Why 90% of People Never Get Lean (Do This Instead)

For every 10 people who try to get lean, only two will actually succeed. But here's the crazy part. Only one of them will be able to keep the fat off for good. So what's this guy's secret? Most people rely on quick fixes that eventually fall apart. But after studying the research, learning from top coaches, and analyzing the leanest people on the planet, the secret comes down to just five simple daily habits. By mastering these strategies myself, I recently got down to 11% body fat. And it felt almost automatic. In this video, I'll show you how to do the same. No gimmicks, no fluff, Starting with habit number one, increasing your energy flux. So you've probably heard this advice before. If you want to lose fat, you just got to eat less. But what if I told you the leanest people in the world often eat more calories while maintaining less body fat? It's. It sounds impossible, but that's exactly what this habit does. So, back in 2016, scientists conducted a study where they tracked three groups. People eating fewer calories but not moving much, people eating moderately and staying somewhat active, and people eating over 3,000 calories a day that exercising a lot. Known as the high energy flux group. Can you guess which group saw the best results? So, despite eating the most calories, the high energy flux group was the only one to lose fat drop, dropping their body fat from almost 20% to a lean 16% and maintained it for years afterwards. So what exactly is going on here? Well, to find out, I wanted more evidence. So I called in Dr. Eric Trexler, a researcher at Duke University and the science advisor for our Built with Science plus app. Using what's known as the NHANES database, which is just a massive study of the health and habits of Americans, he ran a statistical analysis comparing the calorie intakes of the leanest individuals with with an average body fat percentage of 19% to the least lean individuals with an average body fat percentage of 35%.

Theoretically, you would expect that larger people with higher body fats probably eat more calories per day. In reality, we found a gap of roughly 300 calories where the leaner people actually reported eating more on a daily basis. A lot of times, people with higher body fat, they either have less experience with self monitoring their food intake so they have more errors in their reporting, or. Or they're just a little bit more shy about reporting everything that they ate. But with nhanes, you have an interviewer there who says, are you sure it was only 3/4 of a cup or did it look more like this, which is actually a cup and a half? And I noticed you didn't, you didn't include any milk. Did you really eat dry cereal or did you have 2% or whole milk with that? It raises a really fascinating question of, you know, is it possible that these leaner folks actually were eating like 300 more calories per day, day, while maintaining a leaner physique?

Now, Eric's analysis not only showed that leaner individuals tend to report eating more, but they also engaged in considerably more exercise, creating what scientists term a high energy flux lifestyle. Now, of course, other variables could be at play here, like leaner individuals having more muscle mass, which can boost their calorie burn, and as Eric mentioned, the possibility of under reporting calories. But these findings align with what I've consistently observed to my own clients. In fact, Dr. Mike Israel, Ph.D. researcher and competitive bodybuilder, has noticed the exact same thing.

What many people find is that if they have pegged their daily activity to a moderate high level again, 8 to 12,000 steps is a rough estimate for many people. Kind of gets you in that general range. It kind of just keeps the machine humming along and allows you to eat a bit more food while simultaneously losing the same or having the same size calorie sink. And that ends up supporting your training better, supporting your cognition better. It supports your mood better. You're not as crazy hungry and crazy anymore. At the same time, you're losing tons of weight.

But a highly active lifestyle doesn't mean you're just doing a bunch of crazy cardio every day. In fact, all the experts I spoke to emphasize the power of plain old walking and just getting enough daily steps in. Even pro natural bodybuilder and elite coach Alberto Nunez, who is known for getting to insane levels of leanness, focuses on this more sustainable approach.

It could be something as simple as like, hey, no more than 90 minutes sitting in front of your desk, like, go take a little walk or something. Or you start off the day with a walk. Or sometimes even like some people who have big enough gyms, it's like, hey, in between sets, don't bring a water bottle. Walk to the water fountain and come back, right? So you get to be creative with it. And what I like to look for is like the path of least resistance. And for most people, no matter how chaotic or spontaneous your life might be, there is a way to fit in some extra movement.

