Simple Diet Tips to Lean Out

It’s true: you can’t out-work a poor diet. If you’ve been working hard to lean out and not quite seeing the leanness you’re looking for, these simple diet tips to lean out will help you.

These are adjustments and focuses that work really well for me. They might require a little tweak here and there to make them work for you, your lifestyle and your goals, but they’re a good start!

Simple Diet Tweaks to Lean Out

1] Create a Slight Calorie Deficit

Here’s how a caloric deficit works:

When you consume fewer calories than your body needs, you create an energy imbalance. This imbalance prompts your body to tap into stored fat for fuel. The result: weight loss. If you want to lean out, you must be in a caloric deficit.

That said, more is not always better. In fact, a slight deficit is more beneficial – mentally, emotionally, physiologically and sustainably – than a massive deficit.

Personal aside: I struggled to recover from anorexia for years during and after college. I spent many years of my life in a massive caloric deficit. It robbed me of my health, my fitness, my confidence, my period, friendships and it very nearly my life. I am VERY personally acquainted with the risks and downfalls that come with highly restrictive diets.

For *most* people, cutting 250-500 calories *from maintenance* is enough to make a difference. This is a good cut to see results without affecting your mental well-being or long-term sustainability. Any more than that and you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies, low energy, and muscle loss.

How do I figure out maintenance?

One way is to use macro calculators to give you an idea of maintenance calories. But it’s important to remember that these online calculators are estimations. They don’t factor YOU in your entirety into the equation.

The better way is to track your intake for a couple of weeks – with no changes. This will give you a real time idea of how much you currently eat without gaining or losing weight. You can make adjustments from here.

This latter method is how I determine maintenance macros, and weight loss deficits, for my clients. We track for 1-2 weeks without changing a thing. Then, when we do make changes, our adjustments are based on personal, real-time feedback instead of guesstimates.

NOTE: maintenance calories will change over time as you lose or gain mass. It’s important to regularly reassess and make adjustments as needed.

2] Do NOT Cut Protein

You’ve determined your calorie deficit goal. Now it’s time to adjust your intake. You can eat less of whatever you want, as long as it’s not protein.

*smiles sweetly*

When you’re in a caloric deficit, cutting protein is not recommended. Protein has an anabolic effect, meaning it helps your body build and maintain muscle mass and the hormones that enable that. When you’re eating in a caloric deficit, your body is in a catabolic, or break down, state. Basically, your body is searching for usable energy wherever it can find it, muscle mass included.

By consuming adequate protein while in a deficit, you send a signal to your body to preserve muscle regardless of the caloric reduction. This is important because muscle is metabolically active and helps burn calories.

NOTE: Simply increasing protein intake excessively won’t lead to more muscle growth. Aim for .8-1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. AND, lift weights.

Get some help hitting your protein goals:

• 4 Ways to Sneak More Protein into Your Diet
• Protein-Packed, Egg Free Breakfast Ideas You Can Make in Minutes

3] Fuel Your Workouts

The last thing that you want to do when on a “get lean” fitness journey is sacrifice the muscle that you’ve built. The second to last thing that you don’t want to do is sacrifice your performance at the gym. The goal, even when leaning out, is to keep as much muscle mass on your frame as possible while losing fat.

Why?

Because muscle is metabolically active tissue. Which means it burns more calories to maintain than fat does. Muscle also creates shape. So instead of being a smaller version of your current self, you will be a stronger, fitter version with a fantastic body composition.

How do I maintain muscle mass and performance?

• Maintain your protein intake.
• You eat before you train.
• And refuel after you workout.

I used to be a big believer in fasted cardio. But I’ve realized over the years that the potential fat burning benefits of fasted cardio are wasted when I can’t give 100% to the workout. Plus, my workouts – even my cardio-style workouts – tend to be weighted these days. Without fuel in my system my performance suffers and finishing is a mental slog. On top of all of that, I like to work out a bit later in the day so fasting isn’t in my cards.

5] Eat Mostly Whole Foods

When it comes to eating to lean out, a lot of people tend to lean in to “diet foods”.

100 calorie packs of oreos.
Low sugar protein cookies.
Low fat fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts.

The problem with these swaps is that the only thing they consider is calories. But as you already know, that’s not the only thing that matters.

Quality, not just quantity, is important when trying to lean out for multiple reasons:

• Nutrient Density: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats are rich in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. These nutrients are important for maintaining optimal health and can help support various bodily functions. It’s important to pick foods wisely – and ultimately for the nutritional value – when eating less than normal.
  
• Satiety and Weight Management: Whole foods tend to be more filling and satisfying than processed foods due to their higher fiber and protein content. This can help you feel fuller for longer periods.
  
