If you have a busy life and don't want to add a complicated diet on top of it, this plan is for you. This plan is especially good for busy people or people who don't like to cook. Or anyone who hates counting calories. There are no complicated meals or expensive foods.

People also love this plan because no food is completely off limits (though you might want to make a few adjustments based on results). And you don't need to cut out carbs (this is not keto!).

The Simplicity Weight Loss Plan is as easy and simple as it gets while actually delivering results.

There are only 3 "rules". Here they are in rough order of importance:

Rule #1: When you're hungry, eat filling foods first.

Rule #2: Eat when you are biologically hungry, not psychologically hungry.

Rule #3: Consider following some kind of Intermittent Fasting schedule.

All of these are very flexible and can be adjusted to what works best for you. It's the PRINCIPLE of the rule that matters most, and it's the combination of the 3 rules that adds up to a killer plan.

Simply start your own experiment and see what happens!

Let's discuss these in more detail.

Rule #1: When you're hungry, eat filling foods first.

This rule is almost magical.

There are many foods that do nothing whatsoever to fill you up. You can eat them constantly and in the process consume a large amount of calories and weight without feeling any satiety (fullness) whatsoever.

There are other foods that do the opposite: they fill you up fast and keep you full longer so you consume fewer calories, and thus lose weight.

This is all about losing weight without hunger.

It's basically a way to "trick" the body -- because normally when you restrict calories, your body resists, you feel hungry, and you end up consuming more calories. In contrast, when you eat filling foods, you feel full while automatically consuming fewer calories and losing weight.

So the rule is: When you're hungry, eat filling foods.

While you can be as strict as you want to be, we recommend starting out with what we call the "3F Method" � which is to eat Filling Foods First. So rather than forbidding certain foods, it's about the order of eating.

We also call this the "bully method" because when you eat filling foods first � before you consider eating other foods or treats, you naturally crowd out or at least reduce the consumption of problem foods that tend to make you gain weight.

What are the filling foods?

A filling food contains high amounts of Protein, Fiber or Water -- the "Power Trio". Each of the three can be consumed alone, or combined into a "Power Meal" or "Magic Meal".

So your goal, as much as possible, is to stick to foods containing those ingredients because you'll fill up faster, stay full longer and as a result, lose weight.

You'll find that most successful weight loss diets are either high protein or high fiber or both. And water is a natural appetite suppressant as well as a necessity for proper digestion of protein and fiber.

High Protein

Protein is more filling than fats or carbs and even more filling than fiber. For weight loss purposes, protein is the best macro-nutrient you can eat. Protein is extremely important. Don't skimp on protein. Eating a high protein source at the first signs of hunger can really help control appetite.

Most people know what protein is, so we won't go into detail. Basically it's meat, fish, poultry, or dairy.

(Note: Many people say dairy is bad but the calcium in dairy has been shown in studies to reduce appetite, as well as having high protein content.)

While it's ideal to stick to lean (low fat) proteins like chicken, turkey, low-fat beef, white fish, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, mozzarella, etc, when you're starting out, don't complicate it. Keep it simple. Any protein source will work better than no protein. So even proteins that contain more fat work well � like salmon, pork, ham or eggs � because they're filling.

Protein shakes are great as long as sugar content is low.

If you want true simplicity, one idea is to buy salmon or tuna pouches or canned chicken and have it as a sandwich on whole wheat bread. It can be that easy.

What about "junk" or processed meats like bacon, hot dogs or sausage? They're not 'forbidden' but they're easier to overeat and come with lots of calories and unhealthy chemicals, so they're not the best choice.

High Fiber

Fiber as a macronutrient contains ZERO calories, yet it makes you feel full. That's great news. It's second to protein when it comes to filling power and a high fiber plan can be an effective way to lose weight all by itself.

High fiber foods include vegetables, fruits, beans, tubers and whole grains.

The most fiber-rich foods tend to be vegetables. You can eat virtually UNLIMITED amounts fibrous veggies and you're not going to gain weight. "Fibrous veggies" are basically the leafy greens (lettuce), celery, broccoli, green beans, radishes, tomatoes, cauliflower, asparagus. Too many to mention here. The non-fibrous or 'starchy' veggies are great too, though. These include potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, or avocado, among others. Basically, if it's a vegetable, it's a filling food.

This will be a shock to some, but potatoes are a real champion when it comes to creating fullness. In fact in one study, potatoes turned out to be the #1 MOST filling food! (Unfortunately French fries don't count, but any other method is great, like baked or mashed potatoes).

Legumes (beans) are wonderful, an almost PERFECT protein-fiber combination. Beans are a fantastic choice for weight loss purposes.