So here's what I personally do to apply this habit. I already lift weights four to five times a week. But I also make sure I'm taking at least 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. And to help with this, after every workout I do 10 minutes of cardio. Doesn't matter what, I just pick whatever I feel like doing that day. And at some point later on in the day I'll also take at least one long 30 to 60 minute walk. And if it's raining out I'll just hop on my under desk treadmill. And lastly, I try to incorporate an exercise snack after every couple hours of sitting, whether it's up and down a flight of stairs, walk into the furthest bathroom, anything that gets me up, even if it's just for a minute. So I want you to start small, take one of these tips and just build from there. And if you found any creative ways to stay active, I would love to hear them. So drop them in the comments below. But for the best results, you also need to pair this with Habit number two Let me ask you something. If you were trying to save money, would you do it without ever checking your bank account? Probably not, because you'd have no idea how much you're spending or saving. But that is exactly what you're doing when you try to transform your body without keeping track of anything. In fact, there's a really interesting study by Thomas et al. Where researchers analyzed members of the National Weight Control Registry. Now, this group is like the VIP club of successful weight loss. Everyone in it has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a full year or more. So we're talking about the top 20% of people who actually succeed in getting lean and staying lean. So what's their secret? Well, there was one top habit most of them had in common. Self monitoring. They track their progress daily, whether that was body weight, food intake or activity levels. But with so many things that you could track, how do you know what's actually worth paying attention to? Here's how the experts rank them.

Rank one by a long shot is body weight. Because if you're consuming decent amount of protein and you're losing weight, it kind of doesn't matter what you're consuming because it's clearly working. If you're not monitoring your body weight, you're you're completely in the dark. I know people who have very meticulous step tracking, very meticulous macros that they don't really keep tabs on their body weight. And they're like, I don't know if the diet's working. Like, how could you possibly know if the diet's Working. The second most important thing is macros, because your macros, protein, carbs, fats, and then obviously calories derived from that are like the real big working gears of your diet. And they're going to have a huge effect on your results.

I think the first seven, eight years of my training, all I did was kind of just eat clean and train really hard. And while I was able to do some good things with my physique, I was never able to get as lean as I wanted. It was so eye opening to me. The first few times I tracked my food, the first few weeks I was like, wow, I had no idea. Just in general, I was prone to overeating that much.

And then rank three is steps. If someone's kind of sitting on the couch a lot and their diet's really stalling, then, yeah, stop tracking. And more than that, increasing the step count is a really big deal.

Dr. Eric Trexler also recommends one more thing to look out for.

Floor.

Just the way your clothing fits. The scale's not moving, but my shirts are loose around my belly, they're tied around my arms, they're tied around my chest. Like good things are happening here. So especially with someone who can stand to actually gain a lot of muscle while losing fat for them, tracking that clothing fit or circumferences also becomes really critical.

But to avoid overwhelming yourself, start simple. Begin with just one habit. Tracking your body weight. Aim for at least 3 to 4 weigh ins per week, preferably in the morning before eating or drinking, but after using the bathroom just to keep things consistent. Only once you've got that down, move on to tracking your nutrition. Now, you don't have to do this every single day, nor do you have to do it forever. But knowing how much you're actually eating is crucial. And I know, I know tracking can be a hassle. So I've tried to help make this as easy as possible for you with our new built with Science plus Applied, which I'll talk more about later. But basically you just snap a photo of your meal and it'll estimate the calories for you, logging everything right into the app. And it even keeps track of your daily steps and body weight. So all the data you need is in one place. But as powerful as these first two habits are, you're just not going to see the results you're after if you neglect habit number three.

The results are cataclysmically bad. We're talking about losing pounds and pounds of weights on a caloric deficit and losing only muscle. Talking about if you're gaining weight that you're gaining pure fat and zero muscle at the same time. Even if you're training hard. Sleep is such a critical component of keeping muscle on your body and getting the fat off that it is what I call absolute non negotiable.

And it's not just about muscle and fat. Dr. Eric Trexler explains how poor sleep creates a horrible ripple effect everywhere.

We find that folks who are under slept, they are, are really susceptible to excessive hunger, they're really susceptible to exaggerated stress responses. And so you know, they're hungry, they get stressed out more easily. And so they're eating due to hunger, but they're also eating due to stress. And there's this kind of like multi directional relationship.

