As you can probably tell by now, I like to base my blogs on things that I hear and see on a daily basis in the fitness center. This is another one of those opportunities.

The fitness center I train at in Florida has one of those in-house TV channels that they show on half the monitors in the building. It has a lot of little news bits and advice about nutrition and working out. But the other day I saw something that made me shake my head: a story about losing fat based on making sure you have multiple colors of food on your plate. Wow! Sounds so simple. And it is simple. Perhaps too simple, but it makes a great TV sound bite. It’s yet another example of something catchy trying to be trumpeted as the new secret to fat loss. Don’t buy into the hype of new “miracles” or “ancient [insert any foreign/exotic country here] secret to burning fat.” Now, I’m not saying that eating different colored veggies doesn’t have some merit; what I’m saying is, there’s always some supposedly new thing that is being touted (or marketed or sold to us). It’s easy to lose focus and get caught in the “flavor of the week” hamster wheel.

Most of us are bombarded by all kinds of news stories and facebook posts about how so and so lost weight using this NEW and UNIQUE program… and if you hear that, just tune it out. Nutrition is actually very simple, and you just need to know a few key things to apply to your own habits that will turn you into a lean, mean fit machine.

The keys to a positive, healthy nutrition program are not based on the color of food. They are based on facts and the tried and true principles of managing your calorie intake and expenditures, and managing percentages of macronutrients (45% protein, 35% fats, and 20% carbs) and eating the right kinds of those macronutrients (clean, lean proteins like chicken breast, fish, and lean beef; healthy fats like avocados and fish oils and certain nuts; and complex carbs, avoiding sugars and simple starches like flour-based foods). By minimizing sugar and simple carbs, you minimize the opportunities for your body to go into fat-storage mode.

Combine that nutrition plan with a solid cardio and resistance exercise regimen, and you have the components of a great program to get you – and keep you – fit, lean, and healthy.

That’s it. It’s not overly complex, is it? The fact is, people have been getting into great shape for decades by following this sort of nutrition and exercise plan. Author and certified nutrition coach JD Griffin outlines this perfectly in his book. I followed his nutritional advice, adopted his cardio and resistance programs, and I got into amazing shape in 12 weeks.

So next time you see that article or TV commercial proclaiming “European Women’s Secrets to Fat Loss” or “Ancient Chinese Herbs That Melt Fat Overnight,” or even “Super Duper New Never-Thought-Of-Before-Now Fitness Fat-Destroying Annihilation Program on 237 DVDs!!!”, just don’t listen to it. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on some “secret” mix of herbs or a giant DVD set. All you need to do is follow a sound nutrition program, do your cardio and resistance training, and you’ll achieve your goals.  What are you waiting for? Eat clean, workout like a machine, and get fit and lean!

About the author:

Steve Welch is a medical publishing professional who Got Fit, Lean and Kept His Day Job at the ripe old age of 50. If he can do it, so can you. So get on it!

What doesn’t catch your eye like a nice set of abs? It’s true, the primary focus of any fitness program to lose fat and get in better shape is often visual. People gauge success by dramatic results, changes in their measurements, and seeing how much better they look. But what about how you feel?  One of the most overlooked things about an effective fitness program is how good it makes you feel to eat right and get in better shape.

Not long before I started the Get Fit, Lean program, I went in to see my doctor because I was feeling lethargic, unmotivated, and just felt crappy most of the time. I even was having these periods where my heart would just pound and I’d have labored breathing. I was worried I might be having heart trouble. I’d been gaining weight, and after some introspection I realized I hadn’t exactly been killing it at the gym, nor had I been eating very healthy. Too many business dinners with free flowing booze, lunches of sandwiches and potato chips from quick-delivery sub joints, and unhealthy snacking had added up. Fortunately, my heart was fine. The problem was I was about 30-35 pounds overweight, eating poorly, and it was taking its toll on my body – and my soul. I just didn’t feel like myself.

That was about the time JD contacted me about his book as I described in my inaugural blog post (you can read it here), and I decided to do his Get Fit, Lean program. In the book he talks a lot about having a steady, constant energy level all day long due to eating right and being in better shape. I just kind of breezed over that when I read it, you know, maybe it was a little hyperbole, and besides I was focused on wanting to lose my gut and get abs. Yet, once I started following the clean nutrition plan, cut out the junk and simple sugars and starches, and began exercising with intensity and purpose, a change began. I felt better. I had more energy. I stopped having those post-lunch comas at work. Just like JD wrote about. It was dramatic and noticeable.

