Turo Virta: 1:06

Hey and welcome to another fit me Turo fitness podcast episode today, I'm talking about how the topic in especially this in January, there are so many people who are struggling to find some way to find a sustainable fat loss as it's very complicated, and I love to use as simple as it is, things that have worked for my clients and that this episode, I'm talking a little bit about my clients, what I have been currently doing, and what you could be starting to do to not make it too overwhelming and focusing only the most important things. So topic of this podcast, actually, I recently started to work one of one client called Patrick, one on one based and a little bit about his background. So he's he's a runner, but still have some belief at what he would like to lose. So he's his background. He's of cardio and eating mostly healthy, but still able to, not able to lose that last piece of belly fat, and now we started to work together. And until now, everything has been amazing. It's only speaking of the journey. But as Patrick, had so many questions, and a very good questions, because I love to answer questions. I love to explain the things why we are doing what we are doing. And in this episode and explaining what is, if you are overwhelmed with everything, what is going going on, as you might be following social media and there are, there is so much bad information, information that somebody is telling that you can eat X, somebody is telling that you can't eat more than 5x and somebody's saying that you should eat 20x so What to where to find that truth? What is the the middle line. And often this information, like I I explain it to Patrick, that if you think that the social media how it is done in this way, 2025 so if you think that what is the goal of each social media media platform. It could be Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok threads, YouTube, whatever social media platform you're using, their only goal is to keep you in their app as long as possible. So it doesn't matter what kind of information they are giving. They don't care if it's accurate information, if it's PS information, but the only goal is to keep you scrolling little bit longer. And the reason how, why you are scrolling longer is most likely like that you are seeing some controversial post like, for example, if you have heard about like, are you able to are ex healthy? And you might get nine posts of what you believe is true, and then one post what is totally opposite what you believe. So, for example, if you believe that XR could source of our protein, they are healthy. You should eat them. You might see nine posts of how eggs are great source of protein, and then one post where it says that x, you should never, ever eat eggs because they are causing some health issues like increased cholesterol levels and and that is, if you don't know, if you are not specialist in this area, it's very hard to know. I don't blame you. It's very hard to know to who you who you should believe, what information you should use in your fitness journey. And that's why I'm here to tell a little bit what I think and how you could learn, kind of use filters in that social media. So social media, like I said, the goal is to keep you in their app as long as possible. So and unfortunately, now, if I think like that, I would make post in Tiktok or in Instagram, that post that says that gives actionable tips, or very good tips, like, for example, you eat high protein diet for fat loss, it's only calorie deficit. This kind of information, I assume you already know, as if you have been listening my podcast, watching my social media, or following my work, but if I make just some regular post about it, it doesn't get a lot of attention. If I then post something like that, some headlines like that, this amount of X could kill you. You are getting a lot more attention, even the information is very or I would be lying for that information, but the outcome, I would get lot more attention. People are watching that video, I get lots of more views, maybe likes, maybe comments, even they wouldn't be probably lot of positive comments, as people are. I believe they are very educated in 2025 but the reason is that you get so much attention, and it's still even you put bad information out there, it's working a lot better than you use actually you put good information. And that's why I try to I don't care. I'm at that point in my business, in my coaching career, that I don't need that attention anymore. I my goal is to help you, to give you as good information as possible, and something what you can take action immediately. So I don't, I'm I'm okay. Attention even, obviously, it's my goal to build my business, build my following, get more coaching clients who are able to work even better way in either in my programs or one on one page, so whatever. But, of course, I would be lying, but it's not that success. It's always you come with the price, and my goal is not to make as much money as possible. It's to help as many people as possible with an accurate information, and that is that I have been when I started 2018 I think posting in social media, that has been my goal always, and I'm not going to change it. So Patrick was very, very worried about what is, what is accurate information, what you should actually be doing, and because, as he was already eating relatively Healthy, working out, it's not that those, they are big. They don't have to be big if you are mostly Okay. Obviously, if you eat like 15 donuts a day, we have a problem. And it's it's the problem