The other night, I got sucked into one of those videos on social media.
You know the ones.
“Day 1 of eating only meat.”
Bloke looked happy enough.
Big steak.
Eggs.
Full of enthusiasm.
Then came Day 14.
Day 29.
Day 47.
By Day 63, he looked like someone had nicked his dog.
Every video was basically him staring into the camera saying:
“Still going.”
Fair play to him.
But every time I see one of these challenges, I end up thinking the same thing.
Nobody has ever posted:
“Day 147 of eating enough protein, lifting weights three times a week and going for a walk after tea.”
Yet that’s usually the person quietly getting the best results.
That’s the problem with fat loss these days.
People don’t really want a solution.
They want a new solution.
Something different.
Something exciting.
Something they haven’t tried before.
Meanwhile, the stuff that actually works is sat there collecting dust.
A few weeks ago, an online member asked me:
“My mate’s doing fasting and he’s lost weight. Should I be doing that too?”
I asked him a question.
“How many training sessions have you done this month?”
“Two.”
“How many did we agree?”
“Three a week.”
Conversation over.
Not because fasting doesn’t work.
It can.
Keto can work.
Running can work.
Carnivore can work.
Vegan diets can work.
Most diets can work.
The problem is people get distracted by the method and ignore the basics.
It’s like worrying about what colour to paint your house before you’ve built the walls.
At Transformation HQ, when somebody starts, we don’t throw MyFitnessPal at them and tell them to weigh every blueberry they eat.
Most people don’t need that.
Not yet.
Most people need structure.
Three weight training sessions per week.
A daily step target.
Two to three litres of water.
A decent bedtime.
And a simple meal plan.
Breakfast might be eggs on toast and some fruit.
Lunch could be chicken, potatoes and salad.
Dinner could be steak, rice and vegetables.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing Instagram worthy.
Just meals that fill you up and help you lose weight.
That’s it.
No detox tea.
No magic shake.
No foods you can’t pronounce.
No wondering what to eat every night.
And here’s what usually happens.
The weight starts coming off.
Not because there’s anything magical about chicken and potatoes.
Not because we found some hidden fat loss hack.
Because for the first time in ages, their eating has some structure.
Without even realising it, they’ve started creating a calorie deficit.
That’s the bit nobody likes talking about.
Calories.
Because they’re boring.
You can’t sell a £997 course called:
“Eat Slightly Less Than You Burn.”
But it works.
Every single time.
The funny thing is most people already know enough to lose weight.
They know they should eat more protein.
They know they should move more.
They know they should drink more water.
They know they probably don’t need the third takeaway this week.
The problem isn’t knowledge.
The problem is consistency.
People get bored.
Three weeks in, they start looking over the fence.
Maybe keto is better.
Maybe fasting is better.
Maybe I need to cut carbs.
Maybe I need to stop eating after 6pm.
Maybe I need to start again on Monday.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The people who get the best results are usually the ones who stop looking for a better method and start doing the current one properly.
Now, once someone has built those foundations, we can absolutely take things further.
That’s where calorie and macro tracking comes in.
Particularly on our 12 Week Shoot.
And contrary to what people think, tracking isn’t about becoming obsessive.
It’s about becoming aware.
Because most people don’t realise where the calories are coming from.
The biscuit grabbed while the kettle boils.
The handful of crisps while making tea.
The Friday night takeaway that turns into leftovers on Saturday.
The “couple of drinks” that somehow becomes seven.
Tracking shines a light on all of it.
Then food starts becoming much less emotional.
You stop thinking you’ve been good or bad.
You stop feeling guilty after a meal out.
You stop thinking one dessert has ruined the week.
Instead, you start treating food like a budget.
Most of your calories go towards foods that help you reach your goal.
Then you leave some room for the things you enjoy.
That’s exactly how we coach it.
Around 80 to 90 percent of your food comes from the foods on our food list.
Protein sources.
Fruit.
Vegetables.
Potatoes.
Rice.
Whole foods.
The remaining 10 to 20 percent?
Fill your boots.
A takeaway.
A dessert.
A few pints watching the football.
Whatever matters to you.
Because the goal isn’t eating perfectly.
The goal is finding a way of eating you can still follow three months from now.
Most people don’t fail because they had a slice of cake.
They fail because they quit.
They jump ship before the boring stuff has had chance to work.
That’s why nobody brags about a calorie deficit.
It’s not exciting.
It’s not sexy.
It’s not trending.
But if your goal is losing body fat and keeping it off, it’s still doing most of the heavy lifting.
Enough protein.
Three weight sessions per week.
A few more steps.
Plenty of water.
A bit of patience.
Do that for 12 weeks and you’ll be amazed what happens.
Do it for 12 months and people won’t recognise you.
-Ryan
P.S.
If you’re fed up with jumping from one diet to the next and just want a simple plan that works, our 6 Week Meltdown is built around exactly what you’ve just read.
You’ll get three small group personal training sessions each week, a simple high protein meal planner, coaching, accountability, weekly check ins and a clear structure to follow from day one.
No guessing.
No fads.
No starting again every Monday.
Hit the button below to find out more…