How To Stay Lean Year-Round

By now you should know that there’s no such thing as a quick-fix when it comes to weight loss as well as getting lean and staying lean. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline for most people to stay consistently ripped all year-round and many of us that go on a weight loss journey know all about the ups and downs of trying to strip off fat. But there is a way to get weight off and keep it off and it starts with consistency.

Yes, genetics play such an integral part of how hard each person has to work to stay lean and ripped. Your body type and your metabolism will dictate how much you have to train and how clean you have to eat throughout the week to attain that desirable goal. There are 3 body types: ectomorph, endomorph or mesomorph. An ectomorph is a naturally skinny person with a super-fast metabolism and a higher carbohydrate tolerance. This body-type typically doesn’t have too many issues of staying ripped.

RELATED: How Your Body Type Affects Your Fitness

A mesomorph is naturally muscular and athletic and has a fast metabolism with a moderate carbohydrate tolerance. They rarely have issues staying ripped unless they consume a high amount of calories per day, like 4,000 or more, and don’t really exercise at all. An endomorph, the body type most people fall in, is a naturally thick person with a slow metabolism and a low carb tolerance.

It Starts On Your Plate

Most of what it takes to stay lean year-round is your diet, especially if you are you an endomorph and you weren’t blessed with a naturally athletic and ripped physique with a fast metabolism.

If you’re an endomorph, and you probably are, the International Sports Sciences Association recommends that your daily macronutrient ratio (foods required in large amounts like carbs, proteins and fats) be 25% carbs, 40% fat and 35% protein. Those macronutrients can be manipulated based on your fitness goals and body type.

Your daily caloric intake should not exceed 14 calories per pound. You should be doing at least 30 minutes of high-intensity interval training 3 days a week or 45 minutes of steady-state cardio 3 days a week. And that steady cardio doesn't necessarily mean a slow jog; a tough shadow boxing session could serve that purpose as well. You should incorporate weight-training at least three days a week as well if you’re looking to get ripped.

For the average endomorph, I recommend structuring your diet to take in 10-to-12 calories per pound. Frankly, you shouldn’t feel like you are hungry on a 12-calorie per pound diet. Personally, I’ve never been somebody that needed to eat 3,500 to 4000 calories per day to feel full. For example, if I have a client that is 205 pounds then we would aim to consume 2,460 calories per day while adhering to our training program.

Embrace The Cheat Day

Cheat meals are important. You’re going to want to eat clean, sticking to whole foods and vegetables. But it’s tough to keep that up all week every week. A cheat meal or even two, can help keep your goals attainable because you won’t feel so deprived. I believe in the 90-10 rule: 90% of the time you eat clean on your diet and 10% you are free to eat what you want. A cheat meal or two during the week shouldn’t hurt you. So yes, you can have two slices of pizza, a couple fried drumsticks or a hamburger. It’s important for your sanity.

There are also things you also do to avoid overeating and suppressing cravings. Drinking lots of water daily, eating vegetables with each meal and adding a piece of fruit to two of your meals each day are all things that will help to keep you feeling fuller.

Track Your Progress

When it comes to tracking progress, don’t use the scale as your guide. You can lose inches without losing pounds. Changing your body fat percentage also may not give you a drastic change in weight. Use the mirror as your guide. Pay attention to how your clothes fit. Your body fat percentage is a much better indicator of your progress than how many pounds you weigh.

Whether you’re a celebrity preparing for a major movie or you just want to feel better when you look at yourself in the mirror, your body type is going to play a big role. But no matter what your body type, your attention to diet is going to decide how lean you can be.

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