is that you probably already know what is your problem, because there is not a single person who doesn't know, and now, especially 2025 all information is available. But the thing why it's getting like if you if you don't exactly you know we have this all kind of beliefs. What we believe that you know this have worked, either it's usually it's coming from your past experiences, like you have tried this diet. It worked five years ago, 10 years ago, and now you think that you should just go back into it as that was giving you results. But if that diet didn't give you results in one year, in five years, and you are still searching another diet, or it was too hard to follow that you follow. On the track and band backing kind of that you were not able to use it, it probably wasn't the right solution for you. So in in this episode, I like, I don't, I don't. I'm not a big fan of any diet which has some name attacked into it. So either, if it's keto, if it's intermittent fasting, because those are those are just the kind of diet names, it doesn't matter if they have a name, they have some kind of food rules. Either you are limiting your eating time, either you are limiting some complete food groups that you what you are not allowed to eat. But all that, even obviously it helps. The only goal is that you create that calorie deficit. And if you don't know what is your calorie deficit number, what it should be, I have a amazing calorie calculator. You get a good starting point where to get started. And obviously there is not single calorie calculator, because it's also, it's as good as you give that information into that calorie calculator. So, so there is not single one which is telling you that this is the right amount of calories, what you be eating, and you are, with that amount, you will lose body fat. So it's kind of trial and error, doing the mistakes, learning, adjusting and then finding that right number, what actually works for you. So how you create that calorie deficit? It basically doesn't matter. So where I love to get started, like we get started with Patrick too, like he have tried at some point to track calories, but didn't do it recently. And it's something like tracking calories. It's not that you have to do it. It's just the one way, one tool to know what you are currently doing, accurate way to see, to become more aware what you are currently doing. So So like with Patrick, I said that because he was originally against that calorie counting, because he's into that calorie counting, it takes too much time. I'm I didn't enjoy doing it because I don't know I go out eat. I don't know exactly how much I'm eating, but it's not it's not about tracking your calories perfectly. It could be simply writing down foods, what you are eating, like it doesn't matter. It's if you eat, let's say, big plate of pasta and whatever. You don't need to measure it perfectly. It says to become aware, because more often than not, it happens that we are eating things that we don't even realize. But when you write it somewhere down, you are recognizing that, wow. Okay, I had a again, another cookie. Cookie there, chocolate part there. And that's the only goal, is to become more aware. So becoming aware like in Patrick's situation, like he kind of knew that his problem was the breakfast, and when he started to track and he saw immediately that, okay, this is probably why he's snacking, why he is having cravings, why he doesn't have always high energy to do his workout. So when you become aware of those, your current habits, and that is always my starting point. So when you get familiar what you are currently doing, it's so much easier to do assessments because made in Bucha. He was, we started working together. He changed basically only his breakfast, and he started because his breakfast, if he was eating, it was coffee and maybe some kind of, just some sweet bread or something like and when we changed it, we started taking things away. So when we started adding some kind of protein, some good source of carbs, and then next question, what he got is that, is this going to be enough? Because he thought that going into a diet, losing fat, it's, it's so hard, and you have to, kind of, he was ready to get the mini plan, everything, what he have to eat. And I said, but no, this, it's, it should be as simple as possible. And often, like, if you don't have excessive body weight, those changes what you are doing. They are very small. And even then, even if you have it doesn't matter how much weight you have, but if you try to change too much at the same time, it will be only a matter of time before you are telling yourself that fuck it, I can't take it anymore. This is too much, and that's the point when you start to go step by step back to your old habits. Change. You are going to gain. Even you might see some success in the beginning. You might gain. You will gain all lost weight back like usually it happens. It doesn't happen right away, but step by step, because we have these old habits, like, if you are someone like me, I'm 43 and I have had kind of same beliefs, same habits, for at least 20 years, maybe some of them, some recent ones, I have had maybe 10 years, maybe five years. But to change those kind of things, what you have been doing with knowing yourself or without knowing yourself or without even realizing it. It's very hard to change. But when you when those changes are that simple, that easy, that you feel like the thought this is almost it doesn't feel even that I'm changing something. Then we are something. We are doing