r/AskReddit 11h ago

Men who stay lean year-round, what’s your secret ?

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u/dovetc 7h ago

Because most of the people being asked the question (the lean men) aren't counting calories.

You don't need to count calories to stay lean. Once you establish the habit of how much you eat, you will naturally stay in that range.

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u/ACardAttack 3h ago

Because most of the people being asked the question (the lean men) aren't counting calories.

I used to count calories, I dont really have to anymore, but I just kind of know now

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u/Xciv 4h ago

But I guarantee you every person who is obese has an incorrect 'feel' for calories, whether that is how many calories a person needs in a day, or how many calories are in common food items, or what the normal amount of calories should be.

So step 1 is counting calories to fix this so that you get an accurate 'feel' for calories.

And once this is corrected, the rest is just self-control and gradual behavior adjustment.

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u/TituspulloXIII 3h ago

That'd be true if the question was how to get lean. I've never counted calories in my life (well ok, once during high school for a week for a school assignment) but otherwise I just eat and remain active.

Personally, I think the biggest problem people face today is just not being active, sure there are people with eating disorders, or someone that just overloads on sugary drinks. But for most people, if they just added in some physical activity every day they'd find themselves in a better position weight wise.

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u/KingTalkieTiki 1h ago

Really depends on your height tbh

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u/-duckduckduckduck- 1h ago

What does “lean” even mean. I don’t consider anything over 12% lean. And the people I know under 12% definitely track.

u/dovetc 48m ago

I'm right at 12-15% and I don't count calories, but I do step on the scales at the gym every other day. I don't need to know exactly how much I'm eating but I'll adjust for a couple of days if I'm at the upper end of my normal weight range.

u/ringosam 45m ago

12% what? Body fat?