It's no secret that when it comes to losing weight, there are a variety of factors that come into play - including exercise, sleep, stress levels, and more. However, when it comes down to it, though, the majority of fat loss really does come down to managing what you eat.

As I tell my clients and followers all the time–80% of fat loss comes down to diet.

Now, I know that the idea of "managing what you eat" can sound a bit daunting or restrictive. After all, many of us enjoy indulging in our favorite foods and treats from time to time. Eating yummy food is for many of us the *one special thing* that we allow ourselves to feel good every day.

But the good news is that managing what you eat doesn't have to mean depriving yourself of the things you love. Instead, it's all about finding a balance and making small, sustainable changes to your diet over time.

One way that I like to guide my clients is to have them focus on adding more to their diet instead of taking away. That sounds backwards, right? But it really works!

For example, instead of saying “I need to cut out all carbs or all sweets,” instead focus on incorporating more whole, nutrient-dense foods into your diet. When planning your meals and snacks, think first about adding more of what your body needs to feel its best - such as lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. This approach can help you to avoid going into a “deprivation mindset,” which just feels sucky and can cause your system to fight you on making changes.

You might also try tracking your calorie intake to get a better sense of how much you're really eating. Many people have no clue how many calories are actually in the food their eating every day–which is a big problem if you’re trying to get your body to burn fat. 

Remember that body fat is like your body’s battery packs where you store excess energy from your food. When you take in more energy than what your body spends on most days, the excess gets stored as fat. To burn fat effectively, you need to eat fewer calories than what your body spends so that it taps into those energy stores. If you’re not tracking the calories in the food that you eat, it will be hard to know whether or not you’re balancing your energy budget in a way that promotes fat loss.

If you hate tracking, consider creating a weekly meal plan, or you can follow one that is tailor-made to your calorie needs. Planning your meals and snacks ahead of time can cut down on the tediousness of tracking everything you eat every day, and it will also save you time and mental energy at meal times. If you need help getting started on meal planning, check out my Guide to Meal Planning–which includes step-by-step instructions for planning your fat-loss diet and an example meal plan with recipes to get you started. I also offer a variety of downloadable meal plans on my website and make custom meal plans for my nutrition coaching clients, so you’ve got lots of options!

Of course, it's worth noting that managing what you eat is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to losing weight and improving your overall health. It's important to also prioritize getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and engaging in regular physical activity in order to support your body and mind. 

But don’t underestimate the importance of your diet when it comes to fat loss. Many people make the mistake of thinking that they can just get exercising more and that will help them to lose weight. However, this approach can often back fire and cause people to ultimately gain weight! That’s because as you exercise more (especially if you’re doing cardio), your appetite will go up–causing you to eat more. If you aren’t watching what you eat and paying attention to your calories, you can easily begin to eat more calories than what your body is spending through exercise.

So if you're looking to lose weight and keep it off for good, then you gotta manage what you eat. Remember–you can’t out-train a bad diet!

ABOUT JAYD HARRISON

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media: