You can do as many sit-ups or crunches as you can stand, but no matter how many you do they could still be covered with layers of fat. Of course it's great to work on your core, but the real secret to awesome abs is in your eating. Here are some tips for eating that will help give you that washboard stomach you've always wanted.

Cut carbohydrates after breakfast

As your first meal of the day, breakfast should contain a good deal of carbs. As an example, oatmeal is a great choice for providing lasting energy. Consuming too many carbs later in the day could possibly end up going unused, or even turned into fat overnight when your body is dormant.

Keep feeding your furnace

You can eat frequently, just don't eat too much. The three-meal-a-day routine needs to go out the window, in favor of smaller snack-size type meals. If you keep your stomach processing food, you are getting your metabolism used to constantly going. Eating smaller meals more frequently will also curb the desire to gorge at meals.

Take in the calories that matter

We all know at this point that refined sugars are the enemy, as well as general foods that are processed. Fresh foods like vegetables will fill you up, but have a lower caloric density than other types.

Fruit is your friend

For those times like working out when you need to be energized, have some fresh fruit to give your body the quick healthy sugars needed for an intense work-out. You can consume more fruit after that sweat inducing ritual, but don't go overboard - an excess of fruit will be turned into fat, thus defeating the purpose.