From: alexhormozi
Many entrepreneurs and individuals adhere to unusual dietary and fitness practices, often involving specific food restrictions, exercise routines, hydration methods, or “bio hacking” [00:00:30]. However, these approaches are often considered “complete make believe” and a “farce” primarily designed to sell products [00:00:44].
The Reality of Dieting
Despite various popular dieting and nutrition strategies like keto, low-fat diets, portion control, or intermittent fasting, they all operate on one fundamental principle: reducing overall calorie intake [00:04:10].
- Keto Diet: Eliminates carbohydrates, resulting in fewer calories consumed [00:04:10].
- Low-Fat Diet: Eliminates fats, also leading to a reduction in calories [00:04:27].
- Portion Control: Involves eating smaller amounts of all macronutrients, which reduces total calories [00:04:35].
- Intermittent Fasting: Reduces the number of meals per day, thereby decreasing total daily calories [00:04:43].
Ultimately, the effectiveness of any diet comes down to creating a calorie deficit [00:05:09]. “It’s all horseshit, it’s just calories” [00:05:09]. People often struggle with diets because they fail to maintain this calorie deficit, sometimes by overcompensating with other foods (e.g., excessive consumption of butter or ribeye steaks on a keto diet) [00:05:42]. No one is “immune to a calorie deficit” – if you eat nothing long enough, you will lose weight [00:14:22].
A Simple Approach to Nutrition
For 99% of people, maintaining fitness and desired body composition involves understanding just two key numbers: daily calorie intake and daily protein intake [00:06:12].
1. Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
Your daily calorie target depends on your current body weight and your goal (e.g., maintaining, losing, or gaining weight) [00:06:38]. A simple formula is:
- Body Weight (lbs) x Goal Multiplier [00:06:38]
- Fast Weight Loss: Body Weight x 10 (e.g., 200 lbs x 10 = 2000 calories) [00:06:56]
- Moderate Weight Loss: Body Weight x 11 (e.1., 200 lbs x 11 = 2200 calories) [00:10:16]
- Maintenance (higher end): Body Weight x 15 (e.g., 200 lbs x 15 = 3000 calories) [00:06:43]
- Extreme Weight Gain: Body Weight x 21 [00:07:37]
- Extreme Weight Loss: Body Weight x 7 [00:07:43]
This is a starting point; if you’re not seeing the desired results, you can always adjust your calorie intake [00:07:26].
2. Determine Your Protein Intake
Your daily protein consumption should be roughly one gram per pound of your body weight [00:08:36].
- Body Weight (lbs) x 1 gram = Protein (grams) per day [00:08:36]
- Example: A 200-pound individual needs 200 grams of protein [00:08:43].
Protein Source Equivalency: Approximately 100 grams of protein is equivalent to one pound of lean meat [00:08:50]. Therefore, a 200-pound individual would aim to consume about two pounds of lean meat per day [00:08:57]. This can include various lean proteins like shrimp, tilapia, tenderloin, flank steak, top round, top sirloin, or chicken breast [00:09:18].
3. Calculate Remaining “Flexible” Calories
Once you have your total daily calorie target and your protein grams, you can determine how many calories are left for other foods [00:10:01].
- Calculate Calories from Protein: Multiply your protein grams by 5 (this accounts for the small amount of fat typically found even in lean protein sources) [00:10:09].
- Example: 200 grams of protein x 5 = 1000 calories from protein [00:11:08].
- Subtract Protein Calories from Total Calories: The remaining calories are yours to consume from “whatever the hell I want” [00:11:23].
- Example: 2200 total calories - 1000 calories from protein = 1200 flexible calories [00:11:18].
This approach emphasizes consuming enough protein first to protect muscle mass, and then filling the remaining calorie allowance with preferred foods [00:11:56]. This allows for daily enjoyment of treats like ice cream or cookies while still achieving fitness goals [00:01:50].
The Power of Flexibility
This method, often referred to as flexible eating and understanding body type, ensures sustainability because nothing is forbidden [00:13:02]. When desired foods are eaten regularly, they stop being “special,” reducing the compulsive need to overeat that often arises from strict restriction [00:13:23]. This eliminates the concept of “cheat days” because you can incorporate your favorite foods into your daily routine [00:13:12].
This approach allows individuals to maintain a desired physique for decades, as demonstrated by the speaker who has maintained a six-pack for nearly 20 years while consuming ice cream and other treats daily [00:01:46]. It counters the common mistakes keeping people poor by providing a straightforward, sustainable path to maintaining fitness with simple nutrition, contrasting with complex, often ineffective “biohacking” trends prevalent among some entrepreneurs [00:14:40].