4 Things to Start and 4 Things to Stop for Weight Loss

There are four things that you need to start doing and four things you need to stop doing if you’re trying to lose weight. None of these are complicated. But you’ve actually got to do them.

4 Things to Start Doing to Lose Weight

1. Weigh Yourself in the Morning and Before Bed

Weigh yourself in the morning and before bed. I know people hate that, don’t they? Why do people hate that? Because they don’t want to know.

Is it working? That’s what the scale is going to tell you. Is it working?

It is, in a sense, objective. And we would prefer oftentimes to just say, “Well, I think it’s working. I’m trying hard. I gave this up. I did this. I did that.”

Then you get on the scale and it says you’re up two pounds. Hey, it is what it is.

What people need to understand when they weigh themselves morning and night is that it’s telling you how much you weigh, not how much you’re worth.

We’ve got to be able to get past that.

Some people will say weighing yourself twice a day is a sign of being extreme. Well, how much do you weigh? Maybe you should be more concerned about that than how extreme it is that you’re wanting to lose it.

People in my program will say, “I always weigh more at night.” I know. But you need to be able to start tracking that. You track it and you start seeing the trend. My morning weight is trending down. My evening weight is trending down. It’s forcing you to consider: What did I do today?

We want credit for doing some good things. Then, when the scale says you didn’t do enough, we’re slapped in the face. Guess what, though? You didn’t do enough.

That’s tough, and I’m sorry, but do you want to live your life living a lie, or do you want to walk in the truth?

I had one lady who never weighed herself. She started when I told her to, and she said, “You know what? The scale has become my best friend.” You know why? It tells her the truth.

2. Drink Water First Thing in the Morning

I do this every morning. So does my wife. We get a cup, probably 18 ounces, fill it with water, and drink it. I drink mine within five minutes of waking up. While I’m preparing my coffee, I’m drinking my water. That is so easy to do, and it’s so beneficial. Hydrate yourself.

People struggle to get enough water during the day. In my program, we have a minimum amount of water we want you to drink. People say, “Oh, it’s really hard to get in the water.” Well, you should have drank it first thing in the morning. Then it would have been way easier.

People wait for it to just happen.

My wife says it takes her a long time to drink her water. Just drink it. It’s really good to start your day with that.

I put a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in mine. My wife does not.

But that’s number two: Drink the water first.

It’s just going to help everything go better.

What about electrolytes? If you’re low on electrolytes, add electrolytes. If you’re not, then you don’t need them. I drink them when I’m playing pickleball for two hours, but otherwise I’m not finding I have a deficit there. I have no problem with electrolytes, though. Add them if you feel like you need them.

3. Exercise on the Days That You Eat

The third thing to start doing to help you lose weight fast: Only exercise on the days that you eat.

Another way of saying that is to start treating your exercise like it’s as important as your snack, dinner, or eating today. How many people do you know who forget to eat? I don’t mean until dinner. I mean all day. They go to bed and say, “Oh, I forgot.” Or, “I was too busy.”

Never happens.

But how many times do you hear that about exercise?

We’re not saying you need to do P90X or 75 Hard. We’re saying: Get off the couch and go exercise for 20 minutes.

You never have an excuse not to do that. Unless you have one, then whatever. But you know what I mean.

You ate three meals and three snacks, but you didn’t have 20 minutes for some movement? And we wonder, “Why do I have a weight problem?”

We’ve got to have a mindset change.

I’m blessed when I hear people say, “Oh, I just needed to hear that.” I love that. If all you needed was to hear me say that and you start doing it, that’s good enough. You don’t need me to write a book about it. You don’t need eight things to happen before you start walking 20 minutes a day. Just start there.

You can move up to better things if you want, but we’re not getting specific on the exercise other than walking because so many people aren’t doing anything. You start doing that, and you’ll start losing weight.

I see people trying to lose 150 pounds who are out running. Everybody’s cheering for them, and that’s wonderful! But you could just go out and walk. I applaud anybody who’s out exercising, even if you’re really heavy. But that can be hard on your body, so just start by walking.

4. Go to Bed Hungry and Wake Up Happy

Go to bed hungry.

Go to bed hungry and wake up happy.

Do you know what happens when you go to bed hungry? It doesn’t just help you lose weight. It doesn’t just help you get into a calorie deficit and stay there. It’s also going to change the way you think.

People whine about it though. They say, “If I go to bed a little bit hungry, I get a headache.”

