The Diet That Feels Like Cheating—But Actually Works

How I lost 66+ lbs & finally stopped stressing over food.

95% of fitness coaches want you to:

  • Cut off sugar.

  • Count calories.

  • Cut out trans fats.

  • Eat tons of protein.

  • Only eat high-fiber carbs.

  • Avoid any type of processed foods.

Theoretically speaking, they're absolutely right—this is the perfect diet. But here's the harsh truth: most people—especially beginners—get overwhelmed and frustrated by it. I definitely experienced that when I decided to tackle my obesity. I tried this approach dozens of times but just couldn’t sustain it in the long run. It was too much of a mental overload for me.

The World is NOT Black & White

The problem with nutrition advice these days is that if your diet doesn’t match those strict standards, it’s seen as a failure and unhealthy. That’s why so many people fall back on their old eating habits—they feel like they've already failed. We're programmed to think you can either eat perfectly or not try at all.

But the truth is: there's a whole spectrum between bad and perfect. If you're starting from a bad place, you can't just jump straight to perfect. It’s like graduating high school and expecting to instantly become the next CEO of Google.

Remember: A 7/10 diet that you can sustain indefinitely is much better than a 10/10 diet that you can only sustain for a couple of months. A diet doesn’t have to be perfect—it's already a huge win if it's good. I lost 66+ lbs (30+ kg) because of that 7/10 diet. And it’s so easy to follow. Let me show you.

The 7/10 Diet Blueprint

There are only 3 easy-to-follow steps:

  1. Calculate the daily calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. Go, you have 30 seconds.

Just kidding of course. Just click here and use this simple online calculator like I did.

  1. Subtract 500 calories from the result. That’s your daily calorie limit.

  2. The only rule for WHAT to eat is: 1g per lbs of body weight (2.2g per kg) of protein. That’s it.

As long as you stay under your calorie limit and hit your protein goals, it doesn’t matter what you eat. Yep, you read that right. Let me give you an example:

Let’s say your calorie limit is 2500. Let’s also say your protein sources add up to 1,000 calories. That leaves you with 1,500 calories to do whatever you want—ice cream (pistachio, I hope), pizza, chocolate, fries... I don’t care what it is, just stay under your limit.

It might sound ridiculous, but this diet saved me. It was the stepping stone to an even healthier lifestyle. If you've been struggling with diets like I did, I urge you to give this one a try. Follow these steps, and I guarantee you'll see results.

Again: This isn't the perfect diet. But if you're a beginner or if no diet has worked for you so far, aiming for perfection right away isn't the goal. Start with an okay diet first, then upgrade to a good one, and eventually to an even better one.

Once you can stick with this diet for about two months, try reducing processed foods. And if that works, cut them out even more—until only a small portion (or even none) of your diet comes from processed sources. Begin with the 7/10 diet and work your way up step by step.

Bonus Tips

If your calorie limit is so low that it's too hard to sustain, don’t worry: subtract 400 instead of 500 calories in step 2 of the 7/10 diet—or even 300. Just note that progress will be slower (which is totally fine—the key is finding a balance that allows you to stay consistent).

It can be easier for your mind to have a weekly calorie limit instead of a daily one. Just multiply your daily limit by 7, and make sure your total for the week stays under that number. This helps you avoid getting demotivated if you mess up one day. It also helps prevent the what-the-hell effect: “I already blew my limit today, so what the hell—I might as well eat that bag of chips”. This can save you 1000s of extra calories. It definitely did in my case.

That’s it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out—my door (aka inbox) is always open. Just reply to this email☺️ 

Much love,

Your kiwi-with-the-skin-on-eating friend

Hussein

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