Introduction

This guide is going to be very simple, but that does not mean it is going to be easy.

There are no "unknown secrets" that are going to make you fit.

These are simple concepts, but the hard part is actually doing them.

Our goal

Make this process easy to understand and help you achieve your fitness goals without being miserable.

Let's get started.

Step 1

Do more exercise

Surprise, right?

Exercise is absolutely mandatory for living a healthy life.

Why?

• Burn calories (means you can eat more)

• Regulate bodily processes (humans are meant to move)

• Train discipline (strengthening your mind is crucial for weight loss)

Weight loss is all about numbers.

Your body spends a certain amount of energy (calories) a day.

If a person consumes more calories than they spend, the extra calories get stored as fat.

To get rid of this fat, there are two options:

Spend more energy (more exercise)

Consume less energy (less food)

How to do more exercise?

Exercise does not have to be intense. As a matter of fact, light exercise is better.

Exercise that is too intense will increase your appetite and make you burn muscle instead of fat.

When losing weight you must do at least 1 hour of cardio exercise per day.

(2 hours per day is preferred - 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening)

Walking

Cycling

Other activities

Walking is very effective for weight loss.

Heart rate must be 110-130 bpm.

Start by walking fast and checking your heart rate. In the beginning, a fast walk will be enough to reach the desired heart rate. Once you progress, you might need to move on to a very light jog.

Cycling is a very good alternative if you experience joint pain.

Heart rate must be 110-130 bpm.

Start at a medium pace and check heart rate. Adjust pace accordingly.

Try to move around more in your everyday life.

Don't take the elevator - take the stairs.

Try walking or cycling instead of driving places.

Instead of sitting - stand.

These are very small adjustments, but they can have a huge impact in the long run.

(Don't count these towards the hour of exercise per day.)

Pro tip:

Heart rate can be measured manually, but it is much easier to do it with a sports watch or armband.

Click here to view the best value sports watch on Amazon:

Cardio should be priority, but it is very important to not forget strength training.

Here are the 3 main reasons:

Muscle burns calories

More muscle mass = longer life span

Being strong is awesome

Muscles need calories to sustain themselves.

This means that if you have more muscle, you can eat more food.

There have been studies that show that there is a clear correlation between muscle mass and life expectancy.

It genuinely feels fantastic to see yourself getting stronger.

You never know, one day it might save your life.

Click here to see a free at-home workout program

Step 2

Eat less food

Who would have thought?

It is not about eating less food, it is about eating less calories.

Example by Paula Norris

Here are 3 ways to eat less calories:

1. Skip breakfast

This might come as a surprise, but this is one of the most effective ways to eat less calories.

One of the biggest health myths is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most people shouldn't eat breakfast at all.

Unless you work a tough physical job, there is no reason to wake up and eat right away. Especially if you're trying to lose weight.

What you should do:

1. Wake up a bit earlier and do some cardio

   (30-60 minute walk is enough)

2. After cardio, drink a cup of coffee or a light protein shake.

   (that should reduce hunger)

3. Wait for lunch

   (it sucks, but at least you can have a pretty big lunch)

What you shouldn't do:

1. Have oatmeal for breakfast

   (oats are purely carbohydrates and have almost no nutrients)

2. Drink a smoothie

   (blending fruit is very bad for weight loss, because at the end of the day its sugar)

3. Binge eat just because you skipped breakfast

   (skipping breakfast doesn't mean you can stuff your face at lunch. You still have to eat moderately)

If you decide to have breakfast, make sure its high in protein and low in carbs.

2. Low calorie alternatives

To minimize your calorie intake, you need a basic understanding of which foods are calorie-dense and which ones are low in calories.

In this segment, you will see some of the best low-calorie foods.

Meats

Side dishes

Snacks

🥇 Turkey breast (135kcal/100g)

🥈 Chicken breast (165kcal/100g)

🥉 White fish (100kcal/100g)

4. Venison lean cut (130kcal/100g)

5. Pork tenderloin lean cut (150kcal/100g)

🥇 Boiled potatoes (87kcal/100g)

🥈 Sweet potatoes (90kcal/100g)

🥉 Boiled corn (100kcal/100g)

4. Couscous (110kcal/100g)

5. White rice (130kcal/100g)

Bonus: Cauliflower rice (25kcal/100g)

🥇 Sugar free jelly (20kcal/100g)

🥈 Popcorn (100kcal/25g)

🥉 Protein pudding (80kcal/100g)

4. Protein bar (320kcal/100g)

5. Rice cake with topping (60-80kcal/cake)

Fruits

Vegetables

Condiments

🥇 Watermelon (30kcal/100g)

🥈 Strawberries (32kcal/100g)

🥉 Grapefruits (32kcal/100g)

4. Cantaloupe (melon) (34kcal/100g)

5. Peach (39kcal/100g)

🥇 Bok choy (13kcal/100g)

🥈 Cucumbers (15kcal/100g)

🥉 Lettuce (15kcal/100g)

4. Celery (17kcal/100g)

5. Zucchini (17kcal/100g)

🥇 Hot sauce (0-5kcal/tbsp)

🥈 Mustard (5-10kcal/tbsp)

🥉 Soy sauce (10kcal/tbsp)

4. Lemon or lime juice (4kcal/tbsp)

5. Fresh tomato-based salsa (15kcal/tbsp)

Things to avoid

You can eat anything in moderation, but there are some calorie bombs that are often promoted by fitness gurus.

Peanut butter

Avocado

Mixed nuts & dried fruit

Granola

Hard cheeses

(200kcal/2tbsp)

(320kcal/whole avocado)

(600kcal/100g)

(500kcal/100g)

(120kcal/slice)

Most of these foods contain healthy fats and a lot of nutrients, but when losing weight - they're not a good option.

3. Preparation

The greatest food of all time...

PROS

Very filling

Cheap

Great source of protein

Very nutritious

Easy to prepare

CONS

Slightly high in fat

Taste

Often, it is not about the food itself, but the way it's prepared.

Many people underestimate the number of calories in the oil, sauce, and other ingredients they use.

Preparation often makes or breaks the meal you are making.

This example shows how 2 similar-looking meals can have very different calorie counts

How to prepare food?

Quite obvious, but one of the biggest mistakes is using oil.

A tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories.

There are many ways to cook delicious meals without using excess oil.

We recommend using an air fryer or oven. It's fast, convenient and you can cook anything without any extra oil.

Don't use oil

Picture by DailyMail

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If pan frying - use water

Some things have to be pan fried.

Most of the time, the thing you're frying already has fat in it, so there is no need for extra.

Instead, add a little splash of water.

This should prevent it from sticking.

Control the condiments

Many condiments have sneaky calories.

You should definitely count condiments towards your daily calories.

Avoid fatty condiments like mayonnaise; instead look up low-calorie alternatives and make them yourself.

Remember: Butter is better than any oil.