Abominable abdominal

Admit it.  You want your man to have rocking abs.  Stop telling yourself that they’re just love handles made extra-large just for you, and stop convincing yourself that it’s cool for him to have a keg instead of a six-pack. Deep down, what you really want is to run your hands down your man’s washboard abs.

To get rid of his abominable abdominals without making him feel bad, follow these tips:

1.       Cut his calories. He doesn’t have to eat like a rabbit, though that has many benefits.  Try cutting his calorie consumption to 400 calories per meal, 6 meals a day for 5 to 7 days.  That still adds up to 2,400 calories a day. (That’s just a shade shy of the caloric intake of Asians, which is 2,648 calories per day versus the more than 3,600 calories consumed by the average American.) Then, slowly taper your man’s consumption to 400 calories per meal, 5 meals a day for 5 to 7 days till you’re down to 4 meals a day.  He’ll hardly feel it.  There are many meals that can be easily prepared that are within that caloric requirement that still tastes great!  Lean proteins, foods that contain water like stews or fruits, etc.

2.       Get him moving!  In relation to tip number 1, the trick is to burn more calories than he consumes.  Make sure he’s always on the move to help melt that gut.   It can be as simple as getting him to go for a walk with you.  In fact, walk everywhere with your man if you can!  Or, you can have him go for a run, ride a bike, hop on a treadmill, mow the lawn, swim a few laps.  Cardio exercises are absolutely important.

3.       Chuck out his beer belly.  There’s a reason it’s called a beer belly.  Apart from the calorie content, beer also bloats the liver and pancreas.  That bloated look can also be achieved with soda and other sugary sweet and drinks.  If he needs an alcoholic drink, pour him some wine. And if he really needs his fix, get him some help.

4.       Teach him to suck it up. But first, you need to try it yourself: put your hand on your belly, then suck your belly in, moving it inwards, far from your hand, while just breathing normally.  Got it?   Now hold it. Start with 10 seconds till you work your way up to over a minute.  Do this regularly, even when you’re just watching TV or reading blogs like this one. Getting your man to try it is a matter of doing it when’s he’s around. Wait till he notices and asks what you’re doing and why. Chances are, he’ll try it himself until he gets into it.

5.       Crunch, crunch, crunches! Yes, sit-ups work and there are numerous abdominal exercises he can do, even at home.  Encourage him to check with a trainer so he can avoid back problems.  Crunches are challenging but they can also be fun. He can also look into different ab exercises that can be done on the floor, on machines, on the ball, with a ball, standing up, sitting down, etc.

6.       Yo, cardio. Involving more muscles can burn up more of those calories to help reduce body fat and a flabby tummy.  Your man needs to realize he needs to do a lot more cardio which is key to blasting that belly to bits.  Make him try boxing. Or hiphop dance workouts, if that’s his thing. Spinning classes? He could get into that. The point it to find a cardio workout that will keep him interested and engaged.

Of course you’d love for your man to blast his abominable abdominal, but these tips are also applicable to you.  So, here’s to a better man, and perhaps, a better you.

Patricia Bermudez-Hizon is an accomplished sportscaster, tv and events host, mother of two boys, wife of a basketball player turned golf addict, free lance producer and writer, sports junkie, breastfeeding advocate, founder of the "Everyday Is Your Birthday Foundation" and director for the "High Five Hope Foundation". Get to know more about her on her blog www.patriciahizon.com and follow her on twitter @patriciahizon.