something. What is what have a chance to be sustainable? If that thing, what you are changing is keep giving you results. Those results are to stay, and they are not that you don't need to go every single January searching some new diet. So what we changed is, is just focusing on to becoming aware of total calories. So calories were pretty much okay. There was like a couple shifts, what we could reduce, like 100, 200 calories and but the only second thing that is always number one, so total amount of calories. So if you are looking what you are currently eating, you know that your habits, what how many calories, how much if you are if you are drinking some soda, if you are eating some chips late at night, snacking something and becoming aware how much you are actually snacking, how much you are actually eating, because that is that is really surprising, that we tend to all like myself too if I'm not tracking, which I'm not currently doing. But we are not. We are always underestimating how many calories, because you think that it's only couple of those and and it wasn't that much. We are very good at talking, at least pm, to talk myself out of it if I enjoy doing something, but when you become aware and then you are like that, wow, what is this? This is actually a lot more than I thought. Then it's it's becoming so much easier to reduce those so total amount of calories. Then second thing is focusing on proteins. So protein, it's why it's so important. Like, for example, for Patrick, his protein goal is around 100 grams, 100 to 20 grams of protein. He doesn't have that much body weight, so it's 1.5 to two grams, or 2.2 per kilo body weight. And when you if you don't know how much, because he was also, he was thinking that he's eating some protein. He's eating some egg. Every once in a while, having some kind of sources of protein, but becoming aware how much you are actually eating and how much you should be eating. And often that number, if you don't know, it's you think that you are eating some protein, and it's huge difference eating some protein or actually hitting your protein goal. So why the protein is helping them? So if you are, especially if you are in a, in a trying to lose body fat, it's there are a couple of reasons. Number one is that it keeps you sat here. It's most satiating. Macron, so more protein you are able to eat less hungry. UVP, so you don't have cravings, it reduces your sweet craving. So if you are someone who is like always an afternoon telling yourself that now I need something, I is that either you are missing protein or you are missing fiber. So those are two most common reasons. Obviously, then there is a sleep is a huge one as well. But those two things are the most important, and each simplest way is trying to act protein. So then there is a other thing for what is called the termic effect of food. So in protein, that is the highest and it means that that thermic effect of food means that how much your body is actually using positive protein is it uses a lot of energy to keep your body temperature like that, your blood is floating, keeping your temperature high that your organs are working. So in protein, that amount of is around 25% and if you compare it for pets or carbs in zero to 3% and carbs, it's five to 10. So there's a huge difference. So imagine that you are able to even you are eating, let's use a simple number, 2000 calories, and earlier you were eating 50 grams of protein. So every gram of protein has four calories. So simple math, 50 grams of protein is around five times for 360 calories. So now, from 360 calories, you are burning 25 protein. So let's say that it's 400 calories. So it's make it, make it seem make it seem clear. So 400 calories you are eating, you are burning 100 calories for your diet system. And if you act something, let's say that you are able to double it. So you are eating 800 grams, 800 calories you are burning without doing anything. So it's 100 calories with within the same amount of calories you are taking in you are burning 100 calories more per day. So that might be, actually, it might sound that it doesn't make that big difference, but do that for a couple of months and see how big difference. 100 calories for 10 weeks, that's 7000 calories. So that's one kilo of that. So it makes such a big difference, if you think it like obviously, this is now a little bit extreme example, but you get the point that even within the same calories plus more protein you are able to eat, most likely you are going to eat something else less, because that is keeping you fuller for longer. And it's kind of win win situation, obviously, at the same time, if you are able to do some kind of strength training, resistance training, building your muscle, trying to protein, the most important Macron train. And for fabulous I like to focus only on your protein intake. All because if you hit number one, your calories, number two, your protein everything else is going to be automatically okay. And basically it's based on your personal preferences, amount of carbs, amount of fats, how much you are eating. So don't make it too complicated, focus on only on those two things, hitting your category goal, hitting or getting close to your protein goal, and I'm sure you are starting to see some progress. So this is a great example from us. Actually, yesterday, one of my clients, Evelyn, wrote me as we work together, or she was one of in my group courses. And we talked earlier, she was asking about some tips for nutrition, and I told her exactly the same thing. I thought, what you are doing, look