Adam Bornstein - The Womens Health big book of abs: sculpt a lean, sexy stomach and your hottest body ever—in four weeks

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would not have been possible without the incredible help, inspiration, and hard work of many talented individuals. Thank you to Maria Rodale and the entire Rodale family. You've been blazing the path of health and wellness, and continue to find new ways to help millions of people. To Women's Health editorial director and brand leader David Zinczenko, thank you for providing endless leadership and your never-ending determination to make health an important topic. Same to Stephen Perrine, publisher of Rodale books. Thank you. Thank you.

Many thanks go out to the editors at Women's Health and the brilliant minds at Men's Health . It's impossible to thank everyone I've worked with, but I'm eternally indebted to the staff at Men's Health for making me a better writer, researcher, and editor. To the people who brought this book to life: Thank you to Debbie McHugh for your vision and belief that I could make this happen. To Jeff Csatari, your never-ending creative ideas were essential in getting this project off the ground. Mike Zimmerman, there are few men better than you. To my incredible editor, Ursula CaryI have never sounded better on paper (or made more sense to women).

The amazing photography by Beth Bischoff. I can't forget Erin Williams, whose copy editing skills are unparalleled; and Laura White and our design team, led by George Karabotsos. GeorgeI don't think you could design a bad-looking book if you tried. Special thanks to Alan Aragon and Mike Roussell for their nutrition genius. And John Romanielloyou are first class in every sense of the term, and your fitness programs will make a lot of women very happy. Neema Yazdanithe dream still lives.

Abby Lerner, Maria Masters, and Naomi Piercey: You don't realize it, but I couldn't have written a book for women without your help. To my many mentors: Martin Rooney, Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, Bill Hartman, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Valerie Waters, Joe Dowdell, Mike Boyle, Jason Ferruggia, Jim Smith, David Jack, Robert Dos Remedios, and Craig BallantyneI stand on your shoulders. To my Demand Media and Livestrong.com family, particularly Dan Brian and Jeremy Reed: Thank you for allowing me to take on this project for the greater good of all people. A special mention goes out to my mentor, Ted Spiker: You offer the greatest gift anyone could ever offer: unconditional belief and support, and the ability to make anyone believe they are capable of doing more. To my parents: Mom and Dad, sorry I missed so many calls while I was working too much. Everything I am, I owe to both of you.

My brothers Josh, Aaron, and Jordan: You are my best friends in the world. And of course, Rachie: You are the heartbeat of my strength and bring out an incredible version of me that I never thought was possible. You are my #1. I am humbled by all of you. Thank you.

If youve picked up this book, you could probably use a little bit of relationship advice. Now, just hear me out. Most women are in a bad relationship and dont even know itand the problems have nothing to do with cleaning, cuddling, or Sunday night football. No, its more of a fundamental issue. You want to be in love with each other, but youre stuck in a rut that doesnt have any hope for significant change. By now you probably know Im not talking about your guy, right? Youre at odds with your own body.

You want to look slim and feel healthy and energized. You want a sexy body that sizzles and the confidence that comes with knowing you can have a banging bod without starving yourself. But your body appears to settle for something less. No matter how many diets you try or hours you spend at the gym, nothing changes. Maybe you make a few sacrifices to improve the situation. You eat less, yet still gain weight; spend extra money on a fancy gym membership, but see no return on your investment.

Maybe you even avoid the foods you love, like bread or cheese, and still get no results. Youre stuck. But unlike a bad-news boyfriend, you cant break up with your body. Its truly for better or worse. So youre left with two options: Continue to try and make a change, or give in and settle for a miserable relationship. Contrary to what you might think, your body doesnt want a complicated relationship.

It wants to be lean, fit, and happy. And no matter what you have experienced or may think, you are not destined to have a pooch and your metabolism isnt plotting against you to pack on the pounds. You dont have to settle for anything less than your leanest, sexiest body ever! And were here to help you make that happen. Trust me, your body is capable of the amazing transformations you read about and see in Womens Health. Forget your past failures, frustrations, and confusion its all about to change. Thats why we created The Womens Health Big Book of Abs.

Youre just a few simple steps away from changing the relationship with your body for good and unlocking the real you. We know that all women can be toned, sexy, and confidentwithout making dramatic sacrifices. And in a matter of weeks, youll have the body to prove it. The Truth about Weight Loss Youre probably wondering how this time will be any different. Youve tried the diets, done the exercises, and worked hard. You definitely dont have an issue with effort, so maybe you assume that your body is flawed.

Maybe youve watched your friends and family lose weight while you continue to struggle. And theres no shortage of celebrities who flaunt their beautiful bods on a weekly basis in magazines and on TV. Naturally, you might blame yourself for being unable to banish your belly. You know that exercise works. And eating healthy must do something if Jennifer Hudson can lose all that weight! In fact, youve probably even experienced some success yourself, say around every January. You start a new program and things seem great.

But at some point, your new program spirals out of control faster than an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. You cave to a craving, which starts a downward cycle of bad eating habits. In order to compensate for your struggles, you become desperate to add more calorie-burning cardio, but your body doesnt change. The scale seems to move in the wrong direction. You continue to exercise more and eat less, and still see no difference. What gives? Bad genetics? Its possible.

Troubled thyroid? It happens. But more likely, youve yet to tap into the natural mechanisms that help your body burn fat fast. You see, your body actually is designed to incinerate the unsightly chub that covers your sexy abs, firm butt, and lean legs. But the problem is that youve been fed a steady diet of misinformation about what your body needs in order to look its best. And we can tell you that radical, dramatic steps are the last thing your body needs. Sure, those crash diets might provide short-term joylike a sweet summer fling.

But those are usually temporary and end up causing you heartache in the long run. You need something more stable. The Womens Health Big Book of Abs is a proven plan based on the information provided by the best fitness and nutrition experts and the latest research. You know what we discovered? If you treat yourself right and follow a few simple guidelines, you can literally switch your body into a fitter, healthier modeit will burn more calories, build more muscle, and look 10 or even 20 years younger. The best part: Youll be eating foods that you never thought would be on a diet plan. You can drink wine without worrying about how many calories are in a glass.