• Blood Sugar Control: Whole foods, especially those high in fiber and low in added sugars, can help stabilize blood sugar levels. This can be beneficial for preventing energy crashes and cravings while eating in a deficit.
  
• Digestive Health: Whole foods are often easier to digest and can support a healthy gut microbiome. The fiber in whole foods promotes regular bowel movements and can help prevent constipation.
  
• Reduced Intake of Processed Ingredients: Processed foods, even the low calorie kind, are designed to taste good by the addition of artificial sugars, fats, flavors, and unpronounceable ingredients. Whole foods are free of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives that are commonly found in processed foods.
  
• Long-Term Health Benefits: A diet rich in whole foods is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity. Whole foods provide a wide range of nutrients that support overall health and may contribute to a longer, healthier life.

6] Make Smart Adjustments for Your “I Can’t Give These Ups”

We’ve all got those foods that we’re hesitant – to put it lightly – to give up even for the sake of our fitness goals. This doesn’t mean you don’t “want it enough”. It means you’re human. And if someone wants to tell you otherwise you just send ’em my way.

*smiles sweetly, again*

For example, I’ve got a client who loves a sweet bite after dinner. Rather than force her to give that up (which I know for experience doesn’t last long enough to be worth it), we made an agreement: she can have the sweet bite, but it MUST include fruit and it MUST include protein.

This does two things:

First, it slows her down enough that she doesn’t reach mindlessly for a bag of cookies. She’s committed to paying enough attention that if she wants the snack, she’s got to think about it.

Second, it adds some fruit and fiber to her overall count.

Instead of a brownie, she sprinkles dark chocolate chips on maple yogurt and dips strawberries in.
Instead of Ben & Jerry’s, she reaches for a Yasso Bar and a clementine.

And guess what? She enjoys these snacks 100% more (and with 100% less guilt), than she used to enjoy them.

7] Slow Down

Eat slowly and mindfully.

I know: It sounds too ridiculously simple to work. But guess what? 

It works.

Now, this may seem a bit controversial. After all, if you only eat Oreos, the speed at which you consume them isn’t your biggest problem. But setting aside the extremes, slow eating may be the single most powerful habit for driving major transformation. That’s because eating slowly…

• helps you eat less without feeling deprived. Physiologically, it takes about 20 minutes for your body’s satiety signals to kick in. Slow eating gives the system time to work, allowing you to better sense when you’ve had enough. Psychologically, when you slow down, and really try to savor your meal, you tend to feel satisfied with less, and feel less “deprived.”
  
• reduces bloating, reflux, digestion issues and other discomforts that come from eating too quickly.
  
• with regular practice, eating slowly improves appetite awareness. You learn to recognize —and more importantly, trust—your body’s own internal signals. Over time, this retrains you to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Not because some rigid meal plan demands it, but because your body (a.k.a. your new best friend) tells you so. 
  
• disrupts unhealthy patterns and habits.

For me, this tweak requires my full attention. No more eating in the car, or while writing emails, or creating client plans. I sit. I eat. At most I do a crossword. It’s become my new “me-time”. Who knew?

8] Understand that Hunger is Not an Emergency

Fact: maintaining a caloric deficit is mandatory if you want to lean out. We all need food, but the feeling of being slightly hungry is not an emergency. This is a mindset shift that is incredibly powerful in the 21st century.

Hunger developed as a physiological response to a lack of energy waaaaayyyy back in the day. Like loin clothes and saber tooth tigers back in the day. We all know what it feels like: anxiety, lack of control, even panic. Hunger is not as relevant today, when you can find a breakfast sandwich on every corner and taco trucks rove the streets to bring the carnitas to you. But that doesn’t mean it’s east to leave behind.

It takes time and practice. Here’s where to start:

• Learn the difference between hunger and appetite. Sounds simplistic but in a world where food is constantly hitting every sense, it’s sometimes hard to recognize the difference.
  
  Hunger is a physiological sensation. You haven’t eaten or haven’t eaten enough. Stomach is growling. A kale salad is just (fine, almost, as appetizing as a burger).
  
  Appetite is an emotional or mental state. You’re craving something particular and only that will satiate you.
  
• Sit with it. When you sense the urge to eat, pause. Wait 10-15 minutes. Pay attention. Giving yourself this time is often all it takes to ease the sense of anxiety or need.
  
• Make an if/than commitment. IF you feel the urge to eat in between meal times, THAN it must be a balanced mini-meal. It must include protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. Eat on a plate or in a bowl with utensils. Enjoy it distration-free.

You will be surprised how quickly this shifts your mindset!