I’m a very big fan of counting calories with most of my clients, at least for a short period of time. I believe that counting calories, and to a deeper extent, macros, does a fantastic job at helping people become aware of just how much they’re eating.
But I also understand that not everyone is down for counting calories and macros. I fully believe it’s a skill that we all need to develop, but developing skills takes time. A luxury not everyone has.
And while some Internet fitness professionals will tell you there’s no other way to lose weight, I’m also here to tell you they’re just douchebags who are wrong. There is more than one way to skin a cat, and you can absolutely drop fat without counting a single calorie.
Here are 4 rules to help you get shredded without counting calories.
- Eat a gigantic salad every single day
This has long been a rule of mine with both clients and myself when getting lean is the goal. Eating a gigantic salad every single day helps keep calories in check, while keeping you full thanks to the high volume of food.
On top of that, I think it does wonders from a momentum perspective. There’s no denying you feel good when you eat things that are good for you, and you want to keep that feeling going. And should you happen to fuck up at all, then eating that salad helps work as flipping a mental switch to get you back on track.
- Eat lean protein at every meal
Fairly obvious? Absolutely. Incredibly important? You bet your ass. Eating lean protein at every single meal helps keep you fuller thanks to the satiating nature of protein.
But the benefit doesn’t stop there. Protein obviously helps you build and retain more muscle mass, and while dropping fat this is incredibly important. The more muscle you can build and retain, the better you’re going to look as you’re stripping away body fat.
- Don’t drink calories (protein shakes not included)
I was recently in NYC with one of my friends who is a high-level trainer. We were talking and he mentioned he has this hard and fast rule about not drinking calories unless it was a protein shake, ever. And it was something I hadn’t actually noticed about myself until I realized I was nodding in agreement.
Drinking calories is one of the easiest ways to derail your fat loss efforts. Liquid calories don’t satiate you, and they’re typically full of sugar. Both mean they’re a recipe for diet disaster.
Instead, choose zero calorie options, or better yet, stick to just water and protein shakes.
- Don’t eat refined carbs that come from a box or a bag
Before anyone here goes and flips their shit, I’m talking about refined carbs here. I’m well aware that rice comes in a bag, as does bread. Don’t be a semantic asshole. Nobody likes you when you do that.
Refined carbs are an easy way to pack on hundreds of calories without even noticing because they typically do a poor job at satiating you. They don’t offer much nutritional value, they’re low in protein, and leave you feeling lethargic a few hours later.
Set a hard and fast rule that you don’t eat them, and I assure you that you’ll feel, and look much better.
Follow these 4 rules bros, and if you’ve got success with them then please let me know. I’d love to feature you in a future post one day.
Now Watch: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Six Rules To Success