But research tells a different story: most people gain just 1–3 pounds between November and December.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. And anyone who’s followed us for a while knows we support eating and enjoying the holidays.

But there’s one important catch: Eating without guilt or shame during the holidays is much different from eating without boundaries for the entire holiday season.

The Real Numbers Behind Holiday Weight Gain

Here’s what makes that “1 to 3 pounds” stat so interesting — and why it deserves your attention.

On average, people gain 1 to 3 pounds per year from their twenties into their forties. Just look at this graph from the CDC.

If you look at the CDC data above, you’ll see that the weight gain isn’t usually a big jump. It’s a slow process of a couple of pounds per year.

It feels like a rounding error when you gain one pound in a year. But gaining one pound per year for 20 years can make you look and feel like a different person. 

Weight gain also appears to have a critical threshold where risks start to rise.

According to research from Harvard:

• Every 11 pounds gained is associated with a 30% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
  
• A 14% higher risk of high blood pressure.
  
• A 6% higher risk of obesity-related cancers.
  
• And a 5% higher risk of premature death (among nonsmokers).
  

This isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity.

The easiest way to think about weight maintenance is this:
If you’re not steadily gaining weight, there’s far less urgency to lose it.

But to stop gaining weight over the long run, you need to understand when the weight tends to accumulate.

And that brings us to a critical window most people overlook.

The Critical Window: The 7 Weeks That Shape Your Year

If you look closely at the data, weight gain tends to happen at one specific time of year: the holidays.

You might go up a few pounds in one month and down a few in others, but for many people, the steady upward trend starts with November and December.

And the research backs this up:
NIH-funded studies show that the average one-pound holiday gain sticks, accumulates, and compounds over time.

Those small increases are often never fully lost, and they become the starting point for the next year’s increase.

So when you think of “holiday weight gain,” don’t picture a catastrophic 10-pound spike.
Picture something far more subtle — but far more persistent.

A one-pound carryover every year becomes a lifelong trend.

That’s why learning how to master the last seven weeks of the year can be so powerful. It’s not about restriction. It’s about preventing the start of a pattern that builds slowly and silently.

The good news?

It’s surprisingly easy to prevent — if you focus on the right habits.

How to Avoid the Holiday Weight Trap

Researchers have looked closely at how to prevent end-of-year weight gain. One study found that daily weigh-ins can help maintain weight through the holidays.

You can do that for two months. It’s doable for many and may be worth the short-term sacrifice if weight gain is a struggle during the holidays. 

But for many people, weighing yourself every day creates more stress — and extra stress is the last thing anyone needs in November and December.

The bigger issue isn’t the holidays themselves. It’s how people behave before and after them. The stress, the overthinking, the “I blew it, so why bother” spiral. That’s the real trap.

A simpler, more sustainable approach:

1. Enjoy the holidays themselves.

This part is non-negotiable.

Eat normally all year long.
Then on Thanksgiving and Christmas (or whichever holidays you celebrate), enjoy the food. Enjoy the people. Enjoy the moments.

You’re not trying to “win” these days. You’re trying to live them.

Because one day of indulgence won’t ruin your health —
just like one perfect workout won’t make you fit.

Holiday meals aren’t the problem. The meaning you attach to them is.

2. Stick to your normal rhythm on the other days.

This is where the magic happens.

All you need to do is maintain the behaviors that work during the other 10 months of the year:

• your usual breakfast
• your normal daily movement
• your go-to meals
• your standard sleep schedule
• your familiar routines
• your baseline habit structure

You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to be restrictive.
You don’t need to overhaul anything.

Just do the things you normally do — even if imperfectly.

Consistency beats intensity, especially during a chaotic season.

3. Avoid the “wait until January” trap.

This is the real danger zone.

The “I’ll start in January” mindset leads to behaviors in November and December that you don’t engage in any other time of the year — and those behaviors stack up fast.

This is why we used to run “Finish Strong” programs. The goal wasn’t restriction; it was accountability and consistency during the time of year when people need it most.

If you can maintain steady habits while still enjoying the key days, you win the season.

And when you win the season, you set yourself up to win the year.

The bottom line

You don’t need a special holiday diet or a strict challenge. You just need to stay grounded in the same habits that work the rest of the year.

Lean on what’s familiar.
Make small decisions that keep you feeling good.
Enjoy the days that matter.

Because if you can stay consistent during the final seven weeks of the year, you won’t just “survive” the holidays — you’ll set yourself up to win the entire year.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The Critical Window: Why Holiday Weight Gain Matters More Than You Think appeared first on Born Fitness.

The key isn’t avoiding it, it’s learning how to minimize and manage it so it doesn’t derail you.

The difference between successful and failed diets rarely comes down to willpower. It comes down to managing hunger when it comes up so you can stay consistent.

Feeling hungry and frustrated? Here are five ways to handle it without throwing in the towel.

Why Hunger Management Matters

Before we get into the strategies, here’s the deal. Your body doesn’t care that you’re trying to lean out for summer. When you’re in a calorie deficit, your body doesn’t think, ‘fat loss goal’. It thinks, ‘are we running out of food?’