Here’s the thing: when you are eating a lot of processed foods made with sugar and highly processed flour, your body is constantly in a battle to keep your blood sugar levels stable. This battle ends up giving you lots of energy highs and lows. It’s like being on an energy roller coaster. But once I moved to the high-protein, low carb, healthy fat macros outlined in the program, it was like a switch had been turned on.

In addition, over the course of the 12-week transformation program, I lost more than 25 pounds. That might not seem like a lot to some people, but I was 180 (at 5 foot 6 inches tall) and a lot of that weight had accumulated around my middle. So 25 pounds was almost 15% of my total body weight. I literally feel like I have a weight off my shoulders now – I feel lighter on my feet, and doing things require so much less effort. To put it in perspective, pick up a 25-pound dumbbell and start carrying it around. After a few minutes you’ll get pretty tired. Well I had been doing that 24-7 without realizing it. And that’s the equivalent of what I lost on the program. So on top of getting into better cardiovascular shape and being more fit and lean, I’m no longer carrying around all that extra weight.

I can only describe it as life-changing. I didn’t realize how much my lifestyle was bogging me down until I changed it. I feel incredible now every day – I have a high level of energy, I don’t get tired mid-way through the day, and I just plain feel good. It’s impacted my workday and even coworkers have noticed it and commented to me about it. It’s kind of hard to describe, but I’d say it’s as positive or even moreso than the visual physical changes I experienced. So, my message is this: get on a good plan like Get Fit, Lean and Keep Your Day Job – clean up your nutrition, do cardio and resistance training regularly, and start feeling great!

About the author:

Steve Welch is a medical publishing professional who Got Fit, Lean and Kept His Day Job at the ripe old age of 50. If he can do it, so can you.

Do you sometimes wonder why you’re not making any progress, even though you work out? I was a member of that club, until I followed JD’s program and made the 12-week transformation you see in the accompanying photo.

True Story: I was at my fitness club’s locker room after a workout, packing up my stuff so I could get to work. I heard a guy in the next row of lockers talking to his friend. They were talking about food, a common topic discussed in most fitness center.  

“I don’t care what anybody says,” he proclaimed proudly, “there’s two things that I’m not giving up no matter what: vodka and chocolate.” He and his friend chuckled about it. “Besides,” he stated matter-of-factly, “I figure I just burn it off working out anyway.”

As I packed up and walked out, I passed his row and took a look at Mr. Nutrition Philosopher. It came as no surprise that he was significantly overweight. And yet I see the guy in the gym regularly. In fact, I see him there every morning I’m there, and I go at least 5 or 6 days a week. So if he’s working out regularly, why is he still so overweight? Well that’s easy to figure out, and it has something to do with chocolate and vodka. And… his attitude about his nutrition.

There’s a lesson here, people. It’s that you can’t out-train a bad diet. One of the common mistakes that people make – and that I made myself in the past, which led to me gaining 35 unneeded pounds – is to fall into the mind-set that working out somehow gives you a Get Out of Jail Free Card when it comes to eating whatever you want. The fact is that to get into excellent shape, to be healthy, and to maintain a high level of energy, you have to fuel your body appropriately. Food is fuel for your body, and it’s tonic to help you refresh and recover from exercise and cardio sessions. And when you dial in your nutrition properly, it will actually enhance and accelerate the fat-burning, body transformation process. But you have to be honest and real about it. You can’t fall into the mindset that it’s ok to eat candy or junk food, that giant chicken fried steak, some sort of decadent dessert, and wash it down with a few pints of beer, because you work out every day and “you’ll just burn it off.”

As JD points out in his book, nutrition is 80% of the equation. Take it seriously and you’ll make excellent progress in reaching your fitness goals; blow it off and you’ll likely tread water or regress.  

The Get Fit, Lean, and Keep Your Day Job program provided all the right info for me to plan my meals and create a simple, sustainable nutrition plan that has gotten me – and kept me – in the best shape of my life. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have a hall pass on eating healthy just because you’re exercising regularly. Spend the necessary time and effort dialing in your nutrition and I guarantee it’ll turbocharge your results! So let me know how your plan is going.

About the author:

Steve Welch is a medical publishing professional who Got Fit, Lean and Kept His Day Job at the ripe old age of 50. If he can do it, so can you.