Eating is 90% of the battle when trying to reveal your abs. You can crunch until your face turns blue or hold a plank for 24 hours, but without proper nutrition, you can kiss those abs goodbye.

Speaking as someone with a six-pack, eating for abs doesn’t mean you have to solely commit to rice cakes, chicken breast and broccoli diet. No, eating for abs is hard, but it isn’t that extreme. Simply put, you have to cut out the BS if you want your abs to pop.

That means: No more snacking throughout the day. No late-night binges. Or at least not as often.

Abs are the gospel truth. It shows that you’re not only a fitness stud, but that you’re disciplined enough to hold your diet in check. Here are two proven strategies to help you get that six-pack come 2021.

1. Throw Out The Word Diet

The word “diet” is the worst word in the English dictionary. Instead of convincing people to eat for a happier, healthier, and more sustainable life, “diets” strike the fear of God into people.

“No more of my favorite foods ever again,” we proclaim. And every time there’s a birthday or office party we have to politely decline the cake and utter those horrific words: “it’s because I’m on a diet.”

Please no more! This is why you need to look at food as “nutrition” or fuel for the body. Sure that Big Mac Meal is tasty, cheap, and will give me a solid dopamine high. But for fewer calories, I can eat a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, an egg omelet and a handful of mixed nuts.

Heck, I’d have room for dessert if we’re comparing this from a caloric standpoint to the Big Mac.

Yes, oatmeal isn’t going to give the same dopamine high that a Big Mac or Oreos do. However, there are so many ways to boost the flavor of healthier foods. Writers like

Alyssa Atkinson, for example, have written awesome articles about turning traditionally “gross” healthy dishes into delicious treats.

Here’s what I throw in my oatmeal (and I look forward to it every day):

• Double Rich Chocolate Protein Powder
• Chia Seed Pudding (tasty and easy to make)
• Macadamia/Walnuts (expensive but so, so worth it)
• Top it all off with a dab of whipped cream

95% of people fail diets and regain weight because they restrict themselves too much. We throw foods into bins of “good” and “bad,” and when we consume the latter, we punish ourselves for it.

If you rule your body like a tyrant, it’s going to rebel against you and you will binge eat. Instead, treat yourself how a good boss treats a good employee; reward yourself with foods you enjoy when you stick to your nutrition plan. Additionally, work on fixing up healthier foods so they taste good.

Eat more nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meats, fish, and oatmeal, but don’t forget the less nutritious foods you love. Reward yourself when you’ve earned it from eating more nutritious foods.

2. Intermittent Fasting

Losing weight isn’t a calorie in, calories out kind of problem. In fact, some people reduce how much they eat and end up gaining weight! This is because food is about quality, and quantity plays a part, but it’s much smaller than we're led to believe.

Quality foods help boost metabolism, and that’s what losing weight is all about. A fast metabolism allows your body to have an easier time processing food (it stores less of it as fat). Today, one of the easiest ways to hijack your metabolism is with intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting isn’t a diet; you’re able to eat whatever you want after you break your fast. Instead, intermittent fasting focuses on eating your meals during a specific time and then shutting off food entirely. Most people skip breakfast and break their fasts at 1 pm.

Fasting gives your body time to process what it’s eaten from previous meals and thus boosts your metabolism when it realizes you’re not eating anymore.

Snacking throughout the day is constantly spiking your insulin and makes you more prone to storing fat. Throwout the three square meals a day rule and give fasting a try, you won’t regret it.

Personally speaking, I never saw my abs until I incorporated these two rules into my life. Now I’m able to hold a consistent six-pack without stressing over what I’m eating.

Now you have a plan to get there too — best of luck!