In response to the perceived threat, it ramps up hunger (ghrelin) and lowers fullness signals (leptin) to get you eating again and feeling safe. That’s not you lacking willpower—that’s just biology doing its thing.

Your biology is literally fighting against you.

But with the right approach, you can work with your body instead of against it. Here’s how.

Strategy #1: Avoid Extreme Calorie Deficits to Control Hunger

A big mistake we see with new clients is creating too large of a calorie deficit. They think “if cutting 300 calories helps me lose weight, cutting 800 will help me lose weight faster!”

Quick fix? Maybe. Long-term success? Not a chance. 

When you slash calories too dramatically, your hunger signals go into overdrive. Your body thinks there’s a famine and responds accordingly. This makes the diet miserable and unsustainable.

Here’s what works better:

Aim for a weight loss rate of about 1 pound per week (0.5-1% of body weight). Research shows this pace allows for fat loss while minimizing muscle loss and hunger.

For most people, this means a moderate deficit of 300-500 calories per day below maintenance.

How do you know if your deficit is too aggressive? Warning signs include:

• Constant thoughts about food
• Difficulty sleeping
• Extreme hunger between meals
• Significant drops in workout performance
• Irritability or mood swings

If you’re experiencing several of these, consider easing back on your deficit. A slower, more sustainable approach is better than rapid weight loss followed by rapid weight regain.

Strategy#2: Protein for Hunger Management

If there’s one nutritional strategy that gives you the most bang for your buck during a fat loss phase, it’s increasing your protein intake.

Protein is more satiating per calorie than carbs or fats. It requires more energy to digest and helps preserve lean muscle, which is crucial for maintaining your metabolic rate during a deficit.

Here’s what works:

Aim for 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight daily. For a 170-pound person, that’s about 120-170g of protein.

This might seem like a lot, but here’s how to make it practical:

• Include a protein source with every meal and snack
• Front-load your day with protein (aim for 30-40g at breakfast)
• Keep ready-to-eat protein sources handy (Greek yogurt, protein bars, cottage cheese)
• If you’re struggling to hit your target, a quality protein powder can help bridge the gap

Strategy #3: Fiber: The Best Way To Stay Full While Dieting

Volume eating is a game-changer during a fat loss phase. Fiber-rich foods allow you to eat a larger volume of food without overshooting your calories.

Fiber slows digestion, stabilizes blood sugar, and keeps you feeling full longer. But many people fall short of the recommended 25-35g per day.

Easy ways to increase fiber:

• Start meals with a large vegetable salad or broth-based vegetable soup
• Choose whole fruits instead of juices
• Opt for whole grains over refined versions
• Fill at least half of your plate with veggies (leafy greens, broccoli, zucchini)
• Keep high-fiber snacks handy (berries, air-popped popcorn, raw veggies)

Strategy #4: Why Sleep is Crucial for Managing Hunger

If you’re shorting yourself on sleep, you’re making hunger management much harder than it needs to be.

Research shows that even one night of poor sleep can:

• Increase hunger hormone (ghrelin) levels by up to 15%
• Decrease satiety hormone (leptin) levels
• Intensify cravings, especially for sweet and salty foods
• Impair decision-making around food choices

This isn’t just anecdotal. A 2010 study found that sleep-deprived people eat an average of 300 more calories per day than well-rested people. That’s enough to completely negate your calorie deficit.

Sleep hygiene practices that help:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule
• Create a sleep-friendly environment (cool, dark, quiet)
• Limit screen time before bed
• Avoid caffeine after 2pm

If you’ve had a poor night’s sleep, be extra vigilant about your food choices the next day. Have your meals planned in advance and stick to your routine as much as possible.

Strategy #5: Smart Cardio for Fat Loss Without Increased Hunger

Cardio can be a valuable tool for fat loss, but more isn’t always better. Excessive cardio can actually increase hunger and make your diet harder to sustain.

This happens for a few reasons:

• High-intensity cardio depletes glycogen stores, which can trigger hunger
• Too much cardio can increase cortisol, affecting hunger hormones
• Your body may compensate for hard cardio sessions by making you hungrier

The smart approach to cardio:

Walking is the unsung hero of fat loss. It’s low impact, low stress, and doesn’t dramatically increase hunger. Aim for 8,000-10,000 steps per day as your baseline.

If you enjoy more intense cardio, keep sessions focused and relatively brief (20-30 minutes). Balance high-intensity sessions with recovery days focused on walking.

Many of our most successful clients primarily use weight training (2-4 sessions weekly) with daily walking and minimal traditional cardio.

Bonus Strategy: Environmental Control

Your environment plays a huge role in managing hunger. Simple changes include:

• Keep trigger foods out of sight (or out of the house)
• Pre-portion snacks rather than eating from the package
• Use smaller plates and bowls
• Keep healthy, satisfying options easily accessible
• Plan and prep meals in advance to avoid last-minute decisions when hungry

The Bottom Line

Fat loss doesn’t have to be miserable. While some hunger may come up, it shouldn’t dominate your day or make you feel out of control around food.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a sustainable approach that works with your biology instead of against it. This means better results that actually last.

