Getting a lean, toned physique is a lot easier than it may seem.
I want to give you the secret to a toned physique in three simple steps.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to a few basic principles that anyone can apply to their dieting strategy.
But before we start, you need to understand one thing: you are deserving of a lean, healthy body.
I know you may have struggled for a while with losing weight but I promise, you already have everything you need to achieve your goal body composition.
Yes, it’s going to take some effort. But instead of working harder, you need to work smarter.
There is so much information out there, and I wanted to write this article to simplify the whole process for you.
So without further ado, here is the secret to a toned physique in three steps!
Step 1: Set a Goal
The first step to a lean, toned physique is to set your goal.
You need to establish your ‘why.’
This is going to serve as the hallmark of your motivation.
I want you to search deep when you are looking for your why.
The obvious is that you want to lose weight to look and feel better.
Of course, but why do you want to look better?
Why do you want to feel better?
Perhaps you want to be healthier and show up for your family and friends.
To regain the confidence that you once had in your early youth.
Perhaps you want to fit into that wedding dress because ultimately you want the love of your life to know that you are a healthy person who is going to be there for them and not in the hospital with a cardiovascular complication 10 years down the road stemming from excessive adipose tissue.
Whatever you come up with, it needs to stick.
It needs to carry you through the dark days when you don’t feel like sticking to your diet.
Your goal needs to empower you.
Your goal needs to have substance and provide meaning.
Once you know your why, it’s time to set a timeline.
This is a critical step.
I love accountability apps like myfitnesspal which help you to stay on track and also provide a great calorie tracking tool.
You need a realistic timeline.
Don’t expect to lose 50 pounds in two weeks.
But a realistic timeline will be the measurable piece to your goal.
It will hold you accountable and give the process a start and an end date.
A mark of officiality.
Step 2: Find Your Deficit
Now it’s time for the most important step – the mechanistic step that will serve as the physiological cause for your weight loss.
In other words, it is the biological necessity for fat loss.
Do you want a toned physique?
You need to find your your deficit calories.
Our body requires a set number of calories to run all of it’s physiological functions.
It’s the amount of calories that keeps you at your current body weight without much fluctuation.
Remember, your body wants to maintain homeostasis.
It wants a set point.
Even if that set point is in an unhealthy range with respect to body fat percentage.
Now, if it takes your body x number of calories to maintain its current body weight, what do you think you need to do in order to lose weight?
That’s right – eat less than that amount!
This is what is known as your deficit.
The deficit does not need to be super huge!
Far too many people try dieting on an unrealistic deficit and end up binge eating because they were way too restricted.
The deficit needs to be sustainable.
One pound of fat is equivalent to roughly 3500kcal and if you want to lose one pound of fat per week, you need to be at a weekly deficit of 3500kcal.
Simply divide 3500kcal into 7 days and you will see that your deficit needs to be 500kcal per day in order to total 3500kcal by the end of the week.
Basically, you will be eating 500kcal less than your maintenance calories every single day.
That’s not a whole lot to sacrifice!
But the question is, can you be disciplined enough to do it every day?
It’s the weeks of efficient action strung together that creates a meaningful deficit and ultimately the fat loss that you are looking for.
When you are ready to find what your exact deficit number is, read this article that I wrote.
Step 3: Strength Train
Now that you know how much to eat every single day, you need to add in your movement.
While all movement will contribute to your calorie deficit, strength training offers a particularly great benefit to your body composition.
Strength training increases your metabolism and lets you burn calories for hours after you have finished working out.
Also known as the ‘afterburn effect.’
Not only will strength training help you burn more calories, but it will also help you gain muscle which will create the toned physique that you desire.
And don’t worry, it won’t make you look too muscular!
Cardio is a great supplement for a diet, but the real bang for your buck will come from strength training.
A great way to begin strength training is to start off slow and light.
Once you get stronger and learn the form of each exercise, you can increase the weight and perform more sets which will ultimately lead to a leaner physique!
Lift 3-5 times a week for the greatest benefits.
What Is the Best Body Toning Diet?
The reality is, there is no single body toning diet that is going to be, ‘the best.’
You see, the best diet is one that you will stick to.
So once you find your deficit calories, you need to eat foods that are going to keep you within your daily calorie budget.
I recommend choosing foods with more bulk. In other words, foods that have more fiber and will provide substance.
These foods will keep you full for a longer period of time.
Stick to fresh unprocessed foods.
The foods that you can find in the outside aisles of the grocery store.
Packaged foods are fine, but just make sure you are reading the nutrition labels carefully.
I wrote an entire article about the best breakfast foods for a diet to get you started.
The other critical element you need in your body toning diet is enough protein.
Shoot for 1g per pound of your goal body weight.
So if you weigh 200lb now and your goal is 170lb, make sure to eat 170g of protein each day to optimize for lean muscle mass and recovery.
Protein is also the most satiating macronutrient and will keep you full for a long time.
What Is the Fastest Way to Tone and Tighten Your Body?
The rate at which you lose weight will be determined by your deficit.
You can lose weight as fast as you want but just know that the greater the deficit is, the more challenging it is going to be.
Many doctors and I recommend losing 1-2lb per week unless you have 30+ pounds to lose in which case you can afford to lose weight a little faster.
The reality is though, once you start tracking your calories you will inevitably lose more weight than predicted just by function of your plan and discipline.
It is best to lose weight at a sustainable rate.
Eventually, you will be able to determine if you can tolerate a greater deficit than 1-2lb per week.
Most people are going to feel the best by losing 1-2lb per week.
Less hungry pains etc.
Focus on long-term results – not fast, unstainable results!
That’s the best way to achieve a toned physique.
Recap:
That’s it!
You now have the secret to a toned physique and you got it in three simple steps.
Now it’s time to put all of the information to use.
Follow the steps and be sure to reach out with any questions you have on your weight loss journey!
I am happy to help you! I can be reached at jakob@rozefit.com
What’s Next?
After reading this article and you want to learn more about diet, exercise, and weight loss – check out these articles!
Who is Jakob Roze?
Jakob Roze is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and founder of RozeFit. His practice centers around empathic communication and relationship building. With an emphasis on pain-free, functional movement patterns and strength training, Jakob Roze assesses each individual’s needs and prescribes exercise modalities appropriately in order to facilitate long-term gains in strength and health. He draws from evidence-based approaches and applies the knowledge in a personalized fashion to facilitate body and lifestyle transformation amongst his clients.
