[tongzilla]

Indeed, where you get your calories is important too, but unless you understand the calorie concept, nothing else matters.

There are so many opinions about how to lose body fat that many people end up completely confused and they don't do anything!

They've read about 27 ways to diet, 34 ways to do cardio, 101 ways to lift weights and 79 supplements to take. But they still don't have a clue how to start.

The "paralysis by analysis" syndrome.

The most important thing you can do is take action. Just begin the journey and figure it out as you go.

Actually, losing fat is not that complicated. You don't need a PhD in exercise physiology to figure out that any exercise is better than no exercise. You don't have to be a genius in nutritional biochemistry to figure out that an apple is better than a pop tart. Getting lean is simple: Exercise. Eat healthier foods. Eat smaller portions. Isn't this stuff just common sense? Didn't your mother tell you this?

The most important dietary factor in fat loss is not how many grams of carbohydrate, protein or fat you eat, the most important factor for fat loss is calories.

I'm appalled at how many people claim to sincerely want to lose body fat who admit they haven't a clue how many calories they eat.

Get serious! If you don't have the faintest idea how much you're eating, how can you expect to make any progress?

Did it ever occur to you that your ONLY problem might be overeating!

Do you realize that too much of anything gets stored as fat?

That's right - even if you're eating nothing but "natural and healthy" foods, if you eat too many of them, you're still going to get fat.

Portion control, my friend, portion control!

On the other hand, if you're under-eating you may be slowing down your metabolism. There's a fine line.

Don't get caught up in minutia - focus on fundamentals.

Paying attention to detail is important in G.O.L.F. -- and it is good advice. Unless you haven't mastered the fundamentals yet. In that case, it's the worst advice you could follow. Exactly the same in fat loss.

Emerson said, "The height of the pinnacle is determined by the breadth of the base." The heights you reach will depend entirely on how broad a foundation you build.

Forget about supplement dosages
Forget about macronutrient cycling
Forget about tempo manipulation
Forget about glycemic indexes
Forget about the latest Bulgarian or Russian periodization program
Forget about ALL the minutia until you have the fundamentals down cold!

Master the fundamentals first!

And what are the fundamentals to fat loss? In my opinion, they are:

(1) Burn more calories than you consume
(2) Do your cardio
(3) Lift weights
(4) Eat small, frequent meals and never skip meals
(5) Keep your fat intake low, but include adequate amounts of essential fats
(6) Eat natural foods; avoid processed & refined foods
(7) Eat more natural complex carbs, fruits & vegetables
(8) Eat lean proteins with each meal
(9) Think positive: visualize yourself as you would like to be.

If you're not doing all these things, and you're looking for the perfect supplement stack or the optimum periodization plan, I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree.

It's not that details don't matter -- of course they do. The Law of Accumulation states that every success is a matter of hundreds or even thousands of tiny efforts that often go unnoticed or unappreciated. Everything counts. Everything either helps or hurts. Nothing is neutral.

The problem is when you get bogged down in minutia before you've even learned the basics. Minor details produce minor results. Major fundamentals produce major results.

Don't major in minor things. Lay your foundation first, then move on to the finer points. And remember, as Jim Rohn says, always be suspicious of someone who says they've found a "new fundamental."