And if that’s something you want help with — building a plan that works for you, your goals, and your real life — that’s exactly what we do at Born Fitness.

Our online coaching is built to help you lose fat (without losing your mind) by giving you personalized guidance, accountability, and support every step of the way.

If that sounds like the kind of help you’ve been missing, you can apply here to see if we’re a good fit.

Natalie Sabin

Natalie Sabin has a M.S. in Nutrition & Performance, is a Mayo Clinic trained wellness coach, and Precision Nutrition Level 2 certified. She has helped hundreds of clients simplify nutrition and reach their goals since she joined the Born Fitness team in 2017.

The post 5 No-Nonsense Ways to Manage Hunger During a Fat Loss Phase appeared first on Born Fitness.

If you train consistently, you’ll get stronger, improve endurance, and support overall health, but the changes might not look as staggering. So, more accurately, if you’re looking to see changes, dialing in your diet will likely make the biggest visible difference. 

For most people, improving their diet is harder than exercise. Nutrition tends to be more nuanced, food is everywhere, and most people eat multiple times per day — meaning there are multiple times when things can go sideways.

So just how much impact can exercise have on its own?

Can Exercise Alone Help You Lose Weight? 

Let’s look at the numbers.

A solid resistance training session might burn 200-300 calories during your workout, plus about 100 extra calories throughout the day. If you’re hitting the weights 3 times per week with higher volume (think 3 sets of 10 reps across multiple exercises), you’ll burn roughly 900-1,200 calories weekly.

That might sound promising, but here’s the reality:

These numbers only apply to high-volume training. If you’re doing lower-volume work (like 4 sets of 3-5 reps), you’ll burn significantly fewer calories.

Even at best, burning an extra 1,000 calories per week means roughly ~143 calories per day. One Starbucks caffe latte is 190 calories – instantly wiping out your training deficit.

Plus, your body adapts over time, becoming more efficient at handling the workload. Translation? You’ll likely burn fewer calories as you get fitter.

Bottom line? Exercise alone creates a small caloric deficit, but it’s a much slower path to change than combining training with better eating habits. But, the idea of training and diet being two separate battles might be misleading.

Exercise and Diet: How Working Out Can Improve Your Eating Habits

Turns out, consistent exercise might improve your diet by making you more likely to crave healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Research at Indiana University examined the “transfer effect.” This phenomenon occurs when making improvements in one area of your life spills over into other related areas. In the research, people who committed to a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise at least four times per week started eating more fruits and vegetables.

While it might not seem groundbreaking, there’s a bigger takeaway: if you find yourself struggling with a new healthy habit or behavior, it might make sense to find an easier point of entry.

Many people try to force themselves to eat fruits and vegetables. It’s great if it happens. If not, you might be better off finding a groove with training, winning your workouts, and seeing if that transfers to a piece of fruit after you exercise or a salad you sneak in during the day.

You won’t technically be out-training your diet, but you will be using training to outsmart your dieting roadblocks.

Why Mastering Any Healthy Habit Matters

Too often I see people struggle and fail because they’re determined to master a specific healthy habit rather than any healthy habit.

What works better? Finding alternative paths to your goal. If eating less sugar feels impossible, maybe start with a morning walk. If meal prep overwhelms you, begin with post-workout protein shakes. The key is building momentum through small wins.

When you’re stuck in quicksand, forcing the struggle will only make you sink faster. But shift your approach – find what feels achievable – and you might be surprised how quickly other healthy habits follow.

And remember, detours are acceptable, especially if they give you the jumpstart you need.

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post Can You Out-Train A Bad Diet? appeared first on Born Fitness.

This highlights a harsh reality: losing weight is challenging, but keeping it off can be even harder. Weight regain is common due to a complex interplay of factors. These include biological changes that slow metabolism after weight loss, the challenge of maintaining new habits long-term, life events that disrupt routines, and unrealistic expectations about the weight loss and maintenance process. 

But the common struggle of weight regain can also be your path to lasting change. 

Jonathan’s Story: A Second Chance at Sustainable Weight Loss

Enter Jonathan. 

We take great pride in leaving our clients better than we found them, including more effective habits, routines, workouts, and diets. And, on the surface, that seemed to be the case with Jonathan. He worked with us, lost nearly 20 pounds, and then graduated to a healthier life.

Or, so we thought. 

In January of 2022, Jonathan returned. That weight he lost had come back. Jonathan was frustrated, and we were hurt because we didn’t complete the job.

“I came back to Born Fitness a second time around after having a lot of success with the team in 2020, losing 15 to 20 lbs and then gaining that back over the course of about a year and half. I had really started to believe this narrative that I had failed, that I couldn’t get back to where I was, and that I had lost the ability to take control of my physical health and appearance.”

