If you're into fitness, you're probably familiar with the saying, "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym." Meaning that no matter how many crunches you do, planks you hold, or weights you lift, it's crazy difficult to tone and define your abs without following a specific diet. It's one of those pervasive fitness sayings, kind of like Gigi Hadid's now-famous quote: "Eat clean to stay fit; have a burger to stay sane." Anyone else remember that one?.
**Nutrition Foods to Eat**
Since diet takes up 80% of the abdominal equation, eating the right types of food is paramount to unveiling—and maintaining—those Lara Croft–level abs (you know, the ones Alicia Vikander gained along with 12 pounds of muscle for her role in this year's Tomb Raider reboot). According to Shapiro, assembling an ab-friendly diet isn't as complicated as you might think.
In fact, you don't even have to focus on including specific foods in every meal, as long as you include specific nutritional categories like fiber, whole grains, healthy fat, and lean protein. Fiber is "the key to staying full without lots of calories," while also "keeping you regular, which leads to a flatter belly," Shapiro says. Healthy fat, lean protein, and whole grains, on the other hand, keep the body satiated "with even blood sugar to prevent unhealthy sugar cravings."