Today in this post, I want to share with you a very important concept…
It’s what I call the Fat Loss Paradox.
On one hand, you must focus on dialing your calories in and hitting your macros to lean down. But on the other hand, you must do something completely underrated, that most people neglect:
Listen to your body and let your hunger and instincts guide you.
When you use both of these together, that’s when you’re able to get to and maintain a super low body fat!
All of my courses are set up in a way to work WITH your body and make building an incredible physique very enjoyable.
Listen to Your Body
When I was dieting years ago, I would force myself to stick to brutal diets I didn’t enjoy.
This would regularly cause me to resist eating after my meals, even though I still felt hungry. If there’s one thing I learned it’s that eventually we will give in…
It’s better to find an approach that doesn’t leave you miserable. This is precisely what my courses aim to do and funny enough, some people complain they are too full, even while dropping fat.
Well, in that case, it’s okay go go a little lower in calories than what’s prescribed, as long as you are satisfied.
Here’s the thing, you need to stick within the ballpark of your calories and macros, but listening to your body is equally important.
For example, I am currently working with an actor (we’ll reveal the final transformation when he’s ready). He’s following the Aggressive Fat Loss Program with the Strength & Density workouts from the Greek God Program.
Here’s the deal: I set him up with the calories to lean down nicely and at a good pace. He is down 12 lbs in just three weeks!
But if he isn’t satisfied at that calorie deficit, we will change the plan and find something that works. Although according to him, he’s satisfied as hell, so no need for a change yet.
The point, however, is this, it’s better to lean down slowly while feeling awesome, rather than struggling and hating the experience.
What Food Intake Allows You to Feel Great?
An excellent strategy is to enable yourself to slowly get into the dieting groove.
Sometimes, starting with a smaller deficit – say 2,300 calories – will be much easier, as opposed to jumping right down to 2,000. After a few weeks, dieting will become much more effortless, and you’ll be able to bump your calories lower to lean down faster.
Funny enough, people following Aggressive Fat Loss (or even the Warrior Shredding Program) complain that they feel too full – and have no problem leaning down with ease right away!
I, on the other hand, have a very large appetite. That’s why I put so much time into crafting an approach (which is Aggressive Fat Loss) that allows me the freedom to eat how I want while still hitting a calorie deficit.
Here’s another point, if you are someone that is used to eating 5,000 calories, then jumping down to 2,000 calories is going to be a horrible experience.
The point is to listen to your body and maybe drop down to 4,000 or 3,000 calories first…
You don’t need to beat yourself up or feel guilty; you are making progress! Of course, you may not lean down right away, but this is going to be more enjoyable and get you used to dieting.
Most of the diet plans today are terrible for leaning down. Trying to cut out carbs and fats and this and that is when things start to go wrong.
Carbs and fats are very important to include to make your diet enjoyable. And not only that, carbs are going to support the release of neurotransmitters that support cognitive function, mood, and sleep. Not to mention that carbs also support testosterone and training performance.
Fats are essential for the production of testosterone. It has also been shown that low-fat diets suppress testosterone levels. And without fats in your meals, they would taste bland and unsatisfying.
I believe the key to leaning down is being relaxed and satisfied, so you are enjoying your life and diet for the long term.
Closing Thoughts
If you feel deprived, miserable, or starved – that’s far worse for your health and even sanity!
If you feel satisfied under your calories, that probably is a good sign you have what you need to maintain muscle and lean down. Make sure you give yourself time to adjust. For me, it’s being somewhat relaxed year round and using the Aggressive Fat Loss approach to make leaning down effortless.
If you can’t follow the diet you are currently doing with ease, then that’s a good sign that it’s not for you.
