you too have probably seen your best body before as well. The challenge is not only getting back to that level of leanness, but sustaining it for more than a few months. When it comes to having a lean body, the main goal is to be able to keep it. I have been able to have a lean body before, and it was not just a one-time thing. If you can relate to this, then you know how hard it is to not only get back to that level of leanness, but to be able to maintain it for more than just a few months.
Even if you work extremely hard and follow a strict diet, you may still not see the results you want. This has happened to me multiple times.
My friend’s metabolism is very good, in comparison to mine. He can eat a lot of carbohydrates and not store body fat, while I struggle with my weight, no matter how well I eat.
After years of coaching, dieting, training, and studying this for a living, I have realized that this is not simply the truth.
The things we do every day, week and month, both mentally and physically, have a cumulative effect on our bodies and determine whether we stay lean all year round. diet is a factor too, of course.
My friend who I mentioned earlier who is in great shape year-round, despite eating an entire Bakery, may be slightly more genetically gifted than me. However, there are also specific things he does that help him stay lean.
I was not raised doing any of the things that would make me lean, so when I started doing those things, I was not lean. However, most of you have either been in the same situation as me or are currently in the same situation as me. The difference between me and others is that I have spent years researching and hanging around people who are lean, I have adopted their habits and tendencies, and now I can successfully stay lean all year round.
So, without going on a long rant, let’s break it down with the…
10 Things People Who Stay Lean Year ‘Round Do
1. STOP “DIETING.”
To stay lean all year round, you can’t follow a short-term diet that simply restricts calories. You need to develop a lifestyle based on positive habits that will be the true keys to maintaining the body you’ve worked so hard for.
You will not achieve lasting success if you simply “diet.” You need to develop a balanced lifestyle that you are passionate about, not just something you feel you have to do. A balanced lifestyle, in this case, means not making fitness the only important thing in your life. You don’t have to live as if fitness is the only worthwhile pursuit in your life, but if you want to be lean all year, it should be something you love.
You cannot continue following a diet that causes you to consume fewer calories than you burn forever. You may still want to follow a carb cycling diet, but you should eat more on the days that you are not restricting your carb intake.
Even though clean, unprocessed foods are the best choices, you still need to be careful about how they are prepared. Sauces, oils, and desserts should be avoided most of the time, or you will undo all your hard work.
If you want to be successful in staying fit, you need to find healthy substitutes for your favorite treats and make good habits a part of your life. There shouldn’t be a deadline for this, but rather a lifestyle change.
2. EMPHASIZE CARBS PRE- AND POST-WORKOUT
If you want to have visible abs every day, you need to watch your carbohydrate intake. You can’t keep definition by overindulging in carbs at every meal. Most of your carbs should be used for energy and recovery, before and after training sessions. The rest of your carbs can be spread out throughout the day in smaller amounts.
It is beneficial to consume simple carbohydrates (along with protein) immediately after working out. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, brown rice, yams, sweet potatoes, and quinoa, are digested more slowly and do not cause as drastic of an insulin spike, making them better choices to eat throughout the day.
3. BE FLEXIBLE WITH THE PLANS
I tell my clients that they should strive for 80/20. 80% of the time you are eating close to your macros/calories and 20% you are more flexible. I tell my clients that the key to results is to eat close to their macros/calories 80% of the time, and to be more flexible 20% of the time.
People who stay lean focus on eating their protein and carbs within +/- 5g, and their fats within +/- 2-3g. They know that if they eat more calories one day, they can make up for it by eating less the rest of the week and still be ok, because total weekly calories is the most important thing.
It is most important that they allow themselves some flexibility and do not see this as an everyday competition. If their lifestyle requires some changes, they make them without getting anxious. The same is true for their training routine. If, for example, they are on a trip and have to work out in a hotel gym, they might do a dumbbell bench press instead of a barbell bench press. The key is to keep working out, doing the right exercises, and being consistent.
4. COUNT YOUR MACROS
Success in the kitchen requires more than just luck. Tracking your macros (protein, carbs, and fat) and calories will help you stay in shape and reach your goals. Nutrition tracking allows you to stay on top of your daily caloric intake, even after you have achieved your goal weight.
Competitors measure all their foods so they can get an accurate idea of how much they’re eating and how many nutrients they’re taking in. MyFitnessPal is a great way to track your daily intake of calories and macros.
Keep in mind that consuming 200 extra calories each day may not have much of an immediate impact, but if done frequently, can lead to weight gain down the road.
