Doing all the exercises and workouts to develop 6 pack abs is only the first step. Before you can show those abdominals off to the world you must first adopt the proper diet for six pack abs. This article is going to give you three tips to implement when trying to shed those last pounds of tummy fat to reveal a ripped set of abs.

We’ll talk about how tracking what we eat is important, how planning your meals keeps you lean, and lastly why drinking lots of water is a must. By the end of this article you’ll feel confident that you can achieve the required changes to your current diet in order to lose the remaining belly fat that is stopping you from having the abs you want.

First, we are what we eat, so track it!

Do you know how much or even what you’re eating in a day, or during the week? If you don’t then it’s time you figured it out! I suggest getting an inexpensive notebook or scribbler for this task. For at least one week, but better yet, a month, write down everything you eat. From the scones at break with your coffee to that afternoon binge when you ran over to the vending machine in the office and grabbed a chocolate bar or a bag of cheezy somethings, be sure you jot it all down.

We want to get a birds-eye view of what your diet actually looks like. This way you can see where you’re snacking or eating high fat foods, and either cut them out or replace them entirely.

Second, plan your meals to save calories and money.

Planning your meals for a week serves two purposes.

1) It ensures you only buy what’s needed for your meals this week at the grocery store (this saves money).

2) You know exactly what you’re making each night, so there’s no question of slipping and ordering out etc.

This can seem like a chore at first, but trust me you’ll get into it and it actually simplifies this part of your life. Sit down at the beginning of each week and write out what you’re going to have for your major meals. Of course, also take an inventory of what you have on hand for breakfast foods (always eat breakfast), lunches etc. If you work outside the home it is good to either make home meals that will have leftovers for you to take to work, or plan brown bag lunches to avoid the temptation of buying fast-processed foods loaded in fat and sugar at lunch time.

Third, drink water – your body will love you

Do you drink enough water in the course of a day? You probably don’t even know. Well, while you’re tracking what you’re eating start making a tally each day of the number of glasses of water you’re drinking. You should strive for eight 8 oz. glasses a day.

So why is this part of a proper diet for six pack abs? Numerous reasons:

1) water is an appetite suppressant

2) Water increases energy and stimulates our mind

3) It naturally detoxes and cleanses our systems

OK, water isn’t a direct weight loss stimulant, but it’s a required byproduct of everything else you’re doing. Without water your overall body suffers.

There you have it: three things you can change to create the proper diet for six pack abs. Don’t procrastinate -  get yourself a notebook and start tracking what you’re eating and your water intake, and next week plan those meals. You’ll be amazed at just how easy grocery shopping and deciding what to cook and eat will be.

Disclosure: compensated affiliate.