In this blog post, I’m going to give you actionable advice that you can start implementing today to change your physique forever! No longer will you yo-yo up and down in weight every week. Consistent progress is what we are after and the tips below are going to help you do that!
If you haven’t already make sure to check out Part 1 of this series here.
Avoid Drinking your Calories
When you are in a caloric deficit you may be a little hungry at times, but it should be manageable. To help fight against this you want to get all the calories you consume from real food. This will leave you feeling more full throughout the day versus drinking your calories with little benefit to helping you stay satiated (full).
Switch from regular to diet/zero-calorie drinks
Think of all the drinks you consume throughout the day. Is there a lower/zero-calorie version of it? If so, I would recommend drinking the low-calorie option during the week. Save the full-calorie version for special occasions or the weekend and you have now saved yourself anywhere from 50-200 calories a day. If switching to the low-calorie option is too much for you then just, try and cut the amount you drink of the full version in half.
Eat More (lean) Protein
Eating more protein burns more calories than consuming any other kind of macronutrient. This is because more energy is required to break it down during digestion. This increases the calories you burn due to the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).
The key to consuming protein is to find sources that are also not high in fat. Fat contains 9 calories per gram and can add up quickly.
Lean Sources of Protein:
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Tuna (stored in water)
- Any type of White Fish
- Top Sirloin
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
- Chicken Breasts
- Turkey Breast
- Egg whites
Limit Alcohol Consumption
I do believe you can drink alcohol and still lose weight. However, you are making it a lot harder on yourself. If you have the self-control to limit your alcohol consumption to just a few drinks and not overindulge, go for it.
My problem when it comes to alcohol is I drink a lot and then binge eat aggressively. So, instead of trying to limit my alcohol consumption I just prefer to not drink very often. That way when I do, I can enjoy myself and not think about being restrictive.
A few tips I do recommend when it comes to drinking would be:
- Eat before to curb the hunger that comes along after drinking.
- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after.
- Stay away from dark liquor or IPAs as they contain a lot more calories.
- Tequila (Ranch Waters) and Vodka (big vodka guy) sodas are good lower-calorie options.
- Be careful about the type of mixer you choose as they can contain tons of sugar and extra calories.
Weigh in Daily
The purpose of weighing in daily is to keep you accountable. It also helps you to start seeing the effects of the food you ate the previous few days. If you lose a few quick pounds in just a day or two, then you probably aren’t eating enough. The same is true when gaining weight.
The biggest key is to not let your sense of self-worth be attached to the number on the scale. Treat the number as if you are a scientist running an experiment. Use it as data only to make better decisions in the future.
Your weight does fluctuate throughout the day by a few pounds so just weigh in at the same time every day for consistency.
Find a hobby that gets you active
Exercising can refer to anything that gets you moving. Don’t feel like you must go to the gym, lift weights and run on the treadmill to get fit. Find something you can do that gets you moving and that doesn’t feel like exercise.
- Golf
- Disc Golf
- Bicycling
- Hiking
- Rock climbing
- Boxing
- Walking
Have the courage to try something new and don’t be afraid to suck at the beginning!
Cook your own meals
The biggest benefit to cooking your own meals is that you have full control over what goes into them. This becomes very useful when you are trying to track calories or become consistent with your diet. Having a few go-to meals that you know the nutrition facts on is insanely beneficial to long-term success.
If you don’t cook already, I challenge you to learn to cook your favorite meal. It doesn’t even have to be healthy. Just whatever you love to eat the most, make it yourself. This will get you comfortable with cooking and teach you a few skills that you can translate into cooking healthier meals. You will be shocked by how easy it is!
Check out these YouTube Cooking Channels below if you want to learn how to cook something.
Don't Compare yourself to others
I plan on writing a blog post specifically on this topic but I’ll just give you the short version for now.
The number one reason to not compare yourself to others is that you don’t know what they have been through. You have no idea what work they have put into their bodies up until that point. Think of it like an iceberg, most people only see the tip and don’t realize the work that has been done under the surface.
The second reason for not comparing yourself to others is that you don’t know when they started. They could have been working out their whole life and you are comparing your first couple of steps to their progress.
The moral of the story is this, control what you can control, and don’t worry about anybody else. All you are doing is wasting your own limited time and energy that can be spent on improving yourself.
Drink more water
Being sufficiently hydrated helps with performance in the gym and appetite control.
Sometimes your body sends signals as if you are hungry but in reality, you are just dehydrated. I recommend drinking at least 8-12 ounces of water when you feel like snacking and then waiting 20 minutes. If you are still hungry after that point then go ahead and eat.
As I mentioned above, dehydration does affect athletic performance as well. If you want to be able to push yourself in the gym and make progress you must be sufficiently hydrated. Aim to drink around 1fl oz per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 240 lbs aim to drink about 240 fl oz. of water daily.
The best way to judge if you are properly hydrated is by the color of your piss. Ya, it’s gross but you want a fairly clear color with a light yellow tent to it. You can set a goal of drinking a certain amount of ounces a day but I prefer to just judge by the color of my tinkle :).
When you start to drink more water you will notice that you have to use the restroom more often. It may seem inconvenient at first but you will get used to it.
