Okay, so this post is a little late, but not as late as you’re probably thinking. I have previously been taking my six pack abs photos on Wednesday mornings, but that was too stressful in the morning before I headed out to work. So instead, I switched my six pack abs photos day to Saturday. That’s when I’ll be taking them from now on.
Let’s review the 4 rules I set for myself for getting six pack abs:
1. Workout 5 days a week – Check! This one is probably the easiest of the four. I guess sometimes I only workout four days, but pretty consistently I do a five day a week workout schedule. It helps to have someone to work out with who will push me when we’re working out, who wants to work out as much or more than me.
2. Eat healthy 6 days a week – Check! When I started this, I thought this one would be the hardest. I loved to eat food, and especially bad food (like sugar, fast food, and simple carbohydrates like chips 
). I figured it would be hard to change eating habits I’d accumulated over many years. But, after a month or two of healthy eating, this one has become second nature. I can’t help question what I’m eating. And most of the sugary stuff and fast food makes me sick to my stomach, which makes it easy to avoid .
3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours every night – Hmmmmm… Well, this one is harder to do than I thought it would be-though I am relatively successful at it (at least 70%). I did recently learn that sleeping lowers your cortisol levels, which helps to get rid of extra fat in the abdominal area. I actually just read here about the effects of elevated cortisol levels… very interesting read. I have been trying to get more sleep so my body has time to rejuvenate, my muscles have time to rebuild, and my cortisol levels have time to lower.
4. Be in bed by midnight Sunday through Thursday – FAIL! This one is by far the hardest of all of my four rules. I probably have a 20% completion rate on this one. This rule was set up partly to insure the success of rule #3, but also because I think being in bed by midnight is healthy, and will help my body to reach it’s full potential. I haven’t read anywhere that says this same thing, it’s just something I feel. Also, in my Church they suggest “early to bed, early to rise”. Now I don’t feel like I do either of those very well, but being in bed by midnight to me is early. I will continue to work on this one…
Anyway, here are my current six pack abs photos. Because I take these every week, sometimes I feel like I look exactly the same. If you disagree and can see progress, I would love to know .
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 14 Photo 1
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 14 Photo 2
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Man Jon, you have definitely made progress over this journey. Looking back at your first pictures you can tell the hard work you’ve put into it. You’ve even inspired me to push for it. Although I haven’t put a definite timeline on it, I feel following very similar rules to you will result in the 6 pack “in due time”.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks Chuck
I have definitely seen progress, and I have been working really hard at it. It’s crazy how much focus it takes to achieve something so simple as a six pack… I know I can get all the way there, I just need to keep going a little longer. I know you can get there too.
One thing that I recently started doing that has helped me to slim down even more is a high carb, low carb, no carb diet. Since I started doing this diet (around Christmas) I have lost an additional 5-6 pounds. i have been as low as 174 (this morning), though my average weight fluctuates around 177.