The Little Booklet That’s All You Need
I’ve told my clients for years: Everything you truly need to know about fitness, weight loss, maintenance, and even most muscle gain can fit in one slim magazine. The rest? Over-specialization, fads, or straight-up disinformation designed to sell you more stuff.
That’s why I’m writing this little booklet—Ground Zero. No fluff, no 500-page tomes, no magic protocols. Just the unbreakable basics that work for 95% of people, especially those over 30/40 with real lives, jobs, and fights to win (literal or figurative). This is your starting line for sustainable body comp changes without burning out or chasing trends.
Here’s the framework and key pillars straight from the booklet:
The non-negotiables:
• Calorie control (ceiling + tracking)
• Protein minimum (floor)
• Smart carb/fat choices
• Hydration & fiber
• Daily movement (10k steps minimum)
• Consistent sleep/recovery
• Simple, eyeball portions over obsessive weighing
• How to avoid Everything else secondary options and distraction (fancy training splits, exotic supps, biohacks)•
•The Only Apps You Need (and Why)
• MyFitnessPal (or equivalent tracker): For logging food, hitting your calorie ceiling, and protein floor. Basic calculation is fine—no need for fancy AI features.
• Military Weight App : A military-style weight tracking/motivation (practical, no-nonsense accountability),
• StepUp App: For step challenges and hitting 10k daily without overthinking.
• The Most Basic Supps to Take
Don’t waste money on stacks. Stick to these four:
• Basic multivitamin (covers gaps)
Fiber tabs (for gut health and satiety on a calorie cut)
Liver tabs/TUDCA (supports detox/load from training/diet stress—organs are king, but this helps)
Zero-carb protein drink (easy way to smash protein floor without extra calories)
• Determining Your “Fighting Weight” and Why
Your “fighting weight” is the lean, strong, functional bodyweight where you perform best—defend yourself, move fast, feel unstoppable. It’s not a vanity number; it’s performance-driven.
Most people: Aim for 10–15% body fat (men) / 18–25% (women) range.
Special populations (fighters, older adults, injury history): Prioritize strength + mobility over extreme leanness—adjust via DEXA when scale stalls.
• Your FitPal Settings and How/Where
Use the basic built-in calculator—no watch sync, no auto-import from devices. Turn off integrations to avoid inflated/misleading data. Manual entry keeps you honest and aware.
• Your Calorie Ceiling Explained
Old-school calorie math works better now than ever—metabolism adapts slower with consistent tracking, and modern life is sedentary AF. Set a realistic ceiling (maintenance minus 300–500 for loss), track religiously, and adjust weekly.
• Your Protein Floor
Minimum 1g per pound of ideal (fighting) bodyweight. No exceptions. This preserves muscle, crushes hunger, and makes recomp possible even in a deficit.
• Your Carb Choices
Keep ’em dryish—focus on potatoes, rice, oats, sweet potatoes. Avoid wet/sugary sources that bloat or spike insulin unnecessarily.
• Your Fat Choices
Treat fats like imported protein: High-quality sources (avocado, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, organs). Avoid pork a couple days out from weigh-ins (water retention). Organs are fantastic—liver, heart, etc., for micronutrients.
• White Sugar and Other Trash
Enter the Granny Method: If your granny wouldn’t recognize it as food, skip it. Sugar/trash throws calorie accuracy off a bit (hidden cals, cravings), but it’s not the apocalypse—occasional slip-ups won’t kill progress if the ceiling holds.
• Eyeball Your Portions – Ready, Fire, Aim… FIRE
Weigh/measure at first if needed, then transition to eyeballing. Precision matters early; consistency wins long-term. You’re not starving if portions feel sustainable.
• Water – The EZ Method
Half your bodyweight in ounces daily, plus extra on training days. Simple: Drink until urine is pale. You are closer to your “ideal” than you think—proper hydration flushes bloat, sharpens definition, boosts recovery, and makes everything else click faster. Most people never hit this consistently and stay one step behind their real potential.
• Putting It All Together
The booklet includes demo days + blank templates to map your week. Track ceiling, hit protein floor, log steps, eyeball meals—repeat. As weight drops and weekly loss slows (sometimes new calc is just -20 calories), trim carbs first, maybe fat—always err on protein. No zero-carb nonsense; a little goes a long way (e.g., ¾ sweet potato instead of whole nails the deficit without misery).
• Training
For now: Stoke the fire—lift heavy-ish 3–4x/week, focus on compounds. Recomp lies in consistency, not perfect programs.
• 10,000 Steps
Why X miles? Because walking builds the base metabolic engine, aids recovery, burns fat without stress. Walk outdoors if possible—mental reset + vitamin D.
• Protein Bomb Basics
Dead simple: Shake + Greek yogurt + PB + berries = quick 50–60g bomb when hungry or short on meals.
• Friday Cleanse aka Gut Cut aka The DRANK
• Fast-ish veg/fiber day + the DRANK (veggie-heavy, high-fiber drink to flush gut, reduce bloat, reset for weekend weigh-in).
• Saturday Weigh-In and Maintenance Settings
Weigh clean (post-gut cut, hydrated but not over). If on target, set to maintenance calories but stay close—use
• My Chinatown Trick for controlled cheats (this little gut/brain secret sets you up for success later in the weeks and months to come… but it’s a secret, so keep it that way—details for clients only).
•Signs to Move On
Scale slows/halts despite adherence? Time for DEXA/body comp scan to check true fat loss vs. water/muscle shifts.
Ready to Get Started?
Call or Text (817) 668-3592 to schedule your FREE consultation.
We’ll discuss your goals, training history, schedule, and any injuries or limitations you may be dealing with. No pressure. No obligation. Just a chance to see if Ronin Fitness is the right fit for you.
About Lex Ronin
Lex Ronin is the owner of Ronin Fitness of Richardson, a private 1-on-1 personal training studio serving Richardson, Plano, Garland, and the surrounding North Dallas area.
A former U.S. Army (Active and Guard) serviceman, EMT-Paramedic (SWAT Medic Certified), martial arts instructor, and strength coach with more than 20 years of experience, Lex specializes in helping adults 35 and older build strength, lose fat, improve health, and train safely around injuries.
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Ronin Fitness of Richardson
800 E Arapaho Rd Suite 112B
Richardson, TX 75081
Call or Text: (817) 668-3592
Email: contact@roninfitnessofrichardson.com