Whole-grains like wheat or oats are unnecessarily criticized because of the carb content. The truth is, because whole grains contain both high fiber and high protein, they're a great choice for the Simplicity plan. In fact, oatmeal ranks very high in fullness studies � so it's a fantastic choice (when combined with protein powder and fruit it can keep you full for a long time; a great choice for the first meal of the day).

White rice isn't what we'd consider high fiber but surprisingly it ranks very high in fullness studies, so it's also a good choice.

Fruit is another great filling food. Many people discourage fruit due to the sugar/fructose but WHOLE fruit is completely different from straight fruit juice. The fiber content prevents the blood sugar spike you would get if you drank fruit juice alone. Fruit also helps satisfy the urge for something sweet.

Water and Water-Based Foods

The health benefits of water are astounding and is a powerful aid to weight loss. Drink a lot of water throughout the day. It reduces appetite and is necessary for proper digestion of high-fiber, high-protein diets.

However, what we're saying here goes beyond just "drink water" � we're saying that any meal or food that has high water content is also going to be filling.

For example, smoothies and soups are fantastic choices. Studies show that people who eat a lot of soup during the day lose up to 50% more weight than those who don't. Any soup is good but you may want to go easy on soup that has a lot of fat.

Smoothies, when prepared the right way, are packed with fiber and are low calorie, yet very filling.

What's the right way to make smoothies? For fruit-based smoothies, it means NO added sugar. NO added fruit juice. Instead, blend whole fruit so you get the full fiber content but still get the sweetness.

If you need to go low-carb for blood sugar purposes, make green smoothies.

There are a lot of really good fruit or green smoothie recipes out there.

What about fat?

Moderate fat intake is okay for this plan too � because fat helps keep you full and satisfied. The only problem is that during a consumption of a meal, fat isn't as immediately filling as protein or fiber, and has double the calories of protein or carbs -- so it's easy to eat too much.

Very high fat intake is only recommended for the Keto diet where the body has become fat-adapted. Obviously the Simplicity plan is not Keto.

So, it's best to focus on the Power Trio and just let fat come along for the ride if it happens to be there, or if you want some fat for taste (such as condiments on a burger or sandwich).

Fat is more of an adjustment factor, meaning if you're not losing weight, you could try lowering fat intake for better results. For tips about controlling fat for weight loss purposes see this page.

What about carbohydrates ("carbs")?

This is a more complicated topic. Our Carb Smart Plan goes into detail and is an entire plan in and of itself. However, to keep it simple, here are a few key points.

First, carbohydrates, in and of themselves, aren't the enemy. The problem is more about sugar, specifically added sugar and/or consuming highly-refined carbs like white flour without fiber or protein.

For example, whole-grains and whole fruit are classified as high carb but work great as "filling foods" because whole grain and whole fruit come packaged with high fiber. Whole grains also contain relatively high protein.

For psychological reasons, sugar and other high-carb snacks are not forbidden for the Simplicity Weight Loss Plan -- as long as you realize these foods are NOT going to fill you up, because they typically do not come coupled with high protein or fiber. Even if they did come with high protein or fiber (like many "protein bars"), the added sugar component simply adds extra calories without contributing to fullness. So you simply have to understand the tradeoffs.

Our initial recommendation? Follow the 3F Method (eat filling foods first), to ensure you're full and satisfied. Then eat a treat if you want. If you find your weight loss results are lacking you may want to cut back or limit sugar and treats.

Filling Food Tips:

Look at food labels and ingredients in recipes. Prioritize food that has high protein, high fiber, and/or high water content, and no added sugar or very little added sugar.
Make a list of your favorite Filling Foods or Power Meals as a reminder (when you're hungry it's easy to forget your options).
Keep these foods well-stocked and easy to grab and/or easy to make.
When you get hungry, eat these foods first (3F Method).
It's okay and even helpful to repeat the same Power Meals over and over. If it works, keep doing it.

If you'd like more detail on the topic of filling foods in general, see the Fat-Burning Foods section. Or, if you'd like a list of filling foods or low-caloric density foods, check out this list of foods ranked by satiety or this list ranked a different way. However, if you get easily overwhelmed, then just stick to the basic information on this page and get started. You can always dive into these other pages if you have questions.

Rule #2: Eat according to biological hunger, not psychological hunger.

Being aware and in touch with your body's hunger and fullness signals is a big secret to weight loss. Many people have a hard time knowing when to stop eating, and many people eat when it is not necessary.

To avoid gaining weight and/or to start losing weight, you should only eat when you are "biologically hungry" (we sometimes call this True Hunger).

Biological or True Hunger

Biological hunger is felt physically. The classic sign is a grumbling stomach or that empty stomach feeling.

Note: If your blood sugar is low you may feel a sudden craving for some quick energy foods, or you may have low energy, shakiness, fuzzy thinking or light-headedness. This is considered biological hunger but it is not exactly the kind of biological hunger we're looking for. The good news is low blood sugar is much less likely when you're eating filling foods because your blood sugar evens out (has fewer highs or lows).