Now you might think the solution is as simple as get eight hours of sleep every night. But here's the surprising part. Eric's analysis revealed it's not just about quantity.

I was thinking that people with higher body fat would report less sleep per night and I was completely wrong about that. So they were like virtually identical at 7.5 hours of sleep on average per night. And so I was like, okay, I was wrong. But then it got a little more interesting because I dug into there's a questionnaire kind of question in the survey. How often do you just kind of feel tired and sluggish and sleepy throughout the day? And that was where we found a difference. Despite the fact that hours of sleep per night were equivalent, the leaner folks reported that they were less frequently feeling tired and sluggish and sleepy throughout the day. So that leads to a really fascinating question, which is perhaps there's a discrepancy in sleep quality between the two groups.

So how do you improve both the quality, quantity and quality of your sleep? Well, the good news is that it's relatively simple. Even if your lifestyle makes it challenging to get enough hours in. Here's what I'd recommend. First, try to stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. So if you do have a late night, resist the urge to sleep in too late the next day just to avoid messing with your sleep patterns. Next, watch your caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon and evening, as this can negatively affect your sleep even if you have it up to 414 hours before bed. So this means if you work out later in the day, just try not to have coffee or pre workout before. Personally, for me, even something as small as a Diet Coke after 2pm Completely messes with my sleep. So pay attention to what works and doesn't work for you. Next, while most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep, some people fall into what's called a short sleep phenotype. It's rare but fascinating. My mom, for example, she thrives on just five hours of sleep per night and she actually feels worse without anymore. But if you want to figure out how much sleep your body actually needs, spend one to two months being consistent with your bedtime and then let yourself wake up naturally without an alarm. Pay attention to when you wake up and also how refreshed you feel. That'll help you find your ideal sleep duration. And lastly, if your lifestyle makes it hard to get enough sleep at night, naps can be a game changer. Pro athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James swear by them.

Whatever you can do can never, ever substitute for sleep. That is the greatest recovery for an athlete like myself. For athletes all over the world, and.

Research backs this up, even a 30 to 45 minute nap can drastically improve gym performance, especially if you're under slept. But if these naps actually end up making it harder for you to fall asleep at night, try shifting them earlier or keeping them shorter. But even with enough sleep, it's going to feel nearly impossible to get lean. And if you're not eating the right foods. And this is where habit number four comes in, building high quality meals. Let's first take a look at what the experts eat and I want to see if you can spot any patterns.

Yeah, so like for my breakfast, like it'll literally just be like Greek yogurt, peanut butter powder, whey protein powder, and then like a fiber one kind of cereal that's basically just like pure insoluble fiber.

Then later on in the day, I might do my workout sometime in the afternoon and I'll often have a protein shake. I'll finish that shake towards the end of my workout or just before I hit the shower. Then I get out of the shower and you know what I do is I just clean my body and touch everything right in front of the mirror. And for just a very few dollars per month, you can have access to my.

Get back on topic.

My, my, my apologies. Different video, different video, different video. And then so after showering, I'll typically get, you know, some kind of meal that fits all of my needs there. This is just like that, meat and veggies and I put that in the microwave. When the meat and veggies are nice and warm, I get that out. The rice cooker always has warm rice. I put that in for fat needs. I often will put in either canola oil, olive oil or avocado oil as measured to need and mix that all together like an animal and eat it while I'm downstairs here in this basement working.

So dinner for me is like the one time in the day where I get to enjoy something that's like cooked and hot. So usually it'll be some sort of animal protein. Usually it's either salmon or beef. And surrounding that, that's where I try to get my vegetables as well. Because again, I'm at ease too. I get to actually. Vegetables take forever to eat. That's one of the reasons that they're so great for fat loss. So I try to have them during that meal as well. And then some added starch. It could be a sweet potato. It can be a potato. You could have a few slices of sourdough bread.

Did you notice anything? You may not see it quite yet, but they all take the exact same approach when building their meals.

I'm sure you've kind of seen this before in yourself and friends where you look at what regular people are eating and you're like, holy shit. You think that's a meal? My God. And then they tell you, they're like, oh, I can't seem to lose weight. And you're like, listen, I can tell you why. Like, how do you build your meals?

