Getting shredded doesn’t require trendy medications or complicated diet protocols.
According to fitness coach Wan He, the secret is actually remarkably boring—and that’s precisely why it works.
In a recent video, he outlined the unglamorous but highly effective strategies that celebrities like Adele have used to transform their physiques and maintain their results long-term.
The approach prioritizes consistency over complexity, sustainability over shortcuts, and peace of mind over desperate restriction.
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Eat Once or Twice Daily
Wan He points to Adele and other successful transformations that leveraged some form of intermittent fasting.
People end up doing it for a lifetime because they don’t have to think about what to cook, they don’t have to clean up as much, they don’t have to think about what to eat.
Rather than obsessing over specific eating windows like 16:8 or 18:6, he recommends simplifying the approach entirely. Just eat once or twice daily—perhaps lunch and dinner, or dinner alone.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
This strategy works particularly well for people who enjoy larger portions. By consolidating meals, you can eat more satisfying amounts while still maintaining a calorie deficit necessary for fat loss.
Master Your Calorie Deficit
Wan He emphasizes what he calls the golden rule of fat loss: maintaining a 300-500 calorie deficit.
If you eat 25 meals a day, one for every hour, you would still lose weight if you follow this rule. Stay in a bloody calorie deficit.
Despite how frequently this principle gets mentioned, most people cannot actually state their maintenance calories when asked directly. Wan He notes that perhaps one in twenty people can provide an accurate number.
The first step involves calculating maintenance calories based on height, weight, and activity level, then subtracting 300-500 calories to establish daily targets.
Without this fundamental knowledge, sustainable fat loss remains virtually impossible regardless of exercise intensity or dietary restrictions.
Embrace Food Repetition
Wan He advocates for what he describes as “the most boring diet on earth”—though boring doesn’t mean unappetizing.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
His approach involves identifying two or three meals that fit caloric and protein requirements, then eating them repeatedly with minimal variation.
For example, he structures his days around a 700-1,000 calorie lunch and a 1,200-1,500 calorie dinner, frequently ordering from the same restaurant or preparing identical home-cooked meals featuring staples like chicken breast, steak, and eggs.
When you change one thing, change a small thing. And from the outside, people are going to be like, ‘How are you going to eat the same thing? It’s super boring.’ Well, it’s not boring getting a six-pack, it’s not boring looking damn good.
This consistency prevents the calorie-tracking chaos that occurs when constantly experimenting with new recipes and restaurant meals.
Track Weight Daily for Sensitivity
Measuring body weight every morning after using the restroom serves purposes beyond simple progress tracking.
Regular weighing develops what Wan He calls weight sensitivity—an intuitive understanding of how different foods, sodium intake, illness, and other factors influence scale numbers.
This awareness prevents panic when temporary water retention from salty foods causes upward spikes, and provides confidence when genuine fat loss occurs even if scale numbers temporarily plateau.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Your body almost knows when the weight is going down when the weight’s going up without even stepping on the scale. I could almost tell just from the feeling inside of my body what kind of weight I am.
This sensibility becomes crucial during the final stages of getting truly shredded, when mental resilience determines success or failure.
Walk 10,000 Steps Consistently
Wan He identifies two reliable patterns for accumulating daily steps: one 60-90 minute walk, or two walks—one shorter, one longer.
A single 90-minute walk typically reaches the 10,000-step target. Alternatively, a 60-minute walk generates approximately 6,000-7,000 steps, with daily activities accounting for another 2,000-3,000.
The critical factor? Scheduling walks at consistent times—after work, before dinner, or after dinner.
Clients who establish this routine maintain 10,000+ daily steps for months without struggle, whereas those without scheduled walking times constantly fall short.
Train Hard Despite Deficits
Calorie deficits naturally reduce energy levels, creating temptation to cut workouts short or reduce training intensity.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Wan He warns against making “little deals with yourself” that compromise workout completion or effort.
Maintaining or increasing strength during fat loss preserves muscle mass. Strength decline signals problematic muscle loss rather than productive fat reduction.
If your weight’s going up, you should be getting stronger in the gym. If your weight’s staying the same, you should be getting stronger in the gym. If your weight’s going down, you should be getting stronger in the gym, or at least trying, or at least maintaining.
He recommends lifting heavy weights two to four times weekly, emphasizing that consistent strength work enables body recomposition—simultaneous muscle building and fat loss.
Prioritize Protein Over Carbohydrates
Many traditional cuisines feature carbohydrates as the primary component, with protein serving as a minor accompaniment.
Wan He describes working with someone whose beautifully prepared Chinese meals contained 50-80% carbohydrates, only 10-20% protein, and minimal vegetables.
For optimal results during fat loss, he recommends inverting this ratio: 50%+ protein, with carbohydrates reduced to 10-30% of plate composition.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
This adjustment serves dual purposes—maintaining muscle mass through adequate protein intake and preventing the dopamine-driven overconsumption that often occurs with carbohydrate-heavy meals.
Protect Your Process From Social Disruptions
Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, and casual social gatherings create constant opportunities to deviate from nutrition plans.
According to Wan He, allowing these events to repeatedly throw off your system ensures you’ll never achieve your physique goals.
If you go and let all of these little events throw you off track even by a little bit, there’s enough events in the year to never get your physique.
Getting shredded requires entering what he calls “the zone”—a period of locked-in focus where social pressure doesn’t compromise established routines.
This doesn’t mean complete social isolation, but rather maintaining boundaries around training, walking, and meal patterns regardless of external circumstances.
Expect Weight Fluctuations
Weight loss never follows a perfectly linear downward trajectory.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Natural fat loss includes plateaus, temporary spikes, and periods where numbers seem stuck despite continued adherence to protocols.
Wan He warns clients before these fluctuations occur, explaining that bodies naturally adjust to new weights before continuing downward trends.
The pattern typically involves initial loss, plateau, slight rebound, stabilization, then continued decrease.
Panic responses—dramatically increasing cardio, slashing calories further, or adding extra workouts—typically backfire by creating unsustainable approaches that guarantee eventual rebounds.
Release Desperate Attachment
Wan He draws parallels between pursuing physique goals and other life situations where desperation repels desired outcomes.
Just as chasing romantic interests with needy energy typically pushes them away, pursuing leanness with toxic stress creates counterproductive relationships with fitness.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I’m good even though I have a four pack only. I’m on the right way. I can get there next year. I can get there in two years. It doesn’t matter cuz I’m at peace with my body and I’m grateful for the body that I have.
Approaching transformation peacefully—appreciating current health, enjoying training, and maintaining gratitude—creates sustainable progress without contaminating the process or relationships with stress.
This relaxed yet committed mindset ultimately determines whether someone achieves genuine, lasting leanness or cycles through temporary results followed by rebounds.
