07/28/2026
How Lean Do You Really Want to Be?
I have been talking with my clients about something we do not hear enough about: the cost of getting lean.
Improving your body composition does not usually require an extreme diet. A few realistic habits, practiced consistently over time, can make a meaningful difference.
🥤 Drink fewer sugary beverages and less alcohol.
🍰 Enjoy desserts and restaurant meals in reasonable amounts.
🍗 Build your meals around protein, produce, and mostly whole foods.
🚶♀️ Walk regularly and stay active throughout the day.
🏋️♀️ Strength train two or three times each week to protect and build muscle.
😴 Prioritize sleep and recovery.
But as you pursue lower and lower levels of body fat, the cost rises. It can require more planning, more restriction, less spontaneity, and sacrifices that may affect your energy, recovery, social life, and health.
So the question is not simply, “How lean do I want to be?”
It is also, “What am I willing to do consistently, and what am I not willing to give up?”
Precision Nutrition created an excellent infographic explaining these tradeoffs. Take a look and tell me what stands out to you.
Six-pack abs. Tight butts. Lean, vibrant, flawless health. That's the image the fitness industry is selling. But have you ever wondered what it costs to achieve that "look"? What you have to do more of? And what you really have to give up?
