Hello, I hope you’re having a great day 👍🏼
Looks like you came here for a guide, so here it is.
This is your no-fluff, step-by-step roadmap to losing fat, building muscle, or improving body composition. No gimmicks, no guesswork — just the stuff that actually works.
Step 1: Choose the Right Goal
Start by defining what you’re actually trying to do. There are three main options:
-
Lose Fat – Eat in a calorie deficit, drop weight gradually. Keeping or building a little muscle is a nice bonus.
-
Build Muscle – Eat in a calorie surplus, gain weight gradually. Try not to turn into a stick of butter in the process.
-
Recomp – Eat at maintenance and aim to slowly trade fat for muscle. You won’t see wild swings on the scale, but your body will change.
How do you know which one’s right for you?
Take a look in the mirror. No judgment. Just figure out what needs the most attention.
-
If fat loss is the obvious need → cut.
-
If building muscle is clearly the priority → bulk.
-
If you’re a beginner and not sure → start with a recomp.
Step 2: Estimate Your Maintenance Calories
Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the number of calories it takes to maintain your weight.
You have two easy ways to estimate it:
-
Google “TDEE calculator” and pick one. It doesn’t matter which.
-
DIY method: Multiply your body weight by 14–16.
-
Low activity? Use 14.
-
High steps/movement? Use 16.
-
Not sure? Split the difference.
-
So, if you weigh 167lbs and are not sure about your activity, you will take 167×15=2,505 calories.
The goal isn’t perfection here — it’s getting close enough to move forward.
Step 3: Set Your Calories for Your Goal
Now tweak that number based on your goal:
-
Fat Loss: Subtract 20%.
E.g., 2500 maintenance → eat 2000/day. -
Muscle Gain: Add ~200 calories.
2500 maintenance → eat 2700/day. -
Recomp: Stay exactly at maintenance.
2500 maintenance → eat 2500/day.
Step 4: Set Your Protein Intake
This one’s easy:
-
Aim for 0.7g+ of protein per pound of your current body weight.
-
If you’re carrying a lot of extra weight, do 0.7g+ of protein for your GOAL WEIGHT not your current weight.
Example would be if you weigh 160lbs you would eat at least 112g of protein per day.
You can go higher, but don’t go lower. Protein isn’t optional.
Step 5: Don’t Obsess Over Carbs and Fat
Calories and protein are the main characters. Carbs and fat are supporting roles.
As long as neither is dangerously low, let them fill in your remaining calories however feels best.
Want numbers?
-
Fat: 20–30% of total calories
-
Carbs: whatever’s left
But if you’d rather not overthink it, just focus on calories + protein and move on.
Step 6: Pick the Right Rate of Progress
-
Fat loss: Aim to lose 0.3–1% of your body weight per week.
Sweet spot? ~0.5–0.7%. -
Muscle gain: Shoot for 1–3 lbs per month.
Sweet spot? 1–2 lbs. -
Recomp: Stay within a few pounds of your current weight.
Slow, quiet progress is the name of the game.
Step 7: Track Your Weight the Smart Way
Daily weight fluctuations are normal. Here’s how to track it properly:
-
Weigh yourself every morning, same time, same conditions (ideally naked, post-bathroom).
-
Log it.
-
Ignore it.
-
At the end of each week, average the numbers.
-
Only pay attention to that weekly average trend over 4+ weeks.
Everything else is noise. Don’t chase the noise.
Step 8: Adjust Calories If Needed
-
If progress matches your goal → keep going.
-
If it’s too fast or too slow → adjust calories up or down by a few hundred.
-
Then reassess after another 4+ weeks.
It’s not instant. Give it time.
Step 9: Eat Mostly Good Food… Most of the Time
80–90% of your intake should come from high-quality, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods.
That leaves 10–20% for the stuff that makes life worth living (hello, cookies).
This balance keeps you sane, consistent, and on track long term.
Step 10: Lift Weights 3–5x Per Week
-
Minimum: 2x/week
-
Most people: 3–5x/week
-
Overachievers: 6x/week is for true advanced lifters (you probably aren’t one… yet)
Good places to start:
-
Beginners: Try a 3-Day Full Body or 4-Day Upper/Lower Split.
-
Intermediate/Advanced: Push/Pull/Legs, or a 5-day Muscle Building plan.
Pick something you can actually stick with.
Step 11: Sleep & Stress Matter More Than You Think
Sleep and stress wreck more progress than missed workouts.
-
Sleep: Get 7+ hours a night.
-
Stress: Reduce what you can, manage what you can’t.
Your body only thrives when your brain isn’t fried.
Step 12: Move. Walk. Repeat.
Aim for 7,000+ steps a day.
-
8,000–10,000 is ideal.
-
7,000 is the practical minimum.
It’s free cardio, good for recovery, and great for your brain.
Step 13: Do Cardio (But Not for Fat Loss)
Cardio is not the fat-loss king you think it is. Diet is.
Do cardio because:
-
It’s good for your heart.
-
It helps with recovery.
-
It boosts mood.
90 minutes a week of Zone 2 cardio is a solid start. Walking, cycling, light jogging — pick your poison.
Yes, these minutes count toward your daily steps.
Step 14: You’re Going to Screw Up. That’s Fine.
At some point, you’ll:
-
Overeat
-
Miss a workout
-
Lose motivation
-
Go off-plan entirely
It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting back on track the next day — not the next month.
One bad day (or week) doesn’t ruin progress. Quitting because of it does.
Step 15: Beware the BS
There’s no shortage of garbage out there on the wild wild web.
Expect to see:
-
Myths
-
Scams
-
Snake oil
-
Bad advice from “influencers”
And a rotating cast of clueless coaches and shady supplement peddlers.
Stay sharp. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably comes with a coupon code.
Step 16: Forget Motivation. Build Discipline.
Motivation is fickle. It comes and goes.
Progress comes from discipline — doing what needs to be done especially when you don’t feel like it.
That’s how goals get met.
Step 17: Stay the Course
This stuff works. It’s not always exciting, and it’s rarely flashy — but it’s effective.
-
Set a clear goal.
-
Eat for that goal.
-
Train consistently.
-
Sleep like it matters.
-
Move more than you sit.
-
Adjust as needed.
-
Repeat.
Do it for 6+ months. You’ll be shocked how far you get.
Not seeing progress? You’re either not tracking accurately, not being honest with yourself, or not giving it enough time. Fix that before looking for something new.
Final Thoughts
Most people fail not because the plan didn’t work — but because they didn’t stick with it long enough to let it work.
If you follow the steps in this guide, you will:
✅ Lose fat
✅ Build muscle
✅ Improve your body composition
✅ Stop spinning your wheels
It’s not magic. It’s math, muscle, and momentum.
And if you ever get lost along the way, come back here. This is your treasure map.
