Romello Duke

1. Nonfat Greek yogurt is the best dairy for fat loss. 1 cup is about 130 calories with 23g of protein, which is more protein per calorie than almost anything in the fridge. It is thick enough to feel like dessert, so it replaces the sweet snack instead of sitting next to it. That is why it lands at the very top.

1. 3 eggs and a cup of Greek yogurt at breakfast. 3 large eggs are about 216 calories and 19g of protein, and 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt adds 130 calories and 23g. That one meal is 42g, more than a quarter of the day. Most people eat 2 eggs and toast for 15g, which is why they think they started strong.

1. Chicken and rice tonight beats a perfect plan later. 6oz of chicken breast with a cup of rice is about 485 calories and 57g of protein. That is the whole first step. Waiting for a fresh start feels productive, but it adds 6 more weeks of the habits that got you here. Your first real meal is worth more than any plan you have not started.

1. Eat a 40g protein breakfast before opening the laptop. 4 eggs and a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt is about 420 calories and 48g of protein. Working from home means the kitchen is 10 steps away all day. A big protein breakfast kills the grazing that adds 500 calories you never logged.

1. Grilled chicken for lunch every workday. 6oz of grilled chicken breast is about 280 calories and 53g of protein. Pair it with rice and a vegetable for about 530 calories. Locking one meal removes a daily decision, which means fewer chances to slip. When lunch is handled, the holiday cookies at the office are a choice, not a replacement meal.

1. The goblet squat. Hold one dumbbell at your chest and squat to a box or bench. 3 sets of 10 with a 2 second lower. Your legs are the biggest muscles you have, so they burn the most energy to train and recover. The goblet hold keeps your chest up and protects your lower back.

1. A Greek yogurt bowl. 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, half a cup of blueberries and a tablespoon of honey is about 235 calories and 23g of protein. It takes 2 minutes and needs no stove. Starting the day with 20g plus of protein cuts snacking before lunch, which is where most mornings fall apart.

1. Potatoes are the best carb for fat loss. A medium baked potato is about 160 calories with 4g of fiber and almost no fat. Potatoes rank near the top of every fullness study, so the same 160 calories keep you satisfied far longer than bread or chips, which is why I put them first.

1. Cut liquid calories to zero in week 1. Soda, juice and sugary coffee drinks often hide 300 to 500 calories a day. Water and zero sugar drinks replace them. That alone can drop 3 to 5lbs in the first 2 weeks from water and lower intake, which makes it the fastest lever that does not require a new meal plan.

1. You have to do cardio every day to lose fat. 3 lifts a week plus 8,000 steps outperform daily grind cardio for most people with 30lbs or more to lose. Daily hard cardio burns you out and often burns muscle. Walking and lifting change your body without needing an hour on a machine every morning.

1. Rotisserie chicken from the store. A 5oz serving of breast meat is about 230 calories and 43g of protein. Pull it off the bone with a fork. Someone else cooked it, which means two servings in a day get you past 80g before you touch another food.

1. A protein target, not a vague eat less. 1g of protein per pound of the weight you want. Want 180? That is 180g a day. Doctors rarely prescribe protein. Without it you lose muscle with the fat and the labs look better while you look softer.