Everything in our approach is designed to help people build the skills that allow them to adapt to variations in life. It’s not enough for us to help our clients get results — we want everyone to keep their results and know how to react and thrive when everything isn’t perfect or easy.

So, for round two, we focused more on helping Jonathan be where he wanted but without the weight coming back. 

Focusing on Sustainability in Weight Loss. 

This time, we keyed in not just on what was working for him but what was sustainable. It’s the backbone of our approach, but — sometimes, when you’re seeing results — it’s easy to stop and question if the right habits are being built. It helps you ask, “Are we building this for weight loss, or are we building this for real life?” 

Or, more importantly, it helps to speak with clients to understand “What do you think it will take for you to be healthy now and in the future?”

Jonathan had all the tools, but he started to doubt that he could do it again. His perspective might feel familiar to some of you:

“A lot of my fears and lack of confidence stemmed from unrealistic expectations about what will and won’t work for transforming my body and meeting my goals. 

Eventually, I got tired and as I put weight back on, I started to stop trusting my knowledge of what would work for me. In fact, I was expecting this time around to have to make even bigger changes and adjustments to hit my goals after putting that weight back on.”

You’re taught to believe that great results are the byproduct of extreme sacrifices and behaviors. While the most extreme results (think becoming a professional athlete or competing in a bodybuilding competition) require more sacrifice, the incredible results most people desire don’t require drastic changes.

The Power of Mindset Shift in Weight Loss. 

As Jonathan discovered the second time around, a simple mindset shift can unlock incredible results and life-changing healthy behaviors: 

“I’ve come to embrace the fact that making progress was really more about:

1. Going back to the basics
2. Making several small (but key) changes in my diet
3. Being willing to experiment with things that worked for me (so they would stick!)
4. Giving things proper time to see results (to include the inevitable ups and downs)”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Jonathan. 

Your Journey to Sustainable Weight Loss Starts Here. 

If you want help shifting your mindset and finding the type of changes that deliver results and work with your lifestyle, we’d love to help. Apply to our online coaching program here. 

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post What Happens When You Gain It All Back? appeared first on Born Fitness.

It’s part of the process. We all experience days and weeks when it’s hard to get your butt in gear, especially when it comes to fat loss.

Overcoming Low Motivation: Key to Sustainable Fat Loss

When it’s been a struggle to start your workouts lately, it doesn’t mean you failed or don’t “want it” bad enough. It means you’re human. 

Welcome to the club.

As we share with our coaching clients, what separates people who build long-term healthy habits for successful fat loss from ones who don’t isn’t motivation. The difference is finding inspiration when low motivation slows you down.

The Secret to Motivation in Your Fat Loss Journey

The “secret” to motivation is that it follows actions. 

Most people wait to feel motivated to take on the challenges of becoming better and losing fat. In reality, you have to push yourself through some tough days when you don’t feel like it, and—if you can—that’s when the motivation will increase.

People who build long-term exercise habits for effective fat loss know you don’t wait for motivation; you create it.

As habit expert James Clear says, “Getting started, even in very small ways, is a form of active inspiration that naturally produces momentum.”

When our clients reach out to us for help “getting motivated” again for their fat loss goals, we usually don’t give them rah-rah speeches. Instead, we work together to discover small action steps they can take today.

The 2-Minute Rule: Jumpstarting Your Fat Loss Workouts

A fantastic way to create a small action step is the 2-minute rule. 

Popularized by the previously mentioned James Clear, the Two-Minute Rule is a proven strategy: ‘When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.’ This rule is a reliable way to eliminate obstacles and kickstart action.

If checking off workouts consistently is challenging, the 2-minute rule is about finding ways to get your workout process started quickly. 

Our coaching client Tony was struggling to make his fat loss workouts happen:

“I just am not feeling motivated to train. I wake up in the morning, get my pre-workout, and suddenly just say to myself, nope – not doing it today. Then I mentally have a little tug of war for 5 minutes or so before I commit to skipping out.”

To help him regain momentum for his fat loss journey, I suggested a 2-minute approach: drink his pre-workout, put on his shoes, and get in the car. 

That’s it.

What happens after his 2-minute rule habit might be challenging (the workout), but your 2-minute rule action step should be easy. The idea is to make it easy to start. Once you’ve started, it’s easier to continue. 

Outside of your workout, here are a few more fat loss-specific examples of how to apply the 2-minute rule:

• Meal prep: Spend 2 minutes chopping vegetables or portioning out snacks.
• Hydration: Fill a large water bottle and place it somewhere visible.
• Mindfulness: Do a 2-minute breathing exercise to reduce stress-related cravings.
• Movement: Do 2 minutes of bodyweight exercises like squats or push-ups.
• Planning: Spend 2 minutes writing down your goals for the next day.

These small, 2-minute actions might seem insignificant, but they’re powerful momentum builders. They bypass the need for motivation and create a pathway to consistent action.

Remember, motivation isn’t a prerequisite for action—it’s often a result of it. By focusing on these small, manageable steps, you’re not just waiting for motivation to strike; you’re actively creating it.

