Here are your missing abs feat. Adam McDonald

Abs are made in kitchen. Okay, what else? Don't know?

If you are one of the those guys who take their health very seriously then this article is going to be beneficial for you.

I interviewed Adam McDonald who is a professional  body-builder and he has a special system to make you look attractive and that too with the help of a normal diet and simple workouts.

I asked Adam,"People know what is bad for them and they still eat it. What is the psychology behind it?"

Adam said,"We often don't act in line with what we know we should or ought to do, it’s irrational but that’s a common trait of human beings. Just because we know we should do something doesn't necessarily mean we will.

There are 3 levels of awareness

- Intellectual understanding 

- Emotional understanding

- Identity shift

Intellectual understanding doesn't change anything, we know we shouldn't smoke, we know we should study for the exam but we still act against what we know we should do. Emotional understanding is the next level where you don’t necessarily have any more information but you view it on an emotional level. You know overeating is bad for you (intellectual level) but you continue to do it; however, if the doctor told you that if you continue to eat this way you will die from a heart attack within the next 12 months you’re likely to change your habits based on the emotions this evokes.

The third and strongest level is identity shift.

“Identity is the strongest force in human personality. We all have a deep and abiding need to remain consistent with how we define ourselves. Any transformation you make within yourself will depend on your ability to expand this identity.” Tony Robbins

I see myself as someone who works out, eats well and wants to stay in great shape both mentally and physically. If I don’t remain consistent with this identity I get anxious, don’t feel right and feel “off”. This is the what I try to incorporate with my clients, rather than having them make goals for the sake of being “ripped” or 

“jacked” I get them to look at the intrinsic reasons which will help them remain consistent and on track. If your goal is only superficial you will find it a lot harder to reach and only disappointed or unfulfilled when you get there.

See yourself as a health conscious person rather than a just someone who is “trying to eat healthy” or “trying to go to the gym”. Your actions are always going to be in line with your identity, so make sure you have the right one."

I asked Adam,"People sometimes cheat meals and it's not a problem but it becomes a problem when they find themselves cheating everyday. Why do people focus on the taste and not on the results?"

Adam said,"I don’t personally like to have cheat meals as it leads to binges which in itself is an eating disorder, large binges can also undo a lot of hard work and results that you have done of the previous week. Instead, what I like to do is to try and fit foods that I enjoy into my daily macro nutrient guidelines. This prevents me from having any major cravings and wanting to sit and gorge in one sitting. When people limit themselves to certain foods that they don’t particularly like it makes them feel restricted and want to binge or “cheat”, following a flexible dieting approach allows me to still have the foods I enjoy (within reason) 

without feeling restricted.

If I was to just to eat the same bland foods everyday I too would have a difficult time following the plan. The problem is when people are so strict on themselves and have a small slip up they tend to feel as though the whole day of diet is ruined and then eat as much junk as they want because “..they've already ruined the 

diet today”. Focusing on the bigger picture of calories and macro nutrients rather than eating tasteless “healthy” foods will allow people to both enjoy their food and get results."

I asked Adam,"How should a healthy diet look like? (Talking about proteins, carbs, fats etc.)"

Adam said,"There is no official definition by any health Organizations of what a “healthy” food is but if I was to give some guidelines I would say.

- Do not eat an excess of calories unless your goal is to gain weight, a lot health problems stem from being overweight and eating an excess of calories.

- Eat at least 2-3 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of vegetables a day

- Don’t avoid any particular food (perhaps be wary of trans fats). Foods don’t have morals, there are no bad foods only bad portions.

- Focus on Overall calories and macro nutrients then focus on food quality (micro nutrient dense foods). The proof is in the name “Macro” and “Micro”!

- 80% of the time try to eat whole, unprocessed foods and 20% of the time enjoy the foods you would consider “unhealthy” but remember calories are king and you want to keep your diet goals in mind.

- I try not to advocate exact meal plans as people feel like they are restricted and it can lead to binging on restricted foods.

If someone is over-consuming on a daily basis, the following questions should be addressed

-Is the diet too restrictive in terms of food choice?

-Is the diet too fast, too harsh i.e. are you cutting too much calories?

-What are the real reasons you are making these changes, do they have a higher purpose or is it for some superficial reason? You’re more likely to stick to a plan that is preventing you from getting type II diabetes versus one that’s going to give you abs for the beach."

ENDING NOTE:

Adam motivates us by saying,"In terms of diet and training adherence is always going to triumph. Don’t try go from zero to hero at the speed of light. Make some small changes that you are going to be able to stick to. When I am giving clients workout programs and diet nutrition guidelines I make sure that I don’t make too big of a jump from what they currently are doing, this is why so many people cannot stick to a diet or workout regime. If you don’t work out at all go to the gym maybe 2 or 3 times a week, don’t try and do 6. The same goes for diet, if you don’t have a clue about nutrition don’t try and follow some restrictive fad diet, try something small like taking a picture of each meal you eat and reviewing them all at the end of the week to see what your diet is comprised off and go from there."