How To Get “Toned” — Without Crash Dieting & Being Miserable
If I had a dollar for every new client discovery call form that said something like this:
And a few more for good measure…
I’ve had over 30 of these new client inquiries with dancers seeking help because they want to “tone up.”
What in the world does that even mean??
For most people, when they say “toned,” what they really mean is they want to have less body fat and more visible muscle. I have also noticed that a lot of people say “I want to look toned” when they are afraid to say, or feel like they can’t say, that they want to lose weight.
So first and foremost, if this is you, let me go ahead and give you permission…
It is okay to want to lose weight, because it’s YOUR BODY. You’re allowed to do whatever you want to do with your body. You’re in charge of it. No one else.
Now, back to the meaning of toned...
The word “toned” is kind of silly and a misnomer, so honestly just get that word out of your vocabulary. Looking toned happens when you build muscle and then reveal it by having less body fat. So, if that’s what you’re going for, I want you to learn a different term: hypertrophy.
Hypertrophy = growing the size of muscle
Here is how to “look toned” a.k.a. build muscle and reduce body fat:
1) LIFT WEIGHTS/DO RESISTANCE TRAINING TO BUILD MUSCLE
I’m not going to get into all the nitty gritty of lifting in this blog post, but the bottom line is you HAVE to do some kind of strength training to increase muscle mass. Guzzling a bunch of protein alone doesn’t magically make you gain muscle. Muscle growth occurs whenever the rate of muscle protein synthesis (producing new muscle protein) is greater than the rate of muscle protein breakdown. Resistance training stimulates muscle cell hypertrophy, resulting in strength gain.
I do want to address a few common myths you hear about lifting, especially in the dance world:
You can’t lengthen your muscles, you literally cannot make them longer. That’s not a thing. Muscles have a point of origin (where they start) and point of insertion (where they attach). These are fixed points that do not change.
Lifting weights does not automatically, inherently make you less flexible. If you lift with correct form using full range of motion, you can actually improve your mobility and flexibility.
If you start lifting heavy, you are not magically going to become bulky. It takes women YEARS of very heavy lifting and eating A LOT to be super muscular. And also women just don’t have enough testosterone to look like that.
2) EAT IN A SLIGHT CALORIE DEFICIT CONSISTENTLY OVER TIME
Emphasis on the word slight.
You don’t want to eat so few calories that you begin compromising muscle mass and bone health, or having super low energy, poor sleep, hormonal issues like irregular or missing periods, hair loss, etc.
People often make the mistake of trying to cut too many calories, going way too low, and it’s not sustainable.
If you are hungry all the time, or constantly thinking about food, or trying to suppress your hunger… you’re probably not eating enough.
As a general rule of thumb, losing 1 to 3 lbs per week is typically considered safe.
Tips for eating in a calorie deficit:
If you want to get a ballpark idea of how much you should be eating, there are a ton of online macro calculators, I prefer this one. But, just know that these are estimates. Your energy (a.k.a. calorie) needs can and will vary drastically day to day, which is why I’m always a big fan of getting really good at honoring your hunger and fullness cues as best you can.
Things to focus on (especially if you hate tracking food, counting macros/calories):
Increase protein → You probably do not need to eat your body weight in grams of protein (that is a LOT of protein). Start off by aiming for a palm-sized serving of protein with most meals, and including 10 to 20 grams of protein with most snacks.
Increase fiber → Aim for around 30 grams per day, give or take, but work your way up to this amount slowly if you’re not used to eating a ton of fiber to begin with. Some high fibers food that pack a punch include beans and lentils, chickpeas, chia seeds, berries, and oats.
Focus on real/whole foods most of the time → The reasoning is not just because these foods are “healthier” and packaged/processed foods are “not healthy,” but because whole foods are typically going to be more nutrient dense, more filling, and harder to over-eat (i.e. you’re probably more likely to mindlessly eat an entire bag of Goldfish, than you are to eat 3 apples with peanut butter).
Balance your plate with all 3 macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) + color/fiber → This will help you to feel more satisfied with your meal, stay more full and for longer between meals, and help you to have less cravings and more control over your appetite.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP → I cannot overstate the importance of this. Not sleeping enough will throw your hunger cues all out of whack and make you crave sweets or things you wouldn’t typically eat or aren’t the most supportive of your goals.
