Lindsay ZahnerHealth and Wellness Coaching

#fatlossover40 #maintenancecalories #eatmoreprotein

19 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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Lindsay Zahner stayed lean during a year-long injury by eating 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, maintaining a modest calorie deficit, and hitting 7,000 to 9,000 steps daily. She used bodyweight exercises and resistance bands instead of heavy lifting and avoided gaining fat despite some muscle loss.

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Due to an injury, I've been unable to strength train for the past year. This is exactly how I maintained this lean and toned physique over that time without being able to exercise like I want to. I prioritized protein. I aimed for 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every single day, do or die. This allowed me to keep most of the hard-earned muscle that I had created pre-injury. I ate at a slight calorie deficit. My daily maintenance calories are 1,600, so I ate about 1,400 calories per day to keep any fat gain at bay, but also not lose any muscle that I created prior. I did what I could and I made sure I got at least 7,000 to 9,000 steps per day. I did bodyweight workouts and used resistance bands just to keep that muscle stimulation going while I was unable to actually lift weight. And walking 7,000 to 9,000 steps a day was a non-negotiable. Did I lose muscle? Sure, you're going to whenever you're not using it. But I did not gain any extra fat during this whole process. This also goes to show that when it comes to fat loss, it's about 80 to 90% nutrition and about 10 to 20% how you move. If you're looking to drop fat, gain muscle, or both, comment blueprint below and I'll send you my free step-by-step guide to getting started.