What do you eat once you've recognized biological hunger?

Filling Foods of course!

The first two rules work together amazingly well together, Combined, it means you can always eat when you're hungry instead of starving yourself trying to "eat less". And when you're filling yourself up with 'real' foods, you're less likely to want to eat psychologically.

Keep in mind it is normal and even healthy to feel hungry before meals. Hunger is nothing to be afraid of; it means your body is tapping into fat stores and that's a good thing. It's just that you don't want to reach the point of feeling ravenous and overeating. Over time you'll learn to find a sweet spot.

As you're eating, keep in mind it takes roughly 20 minutes before 'fullness' signals really kick in. So it pays to eat more slowly and pay attention to how full you're getting to avoid overeating.

Psychological Hunger

Psychological hunger manifests itself as the desire to eat as a solution to boredom, sadness, anxiety, stress, loneliness or other 'negative' emotion. Or sometimes it's a craving for some kind of food that is "forbidden" either by a diet or by yourself.

Typically, psychological hunger is oriented around a sugar-based treat or salty snack like chips.

With psychological eating, you're not truly hungry, you're eating to make yourself feel better emotionally, or to relieve that urge to eat something that you're not "supposed" to eat.

What typically happens with psychological eating is you either end up eating or snacking constantly throughout the day, out of habit or as an emotional "fix", or maybe having an out-of-control binge session; either way, those calories add up fast. Psychological eating is one of the biggest reasons people gain weight and have trouble losing weight.

Handling psychological eating can be a real challenge.

For starters, it helps you psychologically to know nothing is forbidden on the Simplicity plan, as long as you follow the other rules. It's completely up to you to decide what's off limits.

As far as emotional eating goes, awareness is key. Ask yourself "Am I biologically hungry, or am I wanting to eat to feel better?"

We all have our 'problem' emotions (anxiety, anger, loneliness, sadness, boredom, etc) and it's common to turn to food to try to fix it. The problem is, it's a temporary fix AND it doesn't actually handle the emotion.

Once you become aware that you're not truly hungry (biologically), try to find a different solution. Consider listening to music that lifts you up or give you energy, taking a walk, getting fresh air, doing a meditation, calling a friend or family member, taking a break, watching a comedy clip.

Ask yourself why you're feeling that way and see if they're something you can do to get to the root of the issue. Sometimes the best solution is to simply allow yourself to feel a certain way without trying to 'solve' it (feel the emotion and let it run its course, and then let it go).

Handling psychological eating is something you can work on and figure out over time. Simply being aware of it and doing your best to improve will go a long, long way. If needed, you can get professional support. Joining a supportive community is helpful for many.

For more information about emotional eating, see this page.

Rule #3: Consider following some kind of Intermittent Fasting schedule.

Scientific studies, researchers and client success stories consistently show that Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an extremely effective strategy for weight loss, weight maintenance, getting lean, and boosting health. Intermittent fasting is both powerful and flexible.

Most people know what Intermittent Fasting (IF) is, but in brief, it's a strategy where you designate a certain period of time where you don't eat (aka, 'fasting').

During this non-eating period of time, your body is burning calories and fat at a rapid rate (at least, after your last meal has finished or is mostly finished digesting). Your body burns far more calories just 'existing', keeping you alive, than exercise does.

You don't "have" to do IF -- but please don't immediately dismiss this strategy. It doesn't need to be taken to extremes, and most people can incorporate IF in a way that works for them. And it works extremely well when coupled with the other two Rules.

In reality, you already do IF every day � it's the period of time between your last meal before going to sleep, and your first meal after you wake up. The only question is how long that "non-eating" period of time is. With IF, you're simply experimenting with that natural cycle.

You're basically dividing the day into two parts: an "eating window" and a "non-eating window". (NOTE: Intermittent fasting is about food, not water. You can, and should, drink plenty of water during the non-eating window.)

During the eating window you can eat as often as you'd like. But of course, be sure to follow the 3F Method so you're focusing on filling foods.

Generally speaking, the longer the fasting period, the better IF works � but it depends on the person.

In fact, you don't need to go to extremes for IF to work very well, especially if you combine it with the other 2 rules.

So exactly how you break up the day is entirely up to you, and how strict you are is up to you (sometimes allowing some flexibility is a better long-term strategy; others do better with more strictness). Over time you'll figure out what works best.

The exact length of the eating window and the fasting window is entirely up to you; there are no "magic" schedules. Just keep in mind that the fasting window includes the time you're sleeping, so the amount of time you need to deliberately avoid eating is reduced by around 8 hours, making it a lot more doable.

