I was in Tesco early again last weekend.
Quiet.
Half asleep.
Nobody blocking the aisles.
And there they were.
Still hanging around.
Tubs of chocolate stacked up like nothing ever happened.
Only difference was the price.
Two weeks ago people were paying full whack and joking about it being Christmas.
Now they are yellow stickered and less than half price.
Same tubs.
Same chocolate.
Same calories.
Just less excitement.
That always says a lot.
We all lose our heads in December.
Fine.
Expected.
But January shows you the truth.
Not when the food is everywhere.
After.
When the cupboards are full and the habit is still there.
What I noticed this time was where people actually were.
Fruit and veg aisles busier.
Meat fridges getting hammered.
Fish shelves not being ignored.
Dairy getting cleared.
That matters more than any New Year promise.
Most people are not failing diets, they are guessing at food.
You could be stuck because you keep picking novelty over value.
New plans.
New rules.
New foods with clever labels.
All sounds productive.
None of it sticks.
Value is boring.
Value works.
Value is buying the same basics every week and not overthinking it.
This is the part where people roll their eyes at me, ha.
Then keep doing the same thing and wonder why nothing changes.
So let me be blunt.
If most of your food does not look like food, you are making this harder than it needs to be.
Here is a shopping list that actually works.
Not perfectly.
Just consistently.
Potatoes
Eggs
Egg whites
Greek yoghurt
Lean mince beef
Lean steak
Salmon
Tuna
Prawns
Chicken
Rice
Mixed veg
Berries
A few other fruits
Honey.
That is it.
No bars.
No snacks pretending to be meals.
No weird replacements.
If your trolley looks roughly like that most weeks, you are doing better than most.
Now what do you actually eat with it.
This is how I would eat to stay full and drop fat.
Breakfast
Eggs or Greek yoghurt, berries, bit of honey.
Protein first. Every time.
Lunch
Rice, veg, and a protein.
Tuna one day. Mince the next. Prawns if you fancy a change.
Big bowl. No messing about.
Dinner
Same setup.
Protein. Veg. Potatoes or rice.
Salmon or steak most nights works fine.
That is three meals.
Real meals.
This setup lands you at 1,600–1,800 calories and 110–130 g of protein across the day.
No grazing all day.
If you are hungry later, have yoghurt, eggs, or fruit.
Not biscuits.
Not toast because you are tired.
This is where most people mess it up.
They eat a light breakfast.
Skip lunch or pick at rubbish.
Then act surprised when they lose control at night.
That is not willpower.
That is poor planning.
Another hard truth.
If your kitchen is full of snack food, you will snack.
If your fridge is full of meals, you will eat meals.
Simple.
Chocolate is not banned.
No need to be dramatic.
But it goes back to being a choice.
Not something you eat because it is there and you are knackered.
And yes, you can still eat out.
Drink a bit.
Live your life.
This is about the base.
What you do most days.
Not what you do on a birthday.
Do this for two weeks.
Same shopping list.
Same meals.
Same structure.
What you will notice first is not weight loss.
It is quieter hunger.
Fewer cravings.
Less decision making.
You stop feeling like you are constantly starting again.
Most people never get that far because they change the plan every time they get bored.
That is the grit part.
Boring works.
Repetition works.
Consistency beats clever every time.
If you want better results, stop chasing new and start nailing simple.
That is the job.
-Ryan