Do you deserve to lose fat?...it doesn't matter!

 "fat cells do not have a conscience" 

Just because you believe you have been "good" nutritionally speaking or eating "clean" doesn't automatically mean your fat cells should start dumping fat.

And it certainly doesn't render the macro-nutrient content of a box of donuts void because you ate like a rabbit at lunch.

it doesn't mater if you think you deserve to lose fat or not, what matters is you do whats required!

The body has to be placed into an environment where it is beneficial or it has no choice but to use fat as fuel for certain or extended periods of time.

      "Fat cells do not trade with will power."

Will power will provide you the motivation to stay in the environment you need to be in to lose fat.

But will power needs to be channeled in the right direction so that you can do the right things consistently, safe in the knowledge that you are applying the basic principles that lead to fat loss.

so make sure you're will power to change is backed up by doing the right things

don't miss the point

• Thinner vs leaner - eating like a child! - a malnourished individual other than the obvious lack of nutrients can have a very hard time losing fat simply because they are fighting their bodies instinct to survive, there is a big difference in appearance between a lean individual compared to a thin individual.

• "clean eating" ignoring calories - if i had a pound for every time someone said  this; "but i eat really clean and still cant shift this"..... i'd have more pounds! - it doesn't matter if you think your lunch is healthy, if you're eating too much, you're eating too much. Yes making wiser choices is paramount to your long term health, swapping man made for whole foods etc but if your aim is too lose body fat, swapping a pack of crisps for 50 grams of nuts or a pot of hummus is actually missing the point.

• Following meal plans - don't get me wrong there are great meal plans (and awful ones!). And i use plans for very short periods of time. However ensure you understand the principles of why that plan worked, if you understand the principles you can take them with you wherever you go and you will never need a meal plan again!

don't hope for success, set up a diet to win!

• Calories come first - to lose weight or fat you must be in a deficit of energy coming in vs out. this is usually the reason the "clean eating" or a paleo approach may work to certain extent as eating a diet high in protein and green veg keeps you full but reduces total calorie intake compared to a traditional western diet. The main ways you can effect this energy ballance is obviously via diet and a slight reduction in calories and also increasing the amount of energy you expel via activity, don't forget muscle either! maintaining or increasing muscle mass will keep your metabolic rate up, muscle uses calories!

this guy!

• Macro's - "teach a man to fish" - this is why i don't advise a specific food plan. if i give you a specific meal plan you may progress for a month, but what happens when you have to go out for a family dinner or are caught at work unprepared? However if i give you the principles, you can progress forever! So Instead focus on food groups, specifically Proteins, fats and carbs! if you know how much of each is required for your current approach you can take that info where ever you go, there are many ways to get protein, fats and carbs it doesn't have to be chicken and rice!

• Micro's - "eat real fish" - look after your health and eat a diet rich in all the vitamins, mineral and fibre.  for the most part make wise choices to hit your proteins fats and carbs, if at least 80% comes from good quality meat, fruits and veggies then i'm not bothered if every now and again you swap your quinoa for harribo!

• Chemical shit storm - don't ignore chemical and toxic exposure! pesticides, toxins and hormones will negatively effect health and body composition. Going organic is your shout, but id highly recommend limiting exposure to things such as BPA which is in all sorts from plastic bottles to paper receipts and is well known to make people fat. (another article required on this alone) 

• Forget frequency! - include the principles into your daily pattern, you may have heard you need to eat "little and often", "eat every 2 hours" or you need 7 meals per day. Don't sweat it, this is personal to you, Some do awesome on 6 meals, some do awesome on 2, obviously the 2 meals are larger portions than that of 6 meals. Simply Divide the amount of food you need into your daily routine, if you always eat 3 meals that's cool, then divide it by 3.

• Understand - understand your food, read labels and make a beeline to find out how much protein, fats and carbs they contain. download something like myfitnesspal to keep track of how much pro,fat and carbs your eating a day, then work on hitting a goal amount of each, you won't have to do it forever but it is a great tool to help you understand what you consume or stay on track with your goals and with its easy to use barcode scanner you can simply scan your pack of wild bore burgers and keep tabs on your intake, easy.

to reiterate;

1. eat the right amount of total calories for your goal - BMR calculator
2. track your proteins, fats and carbs, at least for a short while -  myfitnesspal
3. split this amount over a convenient number of meals per day and don't sweat changing if needed.
4. eat whole foods about 80% of the time, this leaves 20% for other stuff!
5. lift weights.