10 WAYS TO GET LEAN

Ryan Moriarty
Oct 31, 2021
4 min read

Updated: Nov 19, 2021

Getting lean is rarely straightforward, particularly if you are one of those people who only has to look at a Big Mac and they’ve gained 4 lbs. In this article, we will be looking at ten simple ways to get lean without having to turn your world upside down.

#1 Ditch The Processed Foods

Sounds like a no brainer. However if you are not naturally lean it's highly unlikely that if you are eating processed foods you will get lean. Start small and remove 1 item a week. If processed foods are a reward for a trigger you have then learn what whole foods can replace it. Candy → Fruit. Fast food → pre-made meals from grocery stores. This leads into the liquid version for tip 2.

#2 Soda → Diet → Sparkling Water

While we’re on the subject of swapping high calorie liquids for low or zero calorie alternatives, swapping your regular soda for diet soda is another great way to save yourself hundreds of calories per week. Aspartame (the ingredient in diet sodas that is used instead of sugar) has been found safe in over 100 studies, it likely won't affect your health. However, I’m still not a fan of it, so you should use diet soda as a stepping stone to the best alternative, sparkling water.

#3 Track Your Steps

The simple act of walking more each day is surprisingly effective for weight loss. But to ensure that you are actually walking more each day, you will need something that measures step counts. Luckily, there are hundreds of free step counter apps on your phone. Alternatively, you can purchase a smart watch or pedometer that you can wear. People like to argue that 10k steps a day has no science behind it… I just don’t understand why anyone would argue this. If you have never walked more than 4k steps a day and you start getting outside and walking, 6k ,8k, 10k+, you are burning more calories than before. So stop making excuses and go for a walk. It’s seriously the easiest commitment you can make to your health.

#4 Increase Your Protein Intake

Adding more protein to your diet has many benefits for getting lean. It can help to preserve your muscle mass while you are in a calorie deficit. It can raise your metabolism (very slightly), and because protein is satiating, it means you are less likely to feel hungry between meals. It is well known that high protein diets are one of the most effective ways to reduce body fat without affecting muscle mass.

#5 Increase Your Fruit and Veg Intake

It may seem odd to suggest eating more food when trying to lose weight, but eating more fruit and vegetables is a great way to get lean. Fruit and veg are great sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. More fiber means that you will feel fuller for longer, and therefore feel less inclined to snack between meals. Fruit and veg can also bulk up your meals, meaning that you can have smaller portions of high fat or high carb foods while still piling your plate high.

#6 Start Your Day Right

Breakfast may not be the most important meal of the day, and it is absolutely possible to skip breakfast and stay lean. But eating a high protein nutritious breakfast is a great way to build a lean body. In tips 4 and 5 we talked about how protein, fruit and vegetables are important. Most people do not eat enough protein, and only a tiny fraction of people eat enough fruit and veg!

Having a high protein meal that also contains fruit or vegetables first thing in the morning is going to make it a lot easier for you to hit your targets. Another benefit of breakfast is that it will reduce the risk of you eating high calorie snacks during the day.

You can prepare your breakfast the night before, you could beat some eggs together and cut some veg so that all you have to do in the morning is heat the pan, coat it in cooking spray and then pour in your ingredients.

#7 Drink More Water

One of the common side effects of dehydration is snacking. Your body has a difficult time differentiating between hunger and thirst. If you are mildly dehydrated, your body may interpret that as you being hungry, which could lead to you seeking out a high calorie snack, or overeating during a meal.

Drinking a minimum of a half gallon of water per day is a great way to stay hydrated, which will leave you feeling more energetic, more focused, and better prepared to stay true to your diet.

#8 Focus on Quality Not Quantity When Snacking

No diet should ever be 100% “clean”. If you try to follow a diet that bans all junk food then you are going to be miserable for 2 weeks before giving up and ordering yourself 3 pizzas. Give yourself flexibility, allow the occasional high calorie treat. But be smart with what you get.

Don’t order a pack of 20 small cookies, order one single large decadent cookie. Don’t buy a 12 pack of beer, buy one expensive bottle. Treat yourself to smaller portions of nicer food. Rather than massive portions of cheap food. You will save yourself a ton of calories, while still enjoying unhealthy food.

#9 Sleep More

Want to lose weight and feel more energetic? Quick, get into bed and go to sleep! As crazy as it sounds, sleeping better at night is a great way to lose weight. Bad sleep has been associated with falling testosterone levels in men, it can also lead to increases in cortisol, depression, and an increased appetite. That’s correct, bad sleep can actually lead to overeating.

Try to sleep eight hours each night, and spend time trying to improve your sleep quality (better pillows, proper bedtime, no electronic devices 20 minutes before you go to sleep).

#10 Manage Your Stress Better

This is very similar to tip #9. Your emotional state has a huge influence on your diet, your behaviour, and your physiology. It’s almost impossible to remove stress entirely from your life, and you shouldn’t try to do so. But finding better ways to deal with stress, and attempting to reduce exposure to stressful situations where possible, can actually make a huge difference to your performance in the gym, the foods you seek out, and your recovery from exercise. It can also make sleep easier (see above).