The Truth About Fat Loss for Men: A Personal Trainer's No-BS Guide
By Zeke Eddy | Personal Trainer at Self Made Training Facility, Murrieta, CA
I've been training seriously for the last five years, and the reason I became a personal trainer is simple — I wanted a career where I could help men like me overcome their mental limitations through health and fitness. Because here's the truth: the body follows the mind, and until you understand that, no workout program in the world is going to get you where you want to go.
My name is Zeke Eddy. I'm based out of Murrieta, CA and I train my clients at Self Made Training Facility headquarters in the Inland Empire — a place built specifically for people who are serious about improving themselves, their minds, and their bodies. I've worked with a lot of men who want to lose fat, and over time I've noticed the same patterns, the same mistakes, and the same mental blocks showing up again and again. So let me break it all down for you.
The First Thing I Look At Before Writing Any Program
When a guy comes to me wanting to lose fat, I don't immediately talk about workouts. The first thing I assess is his eating habits. Because the workouts alone are not going to lose the fat — calories in and calories out is what makes fat loss actually happen. If that foundation isn't right, nothing else matters.
The Most Common Mistake Men Make With Their Diet
You'd think the biggest diet mistake would be overeating, but what I see most often is the opposite — men are actually under eating. And on top of that, what they are eating is the wrong stuff.
The first thing I do is fix what they're eating and how much of it. Real meals, not snacks. Enough food to actually fuel their bodies consistently — because their bodies love consistency. When you're not eating enough, your body has no reason to perform, recover, or change. You're essentially starving a machine and then wondering why it won't run.
How I Structure Training for Fat Loss
Once the diet is in a better place, we look at training. I structure every program around a person's availability because the best program is the one you can actually stick to. For most of my clients, that means three days per week of in-person training, in a group setting that keeps them accountable and surrounded by a community that wants to grow and change together.
And here's something a lot of people don't expect to hear: you don't need crazy HIIT training to lose fat. What you need is some Zone 2 cardio — think steady-state, sustainable effort — and an effective weight training program designed to build muscle that will support your metabolism for the long haul.
Why Muscle Is the Secret Weapon for Fat Loss
This is where a lot of men get it backwards. When they're trying to lose weight, they start lifting lighter, doing less in the gym, and overdoing cardio. But building muscle is actually what will accelerate your fat loss — because muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest.
The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism runs, which means you can eat more and continue to lose fat over time. Instead of grinding away on the treadmill and losing muscle in the process, focus on getting stronger. Your body will do the rest.
The Role Mindset Plays in Fat Loss
I'd argue mindset is the biggest factor in fat loss — bigger than diet, bigger than training. If you aren't willing to fundamentally change the destructive habits you've built, you're creating resistance that won't allow you to lose the fat and keep it off. You're fighting an uphill battle.
The most common thing I see is people putting a band-aid on the problem — trying a new diet, a new challenge, a new 30-day program — instead of fixing the root cause. And that's why the weight comes back just as quickly as it was lost. The struggle with consistency almost always comes down to what you do outside of the gym and how badly you actually want to change your life. That desire is what drives progress.
What I Tell the Guy Who Says He's Tried Everything
I hear this all the time. "I've tried every diet. I've tried every workout. Nothing works for me." And my response is always the same: it's not the diets or the workouts that have failed — it's specifically how long you've tried them and whether or not you've made adjustments along the way.
The best diet is the one that works for you. But it requires tracking, being diligent, and slowly increasing your calorie deficit over time as your body adapts. The right workout needs to be something that builds muscle, something you actually look forward to, something that fits your lifestyle. And you have to understand the concept of progressive overload — meaning every week, you're pushing a little harder, lifting a little more, and making consistent progress with your lifts. That's what separates people who transform their bodies from people who stay stuck.
How Long Before You See Real Results?
It typically takes about 90 days — three months — for a guy to start seeing noticeable fat loss results when he's doing things the right way. But doing things the right way doesn't mean more is better. Under eating and overtraining are real problems. It's about quality diet, quality lifts, and a quality amount of time accumulated consistently.
The effort you put in matters, but so does patience. The men who get the best results are the ones who fall in love with the process — who learn to make this a lifestyle rather than forcing themselves headfirst into something they can't sustain. Sustainability is the name of the game.
The One Thing Most Trainers Won't Tell You
You have to be committed to the idea of failing. Not every day is going to feel strong. Not every week is going to be perfect. But every single day, you can take a step in the right direction.
Show up for what's most important to you by showing up for yourself first. Not everyone's path is a straight line — there are ups and downs, setbacks and comebacks. What matters is rolling with the punches and getting back up again. The men who transform their bodies aren't the ones who never struggled. They're the ones who kept going anyway.
Ready to Stop Going in Circles?
Working with me looks like a mix of pushing yourself hard and actually enjoying your time in the gym. I pride myself on my ability to connect with my clients — the encouragement, the jokes, the real conversations — because that connection is what keeps people showing up.
If you're ready to commit to the process and make a real change, reach out. Message me through the Self Made Training Facility website or DM me on any platform, and I'll walk you through exactly how I can help you reach your goals — inside and outside of the gym.
