The ONLY “How to Get Lean” Video You Need!

Summary

In this video, Jeff Cavalier from athletes.com addresses the common struggle with nutrition and weight loss. He emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach over restrictive diets, suggesting a focus on lean proteins, fibrous carbs, and healthy fats while avoiding alcohol and excessive sugars. Jeff also highlights the significance of adequate sleep, regular strength training, and cardio for long-term success in body composition and health. His strategy encourages building self-control through positive habits rather than deprivation, promising a sustainable way to achieve and maintain a lean physique.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♂️ Increase Protein Intake: Aim for 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle growth and satiety.
• 💪 Incorporate Strength Training: Engage in weight and resistance training to build lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity.
• 🏃‍♂️ Add Cardio Conditioning: Include at least two sessions of cardio per week to burn additional calories and improve long-term fat loss.
• 🌙 Prioritize Sleep: Quality sleep is crucial for metabolic health and recovery; aim for an adequate amount tailored to individual needs.
• 🚫 Avoid Extreme Deprivation: Long-term success in nutrition is not about completely cutting out certain food groups but finding a balanced approach.
• 🍽️ Practice Portion Control: Use the fullness from protein intake to help control starchy carbohydrate portions and prevent overeating.
• 🥗 Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods: Emphasize whole foods like chicken, beef, fish, fibrous carbs, vegetables, and fruits for a healthy diet.
• ☕️ Limit Stimulants: Coffee and tea are acceptable, but alcohol and high-sugar content should be minimized for better weight management.
• 💧 Stay Hydrated: Water consumption is essential for overall health and can aid in appetite control and digestion.
• 🤸‍♂️ Commit to Consistency: Consistent effort in diet and exercise is key to achieving and maintaining a lean physique.
• 🔄 Develop Self-Control: Use positive lifestyle changes to naturally foster self-control, making it easier to manage cravings and avoid overindulgence.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Jeff Cavalier's video on nutrition?

The main focus of Jeff Cavalier's video is to provide a solution to the common struggle with nutrition, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach rather than strict deprivation, and to explain why traditional diet plans might not be sustainable in the long term.

How does Jeff Cavalier define 'nutrition' as opposed to 'diet'?

Jeff Cavalier defines 'nutrition' as a holistic approach to what and when you eat throughout the entire day, not just during a specific time or meal, which is what a 'diet' typically implies.

According to Jeff, what are the basic food groups one should focus on for a healthy nutrition plan?

Jeff suggests focusing on chicken, beef, fish, fibrous carbs like vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus), fruit, coffee, tea, and water.

What are the three main things that Jeff believes people often focus on depriving themselves of when trying to lose weight?

The three main things people often deprive themselves of are dietary fats, alcohol, and starchy carbohydrates.

Why does Jeff believe that targeting dietary fats can be detrimental to health?

Jeff believes targeting dietary fats can be detrimental because fats are essential for various bodily functions, including maintaining cellular membranes, and a lack of dietary fat can lead to health issues like sensitivity to light due to disrupted cellular membranes.

What is Jeff's recommendation for protein intake for those looking to build muscle and lose fat?

Jeff recommends increasing protein intake to 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight to support muscle building and satiety, which can help control overall calorie intake.

How does Jeff suggest incorporating strength training and conditioning into a fitness routine?

Jeff suggests doing strength training or resistance training at least three times a week and incorporating cardio conditioning two times a week.

What role does sleep play in overall health and weight management according to Jeff?

Sleep plays a crucial role in overall health and weight management as it improves the body's metabolic efficiency, helps in recovery, and prevents the negative effects of sleep deprivation, such as increased cortisol levels and body fat accumulation.

How does Jeff propose reintroducing the three restricted items (fats, alcohol, starchy carbs) without leading to overindulgence?

Jeff suggests that by focusing on doing positive things like increasing protein intake, weight training, conditioning, and getting quality sleep, these items can be reintroduced in a controlled manner without overindulgence, as the body's metabolic and satiety mechanisms will be better regulated.

What is Jeff's view on the importance of self-control in relation to a sustainable nutrition plan?

Jeff believes that self-control is essential for a sustainable nutrition plan but emphasizes that it should come from doing positive actions that lead to visible results and motivation, rather than from the fear of negative consequences.

What is Jeff's final promise to his audience regarding the effectiveness of the nutrition approach he outlines in the video?

