1. Focus on whole foods
They’ll keep you fuller for longer and probably be more healthful.
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits
They’re low in calories and high in fibre, provide different nutrients and look at all the pretty colours.
3. Don't compare yourself with others
Some people struggle to lose fat, others can do it by simply looking at a tomato. There's a name for those people, but we can't publish it here.
4. Train to build muscle
That means resistance training of some sort. Resistance to training is not the same thing.
5. Avoid trigger foods
Or at least replace them with a lower calorie option you won’t be inclined to over-eat into the early hours of the morning.
6. Use seasoning
Taste - usually a missing ingredient in a lot of diets. Embrace flavour.
7. Willpower is limited
Don’t rely solely on it. Either build positive or diminish negative habits instead.
8. Energy balance determines fat loss
Outside of some medical conditions and/or drugs it’s always a matter of getting this right, always.
9. Make your diet suits you
Most hungry at night? Then save most of your food for the evening and eat light throughout the rest of the day.
10. Drink Water
It sustains life, it can also help with satiety but let's not get into the colour of your pee here.
11. Be honest with yourself
A lot like copying your homework at school - you’re only cheating yourself.
12. Take measurements to chart progress
Not only the scales though, see here.
13. Don’t watch the Great British Bake-off
14. Don’t neglect any macronutrient
That means don’t completely cut carbs or fat...or food.
15. There’ll be good days and bad
Aim to make sure the good days outnumber the bad.
16. Weekends
Fun or boredom, both can lead to an excess of calories, see numbers 11, 37 and 44.
17. Limit eating out
Most restaurants worry about their profits, not your waistline.
18. Stop putting faith in supplements
Aside for a few well researched ones, most only reduce the weight of your wallet.
19. Don’t cut calories too low for too long
Some of the meal plans I’ve seen are genuinely suitable only for an 8 year old girl.
20. Eat protein in each meal
It’ll help maintain your muscle mass and keep you feeling fuller. You will not wake up looking like Arnold.
21. There’s no such thing as a perfect diet.
Focus on the basics
22. There’s no such thing as a perfect training programme
Focus on the basics
23. You’re weight will fluctuate daily especially if your a woman
Try to compare your measurements at the same time in each cycle. If you're male this fat loss thing is a lot less complicated.
24. Commit to improving your sleep
Turn the TV off, put down your phone and go to bed.
25. Find a sport, activity or workout you enjoy doing
Not everyone enjoys the gym, but even inside that there are different workouts and classes, if you enjoy it you'll stick to it.
26. Google the satiety index
Such as this one. Thank me later.
27. Be kind to yourself
If guilt and shame helped lose weight, there wouldn't be an obesity problem, see number 42.
28. Limit alcohol
Binge drinking will see a big influx of calories...and last night's takeaway leftovers end up becoming a breakfast option.
29. Do the work
The inconvenient truth is it requires effort in both nutrition and training.
30. Learn proper exercise technique
Small niggles are common, injuries shouldn't be. Limit them with proper form.
31. Add Caffeine
The main ingredient in a lot of fat loss supplements, caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant. Don’t drink too much though, or rely on it to get you through slumps or cover up other issues. I'm also not talking about the frapalapalapacino's that contain a silly amount of calories.
32. Don’t shop hungry
Hunger leads you down the sexy aisles.
33. Don’t drink your calories
They won’t fill you up and are usually full of sugar/artificial sweeteners
34. Eat mindfully
Try actually concentrating on food and flavour without any distractions
35. Plan some food
You don’t have to prep food like a contest bodybuilder, but having some meals or snacks for when you’re stuck during the week might stop you picking up the phone for a takeaway.
36. Use smaller plates
Behavioural research shows it helps us reduce the portion sizes, just don't bring your Mickey Mouse plate when you're visiting friends.
37. Accept responsibility for your results
I’m going to assume if you're reading this you’re also ultimately responsible for what enters your mouth, the sooner you realise this the sooner you’ll get results.
38. More frequent meals don’t ‘stoke your metabolic fire’
Small regular meals might just keep you from raiding the fridge in hunger, play around with frequency and find what works for you.
39. Abs are not a gauge of health.
Avoid thinking this by steering clear of instagram.
40. If you’re sick, just focus on getting better and forget dieting.
41. Protein powder is handy
You can add it to plenty of things to help with your protein intake along with being a low calorie snack.
42. Reward yourself for improvements
- but not with food.
43. Everyone’s ‘best’ is different
If you’re single in your 20’s you've probably more time to focus on this than someone in the midst of family, career and responsibilities.
44. Assess your excuses
We all have them, in all aspects of our lives but acknowledge what’s possible for you and what’s simply an excuse.
45. There’s no ‘one weird trick’ for fat loss
Unless it’s number 8.
46. Hire a personal trainer
If your budget allows, find a good one and get some sessions, you should, in a relatively short space of time, learn proper technique, programme balance and intensity.
47. Audit your time.
Sit down and see where and when you can fit in some exercise and/or meal preparation.
48. If you fall off the wagon don’t just give up
If you're consistent then little blips here and there will not make a big difference, see number 21.
49. A pizza slice is about 300cals
Most people think that’s a whole pizza. (This is based on a popular takeaway 14” pizza sliced in 10 for a total of 3000cals)
50. Be consistent
This trumps everything, find a route that allows you improve long term. Short term solutions don't work long term because there's usually too much suffering involved. Suffer less.
