The 6 Daily Habits That Help Me Maintain a Visible Six-Pack Year Round
By: Neeramitra Reddy
Tags: Self Improvement, Fitness Tips, Fitness, Advice, Health

The 6 Daily Habits That Help Me Maintain a Visible Six-Pack Year Round

Photos of the author across the years. All photos courtesy of the author.

Over two years ago, I made the life-changing decision of losing weight and getting ripped — it took me six months of grueling hard work to lose 55 lbs and get a visible six-pack. But I almost killed myself and lost quite some muscle and strength in the process.

Thanks to my half-baked research, I had made a lot of costly mistakes. I’ve learned a lot since then and a testament to this is the ease with which I stay lean year-round.

In the early days post my weight loss, I stuck to a stringent diet, obsessively counted every single calorie, constantly checked my abs in the mirror, worked them out every day, and did hours of cardio.

I might’ve looked great physically, but mentally, I felt like shit.

I do none of those things now but still sport a visible six-pack. I neither have a diet nor do I count calories. I go out to eat. I drink occasionally. I hate ab exercises, so I don’t do them. I mostly eat what I want. And I don’t do any cardio.

What I do is consistently stick to a few daily habits. No, there’s no magic involved — it’s the power of small consistent efforts compounding to unbelievable results.

I want to share these five habits with you. Before we proceed, I want to get a few things straight:

I am a 20-year-old cisgendered able-bodied male. These habits will help anyone stay or get lean but their effectiveness will vary based on your age, gender, and any underlying medical conditions.

I am not a certified fitness professional and all my knowledge comes from research, experience, and self-experimentation. I’ve been working out for close to five years now and have successfully trained quite a few.

1. Having a Ramped up NEAT

NEAT, short for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, refers to your physical activity throughout the day apart from exercise. According to research, this can account for up to 50% of your total daily energy expenditure!

So, just by being active throughout the day, you can burn a lot of calories. In college, I’d unconsciously walk a lot every single day — thanks to the fact that my college campus sprawled across 300+ acres.

Be it the lecture halls, grocery stores, canteens, or cafes — they were all at least a kilometer away from my hostel. The mess itself was a good 300 meters away. To add to this, my room was on the second floor, and the elevator went only to the third floor and above. Did I mention carrying around an injured friend? — Totally recommend it, burns a lot of calories.

A candid photo of the author

This way, I’d get in at least 5 to 6 km of walking every single day. Since the pandemic, thanks to the recurring lockdowns, I haven’t been very active. And my abs have blurred slightly. This again shows just how powerful being active throughout the day is.

But I’m getting back to being physically active. Here are a few ways I’ve been using and even you can use:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Even better is getting off the elevator one floor below or above your target. Remember my hostel elevator? — Whenever we felt too lazy to climb two floors, we’d take the elevator to the third floor and climb down.

Even better is getting off the elevator one floor below or above your target. Remember my hostel elevator? — Whenever we felt too lazy to climb two floors, we’d take the elevator to the third floor and climb down. Walk while talking on the phone. I love having discussions, especially intellectual ones. So my phone calls often stretch to three or even four hours. By walking around on the terrace while speaking, I get to torch calories.

I love having discussions, especially intellectual ones. So my phone calls often stretch to three or even four hours. By walking around on the terrace while speaking, I get to torch calories. If you work at a desk, stand up, stretch, and walk around now and then. As a writer and software developer, I’m glued to my desk. But I stretch all the time. It not only increases your NEAT but also relaxes you.

As a writer and software developer, I’m glued to my desk. But I stretch all the time. It not only increases your NEAT but also relaxes you. Do some cleaning. Since my room overlooks the road, a lot of dust settles into it. The simple act of cleaning it every morning gets me moving. With the maid dismissed, we’ve divided the household chores, and mopping duty is on me.

Since my room overlooks the road, a lot of dust settles into it. The simple act of cleaning it every morning gets me moving. With the maid dismissed, we’ve divided the household chores, and mopping duty is on me. Ditch the car for quick trips. When I first learned how to drive, I’d take the car out for the smallest of errands and the nearest of places. Now, be it the gym or the milk shop, I walk.