Jeff promises that by adopting the outlined nutrition approach, which focuses on positive actions and balanced reintroduction of restricted items, viewers will achieve their physical goals and will not need to seek out another diet plan or eating video ever again.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ The Challenge of Long-Term Lean Nutrition

Jeff Cavalier from athletes.com discusses the difficulty of maintaining a lean physique through nutrition. He emphasizes that unlike exercise, which is a daily one-hour commitment, nutrition requires commitment throughout all waking hours. He introduces a simple diet plan suggested by Dr. Andrew Huberman, which includes lean proteins, fibrous carbs, fruits, and excludes alcohol and high sugar. Jeff acknowledges the challenge of deprivation in such a diet and suggests that focusing on the right things, like increasing protein intake and incorporating strength training and cardio, can lead to better control over nutrition without the need for strict deprivation.

05:00

🍽️ Rethinking Deprivation: A Balanced Approach to Nutrition

The speaker suggests a shift in focus from what to avoid in nutrition to what should be incorporated for a balanced approach. He recommends increasing protein intake to 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight to promote muscle growth and satiety. Additionally, he advocates for a combination of weight training and cardio conditioning, at least three times a week, to increase metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity. The paragraph also touches on the importance of sleep for metabolic health and the role of self-control in reintroducing certain foods without overindulging.

10:01

💤 Achieving Consistency Through Positive Lifestyle Changes

In the final paragraph, Jeff Cavalier outlines the benefits of a consistent approach to nutrition and fitness. He explains how focusing on positive actions like protein intake, strength training, cardio conditioning, and quality sleep can lead to self-motivation and improved body composition. Jeff stresses that self-control comes from rewarding oneself with visible progress rather than from fear of negative consequences. He concludes by asserting that this method can be a long-term solution for maintaining a lean and healthy physique without the need for constant dietary changes or deprivation.

Keywords

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process by which the body obtains and utilizes the nutrients it requires to function properly. In the video, it is the central theme, with the speaker emphasizing the importance of a well-balanced diet for maintaining a lean physique. The script mentions the struggle people face with nutrition and how it is integral to achieving and maintaining a desired body weight and appearance.

💡Lean

Being 'lean' in the context of the video means having a low body fat percentage, which is often associated with a fit and toned appearance. The speaker discusses how he is an expert at not only achieving a lean physique but also maintaining it, which is a key message of the video.

💡Diet Plan

A diet plan is a structured approach to eating that outlines what, when, and how much to consume with the goal of achieving specific health or fitness objectives. The video critiques common diet plans and suggests a shift in focus from restrictive eating to incorporating healthier habits that are sustainable in the long term.

💡Portion Control

Portion control is the practice of limiting the amount of food one eats to manage calorie intake and promote weight management. The script suggests that by focusing on certain food groups, portion control can be more naturally achieved without the need for strict dieting.

💡Protein Intake

Protein intake is the consumption of adequate amounts of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. The video emphasizes increasing protein intake to 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight to support muscle development and satiety, which can aid in weight management.

💡Strength Training

Strength training involves exercises that improve muscular strength, endurance, and size. In the video, it is recommended as a part of a comprehensive fitness routine to increase lean muscle mass, which in turn boosts metabolism and supports a lean physique.

💡Conditioning

Conditioning in the context of fitness refers to activities that improve overall physical performance, often through cardio or endurance exercises. The script mentions incorporating conditioning exercises, such as cardio, to increase calorie burn and contribute to long-term weight management.

💡Sleep

Sleep is vital for overall health and well-being, and the video highlights its importance in metabolic function and recovery. The speaker advises prioritizing sleep to improve body efficiency and prevent negative effects such as increased body fat accumulation, especially around the midsection.

💡Self-Control

Self-control is the ability to regulate one's actions and impulses. The video suggests that self-control in diet and lifestyle is developed through positive behaviors and habits, rather than through deprivation or negative reinforcement. It is portrayed as a key to long-term success in maintaining a lean physique.

💡Starchy Carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates are a type of complex carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta. The video discusses the challenge of eliminating these satisfying foods from one's diet and suggests that they can be part of a balanced nutrition plan without compromising weight management goals.

💡Dietary Fats

Dietary fats are a macronutrient essential for various bodily functions, including hormone production and cell membrane structure. The script shares a personal anecdote about the negative effects of severely restricting fats and suggests that a balanced approach to including healthy fats is preferable for long-term health.

Highlights

Jeff Cavalier emphasizes the importance of a consistent nutrition plan over a temporary diet to achieve and maintain a lean physique.

