How to Achieve a Lean physique

Getting lean, will not only reduce stress on your heart and reduce wear on your joints, but it will also boost your energy and self-confidence. Despite 60% of the population being overweight, achieving a lean body does not complicated, with an equal focus on both diet and fitness.

Here are 10 tips to get lean

DIET

1. Cut your calories – part of obtaining a lean physique is inducing a caloric deficit. You need to consume the number of calories you consume in a day and be conscious of what type of food you are putting into your body. Not all calories are created equal so consume food with high nutritional value. The best way to monitor your calories is to prep your meal for the week and make sure not to veer out of the meal plan.
2. Consume plenty of protein – a common mistake that people make when going on a diet is not consuming enough protein. Protein helps build a lean, muscular physique. Include lean protein like chicken and fish.
3. Eat plenty of greens – the most important type of food that you should be consuming is vegetables. You can get as much nutrition at very low calories.
4. Don’t be afraid of carbs – it is a common misconception that you shouldn’t be consuming carbs when you are dieting. Missing out on carbs means you miss out on food that will help energize you when you work out. Opt for good carbs like sweet potatoes. quinoa, and brown rice.
5. Avoid cheat meals at the start – chances are you will look forward to cheat meals as you start to change your diet. Our advice is to lose 10 pounds first before consuming pizza, burgers, and other unhealthy temptations. Limit yourself to two cheat meals per week as the calories from one meal add up fast.
6. Drink lots of water – the final element to a lean diet is to drink lots of water. Consume at least one gallon of water a day and cut down on any sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages.

FITNESS

1. Try fasted cardio – a fasted cardio means doing a cardio workout on an empty stomach. This is great because it starts burning fat instead of the food in your stomach. You can do cardio on your treadmill or elliptical at home before having breakfast.
2. Lift heavier – rather than simply weightlifting, you have to progressively lift heavier weights. Push yourself to lift heavier weights while you maintain good form throughout the workout.
3. Focus on body fat percentage – although your main focus is your weight, you also have to consider your body fat percentage. Although we cannot get an accurate percentage reading, getting a close estimate is good enough. Find a scale that connects to your smartphone so you can get a body fat percentage reading together with other body metrics.
4. Take progress pictures – one good way to see results is by taking a picture of your progress. As you lose body fat, you will see that your abs become more accentuated and your face will slim down.