When I first learned how to drive, I’d take the car out for the smallest of errands and the nearest of places. Now, be it the gym or the milk shop, I walk. Bang out a few reps. I have a doorway pullup bar and every time I pass the room, I bang out a few chin-ups. If you don’t have one, drop to the ground and get in a few pushups or crank out some quick squats.

I have a doorway pullup bar and every time I pass the room, I bang out a few chin-ups. If you don’t have one, drop to the ground and get in a few pushups or crank out some quick squats. Place your phone on the far side of the room when you’re working. Having to walk every time you want to check your phone not only increases your NEAT but also dissuades you from uselessly checking your phone.

2. Clocking in at Least Eight Hours of Sleep Every Night

Before my fat loss journey, my sleep routine was absolute trash — I’d binge on anime late into the night, going to bed by three or four a.m, only to wake up groggy and exhausted in the afternoon. Some days, running too short on attendance, I’d wake up and attend class, having slept for only four or five hours.

This was one of the chief reasons for my weight gain and overall poor health. I fixed it for a while but soon fell back on old habits.

Sleep, in general, is of incredible importance but with muscle gain and fat loss, its importance jumps up a few more notches. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared the effects of 8.5 hours and 5.5 hours of sleep on fat loss. And they found that — the 5.5-hour group lost 60% more muscle and 55% less fat than the 8.5-hour group.

A hellish bout of insomnia taught me this the hard way — within just a week, I visibly gained fat, lost muscle, and got much weaker. My health and fitness went for such a toss that sleep became my top priority.

Now, I religiously sleep for at least eight hours every single night. I use my fitness band to track and improve my sleep. Here are a few tips to ensure you get good sleep every night:

Establish a sleep routine. I’m in bed by 10:45 p.m., asleep by 11, and wake up at 7 a.m. I’ve been sticking to this for so long that I’m automatically up by seven every morning. Decide your sleep timings based on your convenience and preference.

I’m in bed by 10:45 p.m., asleep by 11, and wake up at 7 a.m. I’ve been sticking to this for so long that I’m automatically up by seven every morning. Decide your sleep timings based on your convenience and preference. Get rid of all electronic screens at least 30 minutes before bed. By 10:15 p.m., I shut my laptop, tuck away my phone, and settle down to read. The blue light from electronic screens disrupts sleep by reducing the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

By 10:15 p.m., I shut my laptop, tuck away my phone, and settle down to read. The blue light from electronic screens disrupts sleep by reducing the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Develop a relaxing nighttime routine. Washing my face, brushing my teeth, and reading a book lying on my stomach in bed is my night routine. Studies show that a relaxing routine can help you sleep better. Pick anything that relaxes you — journaling, talking to your family, meditating, writing, etc.

Washing my face, brushing my teeth, and reading a book lying on my stomach in bed is my night routine. Studies show that a relaxing routine can help you sleep better. Pick anything that relaxes you — journaling, talking to your family, meditating, writing, etc. Consider supplementing Melatonin and ZMA. I no longer take Melatonin but post insomnia, it had helped a lot. As to ZMA, despite the present research being inconclusive, there’s ample anecdotal evidence in its support. Even I’ve found that it helps me sleep deeper and better.

I no longer take Melatonin but post insomnia, it had helped a lot. As to ZMA, despite the present research being inconclusive, there’s ample anecdotal evidence in its support. Even I’ve found that it helps me sleep deeper and better. Use ambient lighting. In college, I had a color-changing LED bulb that I’d set to a mellow shade of orange-red every night. Studies show that the color of the lighting can impact your sleep and have found red to be the best. If you find red uncomfortable as I do, go for shades of orange or white.

Image by Author

3. Maximizing the Protein/Energy (P/E) Ratio of Every Meal

Protein is an important macronutrient, essential for oxygenation, metabolism digestion, hormone regulation, and tissue repair. But two things really set it apart from the other macronutrients: one, protein is highly satiating and two, the thermic effect of protein is higher.

These two things imply that — by consuming more protein per meal, we burn more calories and feel fuller sooner. In fact, even if the calories are slightly higher, a high P/E is better than a low one. So, a 400-calorie meal with 60g of protein and a P/E ratio of 0.15 is better than a 300-calorie meal with 10g of protein and a P/E ratio of 0.03.

