“Can you give me a diet plan?”

I get DMs everyday asking this exact question. I wish I could. I really do. If I could come up with some kind of sustainable meal plan that’s a one size fits all for everyone I would.

But I can’t.

Especially not without knowing anything about you. To build a diet plan I’d have to know a lot more about you, such as:

1) Your favorite foods
2) Foods you don’t like
3) Foods you have easy access to daily
4) Your daily schedule
5) Your goals(beyond a number on the scale)
6) Your cooking skills (if any)
7) Medical details such as allergies
8) Your eating habits, tendencies
9) Your sleep schedule
10) Your exercise schedule
11) Your motivation level
12) How much are you willing to change from your current day to day routine
13) How you deal with change
14) Your relationship with food

And... I’m pretty sure I’m missing a few.

But..! These are all questions you most likely have the answers to for yourself. Having the answers, you could slowly build a diet plan for yourself.

The goal? To eat less, and move more. I know I know that’s simplifying it way too much. But it kinda does boil down to that...

How?

1) Steer towards eating a 80/20 balance. 80% nutrient rich whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and lean meats. And 20% of whatever you want.

2) Pick a physical activity. It could be anything from 5000 steps a day, hiking, dance, yoga to basketball, soccer, gym, running, anything. Choose your favorite, and keep a consistent schedule. Once a week, twice a week, doesn’t matter.

The goal is to be consistent. You can always turn up the frequency and intensity later.

And from there it's really just day in day out. Almost the same thing every single day. Striving to be a little bit better than yesterday each day. And keeping it up for as long as possible. Not weeks, not months, but years. Start as small as you feel comfortable, and work your way up as slow as you need to.

Consistent imperfection will always beat inconsistent perfection.

Always.