Simplify Your Fat Loss With “Uniform Eating”

I distinctly remember the first time I saw an article on “uniform eating”.
I was smack dab in the middle of losing nearly 100 pounds of body fat, and my results were really starting to pick up steam. Every week, my waistline was shrinking along with my scale weight. I was gaining loads of strength in the gym, while only working out 2 hours total per week.
Things had really started to click for me. It was exciting. Intoxicating, really.
When I read the article, everything “clicked” in my head. I realized the concept of “uniform eating” not only made a ton of sense, it was exactly what I had been doing. I just didn’t know it was called “uniform eating”.
Since then, I have emphasized how important this simple concept is to all of my fat loss clients. Time and time again, they tell me this concept changed everything for them, and allowed them to lose body fat without any frustration. Methodically. Quickly. And without much thought whatsoever.
Fat Loss 101: The Basics
There are some basics we need to cover before we start to discuss what uniform eating is.
First, if you want to lose body fat, you’re going to need to be in a proper calorie deficit, that much is fact. The Laws of Thermodynamics are undefeated, and have never been broken. If you consume more calories than you need, you will gain weight, and vice versa.
There are ways to manipulate this equation, either through activity, food choices, or exercise. But when push comes to shove, you will need to be sure you’re eating the right number of calories, and ample protein as well.
A simple guide to be sure this happens for you:
- Take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply that number by 10 (if you have over 50 pounds to lose, use 8-9 instead).
- Eat that many calories each day.
- Take your “Dream Body Weight” and eat that many grams of protein per day (cap this number at 140 for women and 225 for men)
- Be sure you don’t do anything extreme like eating zero carb or zero fat; as long as your calories are on point, you’ll lose weight consistently with this set up
Once you have your set number of calories and protein grams to eat each day, the fun begins. It’s time to plan your meals.
Planning your meals at least one day in advance is the #1 healthy habit of long term, successful dieters. If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. Someone who is serious about losing the weight and getting into great shape will know exactly what they’ll be eating for each meal, no questions asked. This alleviates the urge to grab Door Dash or Uber Eats, or make poor choices throughout the day.
Which leads me to uniform eating and how it works…
The magic of “uniform eating”
Most of us have a list of foods we love and enjoy. Everyone’s list is different. Your favorite foods are your own. This is a big reason why we don’t do “done for you meal plans” for clients.
The process of learning proper portion sizes of the foods you love is an important part of personal discovery.
Meal plans are a short term solution to a problem. They “give you a fish” instead of teaching you how to fish. I often get requests for meal plans, and I know if I offered them, it would be lucrative. But I’d rather see more long term successes from my clients than short term band-aids on the problem.
The ex-teacher in me would hang my head in shame if I gave a “cheat sheet” with answers to the final exam…
Using the above criteria – a good calorie and protein goal to aim for each day – create a breakfast and lunch that hits those recommendations.
Example: You will be aiming for 2,000 calories and 200 grams of protein each day.
Make dinner your biggest meal. Most people do best when they eat large, satisfying meals at dinner to refrain from snacking late at night. Save 1,000 calories and 100 grams of protein for dinner.
Split the remaining 1,000 calories and 100 grams of protein between your breakfast and lunch.
This means, your breakfast will be 500 calories and 50 grams of protein.
And your lunch will be the same: 500 calories and 50 grams of protein.
Now, for the fun part… create a breakfast and lunch with foods you enjoy. Eat that breakfast and lunch every day.
Keep things simple – simple meals are easier to create and don’t require you to be a Michelin chef.
If you have 500 calories and 50 grams of protein to work with, your breakfast could be as easy as:
- 2 scoops of whey protein, a banana, and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 3 eggs, 4 ounces of turkey, and a cup of oats with some berries and Stevia
- 4 ounces of lox, half a low-carb bagel, light cream cheese, and 2-3 hardboiled eggs
The possibilities are endless. The only limitation is your imagination (and the time you have available). If you’re pressed for time in the morning, make your breakfast at night and have it ready for you in the fridge. If you need some inspiration, tap here and grab our Total Fat Loss Cookbook. There are 81 protein-packed recipes from Anyman Fitness clients for you to try; it’s my gift to you.
After you have your breakfast set up, create a lunch that hits your numbers as well. Again, keep things simple and easy. Our clients often eat a lunchmeat sandwich, a salad with protein and a piece of fruit, or some ground beef and rice with seasoning for lunch. Aim for The Trifecta, and make your meals tasty, healthy, and repeatable.
And then, eat them each day.
Of course, eventually, you’ll get tired of eating the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch. When that happens, create another meal, and keep going. Eventually, you’ll have a database of 4-5 breakfast and 4-5 lunches that hit your target calories and protein, are easy to make, and you enjoy eating.
You’ll also need to create some dinners as well. Dinners usually vary; while most people do well eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch, eating the same thing for dinner each night can get tedious. If you have a family, they may not be too happy about eating the same dinner every day as well.
The solution here is simple. Create a menu of 5 weekday dinners that hit your numbers, and rotate through them. When you (or your family) tires of one of your dinner options, swap it out for something else. Just stick to the calorie and protein criteria for your portions, and fat loss will be a breeze.
The “A-Ha” moment
When I first heard of this concept, it dawned on me this was exactly what I was doing. I had created meals that met my goals, and I was eating them on repeat. I was losing 1-2 pounds per week, every week, like clockwork. My meals were tasty and enjoyable, and in the right portions. It made fat loss so simple, I didn’t even have to think about it.
This is a powerful trick all those annoying “naturally lean” people use. Success leaves clues. If you talk to someone who is naturally lean, and has never struggled with their weight, it’s almost a guarantee they eat similar foods each day, and they don’t vary much from those foods.
I’ve also had hundreds of our successful fat loss clients tell me the exact same thing. Uniform eating is a simple way to automate your fat loss process, and start getting the results you want – rapidly.
Jason Helmes is a former Plymouth-Canton teacher who owns and operates Anyman Fitness out of his Canton home. Anyman Fitness is an online fitness coaching service that helps its clients reach their goals in a simple, straightforward manner. You can contact Jason at jason@anymanfitness.com, or apply for a spot in his coaching program here.