A lot of people ask me how I stay below 10% body fat year-round.
No, it’s not just genetics.
And no, I’m not just surviving on chicken breast and broccoli – that’s what most people think.
Actually, it’s the opposite.
I enjoy food a lot, but I know what to do to stay lean year-round – and I’m about to share that with you.
What it really comes down to is habits: sustainable habits you apply every day which we call a lifestyle.
Here I’m sharing the five most underrated habits you can adopt to stay lean year-round.
If you implement those habits, I promise you’ll succeed.
These habits are simple, practical, and yes, they really work – even if you’re busy, even if you are over 30 years old, and even if you love food like me.
So, let’s dive in.
Habit #1: Walk Like It’s Your Job
Walking every day is one of the best things you can do to get lean.
Here’s the truth: I always walk a minimum of 10,000 steps daily. For the average person, that’s going to be anywhere from 400 to 500 calories without even trying. No sweat, no burpees, and no death by sled push.
Walking may not be sexy, but it is efficient because it doesn’t spike your cortisol levels. Walking also improves digestion, clears your head, and is sustainable.
Seriously, go walk.
Personally, I have a dog. If you don’t want to walk alone, you could get a dog or find a walking partner. If you don’t have anyone to walk with, get on the treadmill and watch a video or a Netflix episode. Kill two birds with one stone.
You can also do phone calls or emails while walking. There are a lot of things you can do while walking because it’s so easy, and you can do it literally anywhere.
The bottom line is that movement throughout the day will get you results.
Habit #2: Early Light Exposure
Get exposure to sunlight every day. Get sunlight in your eyes. Every day, I go outside within the first 30 minutes of waking up (if it’s nice).
I’m not trying to turn you into a lizard, but early exposure to sunlight does wonders for fat loss.
Early sunlight exposure resets your circadian rhythm which means better sleep at night, hormone regulation, and better craving control. When your sleep is on point, hunger hormones like ghrelin stay low, recovery is better, and you actually burn more fat.
I like to pair these first two habits together I walk my dog in the morning while getting some sunlight. Boom.
No, looking at your phone in the morning does not count as sunlight. To the contrary, I typically avoid my phone for the first hour of the day.
Habit #3: Protein First Always
Every time I cook, or I’m about to have a meal, I base that meal on protein. No matter what.
Before carbs, before fat, and before that 3-day-old pizza sitting in the fridge.
Why is protein so important?
- First, protein increases satiety you’re going to feel fuller for longer, and it will reduce cravings.
- Second, protein preserves your lean muscle especially if you’re in a calorie deficit trying to lose fat.
- Third, protein burns more calories during digestion thermogenesis, baby.
Always have ready-to-go protein options on hand: Greek yogurt, eggs, protein shakes, beef jerky, chicken breast on the barbecue, crockpot recipes.
I always have cooked protein on hand and all you have to do is add some fat or carbohydrates, depending on your workload and workouts.
Here’s another pro tip: if I’m going out to a restaurant for dinner, I usually try to have some protein beforehand maybe a little chicken breast or a protein shake so it holds me over, and I don’t go crazy at dinner.
You’d be surprised how much less damage you do when you’re not starving. Same thing when you go grocery shopping hungry you end up buying the whole store. If you eat a little bit before, you’re doing real damage control.
Habit #4: No Snacking After Dinner
This is probably the biggest one for me because I love to snack after dinner I have a sweet tooth. But when I’m disciplined, and I really apply this rule, I make tremendous changes very quickly.
Think of your kitchen like a nightclub or a restaurant after a certain time, whether that’s 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. for you, it’s closed. You have to stay disciplined. This is going to be one of the hardest habits.
However, if you can’t limit those extra calories at night which tend to be carbohydrates or sugar it’s going to help you dramatically.
Most people, including myself, when snacking at night even if it seems pretty healthy, like yogurt, honey, blueberries, or sometimes ice cream or chocolate you’re adding at least 500 to 1,000 calories each night while watching a movie, scrolling on your phone, or just sitting on the couch doing nothing.
Here’s what you can do instead: as soon as I’m done with dinner, I’ll go brush my teeth right away. That alone usually prevents me from going back to the kitchen to snack.
I also like to drink a little tea before bed it’s a healthy habit instead of snacking. Tea can also help with digestion, and depending on the type, can help you relax and get a better night’s sleep.
Here’s another pro tip: most likely, you’re not actually hungry. You’re lazy and bored.
Eating is a habit for me when I’m bored at night, I tend to snack a lot. So when I’m being careful and want to get lean, I cut that off completely.
You’re not hungry. You’re bored. You’re stressed. You’re tired.
But if you learn how to separate those signals, you’ll learn out very quickly and most of the time without tracking a single calorie.
Habit #5: A Boring But Consistent Workout Regimen
The key is to stick to something boring but consistent. When I say boring, I mean you don’t need 15 high-intensity interval training sessions to be lean.
Trying to do Orangetheory, F45, and CrossFit all at once is not necessary.
Following a fitness influencer on TikTok or YouTube doing crazy workouts is definitely not it.
You don’t need that.
Here’s what I do and what I have all my clients do to stay lean year-round: one to two cardio sessions per week, and that’s it.
Depending on your goals, it could be a light cardio day or a heavy high-intensity cardio day for health purposes. But most of your movement and cardio should simply come from steps movement throughout the day. Whether you walk, hike, work in the backyard, or do chores around the house, just move. Again, 10,000 to 20,000 steps daily.
It’s not necessarily Instagram-worthy, but that’s the plan. If you stick to this, you will get lean. Consistency beats intensity every single time. I’d rather walk 10,000 steps 365 days a year than do anything else.
The most common mistake I see, even with clients in my program, is that people just want variety. They want to do a different workout every week because they get bored. But at the end of the day, fat loss is not supposed to be entertaining. The results are the reward, not the workouts.
Recap: The 5 Most Underrated Habits That Keep Me Lean Year-Round
- Walk every day as your life depends on it.
- Get early sunlight in your eyes.
- Prioritize protein at each and every meal your entire day should be built around protein.
- Stop snacking after dinner. Your fridge doesn’t love you back. Be disciplined dinner, then brush your teeth.
- Follow a boring but structured workout you can stick to and actually see results from.
None of these habits is sexy, but that’s really why they work. They’re a little boring.
It seems obvious, but most people don’t do these things every single day. They think they kind of do, but they don’t.
Applying these five habits consistently for at least 60 to 90 days will change your life.
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