So, if you’re feeling stuck in your fat loss journey, don’t wait for the perfect moment or burst of inspiration. Instead, ask yourself: What small action step can I take today to help build momentum?

Choose one 2-minute action and commit to it right now. Your future self will thank you for taking that first step, no matter how small it might seem.

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post The 2-Minute Motivation Trick appeared first on Born Fitness.

Now that’s a challenge. But, our online coaching client Mitch did just that, dropping 11 pounds over 2 months. 

Mitch got into incredible shape. That much is clear. But there’s more to learn here. Mitch’s story provides the blueprint for losing fat with back pain. All without doing squats or deadlifts.

Fat Loss: No Squats Or Deadlifts Required. 

Mitch was still recovering from a low-back injury when he joined coaching. Per his physical therapist recommendations, all bilateral lifts (think squats on both feet) were out for the time being. 

In his program, this meant we couldn’t use “traditional” squats, deadlifts, or moves like two-arm bent-over rows. And for Mitch, this was even more frustrating as he loved powerlifting training. 

If you’re dealing with lower back pain – and can’t squat or deadlift – the gym offers plenty of alternatives. You can often use machines at the gym that won’t load your back. Think of a leg curl or leg extension here. 

But, as this was during the COVID pandemic, we didn’t have that option. Mitch was training from home, and all we had to work with was a squat rack, barbell, and some weight plates (remember he used to follow powerlifting programs that require minimal equipment).  

My solution for Mitch was a program built around back-friendly landmine exercises. The goal was simple: Stimulate as much muscle as possible (more on that below) in a back-friendly way. 

Here’s a sample upper body pull day that includes a few moves you’ve probably never tried:  

A1. Single Arm Chest Supported Landmine Row 3 x 8-12 reps

B1. Inverted Row 3x 10-15

C1. Barbell Shrug 3x 8-10 reps

D1. Weighted Pull-up 3 x 5-8 reps

E1. Wall Supported Barbell Bicep Curl 2 x 8-15 reps 

E1. Landmine Concentration Curl 2 x 8-15 reps

What about lower body training? Check out this workout pulled directly from Mitch’s training plan: 

A1. Eccentric Only Paper Plate Leg Curls 3 x 8-10 reps

B1. Landmine Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat 4 x 5-7 reps ea 

C1. Landmine Single Leg Glute Bridge 3 x 10-12 reps

D1. Heels Elevated Bodyweight Squat 2 x 15-20 reps 

E1. Wall Sit 3 x 40sec

E2. Shoulder Tap 3 x 8ea

While this landmine-dominant program was fun to build (and he crushed it), the takeaway here differs from what program Mitch followed. Instead, the lesson is that you don’t have to do “traditional” lifts to get in great shape. 

The primary reason you strength train during a fat loss phase is so that you can maintain muscle mass. It’s not so you can burn more calories. 

How do you do that when you’re eating less calories? Keep enough volume (sets x reps) in your program. Get that right and you can maintain muscle mass during a cut even when you’re injured. 

Resistance bands, sandbags, a minimal setup like Mitch’s, or even bodyweight variations pushed to failure can all work. No squats or deadlifts are required. 

How Diet Flexibility and Food Quality Led to Results. 

Lastly, Mitch’s diet also played an important role in his results. No matter what workout plan you follow, you can’t escape the physics of fat loss. To lose fat, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns every day. 

What was Mitch eating? It varied, but given Mitch’s personal preferences, Coach Natalie created a flexible diet to help with consistency and focused on food quality (to reduce overeating behaviors) while still keeping in foods he loved, including beer. Here’s a sample day:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, avocado, and toast

Lunch: High protein/high fiber shake for lunch (Banana Chia Shake)

Dinner: Flexible dinner of his choice with lots of vegetables and some lean protein. Sometimes made at home, but also used take-out options at times. 

Snacks: Fresh fruit, occasional beer

It’s Your Turn. 

If you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here.

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post How to Lose Fat Without Squats or Deadlifts appeared first on Born Fitness.

John was a busy pre-med student tired of feeling skinny and slim. He wanted to add size. And he wanted to feel strong. The challenge is that John is what we call a “hardgainer.” Long and lean, with less than optimal genes for building muscle quickly. 

But being a hardgainer isn’t a muscle-building curse. While genetics inevitably do make a difference, your genetics are not preventing you from adding on pounds of muscle. With our help, John layered on 20+ pounds in just over seven months. Throw the excuses out because that’s incredible progress. 

How did John finally break through for more growth – and how can you achieve similar results? If you want to transform your body there are two muscle growth breakthroughs you need to know. 

Muscle Growth Breakthrough #1: Focus on Progression

We kept John’s training simple. But don’t mistake simple for effective. If you want to build muscle, it comes down to getting stronger and progressively doing more work month after month. 

And if muscle-building is the goal, then variety is your friend. This doesn’t mean altering up your workouts every day, but it does mean going through cycles where you rotate your reps and the movements you perform.

