Here’s a great article from my one of my Twitter friend’s Stefan Pinto.  Stefan is a model, actor and fitness success story. His transformation is truly incredible (see below.) Recently he shared with me how his life changed following a 60lb weight loss and an opportunity to pose in Playgirl magazine. Here’s Stefan’s detailed nutritional tips on what he did to be camera ready for his big magazine shoot:

Everyone already has six pack abs (some ten). How to get them to show comes primarily from eating the right food(s).

Playgirl asked me to pose for their magazine on Christmas Day. It was via a text message and it simply said “hey merry xmas pics r gr8 when can you come to LA?”

Two years earlier, I first stepped into a gym, admittedly out of boredom. That seemingly simple act would serve to change not only my appearance, but my life.

The Playgirl photo shoot was scheduled for February 14th, Valentine’s Day and I had a little less than two months to prepare.

The saying, “you have to spend money to make money” can be applied to losing weight, “you need to eat to lose weight.”

Adopt the familiar formula of burning more calories than you consume but make sure that the calories you do consume are a combination of high protein and good carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables).

These foods will serve as the caloric fuel for your abs muscle-building exercises.

Six pack abs do not happen overnight

Achieving 6 Pack Abs are 90% diet and 10% exercise (mostly cardio). In preparation for my Playgirl photo shoot, I diligently followed a strict eating plan; a diet high in fiber, low in sodium and absolutely no dairy (except yogurt).

You should also consume the required eight glasses of water a day. If water is not that appealing, try tea. My personal favorite is ITO EN’s varieties of pure green teas.

Perfect Playgirl Six Pack Abs Foods

The following foods are superb for defining your six pack abs:

•       At least four servings a day of these fiber rich and good carb foods: broccoli, carrots, spinach and/or Brussels sprouts. I recommend Birds Eye® or Whole Foods’ 365 brands. Each bag contains approximately four and a half servings. Steam the entire bag for no more than eight minutes (vegetables should be crunchy). Eat either for lunch or dinner.

•       Four to six servings of food protein This can include chicken, tuna, eggs or any other protein rich real-food. StarKist® Chunk Light Tuna comes in a handy package that provides three protein servings (13g). Combine with rice and chick peas (additional protein) for a delicious meal. Major grocers sell their own brand of frozen chicken tenderloins. No need to thaw. Simply wash and sauté in a sauce pan with light, cold-pressed olive oil, onions and seasoning (I use cilantro and smoked paprika) to taste. Chicken is cooked once the meat is no longer pink. Immediately remove from the heat to avoid over cooking (and destroying the protein — which most mediocre restaurants do, fyi).

•       Three servings of beans and legumes. Mix it up a bit with canned varieties. Try Goya’s chick peas, black beans, read beans or lentils.

•       Substitute your dairy with either hemp milk or almond milk. I enjoy Living Harvest’s Vanilla Hemp. Avoid conventional brands of yogurt. They contain high amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I like Fage’s Total yogurt and Chobani’s Greek yogurt. Both low fat varieties.

•       Drink a whey protein shake twice a day. Not all protein powders are equal. For zero bloating and discomfort, I recommend Vital Whey or Rainbow Light whey protein. I also mix one scoop of hemp protein powder into my protein shakes. Try Manitoba Harvest’s Certified Organic Hemp Protein. Although it only contains 10g per serving, Manitoba Harvest hemp protein is high in fiber and Omegas.

If you are pressed for time, traveling frequently or simply hate to cook, you can still get your daily servings of vegetables and nutrients. There are many good vegetable “food” powders available. My absolute favorites are Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer and Garden of Life’s Perfect Food (also available in caplet form).

Achieving Six Pack Abs is Possible!

As Stefan outlined, you can achieve your dream body with the right nutrition and diet choices.

Whether your goal is to pose for a major magazine or just lose unwanted fat and be fit, leave a comment and let us know how you are doing on your road to success.

You can read more of Stefan’s fitness articles in the online Examiner.  Through his online fitness column, he helps others learn what it takes to “fall down seven times, and get up eight.” Stefan Pinto strives to motivate and educate others on what it takes to change their lives. To read more about his accomplishments visit his website.

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