​
So I've been beating the calorie deficit theme to death recently, but with all of the detox diets and waist trainers around, you can never be too sure.

With that said, here are a couple more strategies for managing the calories "IN" side of the calorie deficit equation.

If you've been a follower for any length of time, you will know I don't like big swings in calories or activity.

I like finding the sweet spot that makes it feel easy and natural. 

Something that you can do every day and not hate your life.

That something in this instance is keeping a small, consistent calorie deficit while avoiding any major binge days that set you back.

If you find yourself continually struggling with binge eating or extreme cravings, it might not be the best idea to have any deficit at all.

You may be better off eating at maintenance calories and instead focus on not binge eating rather than losing weight.

Sometimes things will take longer than you like.


That's life.


But if you keep pushing and keep binge eating because you pushed too hard, it will take even longer.

You might as well back up and fix the problem right from the start. 

Other good ideas include focusing on Protein and Fiber.

One of my favorites is air fried chicken tenderloins with hot sauce.

A 4 oz Portion is only 175 calories, 35g of Protein, and very filling.

My other favorite is microwaving 300g of frozen mixed berries with a little sprinkle of cinnamon for dessert.

At 300 grams, that's a lot of berries, but only 150 calories and loaded with nutrients.

Find healthy foods that are filling and less calorically dense to fill your plate and your stomach so you can stop the binge eating and get back on track.

​If you've ever needed a simple way to figure out how many calories to eat, well here it is.

Like always, remember to keep it simple.

Figure out a realistic number for your Goal Body Weight, then multiply it, and you're on your way.

Want to up the ante' a little more?

Calculate your protein number at 1g per pound of goal body weight and work to hit that number as well as your total calories.

The remainder of the calories can come from carbs, fat, more protein, or even some alcohol (don't overdo it). Unless you're a fitness competitor, bodybuilder, or have a related medical condition, you don't need to worry about carb/fat ratios.

Focus on hitting your calorie and protein numbers every day rather than getting bogged down by minutia.

Also, I get it; tracking calories can be a pain in the ass, but if you don't like the way you feel or look, why leave it to chance?

Track the calories for 90 days until you get good enough to get a feel for estimating meals correctly.

Then you can wean off the counting and transition to mindful eating.

​Here are some good sauces to help spice up a meal and make clean eating a little easier without sabotaging your progress:


Sweet Chili Sauce

Heinz Sugar Free Ketchup

Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce

Taqueria Street Taco Sauce - Habanero

Regular BBQ Sauce

Taqueria Street Taco Sauce - Smoky Chipotle

Lemon Herb Marinade

Taqueria Street Taco Sauce - Original Verde

Walden Farms Multi-Pack

Salad Dressing Multi-Pack

If you know of any more and would like to share please comment below!

​If you're just starting out on your fat loss journey, it's essential that you adopt certain mindsets and buckle up for the long haul.

It didn't take you six weeks to put on the weight, and it'll take more than a 6-week Fat Blast Super Detox to get it back off.

With that said, wherever you're at right now, whether its 20 or 100 pounds to go, the first thing you do is start right where you are.

What action can you take today to move the needle forward by 1%? It doesn't need to be big.
Don't fall in the trap that you have to completely overhaul your life.

Next, whatever that action is, please keep it simple and try not to overcomplicate it.

You're special in your own unique way, but everyone loses weight by the same means: Consistent Caloric Deficit.

As you progress on this journey, there will be plenty of times where it feels like the scale isn't moving.

That okay; don't take it personally.

Plateaus are entirely normal, and to be honest, should be expected.

It doesn't mean you failed.

Treat it as feedback; you may need to wait it out a little longer or perhaps pull the reigns in on your diet a little more.

Focus less on the outcome (out of your control), but rather the behaviors that produce the outcome (entirely in your control). No matter who you are or how determined you are right now, there will be a day where you totally blow it.

Wipe the slate clean, and get back on track as soon as you can.

Look at this from a different domain:

If you got in a minor fender bender, you wouldn't drive your car off of a cliff, would you?

I hope this helps.

​​THE ONLY WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT IS CALORIE DEFICIT or amputation.

How you achieve that deficit and what type (muscle/fat) of weight you lose lies in the details.

You can one of three routes;

1. Reducing your Calories IN.

2. Increasing your Calories OUT.

3. Both.

duh. 

The key to success is not pushing the boundaries on either of these categories too hard. 

Sure, you can hack calories via Intermittent Fasting, Cleanse Diets/Detoxes etc and lose a good bit of weight in the short term.

When you push the pendulum hard in one direction you have to be ready to absorb the blowback.

Of course, at this point, when it comes back around you're tired and weary from low calories and extra workouts.

All you have is your will power to stop the momentum.

What normally happens is that will power gets steamrolled by the reverse momentum of the pendulum which manifests itself as craving, mood swing, binge eating and lousy or no workouts.

So what's the better way?

It sounds very counter-intuitive but, I often suggest eating as many calories as you can while seeing downward progress on the scale. 

In our pendulum example, this is equal to very light pushes, every day.

When you do it this way the progress is slower sure, but your will power will be more than plenty to stop the pendulum this time.

Plus, you still get to eat and live life like a normal human being.

Combine that with a sustainable, intelligently designed training program done year-round and the results will compound even faster!