The 24-hour day is broken down to illustrate the commitment required for nutrition beyond just one hour of exercise.

Dr. Andrew Huberman's simple weight loss method is introduced, focusing on consuming lean proteins, fibrous carbs, and avoiding alcohol and high sugar.

The concept of built-in portion control through consuming filling foods like proteins and vegetables is discussed.

The long-term sustainability of restrictive diets is questioned, with deprivation leading to potential failure.

Fats are highlighted as a misunderstood macronutrient, essential for health and not the primary target for calorie deprivation.

A ranking system for ease of cutting down on dietary components is presented, with fats being the easiest, followed by alcohol, and starches being the most difficult.

The importance of focusing on positive dietary habits rather than restrictions is stressed for better long-term adherence.

Increasing protein intake to 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight is recommended for muscle building and satiety.

The benefits of strength training and conditioning for increasing metabolic rate and insulin sensitivity are explained.

Sleep quality is identified as a crucial factor for metabolic health and body composition.

The role of self-control in reintroducing restricted foods in a controlled manner is discussed.

The video suggests that consistency in a nutrition plan comes from adopting a sustainable approach rather than strict deprivation.

Jeff shares his personal experience with dietary fats and the importance of choosing healthy fats over fried foods.

The video concludes with a promise that adopting the suggested approach will eliminate the need for future diet plans or videos.

A call to action is made for viewers to subscribe and turn on notifications for more content on getting and staying in shape.

