Numbers Don't Lie

The one thing these two ladies did that made the most difference in their physique is tracking food intake (and ate for their goal). It's the best 'lifestyle' change MOST people can make for fat loss in which requires the least amount of pain/effort. It's ridiculous how nobody got time for that yet have time for all the other fitness craps they're doing. That and oh, lift heavy ass weights smile emoticon

Forget about your sodium intake, how many steps you took that day, drink enough water or not, or if your bootcamp burns more calories than your zumba class. That's too much shit to worry about. Too much fluff to tag onto your already busy stressful "lifestyle". Instead, you should worry about the most meaningful thing that makes the most impact for your body composition. Eat less (or more if trying to gain). That's the best return for your investment of resources (time, money, willpower).

Tracking food not only make you more aware of your caloric budget but change the way you feel when you eat. Awareness will help you make more mindful choices when dealing with hunger, cravings, social/emotional eating, and boredom.
Numbers also gives you accountability which is something everybody could use more of. Numbers don't lie.

Numbers are objective and can be reflected upon without the negative emotional attachments to food. Know the numbers can help you not feel lost from the sea of pseudoscience advice on the internet, help you get back on the wagon sooner when you do fall off which promote consistency, and can even prevent you from binge eating because you know that no single cupcakes or pizza can ruin your overall caloric goal for the day. This mean you can have anything you want! Just not everything while you're eating less.

You can start with calorie counter apps like "myfitnesspal" or "lose it". It's incredibly easy to use once you're familiar with the program. If you have time for facebook and your stupid 28 days plank challenge, you have time to track what you eat. Make sure you have a measuring scales at home, a crock pot, and a toaster oven might help.

Some good videos to go with the msg above

Know your (caloric) numbers and how to use them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5MU8SqBG9w

The problem with clean eating and nutrition myths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J2KMUqP-Xs

Eat your favorite foods without guilt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SimQdutkrFA

Top 10 Foods That Kills Your Fat Loss Diet

I hate seeing memes like this on social media, it's annoying as hell and doesn't help anyone. Same goes to "fat burning food". You want to know how to NOT fail your diet and have a life? NEW RULES Have a little bit of candy as long as it helps me meet my overall goal. Have a little bit of donuts as long as it helps me meet my overall goal. Have a little bit of chips as long as it helps me meet my overall goal. Have a little bit of pizza as long as it helps me meet my overall goal. Have a little bit of fast food as long as it helps me meet my overall goal. This way you're less likely to fail, feel defeated, and actually guarantees to meet your goal instead of hoping it "might" since there's actually a target to shoot for. It's not like fat people haven't already tried the "eat this, don't eat that" advice right? Obviously they have and can't sustain it so they blame themselves for not having enough willpower. How about taking willpower out of the equation and use simple math we all learn in 4th grade to tackle the problem? When people say "I eat clean", what does that really mean? Everybody's clean eating idea are different and debatable. When it comes to fat loss, it's about consuming less calories than you burn. if you fill your allowance with more satiating food, you'd make the journey a little less painful. It's that simple! Most ppl will agree that clean eating means "natural, unprocessed food" and in most cases can be more satiating than chips and cookies but that doesn't always equate to fat loss. To say that clean eating (whatever that means) will promise you weight loss is to ignore the energy balance system. You can eat tons of clean, healthy items like wild salmon, organic avocado, gmo free nuts, gluten-free bread, and whole milk and still not lose weight. How about practice some flexibility and apply some logic. If you track food intakes, it really doesn't matter what you eat. Clean or dirty, as long as it's not rat poison. Just eat less than you burn and will guarantee you fat loss. You simply can't cheat the law of thermodynamic. If you eat less often and you eat more satiating foods (like meat and veggie), then you'll have an easier time eating less overall. If you don't count calories, then you can only "hope" to lose weight by eating more whole foods that's more satiating and less processed food that are more caloric dense. However, you'll never really truly know if they are caloric dense or light if you never actually look them up. So why don't you just look them up? This way you'll know why and if the food you're eating is worth or not the reward/pleasure you're getting from them for the calories they contain. You don't have to do this for the rest of your life but just for a few days or weeks. You'll become more aware of what you put in your mouth and budget your target better for the allowance you set for yourself. You'll be able to indulge your favorite foods without the guilt that typically comes after with dumb advice regarding clean vs. dirty foods. Go back to intuitive eating when reach your ideal physique because then, you don't have to be in a caloric deficit. That's how you NOT fail a diet.