It’s an age-old dilemma– how to get lean fast without dropping that hard earned muscle mass.
Now we’re talking ideals: getting lean and sexy quickly without dropping too much hard-earned muscle. It’s so doable though. And what’s more, your average gym rat does more than enough exercise to be rocking abs. So, then why aren’t they? Why are so few people sporting low body fat percentages and decent amounts of muscle for their form?
Let’s Call It, “Consumer Food Psychology”
If we grabbed 100 people from average gyms across America who all have average bodies (little pudgy around the mid-section but otherwise in good shape), and looked at their lifestyles we would find that it all goes down in the a) grocery store and then ultimately the b) kitchen.
TRUTH: Most folks understand that if you figure out your specific BMI and calibrate a base metabolic rate (how many calories you burn just being alive), then sustain a healthy caloric deficit while resistance training regularly you’ll slim down and fill out.
What stops them is caving into sweets. Too many stops at the coffee shop. A few extra slices of pie every month. But who can blame the average American consumer when they’re absolutely surrounded by food every day everywhere they go? Then, we see food advertising and marketing, and hear it wherever we go as well.
Here’s How You Do It Folks!
You can go to many hospitals, fitness centers, health clubs and gyms and get specific/personalized BMI measurements. Maybe in a few years your smartphone will be able to do it with a cool laser beam, but for now either have a certified personal trainer help you or go and spend a few bucks for the water displacement method.
SEE ALSO: How to Set Fitness Goals That Don’t Suck
Regardless, you’re looking for an exact calorie amount that you burn just to be you. Then, you craft a healthy food intake regimen primarily consisting of clean protein, healthy fats and then truckloads of fresh (ideally organic) fruits, veggies, berries or natural carbs.
You can eat three meals a day, or just one. Recent studies argue it really doesn’t matter. The point is to give your body sufficient calories to remain healthy while sustaining a caloric deficit under what you’ve been taking in. Over time you’ll slim down.
How to Speed Up the Process
Exercise. The physical action burns more calories than you normally would in your everyday life and increased lean mass translates into higher base metabolic rate. However, there’s a limit. You can only drop weight so fast before it becomes dangerous. This is especially the case when talking about people who may have underlying health conditions they don’t know about.
SEE ALSO: Are You Using a Fitness Journal to Maximize Your Time at the Gym? (Hint: You Should Be.)
The high-end is 3-5 pounds a week, which is roughly a 1000/day caloric deficit. For most people 2 pounds a week is going to be dramatic. At that rate you would be between 16-20 lbs. lighter in 60 days (go grab a 20 lb. dumbbell) with increased muscle mass.
In 120 days that’s 40-50 lbs. lighter. For average guys sitting at like 18% body fat, trying to lose that last 10% is all about discipline and overcoming consumer food psychology: highly disciplined micro-nutrient intake and exercise regimen.