In John’s training plan, we alternated between strength-focused plans for one month, emphasizing lower reps and increasing weight each week. Then, the next month, we’d emphasize higher sets and reps, but with moderate weight (instead of max). 

To help illustrate what these plans might look like, here is a simplified example of how you could set up each training month: 

Month 1 – Lower Reps, Increasing Weight

Week 1:

• Exercise 1 – Squats: 4 sets x 6 reps (70% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 2 – Bench Press: 4 sets x 6 reps (70% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 3 – Deadlifts: 4 sets x 6 reps (70% of your one-rep max)

Week 2:

Increase the weight by 5-10 pounds (depending on your strength level) for each exercise compared to Week 1.

• Exercise 1 – Squats: 3-4 sets x 6 reps (75% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 2 – Bench Press: 3-4 sets x 6 reps (75% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 3 – Deadlifts: 3-4 sets x 6 reps (75% of your one-rep max)

Weeks 3 and 4 would continue this progression, eventually ending at 85% of your one-rep max. 

Month 2 – Higher Sets and Reps, Moderate Weight

Week 1:

• Exercise 1 – Reverse Lunge: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (60% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 2 – Dumbbell Incline Press: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (60% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 3 – Prone Leg: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (60% of your one-rep max)

Week 2:

Increase the weight by 5-10 pounds for each exercise compared to Week 1.

• Exercise 1 – Reverse Lunge: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (65% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 2 – Dumbbell Incline Press: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (65% of your one-rep max)
• Exercise 3 – Prone Leg Curl: 4-5 sets x 10 reps (65% of your one-rep max)

Weeks 3 and 4 would continue this progression, eventually ending at 75% of your one-rep max. 

It’s a good reminder that multiple rep ranges can lead to growth, but it’s important to focus on a specific goal and make it easy to see progress. Dramatically changing your workouts each session might seem like a good idea, but not if it makes it hard to track progress and improve in the ways that allow you to pack on muscle. 

Muscle Growth Breakthrough #2: Pushing the Calorie Threshold

Like most hardgainers, John’s biggest challenge was eating enough. If your goal is to build muscle, you need to eat more calories than you burn (plus consume adequate protein). These are the raw materials for new growth. 

Sounds great, right? You get to eat more food! 

But, this isn’t always easy or as fun as it sounds when you’re naturally very lean like John. “Hardgainers” like John often feel full before hitting their target calories for the day. Eating becomes a chore. 

That’s why you need to change the rules of eating for muscle building. You might need to eat past your hunger to put on new muscle. (Note: this is very different when focusing on fat loss and body recomposition, which is shifting your body fat percentage.)

High-quality foods should form the base of any good diet, think your protein, produce, and fiber-rich carbs). Yet, we often suggest adding higher-calorie foods traditionally labeled as “unhealthy” for clients struggling to eat enough.

Finding ways to sneak in extra calories in ways that are fun and enjoyable can make eating less of a chore, and help pack on the necessary calories. 

Little wins can be healthy-ish behaviors, like adding extra peanut butter to your smoothies or having a second serving of pasta. But, it can also mean hitting up Shake Shack and enjoying a milkshake. 

We’re not encouraging a free for all, but these foods provide a ton of calories and take up less volume in the stomach (meaning you feel less full). And that gets the job done and presses the right buttons so your training turns into muscle. And, when done right, it means more muscle without much added fat. 

Ready to create your own muscle growth breakthrough?

With Born Fitness Online Coaching, you’ll have not one, but two dedicated coaches – one for fitness and one for diet. Say goodbye to generic muscle-building workout plans and cookie-cutter meal plans that don’t work. We’ll help you create a customized plan that challenges you and helps you build muscle effectively. You can apply here if interested.

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post How To Build Muscle As A Hardgainer appeared first on Born Fitness.

There’s nothing quite like a deadline to get your butt in gear. Sparta was highly motivated, crushing gym workouts and diving into tracking his food (something that works well for him). 

But, after losing weight initially, Sparta’s progress stalled…and stalled. The scale didn’t budge for almost 6 weeks. 

The funny thing? This isn’t abnormal. 

Most people freak out when the scale gets stuck and assume something is broken. Yet, plateaus are part of the process of long-term, sustainable weight loss. 

Sometimes the scale isn’t moving simply because your body is adjusting to change. Your body needs time to recalibrate to your new lower weight. This is a process known as set point theory. 

But, when the scale is stuck, it can still be frustrating. So Sparta’s story is one of patience and reward. When things don’t keep going your way, don’t quit. As you can see, Sparta reaped the rewards. 

What led to Sparta’s plateau-busting success? Patience, a great plan by Coach Natalie, and a few minor adjustments led to major results.

Don’t Trust Activity Trackers. 

First, he learned not to rely on activity trackers. Many people (like Sparta) use these tools to gauge how much they can eat and still be in a deficit. 

Activity trackers are notoriously inaccurate, so if you use them to adjust how many calories you can eat per day, you’re likely to overeat and gain weight. 

A study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine found that the numbers given for energy expenditure (calories burned) by a variety of wrist-worn devices were off by 27.4% to 93%.