what, how much protein you are eating. And now she wrote me that now she have lost five kilos, gained muscle at the same time and and all by focusing on eating high protein diet as she didn't have too much weight to lose earlier, and doing three times a week some kind of resistance training and 20 minute cardio system. That's all what she did all what she changed is started to look those products, what she's what she was eating, finding some alternatives. For example, I wrote to my membership coaching group this week, like last week. I have amazing protein pasta, Virta. I have been trying them, like in the past, like several of them, but honestly, I didn't enjoy the taste. But this one, it was from little called gnocchi. I think. Can't remember now exactly name, but it has. It was 68 calories per 100 grams, 30 to two grams of protein. So I love to eat a lot. So if I, let's say that I have 200 grams of that pasta. I have 64 grams of protein with around 700 calories. So that is, I can add it, then I can access some we in here in Italy, we love to eat. I love to eat some pesto, tomato sauce or something which obviously they taste. I enjoy eating them. But the problem is that if you eat with a normal pasta, you get close to zero protein. So finding these kind of ways what obviously, what you enjoy doing, what you are able to access so without changing anything. Other example, what I used for myself, I just I earlier, I was eating regular ucord, and now I swapped it for Greek one or scour, which regular ucord has around three grams of protein, and Greek ucord has 10 grams of protein, so I more than tripled my protein intake without actually changing what I need in it. Obviously it tastes maybe a little bit different. It's the U cord, if it's Greek one, if it's a skewer, if it's a taste, is obviously a bit different, but not that much are not it doesn't make that big difference for me. So I enjoyed changing those. And if you this kind of changes you are able to make, if it's one, if it's two, over time, it makes such a big difference. So, so those are the simplest things, what I what I would say that if you focus become number one, becoming aware of what you are currently doing, then if you are able to do it like as like, I would say that so many of my clients who have never tracked their calories, and they are like to know what they have tried once. It was too hard, too complicated. They never did it. They didn't know actually how many calories they should be eating. And now, when they started, they're like, Oh, is it this thing is actually working, because now I'm already thinking that, Oh, when I know what I have had, I plan little bit better, and that makes such a big difference. Other thing is then focusing on your protein, so for knowing your total calories, knowing how much protein you are taking, and then just trying to stay consistent, not perfect, but consistent as possible within those numbers, and that makes, I would say, 90% of the difference. Then number two is finding some kind of exercise routine. So exercise, I'm big believer, big fan of strength training, even I'm kind of ashamed to commit that I don't enjoy doing it. I I really if I would say I it's, it's January here, and it's very cold. I the place where I strength train is my basement. There is no heating. It's cold. I don't I try to talk myself out of it. And honestly, uh, lately it has been two times a week just simply starting the workout, because I have learned from my mistakes in the past, and at this point I would already stop it. And I said that I there is no point of doing like that two times a week, 15 minutes distance, but I have learned that if I start finding those excuses. Next week, I'm going to find even more excuses. So at this point, I'm just starting my workout doing maybe three or exercises, two, three sets each exercise at the most, and then it's kind of done, and that two times per week. And that is because I know that sooner or little bit later, I'm just getting I'm it should be a bit easier, and then I have more time. Maybe it's getting temperatures getting warmer. I have it's not that increasing cold in my basement, so that I know that that time will come. But if I would quit now, I know that starting all over, I would just like in the past, I would talk myself out of it. Let's do it next week. Then it's going to be next month, and then it's like that, I started in April or whatever. And then, you know, when you are three, four months without doing anything, then you already think, okay, now you have lost everything. So what is the point? And always kind of finding ways to talk myself out of doing it. And now what really have worked is that staying consistent, I obviously, I'm not, at the moment, I'm not making progress, but on the other hand, I'm not losing it because it's, it's, if you look like studies, how much strength training you should be doing to maintain your results, it's very little like you are not losing muscle mass if you get Even two sets per muscle group in a week, and that amount is with you are able to maintain everything, and then, obviously, when you are able to do a bit more, you it's, it's so much easier to start adding these. So that's kind of the strength training. And it's, it's why I'm doing it, why it's then so beneficial. So I do it just for health benefits. So like, if I I, I have talked it in the past, but I lost my dad. It's now two years ago, and it was so sad to see, like at the age of 60, he started to lose his health how fast he lost his muscle mass, held ability to walk, ability to move, and