These are some of the strategies I have learned and implemented over my journey in losing and keeping off over 115 lbs. They are not in order of importance. They all work, but even if you only start with one, you'll be bettering yourself.

STOP CHEATING - If you are trying to drop some lbs, you’re already fatter than you want to be. You don’t need to reward yourself with a Saturday night cheat meal or even worse, a cheat day, for curbing your cakehole for an entire six days. I will often go months without a cheat meal while chasing my fat loss goals. If you are feeling flat and depleted after a bunch of weeks or months try a controlled refeed (Simply increase one day’s calorie intake by around 20% using healthy foods. And if you don’t know what healthy foods are, you’re screwed anyway, so it won’t matter).

DO SOME CARDIO/CONDITIONING - Cardio/conditioning is going to stoke your metabolic furnace and burn calories period. Guess what, it’s good for your heart and can even help with recovery also. It’s not going to kill your gains bro.

DON’T PICK A DIET YOU HATE - Years ago I followed a bodybuilding type diet for four months. I lost 30 pounds. Not surprisingly I gained all the weight back and then some. Just because someone is popular or looks good pushes a certain nutritional approach, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you. The strategy you can actually stick to is the best one.

DO SOMETHING YOU HATE - I get this from Wendler and David Goggins. You’d better know who Wendler is. If you don’t know David Goggins, he is a retired Navy SEAL and perhaps the toughest man in the world. He’s very inspirational, so check him out. You need to be uncomfortable once in a while, you need to challenge yourself. It strengthens your will in other areas, like dieting. I have a brutal hill trail I carved out in the woods in my backyard. I run up twice an outing. It only takes me a little over five minutes, but I hate it! It’s so f’ing hard. But when I finish it, I feel so accomplished. I have another challenge in the morning. After soaping up in blazing hot water, I finish with it on completely cold. I dread the thought halfway through the shower, but every time I finish I feel awesome! Challenging yourself builds character and leaves you feeling accomplished. You build on this feeling. (This is much different than picking a diet you hate because these little challenges only last a few minutes every week whereas dieting is 24/7).

COUNT YOUR CALORIES - Losing weight is not a mystery, it’s math. Take in less than your threshold amount of calories and you will lose weight. Get yourself a calorie tracking app and a good food scale and you will be armed with two of the most important tools you will need to lose weight. If you tell me you don’t have the time for that, I’ll tell you it takes less time than you spend on social media a day. I’ll also tell you to stay fat.

YOU ARE NOT THE EXCEPTION - Yes, there are people who get ripped eating pizza. There are people who don’t need a guided plan or have to track their calories to lose weight. They are the exception, you are probably not. Much like how Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team and went on to be the greatest NBA player of all time, not everyone who gets left off the team continues on to sports greatness.

SLEEP - Being sleep deprived wreaks havoc on you hormonally. Losing weight is hard enough, but if your body is fighting you, it’s even more difficult. Sleep has so many amazing benefits and it costs NOTHING. I have always preached how it’s the least sexy but most effective recovery tool available to everyone. Now think about it as an important weight loss tool as well.

HAVE SOMEONE HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE - I think this is why a lot of people need nutrition coaches. There’s enough information out there for just about anyone to come up with a sound diet, it’s having someone holding you accountable that people need. That said, you don’t have to necessarily pay someone for that. Just find someone willing to help and then tell them what you are doing and what you expect.

BE PATIENT - Just like the expression “Rome wasn’t built in a day” you aren’t going to get lean in a day or even a couple months most likely. Listen, it probably took you a couple of years to get fat, so be reasonable about the turnaround time. It took me the better part of eight years to take off over 100 lbs, but I have kept it off and even a little more for the past two years. Take your time, appreciate your journey, and learn from it.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR EATING - I come from an Italian family and everything is about food. It took me some time and I still have to fight it with them, but I don’t have to eat what they are eating. That goes for holidays, weddings, party’s, etc. When people question what I am eating, I tell them the outing is about the company, not about the food. If that doesn’t work, I have resorted to saying something like “I don’t bother you about stuffing your face with garbage, so why are you bothering me about trying to better myself?” That usually shuts people up. Also, eating out on a diet is very easy. There are very few places I have ever been that don’t have a steak or fish choice. If you are at more of a fast food place, you can eat a plain burger with or without the bun. If you are a vegetarian, I guess you can chew on some of the lawn outside by the parking lot.

Get started today in making 2019 your best year yet!