome info. After yesterday, you win.
In regards to your answer to number 4, where are you taking the measurement of the waist circumference to use with that multiplier? Above the navel, below? (How far above/below?) At the widest part, narrowest?
Thanks, love reading your stuff.
-Ron
[...] Visible 6 Pack Abs with Eat Stop Eat [...]
What a great post. I have been following ESE for just over 14 months, I am down from 247 pounds to 186. This is my biggest problem area. I just cannot get rid of my gut, it seems to stay at a fixed size of 39″, fully relaxed BTW. When I tense my abs, I see them a little. My pant size has reduced an incredible amount, but I just cannot get rid of the pot belly. Any advice??
@Ron
The navel is the easiest bench mark for this one. It may not be a true “Tailor waist” but with all body measurements, nothing beats a great landmark!
B
@Greg
247 to 186! Great job Greg! My advice would be to first, check my last post and see if you are following all the tips there. If you are then the best advice I can give you is to think back to the mentality you had when you first started closing in on 199 pounds, and try to recapture that feeling.
B
@pnw fitness
Thanks PNW!
B
@Rusty – Fitness Black Book
I think as we get older we start to prioritize better. A little less obsessing about scale weight and bench press numbers, a little more focus on what we really value…
B
Hey brad, thanks for that heigh/waist tip… Hugely practical and simple. I used to use much more complicated formulas to set waist-goals… but I found this formula gives me the same waist-circumference. Which is darn nice.
Btw, you should prolly include this in the book. I’ve found (as you I’d guess agree), people over-focus on the wrong measurements (on the scale every morning?)…
If anything, I think people should be setting waist-goals, not weight goals. And if you want to also build muscle… Then set circumference goals, like (16inch biceps) or whatever…
Nice post dude!
It pumps me up to see people are finally coming around to fasting. My dad recently told me he did it when he was in his teenage years, so like 50 years ago!
Anyway, awesome thoughts on this subject.
The answer to ANYBODY’s question to whether or not they can get 6 pack abs with a certain program is…
If you have a caloric deficit enough days in a row that allows you to get to a low enough body fat percentage, plus do resistance training to not only help burn more calories & build muscle to make your abs “pop” – you can get a 6 pack – no matter HOW you lose those calories!
Jeremy Reeves
http://www.HassleFreeFatLoss.com
Hi Brad, just checking with number 4 above. Why is the visible ab waist measurement bigger than the ideal waist measurement? Mine is 31.29 inches ideal and 32.2 to 32.9 inches for visible abs. My height is 70 inches.
Another great post and I really enjoyed reading the 5 tips again.
Hi Brad, wow that whole height and waist circumference relationship is a new concept to me. It shows I still have a lot to learn
Does that only apply to guys or to girls as well?
I always learn new stuff from you. I think that you’ve cured a lot of my “guilt” about food and protein. Keep it up, Brad!
Jeremy,
Great comments. I had a lady tell me on email that her father did a form of intermittent fasting for his entire adult life, so yeah, definitely not new!
B
@Mike Groom
From what I’ve seen, Ideal is the “goal” whereas you can still have visible abs before you hit this number. I’m 70 inches too, and with my waist at 32-ish inches my abs are typically pretty visible, if I where to hit 31 inches, they’d be popping!
B
@Anna
Hi Anna,
I’m not sure what the numbers are for women. I’ll ask around and see what women who have dieted down say.
B
I have gone from 258 pounds to 143 in the last two years at 5’11″. I still have flab on my upper arms and abs. Do I need to continue to lose more weight to get rid of that or should I give up on losing the hanging flab on my stomach (after childbirth)?
Hi Brad, what do you do if you once started using eat stop eat, but has a hungry husband who wants to eat all the time, and just what he wants, and he is still losing weight. Its almost like trying to each cooked fish in China. I cannot keep up with him eating around me all the time.
@Brad Pilon
Thanks for clearing that up Brad.
Hey brad,
I’ve been following your newsletter for quite some time already but I’ve never tried ESE before(although I do have the e-book) because I always have this question in mind:
Will my growth stop?
I’m sixteen and about 64 inch and just started going to the gym just last year using TT workouts. I really want to get taller and at the same time to loose fat but since with fasting, in my perception, I’ll have not enough nutrients and that would lead to growth stop.Will this happen when using ESE?
I have always had a problem with these “ideal” measurements. I am lucky to have a natural hour glass shape, but the small “tailor waist” used to be my excuse for weighing more than I should. Giving up on the scale and focus entirely on single body measures like waistline is definitely not working for me, since my waist itself never was my probem. But I guess this varies based on body composition. I do have belly fat though, but it’s mostly below the waist. However, it’s doing a great job hiding my abs… Anyway, I have found that the overall best way to follow my progress is taking pictures.
And btw – I’ve just started noticing, if I kind of flex my abs and twist my torso a little bit, and the lighting is good, that a shadow of a line has appeared just on the “top” of my belly. I am not quite sure yet, but it just might be the very first sighting ever of my very shy abs!
Hi, I am a new subcriber to your regular e-mails and I am happy to have found an “easier” way to lose some weight without too much a do about the science. I would like to know more about how to measure the ideal waist for ladies and also how to build not just maintain, muscle while fasting. Thank you.
Just wanted to let you know another woman is curious about the answer to Anna’s question. I’m 5’6″ and 128, but really would love to get rid of the flab about my love handles and middle.
Also, I have been following ESE for about six months. I didn’t have much weight to lose…but I got down from an 8 back into my size 4 and 6 pants. I fast twice a week, watch what I eat on eating days, weight train or cross train 3 days a week, and throw in some pilates a few times a week for 10-30 minutes. I used to be a big cardio nut. Then after reading your book and following your blog I learned the importance of favoring weights over cardio. However, I’m concerned about heart health. Is my heart still benefiting from my current routine?
