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It’s right up there with “no pain, no gain” on the pantheon of overused fitness sayings:

Abs are made in the kitchen.

You’ve heard or read it at least once, probably multiple times. And cliche though it may be, it’s also true: train all you want, but without the proper diet, you’ll never achieve the coveted six-pack look, one of the fitness world’s crowning accomplishments.

But a common saying isn’t Going to get you ripped. To help you do that, we spoke to Body Fortress Ambassador Kirstin Radlinski about the nutrition needed to get a lean, chiseled midsection. Kirstin is a semi-professional soccer player turned NPC bikini division champion with numerous top-5 contest finishes, including first place at the 2016 Lenda Murray VA Classic. After moving to the west coast, she found CrossFit to be a perfect outlet for her competitive nature and to keep her inspired to work hard in the gym.

Kirstin created a five-day sample diet for Body Fortress readers to follow in order to achieve ab definition. While everyone technically has ab muscles, the average person’s abs are covered by a layer of fat. The only way to drop this fat from your body is through a caloric deficit, which is achieved by burning more calories than you consume. The second half of the equation is choosing a workout that targets all muscles in the group we traditionally think of as abs.

Though this plan is programmed for five days, Kirstin stresses that readers adopt a balanced nutritional approach that they can maintain over the long term.

“I want people to think of this as a healthy way of eating, not a diet where you are deprived or setting yourself up for a bad rebound of weight gain once you stop,” she said.

That’s part of the reason Kirstin doesn’t include caloric information about the meal plan; instead, she chooses whole foods that help her satisfy macronutrient requirements, typically known as “macros.”

“There is not one specific diet you need to see abs. You simply need to be in a healthy caloric deficit,” Kirstin told us. “I pick proteins that fit into my personal required intake.”

Here’s what she recommends to help you shred up your abs:

DAY ONE:

Meal 1:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 slices Ezekiel bread

Meal 2:

• 1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
• 4 oz. berries
• 12 raw almonds
• ½ cup oats

Meal 3:

• 4 oz. lean meat (99% fat free turkey, chicken, tilapia, lean red meat, tuna)
• 1 cup veggies
• 1 cup cooked rice

Meal 4:

• Body Fortress® Super Advanced Whey Protein shake (1 scoop)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 5:

• Large salad with 4 oz. of lean meat
• 50 grams avocado

DAY TWO:

Meal 1:

• 3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• ½ cup green pepper

Meal 2:

• Body Fortress® Super Advanced Whey Protein shake (1 scoop)
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 3:

• 4 oz grilled chicken
• ½ cup brown cooked rice
• 1 cup broccoli, steamed
• ½ large grapefruit

Meal 4:

• ⅔ cup cottage cheese
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 12 raw almonds

Meal 5:

• 4 oz grilled chicken
• 6 oz sweet potato

DAY THREE:

Meal 1:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 slices Ezekiel bread

Meal 2:

• 1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
• 4 oz. berries
• 12 raw almonds
• ½ cup oats

Meal 3:

• 4 oz. lean meat (99% fat free turkey, chicken, tilapia, lean red meat, tuna)
• 1 cup veggies
• 1 cup cooked rice

Meal 4:

• Body Fortress® Super Advanced Whey Protein shake (1 scoop)
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 5:

• Large salad with 4 oz. of lean meat
• 50 grams avocado

DAY FOUR:

Meal 1:

• 3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 3 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• ½ cup green pepper

Meal 2:

• Body Fortress® Super Advanced Whey Protein shake (1 scoop)
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 3:

• 4 oz grilled chicken
• 1 cup brown cooked rice
• 1 cup broccoli, steamed
• ½ large grapefruit

Meal 4:

• ⅔ cup cottage cheese
• ¼ cup blueberries
• 12 raw almonds

Meal 5:

• 4 oz grilled chicken
• 6 oz sweet potato

DAY FIVE:

Meal 1:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 slices Ezekiel bread

Meal 2:

• 1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
• 4 oz. berries
• 12 raw almonds
• ½ cup oats

Meal 3:

• 4 oz. lean meat (99% fat free turkey, chicken, tilapia, lean red meat, tuna)
• 1 cup veggies
• 1cup cooked rice

Meal 4:

• Body Fortress® Super Advanced Whey Protein shake (1 scoop)/li>
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut butter/almond butter

Meal 5:

• Large salad with 4 oz. of lean meat
• 50 grams avocado

Day ONE, THREE and FIVE: 150 grams carbs/150 grams protein/43 grams fat

Day TWO and FOUR: 152 grams carbs/147 grams protein/39 grams fat

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