You don’t have to be a clean eating freak or gym rat to slim down. While proper nutrition and frequent exercise is of the utmost importance to living a healthy lifestyle, sometimes it really just takes baby steps to get there. If you’re not ready to commit completely and sign your life away to being one of those #fitspo Instagram groupies, just go at your own pace and do what makes you feel good.

Whether you want to drop several clothing sizes or just really want to lose three pounds, there are effective fat-cutting methods to ease yourself into a healthier lifestyle.

No More Midnight Snacks
Eating after 8 p.m. should be avoided, and so should a heavy meal at dinner time. It’s a common misconception that dinner is the biggest meal of the day, but really breakfast and lunch are far more important. The meals you consume at breakfast and lunch give you the calories you need to go about your day, especially if you plan on exercising at some point. Consuming a huge meal at dinner before bed time isn’t logical. Your body only burns so many calories at rest – approximately 40 – so it is best to avoid eating before you hit the hay. If you absolutely have to eat something, I suggest drinking water or eating a light and healthy snack such as Greek yogurt and berries.
Sorry Bruce, Fish Are Food, Not Friends
God Athena, you’re so stupid. I’m on an all-kelp diet!

Start incorporating seafood into your diet. Fish is high-protein and low-fat with many health benefits. It’s filled with omega-3s, or good fat, and is an excellent source of vitamin D, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and iodine. It prevents heart disease and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s while vastly improving hair and skin (insert mermaid-like hair toss). Frequently eating fish is even said to boost brain development and ease depression.

And just because I like puns, fish is also said to give men stronger swimmers (insert standing ovation).

Kiss Soda Goodbye
I once heard soda referred to as liquid Satan. While it gave me a good laugh, it also gave me a good reality check. Soda is pure syrup, sugar and awful. Diet soda is equally evil, wishing to send you to caloric, body-damaging hell. It can lead to kidney problems, cell damage and obesity while seriously screwing with your metabolism. Removing regular and diet soda will save your teeth from rot and the rest of you from accelerated aging. If you cut soda out, you can lose approximately 10 pounds and reduce your waist circumference.

It can be difficult to go cold turkey and never drink soda again, so my tip is to just slowly decrease how much soda you drink daily until you find that you’re not craving it at all anymore. Then you can be completely converted to an aqua-holic and mainly drink water. Sugar-free iced tea is also a good choice.

Tell Alcohol You Want to See Other People
I cannot stress enough how detrimental alcohol is to your body, particularly binge drinking. It’s better to have one drink every day than it is to get super wastey-pants in one day. Let me give you some booze clues.

Alcohol is treated as a toxic substance in your body that needs to be removed as fast as possible. Your liver works overtime to rid the body of alcohol, thus inhibiting your metabolism a good 70 percent and decreasing your ability of fat-burning. In other words, your liver could give a flying dumbbell about all the fast food you just scarfed and will instead seek to abolish the gin and tonic – which brings me to my next point.

Another issue with drinking is that your intoxicated-self will seek solace in an incredulous amount of fat-laden fast food. You’ll gorge yourself on comfort food until you don’t even know what life is anymore.
What you should do instead is eat a meal filled with lean proteins and healthy fat before drinking to avoid hugging a toilet all evening.

The 75/25 Rule

We have all heard the phrases “everything in moderation” and “moderation is key.” Well, they’re actually true. While reading “The Everygirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness” by Maria Menounos, I discovered her 75/25 rule. The rule essentially outlines that you eat right 75 percent of the time, while the remaining 25 percent is reserved for splurging.

You should never completely deprive yourself or feel guilty for what you eat. Clean eating 100 percent of the time is impractical, obsessive, unfair and inhuman. Don’t rob yourself of cravings, but also ton’t overdo it on the pizza and Reese’s cups. Instead learn to moderate properly.
Abiding by the 75/25 rule, Menounos says, “You have a little wiggle room.”

I don’t know about you, but I appreciate being able to eat a doughnut guilt-free so long as I know I’m eating well most the other times.