@MomS
Hi MomS,
Because of the amount of weight you have lost, I would check with your doc to see whether the ‘extra flab’ is indeed fat, or if it is left over skin.
If it adipose then you can lose it, however if it is skin then you may need to consider surgery, which is obviously outside my area of expertise.
B
@Jacqueline
You have to ask for support, plain and simple. It is very difficult to lose weight without solid a solid support network.
B
@cleo
Hi Cleo,
Because you are still growing in height, I recommend not fasting. The demands that your body has are much different than the demands of an adult who is not growing in height, or in width, and is not putting on the same amount of muscle mass that you will be adding in the next 4-6 years.
B
@Anne Siri
First off- congrats on the ‘almost abs’!
The ideal measurements(especially waist) really only applies to guys. While I’m sure their are numbers for women that would most likely correlate to height and hip width, I’m just not sure what those numbers will be..I will investigate further.
B
@Renee
There is a great study on mormon’s that suggests that their once a week fasting habits actually help protect their cardio vascular health. I’ll try to dig it up for you.
B
@Ruby
I’ll see what I can find.
B
@Ruby
I’ll see what I can find.
B
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
@Brad Pilon
thanks! I’ll try some other methods then
what an awesome Q& A..I learn SO much reading your material.
With folks like you and Troy Andersen and Craig with TT; anyone can make progress and benefit from all of your extensive study and ability to communicate info.
It gives folks like me (older than dirt) renewed vigor and passion..thanks big time
A 30 inch waist…I haven’t seen that since 4th grade! OK, I’m a believer, but at 68 inches and 184 lbs where do I need to be to make that happen? Could this be a bit pollyanish?
BTW, thanks for your posts…I’m looking to the next one.
@Rusty – Fitness Black Book
Almost 40 Rusty?!?! I am very impressed man, kudos to you.
I’ve also found that with Eat Stop Eat its astonishing of how in control I am of my hunger, whereas before when I was hungry it would consume me. Especially when training 4-5 days a week I would be eating constantly. Now I am training 3 days a week, eating less protein then before and getting better results…. and now I have great abs to look forward to as well. haha.
all the best!
Hi Brad,
Some of these posts you get here are truly entertaining
Well, regarding numbers I recently found that instead of focusing at a certain number for goal weight, body fat or measures, the best goal is “Everything I eat and drink makes my body slim and trim, youthful and healthy. My body is the perfect shape, size and weight, naturally and effortlessly.”
How is that. And I think this really works better than setting a “number” goal because maybe that particular number we decided on is not the right weight/bodyfat/measure for us. However with the above general programming we do reach that state.
BTW I continue to do ESE 2 or 3 times a week but yeah, I sometimes eat “like a glutton”, as you put in that your muffin post some months ago.
Having said the above, what is an ideal bf for women? Just curious.
I’m 17% and 160cm and 47kg.
Take care!
This is all very interesting to me & have fasted 3 times in 3 weeks feel fine. Question is for my hubby 6’2″ , 61 yrs, 367#, diabetic, 3yr old lower leg injury resulting in hardware, gym 3 times week for past 6 months doing ok. How will fasting affect?
HI Brad,
I’m wondering if you have some information about Rope Jumping. Some says it triggers fat burning while other consider it as a normal cardio like walking on a treadmill. What do you think? what are the benefits of rope skipping and does it help in burning fat?
I would appreciate if you can create a post about this subject one day.
Great post btw.
@john bain
Hi John,
Thanks for the comment.
B
@Ron
Admittedly I had to look up the word ‘pollyanish’.
This number is what I have found to be “optimal” or goal to strive for. I only hit this number once and that was for one day while on stage for a bodybuilding contest.
As I said in the post, even getting close (45-47%) should result in visible abs.
B
@Liz
Hi Liz,
I have to say that your husband shouldn’t take on any type of eating program without direct supervision from his health care practitioner.
B
@George
From my experience jump rope is far more intense then walking on a treadmill. However, I do not like the idea of jump rope for people who are carrying a lot of excess weight..their ankles would take a beating.
B
Hi Brad, I weigh 91KG and a couple of years ago I competed in a body building show at 79 KG. I have since put all that body fat back on. I have just purchased you ESE and am wanting to know when is the best day to fast . I train on monday&,Tuesday,Thursday and Friday mornings. To lose body fat and maintain and or increase mass , would it be better to fast on wednesyday and saturday or on two of my training days.
Nice tips mate, as always, it seems to me the best way to lose belly fat is short bursts of training, be it cardio, or weights.
@BillyT
I think you need to try both and do what feels best. I don’t think either way is ‘better’ so it really depends on what is most comfortable for you.
B
I sent you an email through one of your sites and was not sure as to it reaching you.
I am doing your ESE and recently added significant Omega’s through extra Flax hemp and Salba oils ..its hard for me to measure the addition of the fats in my nutrition and the benefit has beem so dramatic re: loss of knee pain and gaining in endurance that I am hoping that 5 to 10 grams of this healthy fat isn’ creating more problems elsewhere. Any ideas.?.If I had to give some up I think I would have to let go of the fish oil as the flax seems to do something extra re: joint pain.
I look forward to your thoughts …
[...] height ratio. Brad Pilon, author of Eat Stop Eat, talks about this in his post and you can see it here and scroll down to question #4. I asked him if it applies to women as well but he hasn’t [...]
[...] If you are like Dan and have “gorging urges” from time to time, you will have to find out how to manage them to keep your six pack. [...]