5. BURN MORE CALORIES WITH HIIT
If there is a “secret” to getting more out of your cardio training, it is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT alternates all-out work intervals with slower recovery periods, which has been shown to not only elevate the number of calories you burn during your workout, but boost your metabolism during the 24 hours afterward. HIIT also takes less time than traditional steady-state cardio.
A HIIT session consists of alternating periods of high-intensity effort with periods of low-intensity effort. To perform a HIIT session, begin with a cardio warm-up. Then, alternate 30 seconds of all-out effort with 60 seconds of low-intensity effort. Repeat this pattern for 15-30 minutes. As you get better at HIIT, you can increase the length of the work interval, reduce the length of the recovery interval, increase the degree of effort, and/or lengthen the duration of your workout.
Interval training, or HIIT, can improve your cardiovascular fitness and metabolic health. HIIT can be done outdoors with running or indoors on the treadmill, elliptical trainer, or stair-stepper. For the best results, HIIT should be done 2-3 times per week.
6. BE GENERALLY MORE ACTIVE (Outside The Gym)
The last point showed that they know how to recover well; they also know that a rest day can be more than just sitting on the couch all day.
Most people underestimate the power of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). People who are physically active tend to go on easy hikes, take walks at lunch break, stand at their desk, and choose to take the stairs. These activities increase their metabolism and help to burn more calories.
Some of the greatest coaches use more fidgeting than typical cardio to get better results. They have done studies showing that those who fidget more often than others tend to be leaner and have a higher metabolic rate.
So my suggestion is simple, just move more!
If you’re sitting at a desk all day, try to get up and do 10 bodyweight squats every hour. If you have a lunch break, go for a 20-minute walk. If you have a fit bit or iPhone, try to get 10-15,000 steps a day. Get a standing desk, take the stairs, and try other things to get more movement throughout the day.
This means that by taking 10,000 steps a day, you could potentially lose 1lb of fat per week If you take 10,000 steps a day, you could lose 1lb of fat per week.
If you want to lose weight, try increasing your steps from 10,000 to 15,000 a day. This change will probably cause you to lose 0.5 pounds per week, assuming that nothing else in your routine changes.
Here is the main point: people who are always thin just move more than the average person. So get up and move around!
7. SWITCH UP THE WAY YOU TRAIN
You’ll only make gains as a beginner if you keep changing up your routine. Your body adapts quickly, so you have to keep increasing the load, volume, intensity, and so on. This also reduces the likelihood of overtraining.
One of the ways I like to keep my body guessing and adapting is to mix up my training goals. One week I’ll focus on strength training, the next week on hypertrophy, and the following week might be performance-based. This keeps my body constantly guessing and makes the gains keep coming.
8. DO NOT RELY ON SUPPLEMENTS
Many people in the fitness industry believe that they need supplements to get results, but this is not true. Supplements are meant to supplement your diet, not replace it.
The majority of people who are able to maintain alean figure throughout the year obtain approximately 90% of their required nutrients from whole foods. The supplements they commonly take are things such as whey protein when they are unable to eat a meal, fish oil if they do not consume enough fatty fish each week, digestive enzymes or probiotics if they have gastrointestinal stress, and potentially creatine if they want to improve performance and strength gains slightly.
We’re not talking about illegal steroids, we’re talking about protein shakes, weight gainers, thermogenics, and other muscle-building supplements No supplements that promote fat burning, weight gain, or extreme muscle building. This includes protein shakes, weight gainers, thermogenics, and other muscle-building supplements.
9. ALLOW YOURSELF THE OCCASIONAL CHEAT MEAL
Now that you know cravings come from periods of food deprivation, you can use cheat meals as a reward for eating well. Try to have a moderate cheat meal once a week, depending on your metabolism. Cheat meals shouldn’t be an opportunity to eat as much junk food as you want. They should be moderate so you don’t get cravings for the wrong kinds of foods later. Remember, you have to earn cheat meals!
10. HAVE SUPPORTING SURROUNDINGS
Although they may partake in weekly activities such as taco Tuesday or hanging out with the guys for beers, they don’t usually keep a lot of junk food in the house.
People who are successful typically have supportive friends and frequently find themselves in positive environments. They don’t usually spend time with friends in bars, working at fast food restaurants, or eating lunch from food trucks with co-workers. Usually, they surround themselves with people who have similar values and lifestyle choices.
Everyone should enjoy life to the fullest, but it is important to surround yourself with places and people that will help you maintain your goals of staying fit.
