Terrence J Fitness

It’s one thing to get your abs right for a day at the beach, but a whole different event getting your abs camera-ready to be seen by hundreds of thousands of movie goers on the big screen. When actor and E! News host Terrence Jenkins, better known as Terrence J, was preparing for his shirtless scene in the film Think Like a Man Too last summer, he turned to celebrity fitness trainer Jeanette Jenkins to get his abs ready for their close up. Oh, and she helped him go from having “zero” definition to sexy six-pack abs in only SIX WEEKS!

“The hardest thing right now is eating habits,” Terrence said at the start of his abs makeover. “Just as important as working out is the dietary piece. I’ve had to cut out carbs. I’m a huge fan of pasta and I’m not able to eat any pasta right now. I don’t eat much bread.”

Any good trainer will tell you that sleek, solid abs are made in the kitchen NOT the gym and “The Hollywood Trainer” is no exception. Known for sculpting Kelly Rowland’s abs, Jeanette Jenkins swears by helping her clients eat healthier, whole foods.

To get abs like Terrence J’s, follow Jeanette’s five tips for ordering and preparing healthy meals.

1. Choose a Dish That Has a Protein and a Dark Green Vegetable

Protein slows down the body’s absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, helping you burn more fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and protein is the building block to your muscles. Green vegetables are the easiest way to alkalinize body and rich in phytonutrients that help strengthen the immune system.

Examples:

Fish (salmon, sole, cod, sea bass, trout, tuna)

Chicken or turkey (baked or grilled)

Steak (lean cuts: eye of round, sirloin tip, top round, bottom round, top sirloin or ask your server for the leanest cut)

Vegetarian dishes (tofu, soy, quinoa, lentils, black beans, chick peas, mushrooms)

Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, collard greens, kale, spinach, green beans, green peas)

2. Add a Colorful Vegetable

Eating colored vegetables like beets, butternut squash, red and yellow peppers and sweet potatoes loads your body with nutrients like vitamin A and lycopene, helping all the cells in your body function for optimal performance.

In the U.S., the average restaurant meal is two full portion sizes for average size person. In order to burn fat, you have to consume few calories than the calories you’re burning. Strive for a dinner of 350-500 calories, depending on your body weight. Try using a metabolic calculator to figure out your daily caloric intake needed to burn fat.

4. Drink Water With Your Dinner

Wine and soft drinks are high in calories and the sugar found in these drinks slow down your fat burning process. Water is necessary for burning fat and it’s suggested to have a glass of water before and during our meal. Throughout the day you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces.

5. Skip the Carbs

The body will burn processed carbs and sugar before it will burn fat, so keep those to a minimum in your diet. That means no pasta, bread or white rice for dinner.

Terrence J is a self-professed “huge pasta expert”, “but because I haven’t eaten any pasta, I’ve lowered my carb intake, I lowered my sugar intake and because of all that I got myself ready for the summer!”