Achieving that 'toned up' look

‘I want to lose a bit of weight and tone up’ is a statement that I hear a lot.

In reality, what needs to happen is for you to drop some body fat whilst preserving lean muscle. This will give you that more defined ‘toned’ look you’re after.

It can be a tough one to judge sometimes whether the best thing for you to do is to actually focus on dropping body fat or build muscle when going at it alone.

The above two pics are 6 weeks apart and there’s a significant difference between the two as you can see.

It was a strict approach I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t, but it was a short time frame so there wasn’t much room for slip-ups. You can achieve results very quickly if you are fully adherent to the process.

It’s important to know that everyone makes progress at different rates and to be realistic about your goals.

Many years of bad lifestyle habits won’t be reversed through 2 weeks of consistently good ones of course.

If you are looking to drop body fat and become leaner to achieve your goal of a more ‘toned’ look, there are a few factors to consider to help you:

The infamous ‘calorie deficit’

This must be achieved and sustained for a consistent period of time to ensure you start dropping body fat.

How: track your daily/weekly calorie intake from your nutrition

You can achieve this without tracking directly and instead of sticking to a set plan-making incremental changes where needed.

With tracking however I feel you gain awareness of current habits, you learn to make improved choices.

It also gives you an element of flexibility so you can make your goals fit your preferences. This makes the process more enjoyable and sustainable.

Protein goal

Protein is going to help with recovery, satiate your hunger, help you retain muscle and also increase your calorie expenditure slightly when consumed.

Tip: Knowing your lean sources and making them the main component of each meal you eat, alongside a good serving of leafy greens will help bulk out your meals with fewer calories.

If you struggle to hit your protein goal divide your daily target over the number of meals you have per day.

140g divided by 4 = 35g (each meal)

Daily activity

This is such a simple and controllable way to positively influence your progress which is often overlooked.

Tip: If you are one to end up struggling to hit a daily/weekly step goal. Move more earlier in the day with a morning brisk walk for 20 mins.

A resistance program

A progressive training program is going to help you shape your muscles give you structure and ensure that you retain the aforementioned lean muscle tissue.

Tip: Get really good at performing movement patterns that work well for you then look to make incremental progression each time you do them.

If you do feel you want that additional support and professional guidance to reach your full potential then Contact Us and we would love to hear the areas where you may be struggling and give you clarity on the best way to achieve your goals.