If you’ve been trying to get lean but aren’t seeing results — this is for you.

First of all, a quick disclaimer up front: I’m not going to bore you with the usual fat loss advice like “be in a calorie deficit,” “track your calories,” or “lose weight at a sustainable pace.”

That stuff’s everywhere — books, YouTube, podcasts. In fact, I’ve already covered the basics in a previous piece called How to Achieve a Healthy Body Weight. If you’re unsure how fat loss works, check that out first.

From this point on, I’m going to assume you already have a solid plan.

Because here’s the truth — most people don’t struggle because their plan is wrong. They struggle because they can’t stick to it long enough.

And I get it. Losing fat and getting lean is hard. Staying active. Eating less. Saying no to temptations — not just for a few days or weeks, but for months. It’s really, really tough.

Trust me, I’ve failed more times than I can count. I’d fall off track after a few weeks, over and over again.

But I finally figured it out. OK, I’m not shredded, but I’m lean, I’ve got visible abs, and I’m in the best shape of my life. More importantly, I’ve finally learned how to stay consistent for long stretches of time — and that’s what matters.

So, I’m not interested in sharing generic fat loss tips. Instead, I’m going to share four powerful tactics that helped me actually stick to the plan.

Even applying just one of these will make fat loss feel much more manageable. Apply all four — and they might just be the difference between success and failure.

These are the exact tactics I’ve used over the last couple of months to reach and sustain this level of leanness — and they’ve been foundational to being able to succeed.

Tactic 1 — Don’t Go Extreme on Calories or Activity

To lose weight and get lean, you have to be in a calorie deficit. This means you need to burn more calories than you consume.

Now here’s the mistake I see a lot of people make: they go too extreme on one side of that equation.

Some people try to out-train a bad diet. They’re in the gym every day, smashing long sessions, hammering cardio — just trying to burn their way to being lean.

But the truth is, you can’t out-train a crappy diet. Even if you manage to create a deficit through sheer effort, it won’t last. You’ll either burn out, get injured, or just give up.

Then you’ve got the opposite group — people who go all-in on food restriction. They barely move, and try to eat as little as possible. And sure, that might create a deficit on paper, but it’s completely unsustainable. You’ll feel like crap, your energy will tank, your immune system takes a hit. Eventually, you crack. I’ve been there and done that.

So here’s the lesson: don’t go extreme on either side.

Instead, aim for a balanced approach. Push your activity and calories hard enough to make progress — but not so hard that you break.

Here’s how I do it:

I train 5–6 times per week — a mix of weights, circuits, and some Zone 2 cardio. I also average 8–10k steps a day. But I still take 1–2 rest days per week, and a couple of my sessions are under an hour. So I’m active, but I’m not going crazy.

On the food side, I’m usually eating 1,800–2,000 calories per day. That puts me in a solid deficit based on my activity level. It’s a little restrictive, and yes, I feel hungry most days — but it’s not miserable. With smart food choices, I can still have a good lunch, a snack, and a solid evening meal.

So I’m active, and I’m eating in a deficit. But I’m not going to extremes on either. And that’s why it works.

Because it’s sustainable — not for days or weeks — but for months, if I need it to be.

So don’t fall into the trap of going all-in on one lever. Balance both — activity and calories — and then watch what happens. I promise you, get that part right, and the results will take care of themselves.

Tactic 2 — Whole Foods for Appetite Control

This one’s really powerful. You have to base your eating around predominantly whole foods.

You’ve probably heard people say fat loss is all about calories in vs. calories out. And yes, at the heart of it, that’s true. You absolutely do need to be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. But it’s more nuanced than that. And that nuance is where people get stuck — especially in two key ways.

First: appetite control.

Let’s say you’ve set your plan up perfectly and you’re hitting the right calorie target. If you’re filling those calories with mostly processed foods, you’re going to struggle.

Processed foods make you want more processed foods. You already know this. Eat one slice of pizza, you want two more. A couple of cookies, and suddenly the whole pack’s gone.

It’s almost impossible to stay under your calorie target when your appetite’s running wild like that.

But when you eat mostly whole foods? It’s a totally different experience. Whole foods leave you full and satisfied. Often for hours at a time.

