As body fat reduces, leptin levels decrease. Your hormones will send signals that you are hungry/starving. Stick to your game plan. Keep this hormone functioning correctly by staying away from high sugar, ultra processed foods. Consistency and focus will win the day.

Things that help you gain muscle and lose fat: 1. sleeping 7-9 hours/night 2. resistance training 3. progressive overload 4. high protein diet 5. consistency

Thermic effect of each macronutrient: Protein: 20-30% Carbs: 5-15% Fats: 0-5% The more protein you eat, the bigger deficit you create.

Strength training & protein intake while in a deficit is key if you want to maintain lean muscle tissue, reduce body fat and improve body composition. Use cardio as tool to increase your deficit.

Every cardio session does not need to be a high intense one. Too much high intense cardio will burn through your muscle and raise your cortisol levels. During my stair master sessions, I shoot for my HR to sit at 60% (110-120BPM).

Why eat a high protein diet? 1. makes it easier to reduce body fat. 2. reduces both visceral and subcutaneous fat. 3. increases energy expenditure by way of its thermic effect, which helps prevent excess fat gain. Go find a way to consume 50g of protein at breakfast.

Ways to increase your total daily energy expenditure: ⁃Increase your intentional exercise ⁃Increase non-exercise activity ⁃Increase protein intake ⁃Increase your REM sleep ⁃Increase your water intake

Have a rough estimate of calorie consumption vs energy expenditure. Quality of the cals is important. 500 cals of cookies will have a different metabolic response compared to 500 cals of broccoli. Eating that much broccoli is hard bc of the fiber & nutrient density. 🥦>🍪

When starting a fat loss journey, people typically wait until Monday and start too extreme. When you’re ready to make a change, don’t wait, do it now. Make small, moderate changes that will increase your chances of forming lifelong, healthy habits.

The best diet is the diet that is sustainable for the long term. The ultimate goal is to have a healthier relationship with, and a deeper knowledge of, the food that we put into our bodies.

Reasons to make protein 30-35% of your diet: 1. Increases muscle mass, helps reduce body fat 2. Improves bone health 3. Healthier skin, nails and hair 4. Keeps you satiated, thus eating less calories 5. High thermic effect, body burns more digesting

Reasons why sleep is so important: 1. Helps you stay within your caloric limit & reduces food cravings 2. Improves your performance in the gym, helping you burn more calories 3. Helps your muscles to recover, thus fueling lean muscle tissue 4. Reduces your cortisol levels

How do you know if you’re in a caloric deficit? Calculating your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a great start. Your BMR makes up about 70% of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Once you know your TDEE, shoot for a deficit of 500 cal/day.

My fat loss cheat sheet: 1. Caloric deficit of 500 cals daily 2. 1g/day protein per pound of bodyweight 3. Strength training 3-4x per week 4. Sleep 7-9 hours 5. Cardio/low intensity steady state 6. Drink 120oz of water 7. Manage stress levels

5 reasons to consume more fiber: 1. Improves gut health 2. Keeps you satiated longer 3. Promotes regular bowel movements 4. Lowers blood pressure 5. Regulates blood sugar levels Eat more: raspberries, almonds, chia seeds, broccoli, avocado & blackberries.

Consistency is always the key but don’t strive for perfection in your diet. Perfection is too restrictive and isn’t sustainable in the long run. Consistency leads to better long term results. Do what you’re supposed to do 80-85% of the time.

If you want a bigger natural deficit without sacrificing calories, eat more protein. Protein’s thermic effect of food (TEF) is 20%. If you consume 100 calories of protein, it’s like consuming 80 calories bc your body burns 20 calories digesting it.

Resistance training while in a caloric deficit is important because it’s the biggest signal for your body to keep muscle and burn fat. I love cardio but we must tell our bodies that maintaining/increasing muscle tissue is a top priority.

Don’t focus solely on the scale while tracking your journey. A body fat test, how your clothes fit and before/after photos are all great ways to monitor your progress. The ultimate goal is to increase lean muscle tissue and reduce body fat, don’t lose sight of that.

Use your slight caloric deficit, protein intake, and strength training as the cornerstones of your fat loss journey. I love my cardio, but I use it as the vehicle to help accelerate results.