Plan meals ahead of time
Planning meals ahead of time and meal prepping helps save you money blah blah blah. While this is true, this is not the main reason I meal prep.
I meal prep and plan meals in advance because I don’t have enough willpower to always make the right choice. Life can be exhausting at times. When you are fatigued, it’s very hard to reason with yourself. It takes more time and energy to cook a healthy meal rather than get instant gratification with low effort by getting fast food. So of course most of the time you will go with the latter, most people would.
The key here is don’t rely on your willpower to make the right decision in the moment. I can’t stress how important this is, especially at the beginning of your journey. Take the time beforehand to plan a few meals in advance. That way when the time comes you are able to just act and not rely on your willpower.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Follow the 80/20 rule
As you can see in the diagram below, I created a scale that is meant to represent why we choose to eat certain foods. The goal I have for you is to try and eat 70-90% of your meals for the purpose of fueling your body. If you are trying to lose weight, I would recommend eating closer to 90%. If you are just looking to maintain your weight than shoot for 70-80%.
Start Resistance Training
When trying to lose weight, a lot of people instantly hop on a treadmill or start running outside. While this is a great idea, they are completely missing out on the benefits of resistance training.
Let me take a step back. When I first began trying to lose weight, I was under the impression that under all the fat was a ripped body. I thought if I could just lose my excess body fat then I would have a massive chest and big arms.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. You do have muscles obviously or else you wouldn’t be able to move. However, they are not developed yet and by just losing body fat you develop a skinny fat physique. This means that you don’t have much body fat but you also don’t have any size or shape to your muscles.
What you want to do is to implement both resistance training and cardio. This will help you build the physique from both sides. The cardio strips off the fat while the muscles push from the inside. Eventually, they will meet in the middle and you will start to develop a well-defined physique.
Side note, the more muscle mass you have the more calories your body burns throughout the day to maintain that tissue.
Track your Calories
Tracking your calories helps with a few things.
I’m a big-numbers guy. By seeing the number of calories I consume I’m able to resist the urge to snack at the end of the day because I know I have consumed all I need.
Another benefit is seeing the number of calories you consume is also a way to hold yourself accountable. If you are tracking your calories correctly you can no longer lie to yourself as to why you aren’t losing weight. The proof is in the pudding!
The last benefit goes hand in hand with the previous one. Once you start to track your calories you can see what foods are derailing your diet. Ignorance is bliss. Once you have seen how the sausage(belly fat) is made there is no going back.
Use MyFitnessPal to track your calories. It’s very easy to use and includes a barcode scanner to scan foods and includes restaurant menu items and fast food as well!
Eat 3 to 5 meals a day
Eating 3 to 5 meals should be your standard no matter what your weight goals are. If you are trying to lose weight, eating smaller meals more often helps you avoid intense cravings. By avoiding those intense cravings it becomes a lot easier to want to consume a healthier option.
If you are trying to gain weight then 3 to 5 meals are optimal because you don’t have to force feed yourself all at once. It’s a lot easier to consume a surplus of calories in 5 meals. Try both for yourself and see what you think!
Lower Stress
The problem with excess stress is that it causes your body to release a hormone known as cortisol. I’m not an expert on hormones so I will defer you to this article to learn more here
However, the main takeaway is that high cortisol levels make you gain weight and effect your sleep.
Get quality sleep
Getting high-quality sleep is the most effective way for your body to recover and maximize testosterone levels. So many people are getting low-quality sleep and end up relying heavily on caffeine early in the morning to kickstart their day. I’m a fan of caffeine although it shouldn’t be a necessity but rather a nice-to-have option.
The goal for sleep should be to get around 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Contrary to what you have maybe heard before, you cannot catch up on sleep. Once you lose it it’s gone so don’t think you can just sleep all weekend and be fine.
Tips to improve sleep:
- Limit water intake up to an hour before bed to avoid frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Limit screentime 30 mins before bed.
- Have a consistent bedtime. Doesn’t matter what time necessarily just keep it consistent even on weekends.
- Plan the next day before you go to bed to avoid stressing about what is to come.
- Keep the thermostat at a lower temperature (<70 degrees) as cool environments are more conducive to better sleep.
Don't keep temptations in the house
It’s crazy how simple this sounds but how beneficial it can be. Just by making it a little harder on yourself to indulge in high-calorie options, you will start to realize you don’t need them. If you do want to indulge then get in your car and go get it. I promise if you can avoid buying the snacks at the store than you will be well on your way to eliminating the urges you have to consume them.
The flip side of this is to keep healthy food options readily available and in sight. I can’t tell you how easy it is to eat fruit when it’s just sitting on your counter out in the open. The same is true for protein bars or quick healthy options you can grab and go when you are busy.
Conclusion
I hope you have learned some new things that you can start to implement into your lifestyle. Remember, focus on one tip at a time, and don’t move on until it has become a habit. If you can’t see yourself maintaining what you are currently doing then it’s not sustainable for the long term!
“If you will change, everything will change for you. Don’t wait for things to change. Change doesn’t start out there, change starts within… All change starts with you. ” – Jim Rohn
Leave a comment below if you have any additional tips that have helped you as well! I’d love to learn new ways I can improve my lifestyle to help me achieve my own physique goals.