In the study, the Fitbit Surge provided the most “accurate” reports on calories burned, but it still overestimated how many calories you burned by an average of 27.4%. Yikes. (For context, The Apple Watch was overestimated by 40%.) 

Here’s why this is a big deal. Fat loss occurs when you consume fewer calories than you burn (no matter what diet or workout program you follow). This is hard for many people, but it’s much harder if you’re overeating the calories you think you’re burning during your workouts. 

Let’s say your FitBit reports that you burned ~650 calories during your workout (you got after it) and you decided to reward yourself with a 600-calorie meal. After all, you earned it. On the surface, this is fine.

But, according to the research above, you likely only burned around 435 calories during the workout, meaning you just overate by 150 calories. And that’s using the most accurate tracker in the study. 

Additionally, if you’re also tracking your macros, most fat-loss calorie equations already include your activity in their formula. They’ve factored in your workouts (and daily movement) so you don’t have to. So, if you’re adding calories from your workout, it means that you’re even more likely to overeat. 

This isn’t to say that activity trackers aren’t valuable. Your workout data can serve as a benchmark instead of a calorie measurement. This will give you a good idea of if you did more or less activity than yesterday (or last week). 

But, don’t let this data factor too heavily into the number of calories you eat. Keep your diet plan consistent.

Coach Natalie asked Sparta only to use the activity tracker as a “movement metric.” By comparing how much he moved from day to day and week to week, he could ensure he was staying active outside the gym. These non-workout “workouts” are a fat loss “hack” that works wonders. 

Time to get real (with yourself). 

More importantly, Sparta made a mental shift. 

With Coach Natalie’s help, he took a step back and leaned into identifying what habits were keeping him stuck. He quickly realized he wasn’t being honest with himself. 

“I was making excuses about my diet. I always seemed to justify eating like a garbage barge because it was “infrequent” (Narrator: It wasn’t), or a “special occasion,” or…or…or. What I realized was I eat when I get bored, and I’m inherently lazy, so I would always opt for what was easiest.”

Together, Sparta and his fiance worked to hold each other accountable. He also limited eating out to once per week and recreated routines from pre-COVID (when he would prepare meals to take to work) that worked in his new work-from-home reality. 

The results? 

“Honestly, it feels good to get my sexy back. I now have more energy, more strength, and I’m quite a bit leaner. In general, my attire is more fitted, which is also more confidence-boosting. And when I walk past a window, I now see someone who looks healthier. And my ass looks better too.” 

Interested in learning more about coaching? You can explore our personalized coaching program here.

BJ Ward

B.J. holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and multiple certifications, including Precision Nutrition Level 1 and BioForce Certified Conditioning Coach. Over his 14-year coaching career, he’s been fortunate enough to coach a wide range of clients. From online clients looking to get in great shape to CEO Nate Checketts (Rhone) and CEO Marcelo Claure (Softbank), and professional skateboarder Sean Malto. Before beginning his training career, he was a sports science lab research assistant.

The post How to Turn Plateau Into Progress appeared first on Born Fitness.

These chambers allow scientists to better understand diseases that affect the human body, including things like obesity and metabolic disorders. They also definitively answer the question that’s been debated for decades: calories do matter. And, they are the primary factor that influence whether you gain or lose weight. The question is whether a “calorie is a calorie” and more about understanding why all calories are not equal.

No scheduled trips to your nearest metabolic chamber? Don’t worry. We’ll help you make sense of what foods influence your metabolism and hunger, and how you can make food work for you. 

What Is A Calorie?

We often think of calories as something we eat, but, the truth is, a calorie is simply a unit of energy. More specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree celsius. 

What does the temperature of water have to do with calories in your food? Well, scientists determine the amount of calories in a food using a technique we’re all guilty of in the kitchen: they burn it

This process is called bomb calorimetry. First, you place an ingredient in a sealed stainless steel container surrounded by water. Then, heat is applied to the food until it burns. This chemical reaction generates a ton of heat and slowly heats the surrounding water. Scientists then measure how high the temperature of the water rises to calculate the number of calories in the food. 

Although accurate, this process is slowly losing favor. Today, most calories listed by the USDA and FDA are calculated in a different way. Instead of burning the food, the total amount of calories are determined by adding up the calories provided by the individual components of the food. This means determining the amount of energy from the protein, carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol. 

This method works because the calories in a gram of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol remain constant. Each macronutrient has the following caloric values:

• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories 
• 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories 
• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories 
• 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories 

That’s how you add up the calories in your food. But, that’s not the entire story. As you’re about to find out, macronutrients are metabolized differently, which is why all calories are not equal. Some foods (like protein) burn more calories during digestion, and other foods (like the fiber in your carbs), affect hunger and appetite. 

Understanding how to balance your diet to give you the right amount of sanity – while not letting your hunger go wild – is the key to feeling in control of your diet. 