I said that this is something that pain for me was so big that I avoid The same thing. So that is kind of my motivation, my why, why I'm doing it. And that pain is still greater than pain of actually going into that cold basement and doing my strength exercises. So finding your why that was for me is that my dad, I have still his picture visible, so every time when I don't feel like doing it, I just watch it, and I just go to get started. I never promised myself that I have to finish my workout. I said, No, I just have to get started. And key promises what I make to myself. And then I know that at some point, when I once I get there, more likely I promised myself to do just one exercise. But when I I know that when I get myself in there, most likely I do two, three exercises. So it's testing, just basically to get started. And if some days it's just one exercise, and then I say that that's it, I call it and doing it tomorrow or next day cooking. So kind of that is that consistency, promise, what I make for myself. So strength training, ideally, you do like what I say that the most benefits at least two times per week. Obviously, three times is kind of for me, that is kind of sweet spot. And if you can do four, you are going to see amazing results. But four is already, for most people, it's it's very challenging. Obviously, if you some, some of my clients, they work out five, six days a week, then it matters more kind of like, what kind of speed, what kind of workouts you are doing, but bare minimum, two times per week, and even in the times that you don't have too much time, it doesn't matter how long how much time you have, as more important is that consistency and and that you are doing also something for your muscles, because that's The way like for me. I know that when i i have been strength training. It's now, I think it's four years now, consistently, I I gotta, I don't know if I'm just lucky, but since I started that, I barely never had have back pain. I barely have no actions or injuries or anything. So it makes me feel so good, and it's just basically for health benefits. Why I'm doing it. I don't have some kind of that I need to look greater or or strong or whatever. That's not the thing. It says that I feel so good when I do it, even I hate doing it, but it makes me feel that good that I know that I need to keep doing it. So strength training is the most important part of your training. And then obviously some kind of cardio. Cardio is important too. And what I do, I try, personally, to walk a lot and move like when it's fast, having a daily walks like 1530 minutes. Sometimes, if I have time, it's 45 minutes, one hour, maybe week and a bit longer. But that's basically the only cardio and obviously, if you don't like, think like, ideally, what it would be. It would be one some kind of interval training. But before that, it's it says that doing something, staying active, as for so many people, lifestyle is so sedentary, you might get like 5000 6000 steps and that that is a very little. It's kind of lowest hanging fruit if you are able to just add daily movement somehow into your life, you could have I know some of my friends have walking back. They are walking while they are writing emails or or just finding ways how to actually increase those, that amount of steps and kind of that that comes for next point, what is? What is, then, for the training part, that was so many people asked, what is more important, if you should I do cardio? Should I do strength training? Because if I have only this amount of time, and there is no question like, no right answer, one of my good friend Jordan said, made a great post. I think that that's so great to being able to stick like. If you are watching Netflix, you know, you have a two series like, what you would like to watch. Ultimately, you probably going to watch both of them. But it doesn't matter if you watch like. If it's, let's say that you have a you are going to work out three times a week if you are doing two sessions of cardio, one strength training, or opposite to strength training or one, say, three months of strength training, two months of cardio and focusing basically just one thing at a time, or doing both at the same time, depending what you prefer. But don't make it just too complicated. It's like with Netflix, you choose that you have to share. It is what you want to watch. You can alternate between the episodes, or if you want, you watch the first other thing first, and then you go the other and so this way you are kind of doing both, but don't make it just too complicated. So both are important, but ideally what I have seen for me strength training, doing that consistently, because consistently enough, and doing some form of cardio, like walking, if that is all your cardio what you're doing, at least for me, it has been more than enough to maintain also good cardiovascular health. And those are kind of things for what are actionable things? Then what is for most people is missing is that kind of accountability part. So you need to have somebody who is holding you accountable, and that is often what is the missing point, because we have or or when you have, when you are within a group, or you have somebody who is holding you accountable, like just reminding those things, like asking questions, like what you are going to eat tomorrow for your protein sources, or how was your workout? And that you know that there is that kind of the expectation that you are going to do it, and often even just that small reminder that, oh, okay, I got a plan. I haven't