Fundamentally achieving fat loss comes down to two things:
Adherence and consistency
We want to implement strategies that positively influence these fundamentals. Enter, flexible dieting. Flexible dieting allows the individual to become more accountable for their actions by prescribing a daily calorie and macronutrient target, that can be achieved by whatever means the individual desires. No, this does not mean binge until you meet your targets, but it does mean you can make some room for a Krispy Kreme donut.
Strategy 1:
The 80-20 rule. Consuming around 80% of your calories from micronutrient dense foods with around 20% being left for whatever you please. You could also borrow 20% from the next day.
Expanding on this, what happens if you cannot hit your prescribed macronutrients for the day?
Strategy 2:
The three tiers of tracking.
Tier 1: Exact macronutrient track.
Tier 2: Calorie and protein track.
Tier 3: Calorie track.
We should aim for as many tier 1 days as possible, but tiers 2 and 3 can be reserved for life events.
Generally, the weekend can provide a challenge for most individuals. This is where non-linear dieting can help.
Strategy 3:
Non-linear dieting: eating fewer calories from Monday – Friday so you can save some in the bank for the weekends. You still achieve the same deficit for the week in comparison to a linear method, where you eat the same number of calories every day.
As with training, when it comes to nutrition, accountability is key. A combination of these strategies will be useful tools in any event.