Would it be at all possible to get the abs I want through weight loss only..?

Look at my gallery and you will see pics of the abs I want and of me currently. Would it be possible to get this simply through losing fat only? The reason I ask is that I am currently studying for my pre-exams and I don't really have too much time to be doing endless crunches etc.

The thing which gives me hope is that my best friend has abs just like this, and she does very little exercise, she just happens to be naturally skinny? Would I be able to get this flat a stomach simply through losing ten lbs.

I eat around 1200 calories a day, and am almost sedentary, apart from the fact that I am a student and walk around a school mon-fri.

PS: PLEASE don't anybody tell me I am fine the way I am. I may be fine, but I'm not happy with the way I look currently.

 

Weight loss involes losing fat and muscle.  Without weight training of any kind, the mass you will lose could be as much as 50/50 muscle and fat.  So, it would be very hard to keep nice, hard abs without working those muscles.

abs don't appear out of nowhere, you need to create them by exercising, losing any more weight judging from your pictures would mean that your ribcage and hip bones would become visible and poke through the skin-not a good look. it honestly should only take a few weeks of sit ups and crunches to get abs, i know you say you dont have time to exercise, but if you break it up during revision like 10 crunches after an hours worth of revising or something like that im sure you could fit them in...?

And would doing say 50 - 100 crunches a day be enough to get me these abs???

Of that I really have no idea.  Any sort of core exercise should keep you from losing muscle mass, but as to what would be most effective I couldn't say.  Maybe something like squats or pushups?  I would do the full situp rather than just crunches. :)

pilates videos! those are SO good for abs. a month of it and i think you'll have those abs even with 1800 cals.

Crunches are better than situps...I think the bicycle style ones are even better? I'm not sure how many you should do, maybe try 50 and see how it goes. Also make sure you keep your abs pulled in, it's possible to build the muscles outwards which you don't want!

It really doesn't take that long to do some crunches every other day, try starting with 2 x 15 reps normal crunches, 2 x 15 reps oblique, 2 x 15 reps of the bicycle ones and 2 x 15 lifting your legs straight up and lowering them almost to the ground and then up again (dunno how those are called but they are good for your lower abs) This will take like what, max 10 mins a day, now that's not really going to be too hard and if you really want those abs so bad it's a small sacrifice. Oh and when they become easier for you, up the amount of reps.

Happy crunching !!!

I think you are a verry pretty girl. Good luck reaching your goals. :-)

 

Jamie

Endless crunches is the wrong way to go.  Try doing three sets of 15 on an 2-3 exercises every other day.  Add resistance if you can.

If you just keep adding on more crunches, you end up turning it into an aerobic exercise, which isn't really going to help you build any abs.  And you'll need at least a day rest every time.  But don't worry about building abs so much that they pop out.  Girls normally won't have that happen without steroids. 

Based on your pictures it looks like you don't have too far to go, which means that just losing lbs might not make that big of a difference, although it will probably help with those "rolls" as you called them. The good news is, 100 crunches a day would certainly help you develop lean muscle. I always love doing aerobics instead of just crunches. some videos have standing crunch routines and you burn cals while doing them!

You don't seem far off at all. I would second the advice for pilates. A lot of celebs, incl Madonna have moved to pilates to reshape their bodyand it's a fun workout. A lot of classes in my gym use pilates moves for the abs section of the class.  Windsor pilates has a 30 minute video that you could do a few times a week.

Hey I'm just like you! Same age, same height (but .5 inches taller ha!), same (sort of) ideal weight.... and I want those abs too! Well, actually, I switch from wanting them to not. Like maybe I don't want to look that buff? I'm not sure. Half a year ago I was all for it and did my daily crunches, so I had a soft 4-pack. Now I'm lazy. ahha well tell me what you decide.

wish i was in your boat with low body fat, instead i have decent muscles that are totally hidden!

 

try http://www.musclemedia.com/training/BootCamp. asp

 

ab boot camp is for developed muscles... so if you are undertrained look to it as a goal or inspiration! stay within your limits ~ and i also train abs as often as possible for they recover quickly. you can train abs every day (within your limits of course). seek the advice of a personal trainer if available.

also take into account genetics - your abs already have their basic shape so be realistic above all and work out :)

Get a swiss ball, they look like over inflated beach balls but they don't half work your core muscles.

If you've got half an hour spare every other day you'll develop some decent abs.

You can find exercise routines on the t'interweb or Swiss Ball DVD's are pretty cheap.

Be warned though, you look daft on them at first as its a nightmare trying to stay on! 

Just wanted to remind you that even most models have tiny "rolls" when they bend over. If you compare their photo shoots to the candid shots you find in gossip mags you can see that posture makes a huge difference.

That said, practice sucking in your tummy particularly the lower area for 2-3 breaths for a set of 10 every day along with the sets soliwit suggested.

 

I would say that losing weight isn't an issue for you, and that you should just do an easy ab workout.  However, I just want to point out that since you're still a teenager, you really need to be eating more than 1200 calories a day, I'm pretty sure than when you're a teenager you need to add an extra 300 calories to the minimum required for your sex...but it might be 500