15 tips to achieve and maintain a lean body

It’s no secret that getting that chiseled, sculpted body takes time, consistent workouts and a variety of exercises. For many people out there, getting that lean looking stomach is sometimes looked as the holy grail. I have talked to people over the years who spend so much time exercising hard and even doing two or three workouts in a day to get that lean look. While it might seem like that’s the way to go, my experience has been that effective workouts don’t necessarily have to take lots of time. Actually, it’s only about a third of the equation.

You see, getting that lean looking body takes “kitchen work.” As Tony Horton says, “Great abs are made in the kitchen.” Setting yourself up for success with what you eat and how you eat is going to melt away the flab and reveal all your hard work. It doesn’t happen over night and I believe it’s a process one takes to get there, although I do know of a few people who have gone “all in” with a kitchen makeover and guess what? Their results come a lot quicker. The thing is, it needs to become sustainable and habits for a lifetime otherwise old habits will creep back in.

So, here are some tips I have learned to set yourself up for success:

1. If you are doing one of our amazing fitness programs, follow the nutrition guide. A lot of experts put time, research and energy to perfectly compliment the workout program to get you results. If you need more variety, then use the meal planner on Team Beachbody to generate meals and print grocery lists.
2. Eat Breakfast
3. Eat a meal/snack about every 3 hours
4. Each night or each week prepare snack bags and containers of lunches with healthy  foods so you have it with you instead of stopping for fast food or the vending machine
5. Find healthy ways to make your favorite foods like [intlink id=”1276″ type=”post”]burgers[/intlink], [intlink id=”1572″ type=”post”]pizza[/intlink], and chili. Here are a few ways I make these staples without expanding your gut.
6. Read those labels! Sugars are SNEAKY. If you see the letter “ose” on the end of a word, you can bet your belly will not be getting leaner.
7. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store for the healthiest options. Going up and down the aisles can guarantee a lot of processed things with fats, sugars and sodium added. Not good, even if the title tries to convince you it’s a “healthy choice.”
8. Portions sizes do matter. It’s a pain, but measuring can not only be a learning experience, it can also help that leanness we are talking about here!
9. Quit eating anything about 3 hours before bed.
10. Diet is a silly word to use as it implies deprivation. Are you looking to be on a lifetime diet? Just put it in your head right now that you “eat healthy.” There. Done!
11. Stop 1 unhealthy eating habit each week such as phasing out soda in week 1, banning yourself from treats in the office in week 2, stop hitting the vending machine in week 3, phasing out alcohol in week 4, etc. You will feel better, healthier, more energetic and empowered to have control of those things instead of them having control over you.
12. Get support from friends and family. If you are heading to their house for a gathering, ask about the food options so you can stay on track. Bring a healthy item to add to the mix.
13. One more thing about getting together with friend/family. See if you can have a hand in the planning and organize an activity instead of a food fest. My family is notorious for planning everything around food. Over the years, we have shifted to more activity-based get togethers and if there needs to be food, we make it healthy items. even snacks!
14. When dining out, scan the menu for all of the various healthy items and then have the restaurant assemble a meal of what you want. You’re the one paying for it, right? Get vegetables steamed, get dressing on the side, say no to the gut busting bread basket or biscuits, ask for no added salt or butter and you’ll probably shave an extra 300-500 calories. Shave another 400 calories if you have them put half of the order in a “to go” box.
15. Ditch the guilt. We all fall into old habits or slip once in awhile. Take a mini session to acknowledge that you deviated from your goals, accept responsibility for your choices and then get right back to your plan. This works for exercising too. Don’t let days and days of guilt pile up. You know what to do and what you want, so go after it. You’re the one in charge!

I have loads more ideas, but you can start with these. Wondering what foods are good choices. See the top 2 tiers in Michi’s Ladder.

If you are on your way to achieving a lean body,  what ideas have worked for you?