It's kind of ridiculous. So what separates a high quality meal from the average plate? Well, it's surprisingly simple. And it all comes down to three key principles. Start with a high quality protein source. This is non negotiable. Think eggs, fish, yogurt or chicken roughly the size of your palm. For us fitness folks, a meal just isn't considered a meal without this. Next, in most of your meals, add one to two servings of fruits or veggies. These fiber nutrient rich foods will prevent you from getting hungry shortly after eating. And lastly, complete your plate with whole grains like potatoes, brown rice, oats and or healthy fats like avocados or nuts. Now if these meals don't look quite as appetizing as your favorite takeout, that's completely normal. Stick to it long enough and your perception will actually start to change.

Yeah, they're not as tasty as, I don't know, takis or a hot dog or whatever it is that you like. But there is a level of gratification that comes from it that is much deeper, that is beyond the surface. And that's when start things really start to like kick for people once they see their spinach. Salad is not just something they have to do to get where they want to be. But they generally see that hey, you know what? This doesn't taste so bad like anymore. I almost rather eat this than I don't know like a cheeseburger or slice of pizza from across the street because it's fulfilled means so much. So many other ways outside of that like just initial thing of like wow, this is tasty. But that's kind of it.

But one thing you may have noticed about the experts I spoke to is they didn't hesitate when I asked about their meals. They didn't say oh, sometimes a grab takeout or I just heat up what's in the fridge. No, their meals were deliberate, structured and aligned with their goals. And that is where the final habit comes in. And it's the one that ties everything together. Setting goals that drive the right daily actions. Most people set goals that are either too vague or hyper focused on the outcome, like reaching a specific number on the scale. Even worse, they focus on restriction like cut out sugar or avoid junk food. But goals like this just keep you fixated on what you can't have and don't actually give you a roadmap for what to actually do. Instead, there's a powerful research backed method that makes achieving your goals far more likely. Creating a Goal Hierarchy Think of it like building a pyramid with three layers that guide you from your overarching purpose down to the exact steps you'll take each day. The first layer starts with your why. This is your big picture goal, the thing that gets you out of the bed in the morning. It's not just about numbers on a scale or benching 225. It's about who you want to become. For example, I want to be a fit, healthy person who feels confident and energetic. A goal like this gives you a deeper connection to your journey. It's no longer just about doing, it's about who you're becoming. But before we move on, I want you to comment below. What is your why for this year? For example, do you want to be a healthy role model for your kids? Or do you want to feel more confident in your body? Or maybe you just know that you're capable of more and you want to realize your full potential. Whatever it is, write it in the comments. Studies show that simply sharing your goal significantly increases the likelihood of you achieving it. But now that you've defined your why, move on to the what. And think of these like the categories that make up your transformation. For example, eating healthier, sleeping better, self monitoring, exercising consistently. These goals. They give you direction but still leave room for flexibility. And then lastly, map out the how. So this is where you get super specific Applying the habits we went through earlier to lay out your daily routine to achieve your big picture goal. Here's an example. Weigh yourself every morning while brushing your teeth. Meal prep every Sunday and Wednesday to make high quality meals. Get seven to eight hours of sleep by going to bed at 10pm Resistance training for 45 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday before work and go for a 10 minute walk after every meal. Now maybe you just start with one of these, but by breaking down your goals like this, you shift your focus away from the outcome like losing 20 pounds of fat to the daily process that will inevitably get you that result. Result. Now if you're serious about making a change but you just feel overwhelmed or just unsure where to start, our new Built With Size plus app was designed for you. It simplifies the entire process, helping define your goals, laying out your daily checklist and easily tracks everything from your workouts, steps and body weight to even your meals with just a snap of a picture. Plus it also gives you weekly workout and nutrition guidance to ensure that you stay on track. It's honestly just like having me as your personal coach in your pocket. All you have to do is follow the plan and I promise you the results will come just like it has with countless others. You can try two weeks for free over@builtwithscience.com and see the difference for yourself. Also highly recommend giving this video. Watch next if you want to see the meal plan that I personally used to get lean and how our head engineer here copied it to get some pretty, pretty crazy results in just 30 days. Thank you so much for watching. Go crush your goals and I'll see you next time.