You know this is true. Have four poached eggs, and you’re not craving another four. If you eat a big salad, you don’t need a second one. You’re good.

That’s the power of whole foods. They help you actually stay in control.

Second: your body runs better on real food.

I’ve seen people eat in a calorie deficit while still eating junk. They don’t look great. They hit plateaus. They look tired, flat, and run-down.

It’s like putting sugar in a gas tank and expecting the engine to run properly. It won’t and it can’t.

Your body is a complex machine. If you want it to perform well, especially during fat loss, it needs the right fuel.

That means eating at least 80% whole foods — meat, vegetables, starches, nuts, seeds, fruit. When I’m above 80%, everything works better. My appetite is easier to manage and my energy feels great. Fat loss feels automatic.

But when I drop below that — into the 70s or 60s — I start to struggle.

So yes, energy balance is the foundation. But the type of food you eat changes everything.

Whole foods help you control your appetite. They help your body run efficiently. And they make your plan sustainable.

So, aim for 80–90% whole foods. You’ll feel completely different and the results will follow.

Tactic 3 — Fasting Is a Super Weapon

You’ve probably heard plenty of hype about fasting.

I’m not here to add to it. I’m not claiming fasting has special fat-burning powers, or that it magically boosts your metabolism. In fact, for most intermittent-style fasting, the science doesn’t show many biological advantages.

But here’s why fasting is a super weapon — it helps you hit your calorie target. And that’s where the battle is won or lost.

Let’s face it: sticking to fewer calories is hard. You’ll feel hungry. You’ll face constant temptations. There’s meals out, breakfasts with family, travel, snacks. Fasting helps make that part easier.

It’s not about magic. It’s about structure.

When you shrink the eating window, it becomes easier to stay in control. That’s really all there is to it.

Here’s how I use it:

When I’m cutting, I fast most mornings. I’ll have a light lunch around 1–2PM, a small afternoon snack, and a normal dinner. That morning fast is everything. If I eat breakfast, my appetite ramps up, and the window from breakfast to bedtime becomes really hard to manage.

Fasting in the morning is the difference between hitting my calorie target — or going way over.

Another great use? Social meals or restaurant dinners. If I’ve got dinner out, I’ll often fast the entire day and use a One Meal a Day strategy.

I’ll show up to the meal hungry, enjoy it guilt-free, and come in right on target for the day — around 1,800 calories. I avoid a blowout with good planning.

The same goes for travel. If I’m away for a few days and everything’s unpredictable, I’ll fast more aggressively or use One Meal a Day for damage control. It works beautifully.

As you can see, fasting is just a practical tool that makes calorie control easier — especially when life gets in the way.

Tactic 4 — Focus on Your Weekly Calorie Average

This one took a while to click, but it made a huge difference.

Let’s say your target is 2,000 calories a day. Most people think they need to hit that exactly every day. But life doesn’t work like that.

And the good news is — neither does your body.

Your body responds to averages. It doesn’t care if you eat 2,000 one day and 1,600 the next. What matters is the total across the week.

That realisation opens up a whole new level of flexibility — especially when it comes to weekends.

Here’s how I manage it:

My target is 2,000 per day, with a stretch goal of 1,800. So Monday to Thursday, I run a little lower — often 1,600–1,700. I’ll even do a dinner-to-dinner fast once a week to create more space.

By Friday, I’ve built up a buffer. So if I eat 2,200–2,500 on Friday or Saturday, it’s no big deal. My weekly average still lands around 1,800–2,000. Mission accomplished.

This approach is night and day. When I don’t create that buffer, weekends blow my numbers. But when I cruise into Friday ahead of schedule, I stay on track easily.

So stop obsessing over being perfect every single day. Be smart and use the easy days to create room for the hard ones. Manage your average, and you’ll stay in a sustainable deficit without going insane.

Wrapping up

These four tactics will actually help you stick to the plan and stay consistent long enough to get lean.

These are the exact tactics that finally helped me stay on track — not for a few days or weeks, but for months.

And now, I get to head off to Cyprus feeling confident on the beach, and all with no stress and no last-minute panic. ✈️ ☀️ 🏖️

It’s just the result of doing the right things consistently.

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