Beginner's Guide to Getting Lean the Right Way Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Sports Nutrition Beginner's Guide to Getting Lean the Right Way By Darla Leal Darla Leal Darla Leal is a Master Fitness Trainer, freelance writer, and the creator of Stay Healthy Fitness, where she embraces a "fit-over-55" lifestyle. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 17, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print Have you made the decision to get in shape, lose weight, and reduce body fat all in the name of improving your overall health? If so, hats off to you. However, while getting fit and leaning out are great goals to have, implementing sustainable methods will be vital to your success. Using your friend's fitness program or the latest trendy diet may sound like a good quick-fix, but what works for one person isn't always best for another. Overview Magazines and diet websites don’t always represent complete truths about fitness and nutrition. It's important to approach a fitness plan realistically while researching accurate information to reach your goals. A key step to achieving your fitness goals is knowing how to do it the right way. This will mean researching evidence-based nutrition proven to actually work, as well as consulting with your doctor to ensure you're approaching your health and fitness goals in a healthy manner. Many do-it-yourself (DIY) nutrition and fitness programs are not recommended for newcomers, or even for active adults. It can be tempting to use the latest trending diet promising a fit body in a month, but empty promises often equal disappointing results. When it comes to your health and fitness goals, it's essential to be prepared with the proper tools that can actually provide lasting results in a healthy way. Why Restricting Calories Can Work Against You Hero Images/Getty Images Many people believe cutting back calories is the best way to lose weight and reduce body fat. But as with any lifestyle change, if you can't maintain it in the long-term, the quick results you achieve won't last long. While quick-fix diets offer quick weight loss, research indicates reducing calories may actually work against you. Nothing exists in a very low-calorie diet, pill, or powder that creates a healthy body or way to live. Getting lean and fit require healthy lifestyle changes. This includes consistent healthy eating and exercise to achieve your goals and maintain results. According to the American Council on Exercise, calorie restriction can result in fat storage. When calories continue to be reduced, the body begins metabolizing lean tissue and muscle mass instead. Other adverse effects may include fatigue, dizziness, constipation, stomach upset, and even an increased overall cholesterol level. In order to lean out the right way, eating the right diet for your body's needs (not necessarily eating less) is a better approach. Healthy foods, particularly plants, are lower in calories but higher in nutrients, which allow us to eat more of them in our daily diets. When we eat healthy forms of all macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), we are able to lean out without disrupting vital body functions. Appropriate caloric intake maintains our metabolism and allows us to lose fat and increase muscle mass accordingly. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women should consume no less than 1,200 calories per day and men should consume no less than 1,800 calories. If an individual is participating in regular exercise, caloric values would increase to meet increased physical demands and refuel the body. Takeaway Stay away from very-low-calorie diets and eat for health, realistic goals, and athletic performance. This combination will promote getting fit and lean while being able to maintain good health. Apply Nutrition That Works Nutrition plays the largest role in achieving a lean muscular body. Without proper food intake to support muscle development, you will most likely be disappointed and frustrated. Active adults and athletes will quickly understand that healthy food intake will serve as an enhancement to their workouts and body composition. If you apply healthy eating habits from the start, you will have an edge up on those wishing they would have done the research and put it to the rest. Exercise alone is beneficial, but it will be the addition of good nutrition making the biggest difference in how our body looks. If you want to change your body, it will take changing what you eat on a daily basis. Don't forget to also focus on hydration and make sure you're drinking enough water (and fewer sugary beverages or alcoholic drinks) every day. Many active adults and athletes apply an 80/20 ratio strategy. This type of plan indicates 80% of our fitness success comes from healthy food intake and the remaining 20% from exercise. We can also look at the 80/20 ratio in strictly nutritional terms. This would mean 80% of what we eat comes from quality healthy foods, with the majority being from plants. The remaining 20% allows for those little indulgences (the occasional ice cream for dessert, for example) as part of a balanced diet. Either way, applying healthy nutrition that works will be vital to losing weight, reducing body fat, and gaining muscle. Takeaway Apply a healthy nutrition plan to support muscle growth, maintain a healthy metabolism, and stimulate fat-burning mechanisms. Bonus info and sample foods: Plan healthy meals and snacks to achieve your goals. A "power breakfast" may include a healthy protein source like scrambled egg whites, a slice of organic seeded toast, and 1/4 of sliced avocado. This is