Why Calories Are Not Equal (And What It Means For Your Meals)

The confusion about calories is less about how many grams are in a particular food after it’s cooked or when it’s in a package, and more about how your body makes use of those calories once you eat and digest food. 

The human body is the greatest machine ever built. You need a certain number of calories to carry out every day functions like breathing, walking, and thinking. And because your very survival depends on calories, your body processes foods differently to help fuel all of your needs. 

To understand how you gain and lose weight, you need to think about energy balance, which is the old calories in vs. calories out debate. Although many things can impact energy balance, the type of calories you consume plays a large role. That’s why all calories aren’t equal.

Your daily metabolic rate is influenced by many things. The three main components are:

• Basal metabolic rate (BMR): This is the amount of energy your body needs to work. 
• Thermic effect of food (TEF): This is the amount of energy you burn when you eat.
• Exercise and activity: This is the calories you burn from movement and exercise. You can split this into different categories, such as NEAT (thins like moving around and fidgeting) and your traditional workouts. 

What most people don’t realize is that 65 to 80 percent of the calories you burn every day is from your basal metabolic rate. Physical activity and the foods you eat make up the remainder of your metabolism, but that doesn’t mean they’re insignificant.  

Protein, carbs, and fat are all metabolized differently. Eating 100 calories of protein is different than eating 100 calories of carbs because protein has a higher thermic effect of food (TEF).

When you eat protein, up to 30 percent of the calories can be burned. In the example above, if you ate 100 calories of protein, roughly 70 calories would hit your body because 30 calories would be burned as a result of the protein’s high TEF.

In other words, the greater the TEF, the more this will influence the “calories out” portion of the calories in minus calories out equation (because not all of those calories will end up in your body and stored). Comparatively, carbs have a TEF of just 5 to 10  percent, and fat is usually around 3 to 5 percent.

This is one reason why higher protein diets tend to be associated with weight loss and maintenance. But, it’s only part of the story. 

The Domino Effect of Eating More Protein

Protein also has a domino effect on hunger that makes it a great foundation for muscle gain and weight loss. 

When you eat protein you increase what’s called satiety. This means a protein-rich meal leaves you feeling fuller and desiring less food (i.e. eating fewer calories). 

It’s why high-calorie (some might consider them empty calories) options like fast food or ice cream can leave you feeling hungry just a few short hours later. It’s not just the calorie count of these foods. It’s that they don’t meet your body’s needs for hunger control, so you desire more food even when your calorie intake is high. These foods are fine to have once in a while, but they make it harder to stay full.  

A high-protein meal can boost the release of a hormone (ghrelin), which helps quiet your hunger and plays a role in determining how quickly your hunger returns after a meal. 

When you combine all of the benefits, it’s easy to see why eating more calories from dietary protein helps create a caloric deficit. Protein burns more calories (the higher TEF) and reduces the “calorie in” portion of the equation by affecting how much you’ll eat later in the day. 

Plus, giving your body the protein it needs to recover from strength training can help you build more muscle mass. 

Protein isn’t the only macronutrient that helps control your hunger. Fiber, which is found in carbohydrates, is also incredibly effective at increasing fullness without adding too many calories. Most fibrous foods have low energy density, which means you can eat a lot without taking in too many calories. 

Learning how to eat the foods that keep you full is a simple way to give you more flexibility. The goal with any diet isn’t too restrict – it’s to provide more freedom. 

If you focus on making at least half of your plate from proteins and fiber, you’re more likely to stay full and not overeat. 

That way, you still have the ability to eat other foods that aren’t as nutritious. For example, although 100 calories from chicken is different from 100 calories from a candy bar — we’re still talking about 100 calories. If the candy bar doesn’t lead to you eating 10 more candy bars, then worrying about those 100 calories is time and stress your mind and body doesn’t need.

It’s why effective diets, in general, can consist of 80 to 90 percent more nutritious foods (think vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, higher fiber carbs, and protein) and 10 to 20 percent of foods with fewer direct health benefits. That’s the type of balance that will deliver results and prevent burnout.

Read More

1. The Art And Science of Food That Fills You Up
2. How Food Becomes Belly Fat
3. Does Having More Muscle Really Increase Your Metabolism?

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Is A Calorie Really A Calorie? appeared first on Born Fitness.

But, the most common question usually revolves around, “How much protein can I eat in one meal?”

Personally, I like this question because it’s practical. You want to eat and enjoy. That’s always my first rule for meals. But, for many people (including those in here), you’re also eating for some health goal. So the question makes sense because science makes it hard to understand, “How much?”

A lot of what you’ll see online suggests that you only “need” 20 to 30 grams per meal. That gets twisted into you can only “use” 20 to 30 grams of protein. So let’s clear that up: You can digest and eat much more than 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. 

It’s true that somewhere around 30 grams you will maximize muscle protein synthesis (the process of using protein for building muscle), but that’s not the only reason to eat protein. And, if you eat more than 30 grams in a meal, there are many additional benefits to eating more beyond muscle protein synthesis. 

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The post The Rabbit Hole: How Much Protein Per Meal? appeared first on Born Fitness.