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ABS Diet for Women - Is It Any Different From Men

Tess Thompson

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The Abs Diet was created by David Zinczencko, the editor in chief of ‘Men’s Health’ in 2004. Being an editor of a men’s health magazine, it was obvious that his diet was primarily meant for men. In 2007, he came up with a new version, The Abs Diet for Women, which he claims is easier for women to follow.

The creator of the diet asserts that the original diet is good for both men and women. However, he felt that women are more conscious about calorie intake and therefore he included some guidelines regarding that feminine tendency. According to him, he has also taken note of certain other problems like vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, and hormonal problems that make it difficult for women to lose weight.

Basically, the Abs Diet is about eating six meals a day, three major meals and three snacks to keep metabolism working. The diet comprises of twelve ‘power foods’ that, according to the author, are the most nutritious, trigger lean muscle growth and have fat burning abilities.

• Almonds and other nuts with skin.
• Beans and legumes.
• Spinach and other green vegetables.
• Dairy (fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt).
• Instant unsweetened and unflavored oatmeal.
• Eggs.
• Turkey and other lean meats.
• Peanut butter
• Olive oil.
• Whole-grain breads and cereals.
• Extra-protein whey powder
• Raspberries and other berries.

Major meals must necessarily contain at least three of these ‘power foods’ and snacks, at least one. There are also lists of allowed and disallowed foods and an exercise plan to go with it. Beans and yoghurt are also listed by other healthy weight loss plans as two of the healthiest foods. Olive oil too is a natural and healthy source for fats, which are also necessary for proper metabolism and growth. As is generally known, exercise is a prerequisite for natural weight loss.

While hormonal disturbances during and after menstruation, pregnancy and menopause are female issues, vegetarianism and intolerance to lactose can be a problem even with males. The changes made in the exercise regime are directed towards attaining a flat toned muscle in women rather than a six pack, which is what is emphasized in the original diet meant for men. As such there is actually no big difference between the diet and exercises meant for men and women.

One thing both diets have in common is that the emphasis on exercise is underplayed, probably because the author knows that it difficult to persuade people to exercise regularly. Moreover, the claims regarding the amount of weight you will lose in a week seem exaggerated and may not be at all healthy.

References:

http://body.aol.com/diet/abs-diet-for-women
http://www.lifescript.com/channels/diet_fitness/Other_Tips/the_abs_diet_for_women.asp?page=7
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=weight.loss&category=abs.
diet&conitem=1b35c8112c4b2110VgnVCM20000012281eac____
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18784277/page/2/