Over the weekend, someone asked me about my workout program, saying they wanted to get in shape.

I often get this question, followed by "What's your secret, anyway?"

This question always amuses me because:

1 - I'm neither a health expert nor a personal trainer.

2 - Despite what millions of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ads would have you believe, there is no damn secret.

Look, if you want to be like my friend Marie and get into bodybuilding competitions, there are all sorts of specialized nutrition and workout protocols that you need to follow.

But let's be honest, Marie is a badass on a whole other level, and nobody like her is asking me for advice.

The people asking me are middle-aged men and women who aren't happy with their midsections and want to lose some weight.

As my friend Kelly put it, they want to look better naked.

For folks like this, my advice is straightforward.

It's simple.

--> ELIMINATE SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOOD FROM YOUR DIET.

--> EXERCISE EVERY DAY

That's it.

Honest to God, it is that simple.

And, truthfully, everybody already knows this.

(You do know this, right?)

But they fight it.

They lie to themselves about it.

When Julia does an initial consult with someone who wants their skin to look younger, healthier, and more vibrant, she has them bring all the products they use to the first appointment.

On the phone, scheduling that appointment, they all claim "they don't use much at all."

But then they bring in a giant bag of cheap potions they've been slathering on for the last decade and not one damn bottle of sunscreen.

In their mind, they're taking care of their skin. In reality, they're doing anything but.

Same when folks tell me what they eat.

"I mean, I eat a little bit of junk food here and there, but mostly I eat healthy."

Then I run into them at the grocery store, and their shopping cart tells a different story.

And with exercise, it's usually, "I have a gym membership."

"How often do you go?"

"Well, uh, you know. . .I've been kinda busy this past year."

You and I both know that gym membership is not the same as exercising every day.

So for those interested, I'll share my morning workout and breakfast, too.

But I'm also going to share the secret, that's not a secret at all, for those folks who want to be a little healthier and lose a little extra weight.

--> Your "diet" does not matter as long as you’re eating real food. Eliminate processed foods, especially processed sugar. And by eliminate, I mean don't eat them at all, which is a different animal than only eating a little bit each day.

--> Exercise every day to the point you are sweating. What you're doing doesn't matter all that much—just sweat. And by every day, I mean every day.

If you do that, I promise you'll get closer to where you want to be.

Because it's like math.

2 + 2 always equals 4.

Eating natural, whole foods and exercising daily always equals better health and a leaner body.

Get into these two habits for six months, and then you can worry about specific diet protocols or nutrition programs.