I was asked many times how I maintain my current body status 365 days a year.
So here are my few tips on how to stay lean all year round without starving or suffering.
This is basically what I do and follow every day of my life, and I enjoy it with no efforts or pain. Hope it helps!
⚖️MY BODY METRICS
First off, a couple of specification about my body measurements, so to give you a better idea number wise. Please note that although they matter, certain numbers (such as the BMI or the actual body weight) aren’t parameters that my personal trainer Vicky and I take into consideration when evaluating my progress. We are more focused on checking the progressions in gaining lean mass, body composition changes, power, speed and strength.
To give you and idea of how I look in reality, in case you can’t figure that out from the picture:
- I’m 150 cm tall (well, tall is a strong word!) which is about 5 feet height.
- My weight has been fluctuating over the last year between 47.2 and 48.2 kg, which is around 104-105 lbs. If I gain or lose one or two kg for any reasons, I tend to come back to my normal weight in a week or so.
- My body fat should be around 22%, which is an healthy figure according to Wikipedia . Please note that the digital scale I use isn’t 100% accurate, and I never weigh myself being dehydrated, so it can be more or less than 22% ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I tend to measure this always at the same conditions, so even if the percentage is not correct overall, it gives me some good clues when it increases or decreases anyway.
With that said, here are my two cents on how to stay lean all year round – you may or may not keep the body metrics above in mind while reading below.
🍽 BALANCE
My diet is great in volume and includes lots of different food – at least all the food my allergies allow me to have. I like everything so I’m not fussy at all! Diet is crucial to stay lean all year around – and I’m not talking about diet as a strict regimen of food deprivation and sadness to strictly follow, I’m talking about the flexible diet.
All the micro and macro nutrients are present in my diet, and when I don’t carb cycling all my meals present all the macro nutrients in a good balance – carbs, proteins, fats.
I eat everything in moderation, and I eat when I’m hungry, not when I’m sad or bored. I tend to over-eat when I’m in company and frisky, but that’s okay!
🔄 CONSISTENCY
All the above mentioned about balance in diet is not an effort by any means, it’s a lifestyle. You cannot stay lean all year around without embracing this as a way of life.
I like how and when I train, I like being strong and healthy. This is something I’ve built during my whole life, and it’s still in progress!
It takes time, dedication, and some work on yourself, because one size doesn’t fit all, and you need to find your sweet spot – what works out for you, for your body and for your mind.
Don’t take it as a sprint, but more like a marathon. And most of all, don’t take it as a way to punish yourself, or feeling guilty: on the contrary, do enjoy the journey! Look back when you make a new progress and feel proud of the new achievement.
Take your time to know yourself and what works/doesn’t work for you; as long as you don’t give up, and stay consistent.
🏋️♀️ TRAINING SMART
I can’t picture myself not moving, running is a big part of my soul. But I do enjoy lifting heavy weights a lot. Actually, weight lifting helped me change my body composition dramatically after I fully recovered from my long-term injury.
I learnt to bless my rest days, because that’s exactly when the body and the mind improve to stay lean all year round.
I can definitely be better on stress and sleep management, though! As said, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the journey is part of the game!
📚 KNOWLEDGE
You will never stop learning, and you will never be objective towards yourself. That is a fact, there’s no escape from that.
That’s why I needed a skilled guardian angel, somebody who can tailor the workouts for myself, teach me new stuff, and guide me through the everyday struggles. The only time I didn’t have a person like that, I got injured very badly, and I am still mentally recovering from those five long years of chronic pain.
I found the perfect coach in Victoria Nagy: she’s the right professional for me. I would never be able to stay lean all year round and avoid injuries if it wasn’t for her constant work and dedication on my body, nutrition, and mind.
If you can, please do yourself a favour, and hire a PT: you can’t do everything by yourself.
Hope my few personal advice helps you stay lean all year round, just like I do at the moment! As usual, if you have any other questions, I’m happy to answer them all in the comment below! 😉