Transcripts

what's up guys Jeff Cavalier

athletes.com I know how tough nutrition

can be people write to me all the time

and they say Jeff what can I do to get

my diet in check CU I'm not sure how to

lose enough fat or enough weight to look

the way I want guys if there's one thing

that I know how to do it's to be lean

it's to get lean and not just that more

importantly it's stay lean I'm going to

show you today and prove to you exactly

why you might be thinking of all this

the wrong way and give you a solution so

that this might be the last video you

ever ever need in terms of how to lose

and how to approach a nutrition plan all

right and I say nutrition not diet for a

key reason now what do these lines up

here represent these represent the 24

hours in a day that you and I have okay

now let's say that we're doing well and

we're sleeping for seven of those hours

okay now if I were to ask you to work

out because I'm going to that's part of

the equation here is you got to work out

and I mean strength train maybe you get

yourself to the gym to do that and it's

just one hour a day it's somewhere in

that part of the day whatever mightbe

you're training later it doesn't matter

but when you talk about nutrition it's

not just getting the dedication and

commitment to show up for that one hour

a day it's making sure that you have the

dedication and commitment to do the

right thing in every single other waking

hour of the day that's a much larger

commitment hence why people fail quite

often when they're trying to do the

right thing when it comes to nutrition

why we can't get our weight under

control so what do we have to do about

this big commitment cuz actually some of

us even extend this into the nighttime

hours getting up in the middle of night

and eating it's a problem well I think

we're focusing on the wrong thing so

what is the right thing well a good

friend of mine Dr Andrew huberman he

talks about a method for losing weight

and it really is simple right this is

not complicated I didn't say it was easy

but it's not complicated simple and he

says in a diet plan if you just focused

on the following things right eating

chicken

beef fish fibrous carbs right vegetables

cauliflower broccoli asparagus fruit

unlimited

amounts coffee tea and water now what's

missing from this no alcohol right

obviously very low sugar but if you were

to just do this you're going to lose

weight there's no doubt about it it

works every single time you're you're

actually built-in portion control here

you're not going to eat 10 steaks you're

not going to eat 10 fillets of fish

you're not going to have tons and tons

of vegetables they'll fill you up too

fast and don't worry about fruit guys

it's so calorically low eating in five

bananas is not going to make you fat

okay given the rest of your diet here

however the problem is there's a lot of

deprivation in this right so what my

problem is that over time while it will

work will it work long term and likely

the answer is no and a lot of the

restrictions are based around again we

mentioned

alcohol and carbs or really starchy

carbs right probably put like starchy

carbs okay and I'll throw another one in

here that not presid and Dr human's diet

recommendation there but my own and that

would be

fats right because a lot of times we

choose fats to be the the target of our

calorie deprivation to lose weight and I

was someone that did this myself I did

that to my own demise as a younger guy

in my early 20s I thought that targeting

dietary fats was the way to go to get

low body fat and I paid the price dearly

couldn't even see outside because the

sun was too bright I was disrupting L

cellular membranes in my body CU I

didn't have enough dietary fat not the

right way to go but if I were to rank

these three things in terms of their

ease of cutting them down I'd start

right there and say that dietary fats

are going to be the ones that you and I

could probably most live with because

there's swaps that we can live with if I

said hey no fish and chips but you can

have samon you could probably live with

that if I said to you hey no fetuccini

Alfredo tons of cream sauce but you can

have pasta with red sauce you could

probably live with that once again

because the carbs are involved or if I

said to you no zesty creamy ranch

dressing would could have olive oil and

vinegar you could probably live with

that too you can live with cutting back

the fats and it's going to help you

because of the overloading calories that

we get on a gram per gram basis with

with fat it's nine calories per gram

okay great the second easiest thing is

going to be alcohol now I say second

easiest because you're going to say

right off the bat but you don't really

need to drink alcohol and as someone who

has never really drank alcohol at all

it's easy for me to say but I also

respect and understand the fact that a

lot of people out there watching this do

like to drink for a variety of reasons

just like to drink socially or they like

to drink at at celebrations like there's

a lot of reason to have alcohol as part

of your normal diet plan and I think

that it's something that we're going to

have a struggle with if I tell you you

can't do this at all ever again in order

to remain lean the third thing and the

most important thing and the most

difficult thing you're going to have a

hard time with is getting starchy

carbohydrates out because not only from

the perspective of a of a trainer for

lead athletes I'm going to tell you it's

a very important part of fueling their

performance but beyond that they're the

most satisfying Foods they're the ones

that We crave the most and they don't

all have to be bad we're not talking

about highly processed carbohydrates

things like sweet potatoes things like

rice pastas as I mentioned they're not

things that we necessarily want to avoid

or take completely out of our nutrition

plan now I'll ask you a question if I

gave you a choice of one or the other if

I said hey you can either take avocados

out of your diet forever or you could

take bread out your diet forever which

one are you going to say likely even

those that like avocado would probably

say but I really need my bread I don't

think this is where you want to go

however I think what you need is a

different approach and that is let's not

focus over here right now let's focus on

the things that we need to start doing

the things that will help these things

become much more controllable because if

all you ever try to do is control the

things that you can't do don't do this

don't do that don't do this it becomes

the thing that becomes more the object

object of your obsession even more and

it makes it harder and harder for you to

not do those things so what do I want

you to do here's what I need you to do

first thing protein I need you to

increase your protein intake okay now

what does that mean 1 to 1.2 grams per

pound of body weight because I'm

assuming that you want to build muscle

you want to look good you don't want to

lose weight but you want to look good

too so 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per

pound of body weight 200 lb person

that's 200 g of protein at a minimum

next thing

I want you to start training I mentioned

it before but training comes in two

different forms I want you to do weight

training right strength training

resistance resistance training and I

want you to do conditioning

cardio okay I want you to do this about

three times a week at a minimum for the

weight training I want you to do

conditioning two times a week sleep I

want you to

sleep it's not really a big ask right we

all like to sleep at the end of the

night but I want you to get good quality

sleep and I want you to Prior Iz sleep

I'm not going to make a recommendation