Okay, but how much do you weigh?

“Go to bed hungry” is one of my top three weight loss tips. Now, do I go to bed hungry? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But am I overweight? No. I’m not talking to everybody with this tip. If you like your lifestyle and it’s working, I’m not asking you to change it.

But if you’re trying to lose weight: go to bed hungry.

It’s going to change the way you think. It’s going to reduce the calories. You’re going to feel like a success. You’re going to wake up happy.

4 Things to Stop Doing If You Want to Lose Weight

Those are the four things to start. Now, what do you need to stop?

1. Stop Having Second Helpings

Stop having second helpings. That’s just so easy. You sit down, look at your plate, and decide:

That’s what I’m eating.

But what happens?

We eat it, and then we think, “I’m still kind of hungry.” Or at least we’d still like more, because those two get conflated.

“I really didn’t put that much on my plate to begin with.” Or, “I must be hungrier than I thought.”

How about this: Don’t think.

The thinking should have happened before you started eating, when you were placing your portion onto your plate. You don’t need to think anymore after that. You can turn that off.

“I guess I’m hungrier than I thought. Yes, I think I’ll have a second helping of gravy and biscuits.”

No. Decide first how much you’re going to eat. Is there a chance you’ll still want more when you’re done? Well, of course. Most likely. But don’t do it.

You’ve already decided it was enough.

And when that decision in your head is done, it’s final.

That’s why some people write down what they’re going to eat before they eat it. I like that idea too.

If you need help with this kind of mindset change, it’s exactly the kind of thing we work on in my 21-Day Transformation. You’re doing it with others too. You’re hearing somebody else talk about their issues in the 21-Day community and realizing that they’ve been where you are, and now they’ve lost 100 pounds after defeating the same giants you’re facing.

It’s encouraging and it works. Get into one of our groups, and you may have the breakthrough you’re really wanting.

2. Stop Automatically Eating All the Sides

My lovely wife brought home beautiful Mediterranean food one night.

Chicken shawarma. There was a yogurt cucumber side dish. Then it also had pita bread.

I’m eating, and I’m thinking: I need my protein. I need my nutrients. I need this.

Then I look at the bread and think: That would be extra.

And I’m not even trying to lose weight. If I were trying to lose weight, do you think I’d be eating that pita thing? You don’t need the pita thing. That would be an example of a side.

Or you go to the Mexican restaurant and order fajitas. Now listen… I know chips are fun. I know the queso is fun. I know the tortillas are fun.

But when they bring you the fajitas and you’ve got grilled chicken, grilled peppers, grilled onions, pico with tomatoes, lettuce, and even guacamole… that’s great and that’s more than enough.

Lose the cheese. I’d lose the sour cream. I’d lose the refried beans. I’d lose the rice.

It’s these little add-ons that we thought were the meal, but no: they were the second meal.

Eat the main things that are obviously nutritious. The chicken, the onions, the peppers. Eat all that. You don’t have to eat all the auxiliary items.

Some people think, “I have to have chips with it.”

No you don’t.

Now, you can go cold turkey with no chips, and I greatly respect it. Or you can say: “I’m going to eat eight chips.”

Man, I tell you what. You’re going to enjoy those eight chips.

I had one guy who lost 85 pounds. He’d go to the Mexican restaurant and say, “Man, I’ve got a new plan. I get five chips, and then I break them in half. So I’ve got ten chips that I have with my meal.”

Now if you’re unwilling to do that, you’ve got to question your heart and determine: How serious are you really?

If you’re not willing to do anything that’s a little bit different than you would normally do, then you’re not going to be different. You have to change in order to change.

3. Stop Going Blindly Into Eating Opportunities

Don’t go blindly into eating opportunities.

We went to a Derby party years ago. On the way there, a friend of ours who invited us called and said, “I’ve already paid your tickets. You’re in.” She was already there, and she started describing all the food. They had Mexican cake. They had tortillas. Apparently, it was a Mexican-themed meal with all this stuff.

My wife and I had just eaten a big Mexican meal at Chuy’s, and we were on our way to this thing.

I’m like, “Honey, no.” She’s asked me to help keep her accountable.

People watch my videos and think I’m always watching my wife and what she’s eating. I am, but only because she’s begging me to help her be accountable because she wants to maintain her sleek, awesome figure.

