Today we’re talking losing weight.
I am going to do my best to give you a concise strategy for losing weight – one which is both manageable and sustainable (unlike the majority of diets people go on).
Here are the key things to remember:
- Eat Less
- Move More
- Be consistent with the above (90% is fine, the difference between 90% and 100% is actually pretty insignificant in terms of results)
It’s all about calories in vs. calories out at the end of the day.
Here is an example; let’s say your body maintains its bodyweight at 2,500 calories. If you want to lose weight, you need to create a deficit, plain and simple.
And the way you create that deficit is either by consuming less calories (eating less) or increasing activity (moving more). Generally a deficit of between 250-500 calories is a good start. So let’s say we went with 500, eating 250 calories less and doing a 250 calorie workout per day would do the job.
If you do this on a consistent basis, you will lose weight and when you hit a plateau and you want to push things further, you simply need to adjust how much you eat and how much activity you do.
Generally it’s best to do most of the controlling with diet but further down the line you’ll most likely be doing a fair bit of activity to achieve sub 12% levels of leanness. (For example, to maintain 168lbs @ 12.5% bodyfat, I was consistently eating 1,800 calories a day and do 5 hours of cardio per week – not pretty)
Let’s face it though, 90% of people are not willing to count calories and unless you want to be particularly lean, it’s probably not necessary… so we’ll leave calorie talk there. The only reason I wanted to talk about them is to explain the calorie in vs. out scenario and the importance of creating a deficit.
For most people, a change in their eating habits and a decent plan for being active is all that is required to shed some weight. For example, I reduced my weight from 215lbs to 190lbs by simply doing this and then used a more detailed calorie counting plan to go from 190lbs to 168lbs. So I was able to lose 25lbs by simply changing my eating habits and having a decent plan for being active.
So let’s start with the eating bit as it’s the most important. And again, there are probably more effective ways to lose fat than this, but I am trying to keep it as simple and manageable as possible so that you will actually stick with it consistently.
Diet
There are two things we’ll focus on – eating less and restricting carbohydrates. These are the two things that worked incredibly well for me and seem to be a consistent amongst those in the knowhow of manipulating bodyweight.
Here is how I want you to eat, Mon to Fri.
Skip Breakfast
The reason I want you to skip breakfast is that for most people it’s the best strategy for ensuring you eat less. Simply put, once you start eating, you kind of get into the habit of wanting to eat more and let’s face it the later you start eating, the less time you have in the day to physically cram food into your mouth. You’ll feel hungry in the mornings at first, but it’ll soon go away, just focus on being busy and you’ll probably find you are more productive each day as a result.
Lunch
Have a well balanced (protein, carbohydrates and fat) meal here, but be conscious of keeping your carbohydrates to a small/medium portion.
So for example, a chicken sandwich with some mayo (chicken = lean protein, bread = carbohydrates and mayo = fat)
or
Pasta Bolognese (beef = protein/fat, pasta and sauce = carbohydrates)
You get the idea, just aim for a pretty clean, well balanced meal and don’t go overboard on carbohydrates. As many vegetables as you want (the fibre content of them offsets the carbohydrates).
Evening Meal
Here we’re going to shoot for a protein heavy, medium fat and low carbohydrate meal. So a chicken salad with oil/nuts or any type of meat with vegetables etc. Again, as many vegetables as you want.
As for snacking, try to keep it to a minimum but if you do, stick to healthy, low calorie options such as fruit, perhaps a granola bar etc.
Some other tips – drink lots of water, learn to like diet sodas as they contain no calories and you can drink as much of them as you want and they make you feel full.
And that’s it Mon – Fri.
- Skip Breakfast
- Lunch – Well balanced meal, being conscious of carbohydrate intake
- Evening Meal – Low carbohydrate meal
Now, on the face of it, this might seem a bit extreme. Even as I type it, I am starting to think that perhaps this is not enough calories, but wait for the best bit….. The Weekend.
The Weekend
At the weekend, we have more freedom, so pretty much do what you like. Just don’t be an absolute PIG. If you nailed Mon – Fri perfectly, letting loose at the weekend should be viable.
The eating like a PIG bit is important though. Remember the calories in vs out bit? If you eat insane amounts of food at the weekend, you may well end up creating an overall surplus or maintenance scenario for the overall week, which means you’ll gain or stay at the same weight.
Generally speaking though, if you followed Mon – Fri as outlined, you can relax and be normal on weekends. Have a nice breakfast with your loved one, eat out at lunch and a nice hearty meal in the evening. Just remember, you don’t ALWAYS have to have dessert 
The reason this diet is manageable is you only have to follow 5 strict days with an end in sight – 2 days of completely relaxing and not worrying about dieting.
Activity
I’m not going to go into detail here as it’s a pretty big topic in itself, but simply make sure you are as active as possible.
Aim to get into the gym 2-3 times a week and do some form of activity. Don’t shy from the weights either – 30 mins weights/30mins cardio is a pretty decent session. Do that’s 3 times a week and you should be set. On top of that simply be conscious about moving around a bit more – bike or walk instead of drive, go for an evening stroll. Whatever – just move about as much as you can.
Wrap Up
If you eat very clean and restrict carbohydrates Mon – Fri and also do 2-3 hours of activity on a weekly basis, you should be able to shed some decent weight. Lets face it right now you’re eating too much or probably not being very active (or both!) so simply doing this should be enough for how much 90% of people want to lose.
If you find yourself not losing weight, then you’re probably pigging out too much at the weekend, reign it in a little, make sure Mon – Fri is spot on and considering moving about a bit more.
And if you end up losing quite a bit of weight, but then stall and want to push things further, then is probably the time to consider a more detailed approach such as counting calories and being stricter on weekends.
If you have any questions, ask away!
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