1   -   Prepare meals in advance

Preparing what you have to eat the day before is a great way to make sure you don’t go off track with your nutrition program. Prepare the bulk of your meals the night before using plastic containers, and be ready to hit the ground running the very next day. You may be tempted by all the restaurants or fancy fast food places which may not be interested in providing the healthy food choices, but are more interested in providing foods that taste good and will only make your goal harder to reach. Don’t give in to what’s out there, bring your food with you and stay focused on what you are wanting to achieve.

2   -   Eat small but often

Eating meals every 3 hours has been proven to speed up your metabolism, burning fat at a more effective rate. Peaking or spiking your metabolism in this way is much like stoking a fire, keeping the fat burning revving along and not giving the fire a chance to die out. Each time you eat, your metabolism kicks into play, and begins to burn away at any fat stores. So as you can see, keeping your metabolism active is essential for dropping off the pounds and acquiring that lean look. Eating more frequently say 5-6 times a day means you will need to eat smaller meals with 3 hours between each.

3   -   Do not eat until you are full

If you eat too much in one sitting you will not be able to eat your next meal 3 hours later, so if you have eaten until you are full you have eaten too much. Eating too much may lead to some of that food being stored as fat and also you will not want to eat your next meal, so you will be back to square one.

4   -   Eat lean to become lean

With each meal you should try and incorporate lean protein as the main component. Include things like egg whites, chicken breast (lean meats), fish, fat-free dairy products like cottage cheese, etc. These food sources provide the lean protein you need to help keep you metabolism spiked, build muscle, and keep you feeling fuller during meals.

5   -   Eat natural foods

Eating natural foods rather than processed foods will be more beneficial to you. Natural foods provide the essential nutrients your body needs to make the changes you want, keeping your body in a healthy condition. So stay away from synthetic foods and go with the good old fashion foods and you can’t go wrong. You should eat things such as whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and lean meats, etc. For example, rather than drinking apple juice, why not eat an apple.

6   -   Cut out those beverage calories

Many people look at drinks/beverages and assume because they are not a bulky food source they do not have an effect on their diet, well this is false. Some drinks are packed with calories and are an underlying problem that people tend to ignore. Most of the juices we drink are loaded with fruit sugars which are not good for you. Avoid soda based drinks like coke and Pepsi. There are 139 calories in a can of Coke. Now imagine how much exercise you would have to do to burn off those empty calories. Well let’s put it this way, walking briskly for about 20 minutes (13 minutes if you’re walking uphill) burns about 100 calories. If people drink these high calorie drinks, and don’t do the equivalent exercise needed to burn the calories off, the end result is those calories will undoubtedly store as fat. Drink plenty of water or even green tea. Green tea has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers and also helps boost your metabolism.

7   -   Indulge in one cheat meal per week

If you are following a strict nutrition program the temptation to stray is so easy to do. Having cheat days during your program is a good incentive for all the hard work you may have done to get this far, letting you indulge in some of the foods that may not be good for you as a treat. Rather than have a cheat day, it may be better to have one cheat meal per week. This means you are still rewarding the hard work you have done, but will not offset the progress you have made so far during the week. Taking a whole cheat day may lead to a higher intake of calories than you had previously burnt off during that week. So limiting it to one cheat meal per week should overcome this problem, but at the same time reward you for all your hard work.

Sticking to these seven fundamental tips should hopefully set you on your way to achieving your goals and make a change to how you look. Remember, getting in shape is not all about how much work you put in at the gym, it’s also about what you eat. So follow these steps, keep focused, and good luck!

Read more health and exercise tips HERE.

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don’t eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.

Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you’re too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.
1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Don’t worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.
2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you’ll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.
3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it’s corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.

4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.
5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don’t buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.
6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it’s unstable and contains no fiber.
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.
8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.

Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, … Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.

9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin.
10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, …
11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile.
12. Turkey. If you don’t believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it’s so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.
13. Quinoa. South American “king of grains”. Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it’s better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.
14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber.
15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.

16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.
17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.
18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.
19. Water. Your body holds water if you don’t drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.
20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.
Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you’ll build muscle & lose fat.