Apart from hitting my total daily protein intake target, this is exactly what I try to do with every meal. Be it a buffet, a restaurant, a party, or at home, I’m actively trying to populate my plate with meat, legumes, fish, eggs, and chickpea dishes. Only after having these do I go for the desserts.

Moreover, according to the protein leverage hypothesis — we unconsciously prioritize protein over other macronutrients and eat until we meet our protein needs, irrespective of the energy intake. This explains our tendency to overconsume low P/E foods such as ice cream, cakes, or chocolates.

So, by consuming higher P/E foods, we naturally avoid overeating. Coming to how much is a high P/E, since 1g of protein itself is four calories, a 100% protein meal would still have only a P/E of 0.25. So, I’d say a P/E of at least 0.05 or 5g of protein per 100 calories is a good one.

Here’s a list of the lean protein sources I love and use to maximize the P/E ratio of my meals:

Chicken breast or whole skinless chicken.

Skimmed milk.

Soya chunks or low-fat soy milk.

Lean cuts of lamb — rib chops, loin chops, leg, and rump.

Low-fat Greek yogurt.

Low fat paneer or Indian cheese.

Good old spinach.

Egg whites and whole eggs.

Shrimps and prawns.

Boiled green gram or chickpeas.

Fish — Tuna, salmon, sardine, or trout.

Since I’m at home and not eating out much, here’s roughly how my meals look. Don’t copy the same — as your calorie needs will vary from mine.

Breakfast: 500 ml skimmed milk + a cup of chopped papaya + two carrots + one cucumber + two guavas + boiled or sprouted green gram and chickpeas. This meal is the lightest and healthiest of the day — roughly 500 calories and 38g of protein. So a good P/E of 0.076.

500 ml skimmed milk + a cup of chopped papaya + two carrots + one cucumber + two guavas + boiled or sprouted green gram and chickpeas. This meal is the lightest and healthiest of the day — roughly 500 calories and 38g of protein. Lunch: 250g skinless chicken or chicken breast + roughly 100–150g of rice + whatever curry my mom cooks (most often tomato Pappu or tempered lentils) + 300g of Indian yogurt — roughly 800 calories and 80g of protein. So a high P/E of 0.1.

250g skinless chicken or chicken breast + roughly 100–150g of rice + whatever curry my mom cooks (most often tomato Pappu or tempered lentils) + 300g of Indian yogurt — roughly 800 calories and 80g of protein. Supper: 500 ml skimmed milk + 10–12 raisins + 8–10 almonds + an occasional bar of chocolate — roughly 300 to 450 calories and 18g of protein. So a low P/E of 0.045 but this is intentional — as I workout soon after and I need quick energy.

500 ml skimmed milk + 10–12 raisins + 8–10 almonds + an occasional bar of chocolate — roughly 300 to 450 calories and 18g of protein. as I workout soon after and I need quick energy. Dinner: Six whole eggs scrambled + three large chapatis (around 250g of Indian bread) + whatever curry my mom cooks + afternoon’s tempered lentils + a lot of garlic peanut powder (I just love this) — roughly 1,000 calories and 55g of protein. A moderate P/E of 0.055. This used to be higher but with the lockdown, getting supplies has become hard.

All in all, my calorie intake is somewhere between 2,600 to 2,850 calories, and my total protein intake around 181g — so a total P/E of around 0.6. Once the lockdown is lifted, I plan on increasing this ratio to 0.7.

4. Making Compound Lifts the Meat of Every Workout

Until I’d been working out for two years, I used mostly isolation exercises and never bothered about compound lifts. But ever since I started prioritizing them, not only have my overall muscle mass and strength increased but so has my caloric expenditure.

Compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, and barbell rows involve and work a lot of muscle groups at the same time. So they’re highly intensive, exhausting, and torch calories. On occasions that I’ve tracked the calories burned during my workouts, the number’s come out to be as high as 800 — the equivalent of running eight miles!

Image of author deadlifting.

Moreover, the added muscle mass means more calories burned. Muscle is active tissue; fat isn’t, and muscle mass is a crucial factor for metabolism. So, at 80 kgs, I burn much more calories at rest than the average 80kg person does.

And remember how I said I hate ab exercises and don’t do them? I don’t need to as my compound exercises amply work my core. Pullups, chin-ups, front squats, and overhead presses kill the abs — and some movements have even been proven to be better than crunches or situps.