and say you need to get S hours of sleep

a night because I really do believe that

there are people out there that don't

need the same amount of sleep as others

I think that we can adequately recover

have good energy throughout the rest of

the day or the next day and I have it be

at a level of let's say six hours versus

eight hours for somebody else I think

this is a very individualistic number

but I think we all can agree that there

is a bottom lower threshold that you

don't want to try to fool yourself into

thinking you can get away with because I

tried to do that too for a while I

thought that no 5 hours is enough for me

I think you need to prioritize your

sleep that means going to bed a little

bit earlier each night even if it means

for going for me you know a West Coast

basketball game that I want to watch to

make sure I get that sleep in all right

so now here's where the magic happens if

you focus on doing the good stuff right

if you focus on the things you can do

these things become a lot more allowable

and capable of being controlled cuz the

one thing that's missing here is you're

still going to need self control or some

degree of

self-control to reintroduce these things

CU you're going to want to reintroduce

them remember nothing long term is going

to succeed if it's based on depriving

yourself completely of these three

things I'm not saying you have to

deprive yourself in order to be lean and

not to mention to maintain Optimal

Health you have to have these two

especially so the selfcontrol comes in

the following way if you increase your

protein intake the first thing that

happens is the satiety that sets in in

the meals that you have you want to

spread this across every single meal

that you have in the day so some amount

of protein you can take that total

amount that you calculated before

divided by the number of meals you're

eating three four five or six that's the

amount of protein you want to have each

meal that's going to help you with your

starchy carbohydrate intake because the

satisfaction that comes from eating the

protein the fullness that you get is

going to help control the portion sizes

of the starchy carbohydrates knowing

that you're still eating the vegetables

we cover that in a whole plate division

technique video that I can link at the

end of this one if you want to know

specifically how to do that the next

thing is even if you had to let's say

you bought your protein which we

actually have a tremendous protein

powder at athletex you would have a

financial commitment to the goal so now

you're thinking okay I got to make sure

I use the thing that's sitting on my

counter there to actually put to use

what I paid for now weight training what

does weight training do weight training

increases the amount of lean muscle mass

the more lean muscle tissue you have

guess what you have a greater Depot for

carbohydrates it's like increasing the

storage space of your Warehouse now

you've got more room to store the amount

of muscle that you carry makes you more

metabolically active throughout every

single day so your basil metabolic rate

will go up the amount of calories that

you burn just sitting down is going to

be higher if you carry more muscle mass

that's going to allow you to increase

calories from any Source here calories

from alcohol calories from starchy

carbohydrates calories from fats the

other thing that comes also from the

weight training is with more

metabolically active tissue from muscle

you're going to have a higher insulin

sensitivity so your reaction to the

carbohydrates is not even as severe

better blood sugar control conditioning

conditioning is going to also increase

the number of calories that you burn

just in a single session now they're not

mindblowing numbers if you're not doing

this for a long period of time or at a

super high level of intensity but they

contribute in the long term and if you

start to introduce two sessions of

cardio conditioning in a week that you

haven't been doing it all up till now

you're going to acrew a lot of calories

over the course of the Year meaning

you're going to be able to offset any of

the reintroduction of these things that

you're really having a hard time

avoiding right now and sleep sleep we

know will improve a lot of things sleep

is going to improve our entire body's

efficiency metabolically we know that

when you deprive someone of sleep

metabolically they see some negative

effects to the point where they start to

accumulate more body fat especially

around the midsection when their sleep

is impaired mostly because of impact on

cortisol so all the positive effects

that come from here allow for these

things to be

reintroduced you don't have to deprive

yourself your long-term success relies

on these things somehow being present to

the amounts that you require to keep

your sanity but at the same time have to

have that element of self-control to

prevent overdoing it the self-control is

going to come from doing the positive

thing not from taking away or

threatening yourself with the

repercussions of the negative that's not

how you develop self-control when you

start to do these things I promise you

instantly you're going to see changes in

body composition that when you look in

the mirror you're going to be rewarded

for you're going to like what you see

and the fact that you bought a protein

pattern that you showed up at the gym

and put in the effort that you showed up

at the gym again and put in the effort

that you got to bed early all those

things that you know you're putting in

the effort for you're getting rewarded

for by simply looking in the mirror and

reaching the goals you haven't been able

to reach till to this point and when you

get that you become motivated and the

motivation becomes self- motivating to

where that self-control becomes much

more possible and when you have self

control you're not going to have an

issue with these things I've been eating

carbs for 30 years lots of them I don't

have an issue with overeating them I

have healthy fats now back in my diet

I'm a lot healthier because of it I

don't overeat them I choose the right

types of fats I don't go for the fried

foods I I I realize that that's not the

way to get to where I want to be and

when you find that solution guys that is

the long-term fix I promise you I I

promise you there's no magic I've done

nothing magical here I'd never taken a

steroid i' never taken a drug I don't

need assistance to do what I do I

literally am locked in here people

always wonder how do you do it through

unbelievable consistency but the

consistency doesn't come from being some

kind of a robot or or a cyborg that can

do these things that others can't it

came from the fact that I adopted a plan

that actually worked for me I'm still

able to reward myself in the ways that I

need to reward myself mentally but I

still allow myself to achieve the things

that I want to achieve physically and

when I get to that point that you can

too all this going to become simp guys

and I promise you you'll never ever have

to seek out a diet plan another eating

video ever again because this is how you

get there the right approach by flipping

how you're thinking about things is

going to get you where you need to be if

you're looking for a meal plan guys and

and how we do this day by day

specifically meal by meal you can either

check out the video I'm going to link

that shows you my eating plan or you can

actually get the full eating plan over

at aex.com if you're looking for more

videos about how to get in shape and

stay in shape forever guys that's what

this channel is about make sure you

click subscribe turn your notifications

never miss a video when we put one out

all right guys see you soon try this I

promise you it will work