Celeb personal trainer Jono Castano's #45daily fat loss hack is genius

Simplicity at its finest

Celebrity PT Jono Castano says we’re all overcomplicating our weight loss goals. Here’s what the Aussie fitness guru says we should be doing instead. 

Remember Rebel Wilson’s internet-breaking ‘Year of Health’ announcement in early 2020? Her balanced approach to weight loss and fitness inspired people all around the world. 

Now, the man responsible for Wilson’s jaw-dropping health transformation joins Felicity Harley, host of Healthy-ish, to share how she– and countless other clients– have managed to find success in their fitness goals. 

Aussie trainer Jono Castano follows one simple hack for fat loss and fitness, and it’s a far cry from the toxic, restrictive mindsets he so often encounters in the industry. 

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The simple hack for long-lasting weight loss

At the crux of Castano’s ideology, is an understanding of how our motivation and purpose can ebb and flow throughout different periods. “I understand that obviously, motivation is so up and down,” he says. “For me, it's about finding that consistency throughout the training.”

But contrary to our assumptions about how a personal trainer would feel, Castano doesn’t believe in spending hours to achieve a fitness goal. Instead, he supports a much simpler approach to movement: the humble walk. 

“I think a lot of people think that it's like this magic formula that you need all this stuff, all these gadgets, in order to lose weight, but at the end of the day it comes down to your [calorie] intake,” he explains. “And when you go for a humble walk, think about how many calories you're burning throughout the day when you are doing that walk, it's going to be so beneficial.”

While it may sound like a simple task, Castano ensures his clients– new and regular– understand the importance of accountability. “I'll give them 10,000 steps a day,” he says. “I get them to actually screenshot me [their results].”

Castano and one of his celebrity clients, Rebel Wilson. Image: Instagram/@rebelwilson

In addition, the industry leader says many people enlist his help to transform their health without having a clear goal in mind or having two incompatible objectives. 

“The training program is so different for someone that wants to lose weight and then someone that wants to build muscle. So, you're kind of just making things too hard on yourself,” he says, explaining why many people don’t see results despite training hard. 

“I go through those stages where life takes over, I put on a lot of weight, and then I just focus on losing weight,” he adds. “And when I'm comfortable with my body fat, that's when I work on hypertrophy, which is more bodybuilding exercise.” 

Jono’s five pillars of transformation

When it comes to his clients, celebrities and all, Castano preaches his signature five-pillar approach to successful and sustainable transformations (yes, the same approach that helped Rebel Wilson). Here’s 

#1. Mindset 

Castano urges his new clients and anyone listening at home to not only consider and write down their fitness or transformation goals but also note how reaching each goal will make them feel, “That's going to create a strong mindset towards the goal.”

#2. Fitness 

The celebrity trainer’s widely used hashtag, #45 daily, summarises his approach to consistent and achievable exercise, “I encourage people just to move for 45 minutes,” he says. “If it's a run, if it's a swim, if it's a walk.”

#3. Nutrition

Understanding how influential a person’s nutritional input can be when it comes to success, Castano urges people to avoid getting caught up in fad diets that leave them unfulfilled and feeling pressured. “When someone says I'm on a diet, there's pressure already,” he says. “I think just personally focus on the balance. And if you are going to eat out, make sure you're obviously increasing your output– go for a walk.”

#4. Sleep

As the trainer explains, no amount of training or healthy nutrition will transform your body without enough good quality sleep. Ensuring you’re getting enough rest, at a consistent pattern throughout the week is a game-changer for your progress. 

#5. Balance 

While consistency and motivation are key to Castano’s weight loss approach, he also believes life is too short to foster a negative mindset and punish yourself for ‘mistakes’. “If you're going to miss out on the session one day, just miss out on it, but never miss it twice. That's my advice,” Castano says. “If you miss it twice, I think you lose a habit.”

Want to learn more about Castano’s trailblazing approach to weight loss? His new book, It Starts Today, is available now.

Originally published as Celeb personal trainer Jono Castano's #45daily fat loss hack is genius