The last time I trained my abs was during my first fat loss journey and funnily enough — my abs right now are much thicker than they were back then.

Compound lifts have a three-pronged benefit — they build more muscle, burn more calories, and train your core. Here’s a list of the major muscle groups and their corresponding compound lifts.

These also work the smaller muscle groups such as biceps, triceps, and calves, so you can do isolation exercises to finish them. Using the above list, center each workout around one or more of them. I use a Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) routine, and here’s how I do it:

Push workout (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps): Alternate between Barbell Bench Press and Overhead Press for the first movement. Incline Bench Press is the second movement.

Alternate between Barbell Bench Press and Overhead Press for the first movement. Incline Bench Press is the second movement. Pull workout (Back, Biceps, Traps, Rear Delts): Alternate between Deadlifts and Barbell Bent-Over rows for the first movement. Weighted Pullups is the second movement.

Alternate between Deadlifts and Barbell Bent-Over rows for the first movement. Weighted Pullups is the second movement. Lower body workout (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes): Alternate between Barbell Back and Front Squats. Stiff Leg Deadlift is the second movement.

5. Eating Intuitively and Mostly Clean

After unsuccessfully trying fancy and stringent diets, I stopped dieting. Yes, I don’t have a diet. And it’s been working surprisingly well.

What changed was that I started eating intuitively. Intuitive eating means being at peace with all types of food and eating based on your bodily signals and not a set routine.

Basically, listening to your body and feeding it accordingly. Since I prefer larger meals and don’t get hungry often, I eat only four meals a day. I’m not hungry in the morning, so a light fruit and veggies breakfast. I’m ravenous at night, so a huge dinner. I love the dishes my mom cooks, so I eat them. If I feel like skipping a certain meal, I skip it. If I feel like eating ice cream, I do. No biggies.

Another rule I follow is eating mostly clean. So, I’ll roughly get 70–80% of my calories from healthy whole foods such as meat, fish, eggs, legumes, veggies, and milk. And the rest from whatever I want — which is most often a plate or two of Shawarma or a small tub of ice cream.

These two things satisfy your cravings while making sure you don’t overeat. Back in my calorie nitpicking days, I used to have an unhealthy relationship with food, wrecking my mental health. That’s not the case anymore — now, I enjoy eating.

Another way this helps is — sustainability. Back when I used to diet hard, I’d snap sometimes and go on a crazy binge which would undo the effects of the diet.

And at the core of it all — what even is the point of abs if I have to hate something as fundamental as eating?

6. Weighing Myself Every Morning

Last but not least is the humble act of stepping on a scale every morning.

By doing this, I stay aware of my weight, which we easily underestimate. I clearly remember an occasion when I checked my weight after a long time and weighed in at 83 kgs instead of the 78 I was expecting.

Just being aware of your weight can reinforce subconscious weight-related behavior and choices. When you know your weight has unintentionally gone up, you’ll unconsciously go for a regular pizza instead of a cheese, but then hesitate before buying that big mac.

I weigh myself every single day and compute the weekly average since daily fluctuations are normal. So, don’t worry about your daily weight, only focus on the weekly average. Based on my goals and the way my weekly average is moving, I’ll either increase or decrease my food intake.

It has been over a year since I stopped tracking calories, and I’ve been able to manage my weight just by tracking it. Even studies have found this to be an effective tool for long-term weight maintenance.

Doing this is easy as well — just buy a scale, pop it in or near the bathroom, and step on it every morning. Then you can either mentally note the weight or log it in an app.

In Conclusion

Most that lose weight and get lean struggle to keep the weight off. The primary reason is that they view weight loss as a one-time thing and not as a lifestyle change.

It’s like saying, “Yay! I lost weight and reached my target successfully. Now I can go back to chomping burritos.”

No, you can’t. To sustain your progress, you need to change your mindset and treat this as a lifestyle change. The mindset shift is hard, but the rest is easy — just steady adherence to a few easy good habits.

I’m a living example of this. So are the thousands that have successfully lost weight and kept it off. Nothing beats consistency in the long run, and you can be consistent with something only if you enjoy it.

So, enjoy working out. Enjoy eating. Enjoy being active. Enjoy being lean.

Enjoy the fitness lifestyle.