1. Forget Counting Calories

When I first started out, most of the nutrition advice was from either hardcore holistic guru's where everything had to be organic or bodybuilding coaches where it was all about meal frequency, macros and calories.

Most of the strategies I used were ineffective with my client base.This was very frustrating as I had invested so much time and money to "level up" and find better ways to serve my clients.

Only a very small number of clients I have worked with have done well on calorie counting. I would say that 95% failed using it. This happened for a few reasons.

Food is food, not fuel
Food is emotional, not just a number
Counting calories is hard to do accurately especially if you eat out
Most of my clients eat out all the time and don't want to become that annoying person at the table that logs everything in their phone
Counting calories can be anti-social, draining and inflexible
Different food calculators have different values and not every type of food can be scanned

Thanks to Precision Nutrition's coaching, I was able to adopt a much easier way of tracking calorie control. I can't tell you what a game changer this one is. Your hand goes everywhere with you and your hand size is individual to you.

2. Shoot For Better Not Perfect

Most of the people I have worked with have been very successful in their field. Time is valuable and they like to get things done quickly. With so many things demanding their attention it can be easy to get distracted and lose focus.

The reality is that if someone wants a fast body transformation, they need the following factors to happen at the same time.

An abundance of time to train 4-6 hours a week
Sleep 9 hours 7 days a week without fail
Spend 1 hour daily to prepare food for the next day
Eat food
Nap 20 mins daily
Avoid alcohol/ drugs at all costs
Go to bed early
Avoid social engagements and dinners
Hang out only with people that live and breathe training
Practice yoga
Receive regular massage
Take a shed load of supplements
Spending a lot of time on your own

Also, you must be ready both physically, mentally and emotionally to sacrifice a lot to make it happen. (You are not going to be popular with your significant other and friends for a while).

For the normal people out there (all of you reading), unless you are 18-22 years old with zero responsibility and bags of free time, this will never happen.

Much better to figure out where you are now and try to be just that little bit better today than you were yesterday. A few examples of being just a little bit better are:

Booking in time for the week ahead for training and what you may eat
Ordering fewer processed foods when grocery shopping (more veg basically)
Eating more slowly than you normally do
Being mindful when you eat so you can understand what full "feels " like. (Eat with no distractions such as smart phones or TV).
Having a super shake for breakfast rather than skipping it
Making one healthy recipe every week with the family

If you try just one of these for 2-4 weeks at a time you will be surprised how much they help.

Want to know what it takes to get really lean? Read This.

3. Slow And Steady Wins The Race...Everytime

There are so many different "fast ways" to lose unwanted weight. The trouble is our bodies have the memories of an elephant and an uncanny ability to rebalance that which is out of balance.

Whether you do a juice detox, a health farm, and fitness boot camp or all of the above, your body will fight its way back to the weight it once was. (And some...)

I call this the "trampoline" effect where we lose weight rapidly and as we go back to our old habits, the body starts to put weight back on. The faster you lose weight the steeper the curve of weight that is put back on. Usually, this ends up being more weight than where you first started.

The best way to lose weight is always slow and steady. Companies such as Precision Nutrition built a very successful business by going against the grain of 6 and 12-week fat loss plans and opted for something different.

Precision Nutrition formed a habit and practice-based program that coaches people for a whole year. Their results have been incredible, to say the least, and are now the world leaders in teaching health and fitness professionals how to replicate those results with everyday people.

One of the reasons this approach works so well is because we are our habits. By approaching change from a perspective of forming new health-promoting habits one at a time, we are far more likely to make the changes we need to and stick to them. This approach also requires minimal self-discipline and will power.

Our bodies like to stay as close to "economy" mode as possible most of the time. The slower and gentler the changes we make are the more likely our bodies are to change and adapt that as a new norm.

Yours In Health

Patrick Fallis

Founder of Leaner
www.leaner-uk.com