Single-digit body fat!

It is definitely feasible but you need to be careful doing it, be committed, and consider whether its worth the sacrifices.

Don’t obsess over it - dropping too much weight too quickly is not healthy and will affect your health negatively. Also chasing some unachievable target is bad for your mental health and motivation.

Clean up your diet gradually and keep on training as you do. I say gradually as any sudden changes are unlikely to stick in the long run. If you love nibbling on chocolate often for example, don’t cut it off completely - most people relapse sooner or later and get stuck in a vicious cycle - it’s not a good place to be mentally. It’s good to still have a “cheat meal/snack/day” now and again to help against the mental struggle.

Eat little and eat often. Instead of eating three big meals a day, break some of them into smaller meals and snack in-between. Try to keep the snacks healthy - for example a bunch of nuts or fruit, instead of a doughnut or a piece of cake.

Calorie counting - some people swear by it and will tell you it’s necessary. While you do need to be on a deficit to lose fat, weighing everything and using a calorie counter is a lot of faff and enough to put a lot of people off. But if you eat similar meals throughout your day, it’s easy to calculate things once and do a rough estimate from then on. Simple sugars should be avoided and you need a good supply of protein.

Do a bit of weight training. You don’t need to become a beefcake, but having more muscle will help you burn more calories by increasing your metabolism. The big lifts (squat/deadlift/bench) will increase your testosterone levels too. Certain exercises will help you on the bike as well.

Rest well - sleep is underrated.

Finally, you really need to ask yourself why you want to be down to single digits body fat and if it is worth the effort. Pros we all love to watch have entire teams behind them with all the science and budgets to do meal/training planning and prepping for them. For us mere mortals with jobs and families it is hard to do (but not impossible). Also maintaining that level of body fat 100% of the time is borderline impossible without being committed to the cause.

Genetics do play a slight part of it, yes, but with the risk of sounding cliche - “hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard”

Age also plays a part in it, but don’t believe people that tell you “oh, because you’re x years old you can’t do this”. You certainly still can, if you put the work in.

During winter season when I follow my TrainerRoad plans indoors (low volume - 3 days on the bike) and do weights 3 times a week I find myself dropping below 10% easily when eating clean. I tried to maintain it during the warmer months too, but I found myself having to say “no” to plans with friends, or leaving parties a lot earlier than I normally would, just so I can feel fresh or have the time to get my fix on the bike or in the gym. I’ve also upset the girlfriend previously, having a go at her for buying me sweet treats while I’ve been trying to eat clean. So it’s not really worth it depending on other factors in life.

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