How to Get in Shape Without Burning Yourself Out
Don’t you just love this time of year?
A clean slate, renewed hope, and endless possibilities. Where will 2026 take you? Or, where will YOU take 2026? In fitness, people are especially fired up. Going hard at the gym, eating better, drinking more water, walking more. Yes, yes, yes, and heck yes.
There’s only one problem. Most of it won’t last.
People go all in, all at once. They burn too bright and too fast. Like a marathoner who sprints the first mile, rides the adrenaline, and pukes by mile three. Like a toddler who runs wild all morning and completely melts down by 2 p.m. because no one planned a nap.
It feels right in the moment, but it’s a terrible strategy for getting into better shape.
Because in fitness, consistency beats intensity every time.
So when someone asks me how they can get in better shape this year, my first answer is, “Do less.” That usually surprises people. But if you want to get in shape and actually stay there, it’s the most important thing to keep in mind.
Here’s why, explained in sun poisoning, roller coasters, and snowballs.
You Don’t Want Sun Poisoning, Do You?
Starting a new fitness routine is annoying, hard work, and takes time. No argument there. But here’s the wonderful and very underrated part: if you’re really out of shape, you don’t need to do that much to see real results.
I’ve used this analogy before and I’ll use it again, gosh darn it, because I love it. Getting in shape is like getting a sun tan.
If you’ve been cooped up all winter, you don’t need to sit on the beach for ten hours in direct sunlight. If you do, you’ll get sun poisoning and feel miserable for days. You start with fifteen or twenty minutes. Then you come back the next day. And the next. Gradually, your body adapts.
Fitness works the same way.
If you want to lose fifty pounds, going to the gym for two hours, five days a week, and eating 1,500 calories right out of the gate is massive overkill. It’s sun poisoning.
To lose the first five pounds, you might only need to eat about 500 fewer calories a day and walk for thirty minutes. That’s it. Once that becomes normal, then you build on it.
When you’re planning your workouts this month, remember: the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to do enough without frying yourself in the process.
Don’t get sun poisoning.
2. How Long Can You Ride That Coaster?
You’ll probably watch the hot dog eating contest. Maybe hang by the pool. Pop off some fireworks. But here’s the real question: will you still be working out and eating the same way you are right now?
If you can’t see yourself doing your New Year’s workouts or eating your New Year’s diet six months from now, it’s too much.
I learned this the hard way. In seventh grade, I wanted abs. I woke up at 6 a.m., made myself egg whites before middle school, and did a ton of crunches and running. I hated all of it. I quit after three weeks. That’s exactly what most people do with fitness, year after year.
It wasn’t until I did something boring but sustainable for three years that I actually got the results I wanted.
Fitness plans are like rollercoasters. For ninety seconds, they’re a blast. That’s what your new intense workout and carnivore diet feel like right now. Exciting. Extreme. Kind of fun. But would you want to ride Space Mountain for three hours straight? Of course not.
You get the point. When you’re deciding on a new routine, don’t just think about January. Think about the Fourth of July.
Think about whether this is something you can live with, not just survive for a few weeks.
3. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
One of the most enchanting moments of childhood, at least for me, was rolling a snowball through really great packing snow.
One of those perfect days where the snow is a little warmer, just moist enough, and the ball seems to double in size every two pushes. Five minutes later, you’ve got a mountain of snow that weighs almost as much as you do, and you feel like the coolest kid on the planet.
When you approach fitness the right way, it feels exactly like that. Progress starts small, then builds on itself. Strength compounds. Confidence compounds. Momentum takes over.
Here’s how you create that kind of snow.
1. Set realistic expectations
If you plan to lose twenty pounds in six months, four pounds in month one feels like a massive win. If you expect twenty pounds in a month, that same four pounds feels like failure. Nothing changed except your expectations.
Reasonable timelines turn early progress into fuel instead of frustration.
2. Create complementary habits
This is where things really start to snowball.
You sleep well, so you have a better workout.
You have a good workout, so you make better food choices.
You eat better, so you recover faster and feel better the next day.
On and on it goes. One good decision makes the next one easier. Eventually, you start to feel like a well-oiled machine instead of someone constantly fighting their own body.
3. Strive for balance
Yes, it’s cliché. And yes, it’s true.
You know what makes fat loss feel easier? Pushing hard for a stretch, then having wings and pizza while watching the Super Bowl. Training consistently, then enjoying a Valentine’s dinner with your spouse, macros be damned.
Those intentional breaks don’t ruin progress. They recharge you. They prevent that constant low-level feeling that you’re missing out on life.
4. Focus on everything outside the scale
That silly, silly scale.
Weigh yourself a few times a week if you want, zoom out, and move on. Because if you give it too much power, you’ll miss everything else that actually matters.
More energy.
Clothes fitting better.
Getting stronger.
Feeling more confident in your body.
Knowing your blood work and heart health are moving in the right direction.
That’s the GOOD stuff. And it would be a shame to let one dumb number convince you you’re doing something wrong and quit before you ever get to enjoy it.
All of these things create that beautiful, wet packing snow. And once the snowball starts rolling, it grows faster than you ever expect.
I Don’t Sell Workout Programs or Meal Plans
A coworker asked me to sell her a meal plan the other day. I told her, “Eff no!”
I don’t sell meal plans or workout programs. On their own, they’re not the thing that fixes the problem. Sure, my clients get awesome versions of both, but those are just tools in the toolbox.
What I actually give my clients is a gorgeous, bronze sun tan. A roller coaster ride of the perfect length. And the feeling of pushing a snowball until it becomes the perfect, massive base for a snowman.
Here’s how that happens.
My clients commit to a system. We adjust it week to week based on real life. They get support, accountability, and a coach who actually pays attention. Along the way, we celebrate wins, course-correct when needed, and build momentum that doesn’t fall apart the second life gets busy.
That’s how people stop starting over.
That’s how they get results that actually stick.
That’s what my coaching offers.
If you’re interested in learning more, schedule a free chat with me.
I don’t bite, and I don’t hard sell. I’ll explain what I do, tell you honestly whether I think it would help, and we’ll go from there.
And if you’re on the fence, ouch, that sounds terrible! Like sitting on a pile of pointy sticks. You can keep shifting around. Or you can hop off, schedule the call, and see if this is the right fit.
Best,
John
P.S. Speaking of burn out, I don’t want it! So, I’m dropping down to one email/week for now and shooting for a quality over quantity approach.
P.P.S. A great reminder from a friend’s parent’s bathroom on New Year’s Eve.
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
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Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
