Why is it that people believe getting fit is difficult? Well, you can blame it on the hundreds of fad diets, diet pills, and ridiculous amount of companies claiming their products are the best of the best. There are an unlimited amount of options, so no wonder why people get so confused. I'm here to clear it up, though. I've remained in incredible shape over the past 11 years by following some very basic strategies. Getting fit is simple, it really is, and I'm going to break it down for you.
(1) Burn more than you consume. Every day you burn a certain amount of calories. How much you burn depends on how active your lifestyle is, your age, sex, weight, height, etc. If you have a very intense job, like construction, you're going to burn a lot more calories than someone who sits behind a computer all day. There are number of different ways to calculate how many calories you burn, but just click here and it will take you to an article on how exactly to compute it. But ideally, I always recommend to my clients to have a 500 calorie deficit each day if they are trying to lean out. That seems to be the sweet spot for proper fat loss without burning muscle. However, if you're trying to gain mass, it's a different story. Then you need to consume more than you burn.
(2) Consume organic, whole foods. Stop eating processed foods, such as burgers, fries, hot dogs, breads, pastas, sweets, etc. Start eating whole fruits, veggies, sweet potatoes, and organic lean meats (chicken, fish, beef).
(3) Cut back on natural and artificial (processed) sugar. Us Americans love sugar, so much that we consume a ridiculous amount of it. It's a big reason why we face so many health issues, such as cancer, disease, and obesity. When I dropped my sugar intake (from healthy foods) to right around 20% of my daily calories, I really started leaning out. I've maintained that daily consumption for years now and it's a big reason why I believe I've been able to remain so lean.
(4) Workout 4 to 6 days a week. Personally, I like to workout 6 days a week, but you can do 4 and still get fit. Those workouts need to be a combination of cardio and resistance training. With my cardio, I'm a big fan of HIIT (high intensity interval training). In the 11 years I've been an online fitness coach, this type of cardio tends to bring the best results. It's important to have structure to your workouts, meaning you work all the muscle groups and switch up routines regularly. If you don't have anything to follow, I can recommend entire 2-3 month programs that I recommend to my clients. Each program can be done at home (if you have weights) or in the gym. Each program does come with a nutrition plan as well.
(5) Don't try to be perfect with your nutrition. Anyone who knows me knows I like to have a good time. I like to drink a few times per week with my friends and family and I enjoy having one "cheat meal" per week. Doing so keeps me sane. I'm OK with one cheat meal and one day of drinking, just as long as you stay away from sugary drinks. Personally, I'm a big fan of rum and soda water with lyme or rum and unsweetened iced tea with a few drops of stevia. 90% of the week, though, I'm right on track.
(6) Stay consistent. You can't start changing your lifestyle to get fit and then revert back to your old habits once you reach your goals. It doesn't work that way. You have to go into this with the mindset that this is going to become your new lifestyle. Once you do it long enough, it just becomes part of your routine. I don't think about eating right every day, I just do it. I don't think about working out every day, I just do it.
That's it. Like I said, it's simple. You don't need fancy diet pills or equipment to get results. Just follow these 6 rules and you'll start seeing changes in no time.
Have any questions? Email me at Josh@JoshSpencerFitness.com or connect with me over on Facebook.