Whitney Johns is training her back – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the fitness influencer flaunts her amazing physique in a one-piece exercise outfit, sharing a motivational message with her followers. “Movement is Medicine 🌟Sure, we all love the aesthetic benefits of training—those toned muscles and a sculpted physique are hard to beat. But let’s not forget that movement is so much more than just a way to look good. It’s your best friend for mental health, a natural anti-aging elixir, and the foundation of functional strength that carries you through life’s challenges. Whether it’s releasing endorphins after a tough day, keeping your joints healthy, or simply boosting your energy, moving your body is a gift you give to yourself every day,” she captioned the Instagram video. How does she recommend getting into shape? Here are her top diet and fitness tips.
1. Don’t Diet If You Want to Build Muscle
Whitney explains that if you want to build muscle, you need to eat. “I get a lot of people who want to build their glutes, but they also want to be on a diet,” she told Muscle and Fitness. “You can’t really build that muscle on a calorie deficit.” Instead, she eats more. “As long as you are doing a clean-calorie surplus, you have to remember you are ‘doing it for the glutes!”
2. Track Your Macros
It’s all about the numbers, according to Whitney. “I really encourage my clients to track their macros,” she explained to Muscle and Fitness. “Even if that’s just a couple of times per week because meal serving sizes are so deceiving. I hate tracking macros too, but if you can make yourself do it, you will find out if your protein intake is on point, or if your caloric intake is on track, and then you will know you are getting somewhere.”
3. Focus on Improving Your “Internal” Health
“My love of fitness started when I was 16 years old. I grew up suffering from severe migraines, chronic pain, mental health, and gut health issues. I got fed up feeling poorly all the time, so I took matters into my own hands and started searching for solutions,” Whitney revealed Fitness Gurls. “I spent years researching and self-testing. It became clear that to heal my body, I had to make nutrition and lifestyle choices that were going to improve my internal health, not just my outer physique.”
4. Eat Healthy 80 Percent of the Time
Whitney relies on the 80/20 rule following a Paleo diet. She fuels up with veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats the majority of time, but does indulge on occasion. “If you can do just one cheat meal instead of a cheat day or week, you will fulfill those cravings without derailing your whole diet,” she told Dumb Blonde.
5. Avoid Dairy, Higher Fat, Lower Carb Eating
"When it comes to my diet that works best for my body: I try to stay dairy free, higher fat and lower carbs… but sometimes that Ice Cream craving is just the most,” Whitney said via Greatestphysiques.