planned for days ahead what I'm going to eat for protein sources. If somebody's asked me, of course, you have a you might not do it every single time, but more often you do. Obviously results are going to be better. So it says those it's not that coach is telling you some secret source of doing something. It's just basically reminding you things, to do things what you already know, and making you to do them consistently. So there is not that you get some secret me plan what is going to solve everything, what you have never heard before. No, it's good coach for me, is someone who is making you to do things, what you already know that you should be doing. And that is kind of what is, what is all if you have like, like we have in my mentorship, coaching we have, or it's called balanced lifestyle blueprint. There it's we have in Facebook group where we are sharing struggles, sharing wins, and when you see that you are not alone, you might get some good ideas, tips for planning meals. And then the this would work for me too, and then kind of finding consistently thinking about these things, it makes that success rate so much higher. And from this coming point, I don't like to promote a lot, but now I'm, I'm starting January 27 it's going to be eight week challenge. It's a one on one coaching challenge. So so the difference is that I'm not able to take probably all people, so those spots are going to be really soon full. And the difference I have done these challenges in the past, but they have been kind of in a group based this one is one on one, so I'm going to work myself with all those people who I get in. So you get the personalized program. Everything is going to personalize based on your schedule, how much time you are willing to spend for your workouts. And this is not the time that there is something that you have to work three times a week. I have a client starting times a week 10 minutes, because they haven't been and they know, after we have talked that more would be too much. But how the difference is that, obviously you can't expect to get amazing results, but that is not the point in the first month, the point is to get you started with some new habit. And if that is the simplest way to do it, is that you start two times a week in 10 minutes, then you add something for next week, if you feel like, if not, we keep it the same. And this is kind of me, not adjusting all the time, how much we are doing, where you are able to work out. So I individualize. We have a personal talk. What is, what makes sense in your situation, and trust me with my experience, I have done so many mistakes in the past, like people, usually who they who come to me, they are very motivated and my job. In the beginning, I was willing to do everything they wanted, but now I have learned that is that you make you promise yourself, even Beatless, what you think that I really would be. And then if after first month, you still feel like it, then it's time to start adding things. But obviously, then you get calorie macro calls from me. I'm following every single my one on one clients on through my workout nutrition apps, what they are doing if they have done their workouts, what they have been eating. And then we are talking how to improve if there is missing, for example, protein, or you are eating too many calories, where we could cut them, where we could find some alternatives, and that is, and then, obviously asking questions like I mentioned, what you are going to eat for protein? Have you been drinking water? What is? How is your sleep? And then finding strategies, because my job is not to tell you what you have to be doing what, but what you when you are struggling with something. My job is to provide you my job as a coach is not to tell you what to do, but it's to give you strategies. If I give you, for example, for protein, three ways, how you can be adding them. And then you think of those first two ones, no way they are going to work for me. But the third one that sounds something that I could be trying. Then we try. You will see if it's working. Great thing. If not, okay, then we try something else. But my job as a coach is to provide your strategies. And with this challenge, one on one challenge, I'm going to check you every single week, personally how things are going. We will talk once in a month, and this it's going to be common cost. It's going to be a bit cheaper as normal, regular, one on one coaching, and because we are starting at the same time, we have a group of people who are at the same point in their journey. So there is going to be, it's going to be cheaper than the every single time when you want but with this challenge, one on one challenge, it's going to be a bit cheaper than normally, and plus, we have a lot of amazing prizes. And this challenge is like I said, it's going to start when this episode is coming out on Thursday 16th. We are starting 27th and registration is going to start on the next week. So if you are interested about this challenge, you can always email me, Turo at fit me turo.com or if you have any other questions. But you can do simply is to join on the challenge wait list, and I will put link to the wait list in so notes. So check it out. Join for the wait list. It doesn't it just means that you are first one who is getting informed when this registration is open. It will most likely open next week. So around 20/21, of January, depending how I get soficially open, and as soon as it's full it will I'm not going to take more people that I'm able to handle as I'm I don't have any assistance. Quotes.