We are fat as a country, and the average American male has an average of 28% body fat. Think about that. It means that if you’re 200 lb, you have 56 lb of body fat. If you’re over 15%, you have a problem. Today, we’re going to fix this.
As a society, we’re facing an obesity epidemic. If you’re over 24% body fat as a man, you’re obese. If you’re over 20%, you’re overweight, which is why 15% should be the goal for each and every one of us.
The other reality is that most people underestimate how fat they are. We look at ourselves in the mirror, and maybe our pants are getting a bit tight. Over time, as we age, we don’t control our diet and do the things we need to do. We’ll start to gain weight as we age because our metabolism slows down.
Simple yet systematic choices are key
Body fat is more about the decisions we’re making or not making. These decisions have a more significant impact than our biological clock. A mistake is chalking it up to a family history of being overweight, having a slow metabolism, or thyroid issues. Some guys think they’re chubby dudes, but the problem is we have willpower issues. It’s our responsibility and choice to be fat or overweight.
Choices are a system of decisions made daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. This is what keeps us fat. Losing body fat is not using some mystical or magical formula. There are just basic choices that I will go over for you to implement. You can take control and reduce your body fat to look better, build confidence and self-esteem, and feel better about yourself. Everything in your life will get better.
Steps to getting to 15% body fat or lower
The first thing you need to do is stop blaming yourself and stop making excuses. Life is hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prioritize yourself.
Next, prioritize yourself by being incredibly selfish about your diet and fitness. Find time and prioritize yourself because it won’t work if you don’t.
You need to know where you’re starting from, so you need to get body fat calipers. Don’t bother with the digital ones, as they don’t work. The calipers will tell you exactly where to take the measurements, which three are a priority. Make sure you measure your chest, abs, and thigh. Love handles are a second. Write these down, and as you lose, you’ll have a great visual representation in real time, millimeter by millimeter.
Also, hop on a scale so you know where you’re starting from with your weight. The scale isn’t necessarily the only way to tell what’s happening with your body, so the body fat percentage is the most important. You’ll know what’s happening to your body fat and lean muscle mass with a simple calculation. Once a week, check and record your changes.
Take pictures of where you’re starting. You can track your progress from images to the side, front, and back.
Calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you need to maintain your current body weight. It’s a simple calculation: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
Write down your meals to determine your daily calorie intake. You may discover sneaky calories that add up. This information will help you plan how much you need to eat.
Create a plan that includes workouts and diet. Check out the Alpha M Diet Plan. You can combine different foods throughout the day, but you cannot wing a healthy diet. You need to plan and prepare your meals and refrain from eating out.
Be consistent with working out and what you eat. You need to be building lifetime skills and habits. It doesn’t take 6 months or a year to see significant differences — just start. It’s all a matter of choices, so choose to do better.
