There are millions of people every day who think to themselves “I want a quick way to lose weight.” The problem is that the solution they are looking for seems to be EVERYWHERE. Every magazine cover in the supermarket seems to have a new rapid fat loss “breakthrough” that promises to help you lose all the weight you want with little effort. There are countless diets and training programs that have some magical quick way to lose weight.

While some of these may have quality information, the one thing that will always help you lose weight fast is having a solid nutrition program. You can exercise all you want, but there’s an old saying that “you can’t train on a bad diet.” It’s certainly common knowledge that you need to eat right to lose weight fast, but it always helps to remember that this is where you START. If you change your diet to eat the right foods at the right times and can do it consistently, then you’ve pretty much won the weight loss game.

This article will focus on some of those important nutrition principles that you should start doing ASAP. The days of eating “1 meal a day” to lose weight are over. Forget about starving yourself by sheer force of will. It’s time you saw that the fast way to lose weight comes from eating the right kinds of food more often and in the right portions.

Base all your meals on protein

Protein is a kind of “magic” food for weight loss. It helps you feel full for a longer period of time, helps maintain (and build) lean muscle mass, and requires extra energy for your body to digest. Instead of “winging it” each meal, try thinking “what kind of protein should I start this meal with?” Some good examples are protein shakes, tuna, chicken, turkey, etc.

Fruits and vegetables are your friends

These are the best foods for getting a lot of nutritional value for a few calories. The best thing about fruits and vegetables is that you can eat a lot of them and still not get as many calories as you would from highly processed foods. This is how many people say that they lose more weight while eating more food. Fruits and vegetables will help you lose weight faster than any kind of “starvation” diet.

Not all fats are bad for you

It’s not a good idea to eliminate all fat from your diet when starting a weight loss plan. In fact, some foods like salmon and grass-fed beef have healthy fats that are good for you in more ways than one. These foods have healthy fats and protein, making them a great addition to any fat loss diet.

Like we said, having a good nutrition plan is the MOST important aspect of weight loss. You could eat 600 calories a day of nothing but chocolate bars and lose weight, but that doesn’t make you healthy. Eating 5-6 smaller meals every day of protein, fruits, fiber, and vegetables is a much healthier and faster way to eat to lose weight.

The best thing you can do besides eating right is to have a “weight loss buddy.” It can be a friend, spouse, family member, etc. looking to achieve a similar weight loss goal. You can plan meals together, go to the store together, and show each other your food logs. As long as you stay consistent and have someone to report to, you’ll find yourself making more progress with less effort. This is where the rapid fat loss “magic” happens!