Here are some popular methods for some inspiration:

16:8 - Fast for 16 hours, followed by an 8 hour eating window. Most people prefer to skip breakfast and eat during lunch and dinner hours. For example, only eat between Noon and 8pm. This is highly doable for most people.

20:4 - Fast for 20 hours, followed by a 4-hour eating window. For example, only eat between 2pm and 6pm.

One Meal a Day (OMAD) - This is just what it sounds like -- fasting for basically 24 hours, minus however long it takes to eat one meal. It sounds extreme but many people have followed OMAD with great long-term success.

Other Ideas - You can also do alternate day fasting (do IF one day, the next day eat normally, etc). You could also designate a few days a week for a more extended fast and the other days eat normally.

Really, the eating/non-eating windows are up to you. 16:8 and 20:4 for example aren't magical numbers. You decide the hours. Again, the main idea with IF is to incorporate non-eating windows of time into your day, which naturally reduces overall calorie intake which of course means losing weight.

Will I be hungry with IF?

Surprisingly, most people can handle IF really well. Your body naturally knows how to handle fasting (again, it already does it every night) and adapts quickly to burning stored calories instead.

Fasting is almost more of a psychological trick. Often, people find that if they can resist that first wave of hunger in the morning, it quickly passes and they can remain hunger-free for hours. Sometimes, the more time passes, the less hungry you feel. It can be a strange phenomenon.

Another tip: It really helps to get busy with your day and engrossed in activities to distract yourself from that first hunger wave or the habit of needing to eat first thing.

One of the benefits of IF Is that it provides a structure that can help reduce emotional or mindless eating. For example, the habit of snacking all day long, or eating late at night when you really don't need to.

One psychological trick that helps people is to be flexible. During fasting, if you have the mindset of "I cannot eat or I've failed", hunger can be a lot more noticeable, and all you can think about is when it's time to eat. If you start feeling that way after following an IF schedule for awhile, then consider stopping IF and focus on Rule #1 and Rule #2 for day or a few days or whatever length helps you feel like you're back in control, then start back up again.

For more information about Intermittent Fasting, see this page.

Adjustments

As mentioned, the Simplicity plan is meant to be flexible. You can and should adjust your plan based on how you're feeling, your body's signals, and your preferences.

Obviously you should pick the filling foods that work best for your body. Pick the fruits and veggies you like. Pick the protein sources you like. Experiment with smoothie recipes or soup recipes.

Follow a meal schedule that works for you. If you're a snacker or a "grab and go" type person, then focus on filling foods you don't have to prepare.

Some people want everything spelled out for them, but the purpose of the Simplicity plan is to provide a general framework that you can adapt to your circumstances.

For example, instead of a super strict IF schedule, some people may decide to focus more on Rule #1, such as enjoying a really hearty, filling breakfast first thing in the morning (protein and fiber focused), a filling lunch, and a filling dinner. In that case, the IF part could simply be avoiding eating after dinner (eg, avoidance of late night snacking). In fact, some studies have shown that eating protein first thing in the morning greatly reduces hunger and late night snacking.

On the other hand, maybe you really hate depriving yourself of certain treats but you want to minimize the impact. In that case, be sure to eat filling foods first, of course, but be very strict about what those filling foods are (such as only eating lean protein, plenty of it, and eating lots of veggies). Or, you could double down on intermittent fasting by having a longer fasting period. These are just a few examples for inspiration.

This is not an attempt to "get away" with something or "cheat". The entire plan is a personal experiment to see what works best for you and your life at this point in time. It's your life and your decisions.

Boosting Results

If you're not losing the weight you want, you can improve results by tightening up the 3 Rules (aka, be a little more strict).

Again, this is up to you, but here are some examples. You could...

Eat more lean proteins (low-fat). Reduce or eliminate processed meats. Reduce or eliminate sugary snacks. Monitor and reduce fat intake. Eat more veggies and fruits. Find a great green smoothie and make it every day. Eat more soup. Drink more water. You get the idea.

Double-down on awareness: are you sure you're only eating when biologically hungry? Do you need to get rid of tempting snacks or treats in your environment? (At the same time, consider finding a simple treat you can eat daily to satisfy cravings while you avoid everything else.)

If intermittent fasting is working well, consider extending the fasting period. On the other hand, if fasting is causing you to become ravenous and overeat your first or last meals, consider shortening the fasting window.

Exercise is not required for weight loss purposes but exercise does burn calories and can provide motivation to make healthy choices. Exercise also improves mood, sleep, reduces stress and improves many biological functions including blood sugar moderation � all of which can help you lose and maintain weight.

Weight Loss Fast Track

In addition to the above suggestions, there are other tactics and strategies you can employ to make things easier or faster. If you'd like more information and shortcuts you can use to lose more weight, more quickly, and keep it off for good, take a look at the "Fast Track Weight Loss System".