She gets off the phone as we’re pulling into this place, and I can tell she’s already thinking and salivating. This is an issue for her. She’ll admit:

“This is hard for me. It doesn’t come naturally. I’ve got to work at it.”

Before we went in, I told her:

“Honey, here’s what’s going to happen, and I want you to prepare. It’s going to be a lot of good stuff. All I ask is decide now how much you’re going to have. Don’t get in there and just go on a big old party.”

Well, she failed.

We got into the car at the end of the evening, and she actually had to move the seat back so she could sit. She leaned back in the chair and said:

“Okay. Please don’t say anything. You were right. I really overdid it.”

Then she said:

“But I’m going to fast tomorrow.”

You bet you are.

What happened the next day? I ate normally because I ate normally at the party.

If you eat normal at the party, you can eat normal the next day.

You don’t need to walk blindly into an eating opportunity and then try to fix everything tomorrow. Decide on normal before you get there.

4. Stop Listening to People Who Make Fun of Your Weight Loss Plan

Stop listening to overweight people making fun of your diet.

If they make fun of your diet, say:

“Come see me when you’re my size. Come see me when you’re at your goal weight.”

Don’t listen to those folks. They’re just trying to bring you down. And you know what some people do? They use that as an excuse to quit.

Their buddy says, “That’s dumb.” And they’re hungry. So they think:

“You know, you might be right.”

You’ve done it. You know you’ve done it.

That’s why peer pressure and who we’re hanging out with make a difference. Sometimes we can’t control that much. But that stuff makes a difference.

What Are the Best Daily Habits for Losing Weight?

None of these are that complicated. If you’re trying to lose weight, start with these four things:

1. Weigh yourself in the morning and before bed.

2. Drink water first thing in the morning.

3. Exercise on the days that you eat.

4. Go to bed hungry and wake up happy.

And stop these four things:

1. Stop having second helpings.

2. Stop automatically eating all the sides.

3. Stop going blindly into eating opportunities.

4. Stop listening to people who make fun of your weight loss plan.

Do all eight for a month. Then look at how it’s going. You might be surprised what happens when you stop making weight loss so complicated.

Frequently Asked Questions About Weight Loss Habits

What daily habits can help me lose weight?

Start with simple behaviors you can repeat every day. Track your weight, drink water when you wake up, get at least 20 minutes of movement, decide how much you’ll eat before meals, and avoid automatic second helpings. You don’t need eight things to happen before you start walking 20 minutes a day. Start there.

Should I weigh myself every day when trying to lose weight?

I tell people in my program to weigh themselves in the morning and at night. Remember what the number means. It’s telling you how much you weigh, not how much you’re worth. The goal is to watch the trend and see whether what you’re doing is actually working.

Does going to bed hungry help you lose weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, going to bed hungry can help you reduce calories and get comfortable with not automatically eating whenever you want food. As I say: Go to bed hungry and wake up happy. If your current lifestyle is working and you’re not trying to lose weight, I’m not asking you to change it.

How do I stop eating second helpings?

Decide what you’re going to eat before you begin. Look at your plate and say, “That’s what I’m eating.” When you finish and still want more, don’t reopen the decision. You already decided.

How do I avoid overeating at restaurants and parties?

Don’t go blindly into eating opportunities. Decide ahead of time how much you’re going to eat. If you’re going to have chips, decide how many. If you’re going to a party, decide what you’ll eat before you see the table. You can eat normal at the party and eat normal the next day.

Do I need intense exercise to lose weight?

No. If you aren’t exercising now, start with walking. We’re not talking about P90X or 75 Hard. Get off the couch and go exercise for 20 minutes. You can move up to something more later if you want.

How do I stay motivated when other people criticize my diet?

Stop allowing somebody else’s opinion to become your excuse to quit. Peer pressure makes a difference. But if someone makes fun of what you’re doing, remember why you started and whether your plan is producing results.

Want Help Putting These Weight Loss Habits Into Practice?

If all you needed was to hear me say these things and you start doing them, that’s good enough.

But if you really want a mindset change that helps these things make sense and become easier, come do the 21-Day Transformation with us.

You’re not doing it alone. You’re doing it with other people who are dealing with the same struggles, learning the same rules, and working toward the same kind of breakthrough.

We have a new group every month.

And if you want to talk through your specific eating habits and weight-loss struggles with me directly, you can also schedule a personal consultation.

Do these eight things and report back in a month.

I’d actually love to see it.

Train your brain and transform your body.