Never in the history of mankind has it been easier to lose weight. And never has it been easier to gain it. We’re constantly bombarded with fast food, sugar, processed garbage. But I know from personal experience what works and what doesn’t. So here are my top 5 tips — the real ones that actually get results.
1. Track Your Calories
You’ve heard it a thousand times: calories are bad. Nonsense. We need calories to live. The point isn’t to avoid them — it’s to understand how many you’re consuming versus how many you’re burning.
You didn’t put weight on by eating salads and running marathons. You put it on because you consumed more calories than you burned. Simple as that.
Apps like MyFitnessPal are free, easy to use, and will show you exactly where you stand. Use them.
2. Get Moving
I get asked all the time: “Should I do more squats to lose weight here?” The answer: you’re missing the point.
You didn’t get fat because you stopped squatting. You’re not going to lose it by doing a few squats. You need to burn more calories. Go for a walk, a run, a cycle, a fitness class. Whatever you enjoy. Just move more and burn more.
When I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2009, I was burning around 4,500 calories a day and consuming 2,000. After 9 days I was down 5 kilos. Moving more works.
3. Be Consistent
You’re not going to lose 5 kilos in week one. You didn’t get fat in a few weeks, so you won’t lose it in a few weeks either. It takes time and consistency.
If you eat great Monday to Thursday and go completely off the rails Friday to Sunday, you cannot expect to lose weight. You need to track your intake seven days a week and stay under your calorie deficit across the whole week — not just the easy days.
4. Be Patient
When you see someone online claiming their supplement helped them lose 10 kilos in four weeks, I’ll tell you right now: that person is talking rubbish. There is no product on this planet that burns fat. Weight loss shakes, skinny teas, fat burners — all nonsense. At best they’re just low-calorie options you don’t need.
Real fat loss takes time. And real fat loss is much harder to put back on — because you’re actually losing body fat, not just water weight. People who get extreme quick results almost always put it all back on within a year.
5. Get Help From a Good Personal Trainer
Affordable personal training exists. But not all personal trainers are good ones. Some have lost the joy for the work and do the bare minimum. The best trainers genuinely care about seeing their clients succeed.
Check Google reviews, social media, and their website before committing. Look at what real clients say about real results. That’s your best signal.