Ask most people how to lose weight, and they’ll start listing off foods they ‘need to cut out.’ No more chocolate. No pizza. No carbs. It’s a mindset that can turn dieting into a battle of willpower, one that, statistically speaking, most people lose. But on a recent episode of the Men’s Health podcast, bestselling nutrition author and coach, Ben Carpenter, offered up a different approach – one that makes weight loss feel less like a restrictive slog and more like a sustainable shift.
Instead of focusing on restriction, Carpenter, whose new book Fat Loss Habits focuses on sustainable weight loss strategies, suggests flipping the script. ‘A lot of people view diets from a very restrictive perspective – I need to abstain from this, I need to cut out that,’ he says. ‘But for some people, that approach backfires. The moment they “break” their rule, they go all in. I call it the “screw it” mentality: one cookie turns into the whole packet.’
So what’s the alternative? Adding, not subtracting.
Carpenter points to research that shows simply increasing certain foods – like protein, fibre, and high-volume, low-calorie options – can naturally help regulate appetite. ‘If you tell someone to eat more fruit, they don’t just eat fruit on top of everything else. They feel fuller, so they naturally eat less of the other stuff,’ he explains.
This isn’t just theory; it’s been tested. In studies, people who added a salad or a high-protein starter before their main meal ended up eating fewer total calories without trying. ‘Your appetite isn’t purely additive,’ Carpenter says. ‘If you eat three apples, you’re not just tacking those calories onto your day. You’re probably going to eat less at your next meal without realising it.’
This shift in thinking – towards abundance instead of deprivation – can make a huge difference in long-term adherence. ‘If I tell you to eat 20% less, that feels miserable. But if I ask if you’ve had enough protein, enough fibre, enough nutritious food today, that feels doable,’ he says.
So, instead of obsessing over what to cut, ask yourself: What can I add? A portion of lean protein with every meal? A serving of veg with dinner and lunch? A handful of berries between meals? These small tweaks won’t just help with weight loss, they make eating well feel effortless.
Because the best diet isn’t the one that demands constant restraint. It’s the one that nudges you towards better choices – without making you feel like you’re giving up everything you love.
If you want to know more about Carpenter’s approach to effortless fat loss, watch the video above or tune into the Men’s Health Podcast – on all good podcast platforms or via YouTube.
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With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.