If you’ve read my About page, you’ll know that my love for gym started with a weight-loss journey. I was 20 and weighed 115kg and my BMI (Body Mass Index) categorized me as “Type 2 Obese” (the most obese you can be). I decided to lock in for 1 year and promised myself that I would become a new person by my 21st birthday. My 21st birthday came around and I was 75kg - I achieved that goal and I’m going to tell you the basics that helped me do it.

1. Calorie Deficit

The only real way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you eat. How? Calorie Deficit.

Let’s say your maintenance calories is 2000 calories - this means you need to eat 2000 calories everyday to stay at the weight you currently are. Now take away 500 calories. You’re eating 1500 calories everyday but your body stays the same at 2000 calories. Since you’re not eating those 500 calories, your body must find a way to get those calories and since your body stores excesss calories as fat, it will start using up your fat.

Trending diets like carnivore, keto or vegan don’t work just because they’re special. The only reason people see results from these diets is because they ultimately put you in a calorie deficit. Think about it: If you only eat meat, you’re not eating the calories from carbs, and if you only eat vegetables, you’re leaving out the calories from proteins. Why would you want to leave it protein when it helps you build and maintain muscle? Why would you want to leave out carbs when they give you energy and help your brain function? The best way is to maintain a balanced diet with all these nutrients while emphasizing protein and reducing your calories.

2. Don’t exclude the foods you love - just make smart swaps

I was still eating curries and rice almost everyday on my weightloss journey. The only thing I changed with that was swapping fatty meats like drumsticks and thighs for chicken breast, normal mince was swapped with lean mince. I drank cooldrinks every single day - I just swapped normal cokes and sprites for their zero sugar versions. I cracked a snack pretty often too, swapping potato chips for popcorn.

Despite these swaps, you can still enjoy a bag of chips, a bunny chow, or a sweet treat every now and then, just make sure it fits into your daily calorie deficit goal.

The issue with us is that we want what we can’t have. If you tell yourself, “I’m not gonna have slice of milk tart for one year!”, all you’re going to think about all year is eating milk tart. A more realistic thing to do is, “I’m going to save some calories now so I have a slice of milk tart later.”. You still get your milk tart, and you still lose weight.

3. High volume foods

High volume foods means you can eat a lot of it for less calories. Here are some examples of high volume foods:

4. Increase your activity level

We often stuck sitting at a desk or on the couch, but something as small as going for the occasional walk or spending 20 mins on an exercise bike will help you burn more calories.
You often see fitness influencers say “Do 10 000 steps per day”. Let’s be real - that’s not realistic unless you’re dedicating an hour to walking alone.
I personally set the bar a bit lower and aim for at least 6000 steps per day. For my body weight and height, that burns around 250 calories.
Set a daily goal like that for yourself - walk around the office every hour for 10 minutes and you should get closer to that goal.

5. Stay hydrated

Drinking water is something you should be doing every day, but it’s something we often forget to do.
You’ll hear that water helps with metabolism and bla bla bla, but the studies on that are pretty much inconclusive. The main reason drinking water helps you lose weight is because THIRST is often misinterpreted as HUNGER.
If you ever feel snackish, or your sweet tooth starts acting up, it’s more likely than not that you’re actually just thirsty. I challenge you to drink a whole big cup of water when those cravings hit you, and 9/10 times, that craving is suppressed just by drinking water - that’s often the case for me.
Another trick I used on my weight loss journey was drinking a huge glass of water before my meals. Water takes up space in your belly for no calories and helps you feel fuller by the end of your meal.
If you’re not sure how much water to drink, this healthline.com article recommends 2.2 litres of water for females and 3 Litres for males every day.

6. Build muscle

Muscles are “metabolically active tissues” - this means that they burn calories just by existing. The exact amount of calories burned isn’t really decided upon through research, but it is more than what you would burn at the same bodyweight if you had no muscle.
Increasing your muscle mass will mean you burn more muscle just by existing - sitting on the couch, watching tv, doomscrolling, even just breathing.
There’s whole bunch of other benefits that building muscle provides to fat loss such as improved insulin sensitivity and better hormonal regulation.
There’s really no downside to building muscle - so START LIFTING SOME HEAVY WEIGHT BRU!

7. understand that it takes a while

You have to understand that losing fat takes a long time. Your body is resistant to change and the fat you’ve packed on is just a survival mechanism.
If you start today, you won’t see any change tomorrow, the next day or in a week. Fat loss happens that slowly.
Only after weeks or even months, will you be able to notice a real change in the way you look.
For me, I start noticing changes after a month of consistency and daily discipline.
Don’t think of it as “dieting” - think of it as a lifestyle change and make changes in your everyday life that you can maintain for a lifetime.