If you’re looking to go on a diet, or simply find a nutritional strategy that works for you, there’s no shortage of options available nowadays.
You could go keto, which is all the rage. Or Atkins (which is basically the same thing).
You could take a high-carb approach, if that’s your cup of tea.
Elimination diets are options as well. You could try paleo, or the carnivore diet, and eliminate specific groups of food to achieve results.
You could even eliminate the amount of time you allow yourself to eat. Intermittent fasting is something many people find useful and effective.
See what I mean?
The options are endless.
BUT it’s important to understand that, whatever strategy you choose, each one is based around the same concept.
Eat less, and lose weight.
That simple combination is at the center of every diet, so in a sense they’re all the same despite the distinct differences in the types of foods and times you’ll eat. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. It’s all very simple.
There is no magic combination of foods that will help you lose weight. There’s not a super food you have to eat. There’s not some groundbreaking secret you need to uncover.
The only magic formula is this: you need to focus on two very simple concepts in order to lose weight or create a healthier nutritional strategy for yourself.
- Regulate your daily calorie intake
- Pay attention to the macronutrients that make up your daily calorie intake
Let’s dive into each of those in some detail…
Step 1: Regulate Your Daily Calorie Intake
This first step is a big one. You need to figure out how many calories you’re currently eating and then reduce them. From there, you need to be consistent in how you keep your calories reduced.
I’ve written several articles that can help you accomplish this first step. Tracking your calories to the best of your ability on a daily basis is a must. Being consistent with your diet is also extremely important, as it’s the only surefire way to track progress accurately over time. You can read through my dieting journals from my last cut to see how these principles can be applied, too (just search articles titled “my 2019 cut” — here’s the final entry).
To regulate your daily calories means to consistently practice moderation and pay attention to each meal you consume. It’s a lot of work, but the work is not hard. With attention to detail and self control, anybody can do this.
Step 2: Pay attention to the macronutrients that make up your daily calorie intake
Macronutrients are what make up the calories you eat. Protein, fats, and carbohydrates are the three macronutrients we’re focused on. If you’d like to learn more about them, you can read an old article I wrote on my first blog about how to set up your macros.
You can also purchase my dieting guide E-book for $20. This teaches you the basics regarding what you need to learn in order to set up your own diet, and then the book walks you through setting up your diet based on your own specific goals. I’d highly recommend it if you’re serious about reinventing your diet. For a low price, you can totally change your life with this book!
Macronutrients make up the content of your diet. If you’re interested in keto, you need to learn how higher fat will impact your daily calories. If you’re trying to build muscle, you need to learn about consuming appropriate amounts of protein. And if you’re a big snacker, it might be worthwhile to understand how quickly carbs can add up, and how they may dieting challenging.
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It’s all up to you regarding how deep you want to dive into these two steps of managing your diet. The good thing is that a basic understanding can go a long way. Mastering the basics will get you moving in the right direction. From there, you can build upon a strong base to continue progressing.
In the end, the magic formula is pretty straightforward. Remember what I mentioned above?
Eat less, and lose weight.
That simple combination is at the center of every diet, and if you can do it by understanding the steps listed above you’ll be on track to experience success.
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Applying this information to your diet is at the core of my coaching service, along with creating customized fitness programming for clients. If you’re interested in creating healthier habits but need some help along the way, contact me and let’s talk about if coaching may be right for you.
I’d love to get the opportunity to chat about your goals!
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CGF