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If you're reading this article, you're probably a client who's been directed here by me. To be clear, I don't think you're a dummie, otherwise you wouldn't be training with me! (hah)
The reason you've been sent here is because no sector of the fitness industry has its head further up its ass than the nutrition people.
Not only can none of the supposed 'experts' agree on anything, but listening to them, you'd think that you yourself need a PhD in order to lose some fat.
So, the point of this article is to demystify the process and give you some very practical tips to start with.
A Dose of Reality
I get it - you're overweight. Maybe you feel gross, or maybe you just want to be healthy. Either way, you want fat off, and you want it off fast. Well, here's where I separate myself from 99% of the fitness industry: that ain't gonna happen. If it took you years to get this way, it's not coming off in 6 weeks.
If you want to see what happens when you try to drop fat quickly using whacky gimmicks, look no further than the long term results of 'The Biggest Loser' contestants.
Cut the Crap
We all know what healthy looks like and what unhealthy looks like. I think we can all agree that eating burgers and chips for every meal isn't a good idea, and that some grilled chicken, vegetables and potatoes would probably be better for you. Likewise a glass of water at dinner is a better choice for you than Coke.
We can all, for the most part, agree on this - and yet people want to argue in circles about gluten, saturated fat, dairy etc. None of that shit matters if you're 30% body fat. Just eat whole, unprocessed foods and you'll be fine. If something doesn't agree with you, then leave it out. It's really not that hard.
Calories
All fat loss is dictated by calorie burn. You burn more calories than you ingest, and you will lose fat.
While I believe most people know the difference between good and bad choices, I don't think they have an accurate idea of how many calories are in specific foods.
This knowlege can only be gained by looking it up. Download an app like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer. Log what you eat, and figure out how many calories you're eating, and where they're coming from.
Until you are able to have a reasonable understanding of the average calories in certain food groups, you'll always be at the mercy of the scales.
Habits > Diets
I'm not a believer in 'going on a diet'. The reason why is because the phrase alone implies that it's going to be a short term thing. When it comes to fat loss, consistency is the most important thing. Losing weight isn't the issue - it's keeping it off. So what is the point in doing a super restrictive diet to lose weight, if you're just going to put it all back on once you stop?
The answer is to forget about diets, and start focusing on habits. I don't follow a specific diet. There's not foods that I can't eat. Instead I have formed decent habits over years. So before you start getting into the nitty gritty of what kind of foods, how much, what time of the day etc., you need to have the following basics ticked off. Do you:
1. Have structured meals? (Breakfast, lunch, dinner)
2. Have some kind of fruit or veg at each meal?
3. Have some kind of protein at each meal?
4. Walk 10,000 steps per day?
The reason you're overweight is the sum of your decisions.
The answer to losing the fat is to make better decisions.
Trying to fix everything at once is a sure way of overwhelming yourself and quitting.
Stay the course, believe in yourself, and try to enjoy the process of becoming better than yesterday.