Well... It's time to address the elephant in the room: nutrition.
There are some outliers but for 99% of us, it is calories in/ calories out AKA to gain weight you need to be in a caloric surplus and to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit. It is as simple as that.
Caloric Surplus: more calories than you need to maintain current weight
Caloric Deficit: less calories than you need to maintain current weight
Ps I am not a Registered Dietitian... these are my views and what has worked for me.
My 5 Tips:
1: Know How Much You are Eating
Whatever your fitness goal is, you need to know how many calories you are eating. If you're not seeing progress on the scale it is probably because most of us are terrible at determining an actually serving size. I hate to break it to you... but when we pour a bowl of cereal most of us are probably eating 3-4 serving at a time and then we wonder why we are gaining weight.
If you want to get serious, download My Fitness Pal and track your calories for at least a week. Measure or weigh your food. Boring I know... but measuring doesn't lie.
You will get to a point eventually where you can just eyeball a serving size and then just track periodically to make sure you are staying on point!
2: Fad Diets are a Joke
Here's what every weight loss diet has in common: a caloric deficit. Keto is not magic it just puts you in a caloric deficit because you're eating less. Weight Watchers... caloric deficit, intermittent fasting... caloric deficit, etc.
Find a nutritious way of eating that you can sustain for a lifetime. Stick to it. Make sure your calories match your goals. Boom.
3: Quality Does Matter
When it's all said and done, it's calories in, calories out. We have all heard about the guy who ate nothing but Twinkies and maintained a "healthy" weight. That is because his calories were in check, meaning you can eat things other than celery and still lose weight. However, processed food will make you feel like garbage. Your weight might be fine but energy will be trash.
I enjoy processed foods here and there but the majority of one's diet should be lean protein sources, vegetables, high fiber fruits, healthy fats, complex carbs, and plenty of water. When you eat this way you will feel and look better.
4: Prioritize Protein and Veggies
Protein makes you fuller longer. Protein helps build muscle. Win/ win. Vegetables have fiber and tons of nutrients. This is a winning combo. Protein: think eggs, greek yogurt, chicken (not fried lol), lean beef, whey protein, etc. Vegetables: think Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Bonus tips: roast your veggies in the oven with olive oil, salt, and garlic... game changer!
5: Follow the 80/20 Rule
I like to live a little. Even if you follow a nutritious eating plan... you can still have pizza, burgers, ice cream, etc here and there. I have these things at least once per week but you have to sacrifice somewhere. You can't be having donuts, cereal, or pop tarts for breakfast then fast food for lunch, and pizza for dinner. If I eat one "unhealthy" meal in a day the other two meals and my snacks are on point.
Don't put yourself in a prison of "I can't eat that." If you have pizza or burgers just track your calories and make sure you're still where you need to be calories wise at the end of the day.
Also, there are going to be days that we eat WAYYYYYY too much. So what. Get back on track the next day. Random days where you eat too much are fine. The problem occurs when you regularly overeat each day.
80% of the time make sure your calories are on point and you are eating nutritiously.
20% of the time... Live a Little!
Hope this helps some of You!
-Ben
ps check out a free 7-day trial of my daily workout subscription for the gym or no equipment needed home workouts!
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