When Your Food Is Right, Everything Gets Easier

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Hey Brothers,

It’s Len Denton here. For us 50+ Guys, the usual fitness advice often misses the mark. We’ve all heard the same old lines: "Hit the gym harder!" or "Just go on a diet!" But if you’re like most busy 50+ Guys, you've probably tried that path, and it led to frustration, not lasting results.

Here’s the truth: The real secret to lasting weight loss and fitness is found in the kitchen, not the gym! To get lighter, fitter, and healthier faster, the secret is to focus on your food - on improving your diet.

Why? Because exercise, while vital for strength and stamina, accounts for only 10-20% of your daily calorie burn. Your body burns most calories through basic functions, digesting food, and non-exercise movements. The calories you torch at the gym are actually a smaller piece of the puzzle. For busy 50+ Guys, focusing on dietary changes—reducing processed foods and prioritizing whole foods—can yield significant weight loss without spending hours every week at the gym.

This means you have a much better opportunity to impact your weight loss through your diet than through your exercise. It’s simply more effective to avoid calories than to try working them off. Trying to out-exercise a bad diet is a path to frustration and failure.

That’s why I’ve been a food-first guy for more than 10 years! Back in 2014, I lost 70 pounds in 7 months following this exact food-first approach. And I’m still going strong today. I’ve kept the weight off for the entire ten years. There were no crazy diets, no hunger, just plenty of good food, coupled with reasonable exercise.

Your Path to Food-First Fitness

So, how can you effectively put the Food-First approach to work for you? I recommend that you start with four quick, simple steps. This will get you moving in the right direction, and help you start losing weight right away. 

Step 1 - Exit the Red Zone 

Food is fuel, but all calories are NOT the same. Some foods cause you to gain weight much faster than others. We need to get rid of these bad calories and replace them with healthier ones. The first key step is to Exit the Red Zone. These are the foods that cause blood glucose spikes, leading to excess fat storage, Type-2 diabetes, and heart disease. Here are the 6 Red Zone foods to cut out ASAP:

• Sugar

• White Flour

• White Rice

• White Potatoes

• Corn

• High Fructose Corn Syrup:

It’s important to note that this isn’t about radical calorie restriction or feeling deprived. Our brains naturally fight deprivation by slowing metabolism. Instead, our goal is to eat smarter by following three simple principles:

• Eliminate bad Red Zone calories: These cause fat accumulation and weight gain.

• Replace them with good calories from whole foods: These fuel your body, help you feel satisfied, and even boost your metabolic burn.

• Avoid deprivation: By replacing, not restricting, your body stays fueled and satisfied.

By systematically removing these bad calories and replacing them with whole, nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, vegetables, and natural oils, you’ll start to see weight loss and improved energy levels. You can get the full run-down on Eating Smarter here.

Step 2 - Start Moving

Motion is medicine! Humans are built to move. But, us modern types get only about one-fourth of the steps that our ancestors used to get every day. To increase the amount of motion you get every day, I suggest the following:

• Get 20-30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio every day. Zone 2 is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. For most guys, Zone 2 is a brisk, but comfortable  walk. Zone 2 cardio is also the best way to burn excess body fat.

• Get extra steps (150-250) every hour that you’re awake. This simply means to get up and walk around. It stimulates your metabolism and promotes fat burn as well.

• Take the stairs, walk or pace during phone calls, park further away to increase your daily step count.

Step 3 - Daily Meal Planning

It’s easier to avoid calories than it is to work them off! Burning 300 calories at the gym is an hour’s worth of intense work. You can avoid that same 300 calories with 5 minutes of planning in the morning.  It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just think about your daily schedule, then determine where your meals and calories will come from. Planning helps you ensure that you aren’t trapped with bad choices later in the day. Learn more about daily meal planning here.

Step 4 - Daily Weigh-ins

What gets measured gets managed! Today’s plate is tomorrow’s weight. A consistent daily weigh-in ritual is a great way to check in on your progress, and hold yourself accountable. Weighing every day at the same time, in the same way, ensures a consistent measurement. And, there are powerful psychological benefits of recording and visualizing your weight chart over time. Learn more about that here.

Smarter, Not Harder

Now, let’s bring all of this together. It's time to stop chasing weight loss exclusively in the gym and start winning the weight loss battle where it truly counts: in your kitchen. That’s because when you get the food part of your weight loss equation right, everything else (including the gym) becomes easier. 

You don’t need killer workouts. You don’t need to starve yourself. You don’t need injections.

You need a better diet.

And, you can do it the easy way by following these four steps. 

Build your ThriveLife!

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!)

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