“The only way I will go out to eat is if you smuggle my food scale in your purse.”
My fiancé placed the scale in her purse, as well as a measured out portion of salad dressing, and my own low sugar ketchup.
Thank the heavens they make big purses, right?
Off we went to our favorite restaurant in Downtown Plymouth for our first dinner out since being engaged over the last few months.
I sat there carefully weighing out my chicken breast and sweet potato fries.
I thought to myself, this was not normal behavior.
Why was I being this OCD about my food?
I was a few weeks out from my next Men’s Physique show and I could not afford to be anything less than precise with my nutrition at that point.
Was I “shredded” at the time?
Yeah, I sure was.
Was I the happiest or balanced with life and fitness?
Not at all.
My fiancé and I were engaged for a few weeks and had not been out to celebrate with family or friends because I was too worried about the food choices and not being able to show up as lean as possible for the show.
I had a goal set for myself and I did what it took to achieve it. The process was worth it to me at the time.
Fast forward to now and do I look anything close to what I did in the above picture?
No, not at all.
Am I much more happy now and more balanced with life and fitness?
Absolutely.
We can go out to eat without smuggling food scales into the restaurants.
I can enjoy family parties and eat the foods provided without stressing out.
I focus on a balanced approach making 80-90% good food choices and leaving the last 10% or so for fun which is the same approach I teach to my private coaching clients.
I can’t tell you the countless times I have had someone get on the phone with me and say they want a six pack or a lean midsection. The reality is they do not fully understand what it takes to achieve that goal.
In order to get a lean, defined, midsection you need to achieve a low enough body fat percentage to see actually see your abs.
You can’t do endless crunches to “target the fat” in the midsection.
You just need to get really lean.
For men, that usually means anywhere from 6-10% body fat.
For women, usually the around the mid-teens.
I ask my client if they are able to do the following to achieve that goal:
Track every macro that goes in their mouth.
Never miss a workout or cardio session.
Not consume much (if any) alcohol.
Bring food scales with them to restaurants or order very basic foods that they know they can account for.
If they can’t answer YES to all of those, then a six-pack may not be the best goal for them.
So, if their lifestyle does not permit all of the above scenarios (which for most it doesn’t) does that mean all hope is lost since they can’t obtain a six-pack?
No, not at all.
You can be EXTREMELY healthy, look GREAT, and feel phenomenal all without having a six pack of abs.
Having abs does not equal being happy.
I was more mentally unhealthy and socially unhappy when I was much leaner compared to now.
My energy was horrible.
My social life was nonexistent.
It took a level of commitment and precision with my nutrition that was not sustainable in the long run.
Now I know that you are bombarded with these fitness Instagram accounts daily of the perfect bodies saying something like:
“Do this ONE trick to get a lean midsection.”
Or, “Eat this ONE food to burn belly fat.”
Unfortunately, there is not one trick or one magical food that will produce results. It comes down to a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and consistency.
I’m telling you that you can’t compare to these Insta-Fame body images.
You can only compare to yourself.
Being truly happy with fitness comes from being EXTERNALLY and INTERNALLY healthy.
Having the balance to get out and enjoy your life.
Feeling phenomenal all day long.
Having great workouts and getting stronger over time.
Having a positive body image and feeling confident in your own skin.
Setting goals that are realistic to your lifestyle and that you can achieve.
My point in all of this is you need to do what makes YOU happy.
If achieving a six pack will make you feel great and accomplished then go for that with everything you’ve got and you will feel rewarded when you reach it.
But for most they aren’t chasing the six-pack.
They are chasing the feeling of confidence and self-appreciation.
Which you can achieve by maintaining a healthy body weight, eating better, and getting stronger in the gym.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to YOUR goals.
Do what feels best for YOU and enjoy the journey along the way.