an ideal combination of lean protein, healthy high-fiber carbohydrates, and healthy fats. A snack could include a sliced apple with one tablespoon of natural peanut butter or other nut butter. This will provide simple good carbohydrates and healthy fats. Lunch may include a 4-ounce grilled skinless chicken breast with a side of green veggies for a good mix of lean protein and fibrous carbohydrates. Another snack may include 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese and 1/4 cup fresh pineapple for protein and simple healthy carbohydrates. Dinner may include four ounces of grilled salmon, 1/2 baked sweet potato, and a power green salad (made of spinach, kale, and chard) topped with balsamic vinegar. This will give you a good ratio of protein, healthy carbs, fibrous carbs, and healthy fats. Focus on Muscle Gain and Not Weight Loss Getting lean the right way ensures we are able to reduce body fat while gaining muscle. This is not the time to restrict essential nutrients needed to support pertinent bodily functions. Building muscle is hard work and requires excellent sports nutrition. Muscle is a highly metabolically active tissue requiring all the macronutrients, especially protein. When our focus shifts to healthy food intake being a powerful tool to achieve our goals, we stress less about the idea of depriving ourselves. The goal is to become lean and muscular, which is unobtainable without adequate nutrition. Avoiding typical diet mistakes like restricting carbohydrates and fats will work in your favor. Carbs are the primary energy source for the body and healthy fats stimulate our metabolism and help maintain hormone function. Additionally, eating enough protein is vital for muscle growth and repair. Takeaway Apply an "eat right, not less" philosophy to stimulate fat loss and muscle growth. Consuming the right balance of healthy carbs, fats, and proteins will enable you to achieve your fitness goals. Work Out to Create Muscle Definition Applying a progressive workout program is vital to creating lean mass (muscle) and reaching your goals. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, resistance training is an important part of an adult fitness program. It should be challenging enough to improve muscular strength and endurance while also increasing muscle size. At the same time, incorporating cardio is just as important both for leaning out (and promoting heart health), especially if you've got some initial weight to lose. Combining both types of exercise will give you the greatest chance of success when it comes to leaning out and building muscle. Why You Should Add Cardio to Your Workout Routine It's important to select the right exercise program for your individual needs and goals. Allow yourself to be a beginner and enjoy the process of learning how to challenge your body physically. Already active adults and athletes should continue on with progressive programs to create muscle confusion (i.e. maintaining a variety of workouts) and reduce workout plateaus. Takeaway Incorporating weight resistance and cardio training are vital parts of any fitness program if the goal is to create lean muscle. Allow yourself to be a beginner and continue with a consistent progressive workout program. A Word From Verywell If you do your research and consult with your doctor before beginning a well-rounded nutrition and exercise plan, it's possible to achieve fitness gains you'll be satisfied with. With patience and a commitment to a healthy routine, you can achieve lasting results. 9 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Council on Exercise. How eating too little will eat up your fat-loss goals. Tsai AG, Wadden TA. The evolution of very-low-calorie diets: an update and meta-analysis. Obesity. 2006;14(8):1283-93. doi:10.1038/oby.2006.146 National Research Council (US) Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ, Wildman R, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:16. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0174-y Hernandez J. 80/20 Diet efficacy in regard to physiology and psychosocial factors. Obes Weight Loss Ther. 2017;7:6 American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Information on: Protein intake for optimal muscle maintenance. Slavin J, Carlson J. Carbohydrates. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(6):760–761. doi:10.3945/an.114.006163 American Heart Association. Dietary fats. American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687–708. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670 Additional Reading American College of Sports Medicine Blog. Ten Things You Need to Know About Sports Nutrition. By Darla Leal Darla Leal is a Master Fitness Trainer, freelance writer, and the creator of Stay Healthy Fitness, where she embraces a "fit-over-55" lifestyle. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles What to Eat After a Workout: Post-Workout Nutrition, Timing, and Tips How Women Can Build Muscle With Diet and Exercise Simple Strategies for Maintaining Weight Loss An Overview of Reducing Body Fat Nutrition's Role in Physical Fitness Why Losing Weight Fast Isn’t a Good Idea, and What to Do Instead Tips for Building and Maintaining Muscle What Is the High-Protein Diet? What Is the Optavia Diet? The 12 Best Fitness Books of 2022 Nutrition to Support Walking for Weight Loss How to Tone Your Back How to Use Quick Body Measurements to Calculate Body Fat Percentage The Macronutrients Your Body Needs Most How Much Weight Is Safe to Lose in 1 Week? Use a Simple Weight Maintenance or Weight Loss Calculator for Calories When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All