Gym-Optional Weight Loss

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Welcome to the LenDentonThrive Letter, my weekly newsletter focused on helping 50+ Guys lose weight, get fit, and stay fit for life. We do that by building our ThriveLives!

The ThriveLife is my science-based, food-first, gym-optional approach to building a sustainable, enjoyable, and healthy lifestyle - without relying on crazy diets or grueling workouts.  

This week, we’re talking about my gym-optional approach to weight loss.

If you’re a 50+ Guy looking to lose 20 or more pounds, this week’s edition of the newsletter was specifically written for you. That’s because, I’ll share the best and fastest way for 50+ Guys to lose weight and start building a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

(And, here’s a secret… this works equally well for guys under 50, too!)

To Gym or Not To Gym…

Let’s say that you decide one day to lose 25 pounds. Your clothes are feeling tight, and you might be starting to feel your age more than usual. So, you decide to make a change.

Like any smart 50+ Guy, your first move is to do a Google search for fitness. And…BAM! You’ve got 15 pages of search results telling you exactly the same thing:

You need to get yourself to the GYM!

Maybe you’re not that excited about the prospect of going to the gym, so you jump over to YouTube…but, it’s the same result:

GO TO THE GYM!

Everywhere you look, the conventional wisdom for losing weight is the same: Hit the gym and start lifting hard!

So, following your quick research session, you are faced with three possible scenarios:

1. You decide that you need to think about it and ultimately choose to do nothing.

2. You join a gym and stop going after a month or two because you injured yourself or lost interest. (…because willpower is NOT an infinite resource.)

3. You join the gym and live healthily and happily ever after.

Unfortunately, Scenario #3 doesn’t happen very often for 50+ Guys. The usual outcome is Scenario #1 or #2. I’ve experienced this personally. Maybe you have too.

The Gym and Weight Loss

Before my “gym-bruh” friends get upset with me, let me say this: There’s nothing wrong with weightlifting or going to the gym. It is a great way to build strength and muscle mass. In fact, it’s the best way to systematically build muscle.

It’s just not the best way to lose weight!

Lifting weights can help you lose weight…eventually. As you add muscle mass, you will increase your metabolic burn rate so your body burns more calories throughout the day. But, it takes lots of time and hard work to achieve the weight loss results you’re looking for.

If you’re a 50+ Guy carrying around 25 pounds or more of excess weight, there’s a high likelihood that much of that extra weight is deposited around your mid-section as excess belly fat. Extra weight and excess belly fat are key contributors to some nasty future medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even dementia. You can read more about the dangers of excess belly fat here.

So, getting rid of the extra weight and fat quickly should be the primary goal for 50+ Guys. Building muscle is secondary.

Fortunately, there’s a faster and more effective way to lose weight now and keep it off for good.

The Gym-Optional Approach

The Gym-Optional Approach is the better way for 50+ Guys to achieve their weight loss goals. It’s designed to provide 3 major benefits as quickly as possible. These are:

1. Weight loss

2. Elimination of excess belly fat

3. Improved cardiovascular health

This approach prioritizes diet improvement and moderate cardio training over weight training as the primary path to permanent weight loss and better health. (Note: We’ll add weight training into our routine later as our weight loss progresses.)

There are two main components to the Gym Optional approach. I’ll provide a quick overview for each one, along with references to allow you to dive deeper later.

Step 1 - Diet Improvement

The single most important factor in our current weight is our daily food choices. When considering the importance of diet vs. exercise, exercise matters, but diet matters much more. This means that anyone’s weight loss battle is ultimately won in the kitchen, not the gym!

But, the key to improving your diet isn’t eating less, it’s about eating smarter! Calorie-restrictive diets aren’t sustainable. Eating Smarter is about eating more of the good stuff while eliminating the bad stuff. And, hunger isn’t part of this approach. When you focus on the good foods, you might actually find yourself eating more and still losing weight. (That’s what happened to me!)

The majority of our fat-causing problems are related to a handful of bad foods and food ingredients. And, our Standard American Diet (SAD) is full of these foods that I call Red Zone Foods. By eliminating these bad choices, and replacing them with better choices, you will take a giant step toward permanent and healthy weight management. Here are the 6 Red Zone Foods that you should eliminate to improve your diet:

1. Sugar

2. White Flour

3. White Rice

4. White Potatoes

5. Corn

6. High Fructose Corn Syrup

You can read more about Eating Smarter here and here. Eating Smarter is how you can put food to work for you, instead of it always working against you.

Step 2 - Moderate (Zone 2) Cardio

The second element of the Gym-Optional Approach is effective exercise. Exercise is important because you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. A calorie deficit simply means that your body burns more calories than it consumes. Eating Smarter helps you manage your calorie intake. And, pairing Eating Smarter with effective exercise creates the calorie deficit you need for weight loss.

The most effective exercise for quick weight and fat loss is Zone 2 cardio. Zone 2 means that you are exercising at an exertion level where your heart rate is in the range of 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Most 50+ Guys can reach Zone 2 by merely walking briskly. It’s usually a moderate, comfortable pace. The longer you can maintain your heart rate in this zone, the better for you.

Zone 2 cardio delivers 3 important health benefits:

1. When exercising in Zone 2, your body draws the majority of its energy from your fat stores. It is the most effective way to burn body fat.

2. It helps improve overall cardiovascular (heart and lungs) health and thus combats cardiovascular disease. (Cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death among American men.)

3. It’s easy to do and accessible for almost all men. It requires no training or special equipment. All you need are some comfortable shoes.

Because of these benefits, I call Zone 2 cardio Moving Smarter. And, Zone 2 cardio works even better when you do it in a fasted state, meaning before you’ve eaten. This focuses all of your body’s energy demand on stored fat. You can read more about Moving Smarter here and here.

The Gym-Optional approach to weight loss is the better option for most 50+ Guys. It combines two powerful strategies to help you lose weight faster, and keep it off for the long term. It’s the foundation for the sustainable, healthy lifestyle that I call the ThriveLife.

Take Action

Here are three actions you can take starting today to build your healthy and sustainable ThriveLife:

1 - Decide to give the Gym-Optional Approach a try - it all begins with your decision. Start building your new smart daily habits now.

2 - Check your diet for Red Zone Foods - systematically begin removing Red Zone Foods from your daily diet. This may take a few days or weeks to complete, so start today! (Note: If you aren’t the cook, you might need to discuss and coordinate this new daily habit with whoever cooks your meals.) Once you’ve learned how to consistently make smart food choices, you’ll never have to diet again.

3 - Take a Hike! - lace up your favorite walking shoes and take a walk. Don’t overdo it. Start wherever you feel comfortable and work up from there. Make it enjoyable, because the more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to keep doing it.

Use these tips to help you begin your journey to your own ThriveLife. Enjoy the journey!

When you’re ready for a real and sustainable fitness transformation, here are three ways I can help you:

#1 - Sign up for this newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive tested, actionable tips and strategies to help you build your own customized version of the ThriveLife that fits your needs, preferences, and personal style. And, it’s free!

#2 - For a Do-It-Yourself approach to the ThriveLife, download your free copy of my new ebook: 6 Smart Moves To Your ThriveLife. Just click the button below.

#3 - When you’re ready to join a community of other busy 50+ Guys building their ThriveLives together, check out my new ThriveLife Transformation course. The ThriveLife Transformation guides you through a 30-day transformation process which includes online video training and daily support and assistance through our online community. Join alone or bring your friends. To learn more about the ThriveLife Transformation, click the button below.

Do You Know Somebody?

Do you know a 50+ Guy who’s struggling with their weight and fitness?

Please consider sharing this information with them. Just forward your copy of this email to them. Or, give them a free copy of my 6 Smart Moves ebook!

It might change their life!

(And remember, this works for Under-50 Guys, too!)

Thanks for reading this week.

I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of 50+ Guys and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week.

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