Fitness and weight loss are often reduced to two simple rules: eat healthy and exercise. While both are essential, building a healthier body is far more nuanced. Sustainable progress depends on a handful of interconnected habits that work together, and understanding these foundational pillars can make your fitness journey more effective – and easier to stick with.
Chennai-based fitness coach Raj Ganpath, who has over 18 years of experience and is the founder of the Slow Burn Method, co-founder and head coach at Quad Fitness, and author of Simple, Not Easy, has outlined six non-negotiable habits you need to adopt to lose weight and improve your overall fitness. In an Instagram video shared on July 8, the fitness coach highlights, “You need to do these six things if you want to lose weight, get fit, and improve your health.”
1. Eat well
According to Raj, the first step towards better health and sustainable weight loss is improving your diet. He recommends increasing your intake of protein and fibre while keeping starches, fats and refined carbohydrates in moderation.
The fitness coach explains, “Number one, you need to eat well. And that means maximising the amount of protein and vegetables, optimising the amount of starch, and minimising the amount of sugary fatty foods.”
2. Eat less
Raj points out that many of us tend to overeat without realising it. To lose weight, he says, you need to maintain a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. That also means getting comfortable with stopping before you’re completely full and accepting a slight feeling of hunger at times.
He notes, “Number two, you need to eat less. We live in an age of abundance. Most of us end up overeating most of the time. So, you need to make a conscious effort to eat below satiety. Eat less than what you need.”
3. Move often
To lose weight, it’s not enough to exercise alone – you also need to stay active throughout the day to increase your overall calorie burn. Raj recommends walking as the simplest and most sustainable way to boost daily movement, helping you burn more energy without significantly increasing your appetite.
The fitness coach highlights, “Number three, you need to move often. I’m not talking about exercise. I’m talking about walking through the day. This is the simplest way for you to extract energy from your body without getting your hunger levels up.”
4. Exercise consistently
Consistent exercise is essential for weight loss. The fitness coach stresses that consistency matters far more than intensity – you don’t need to push yourself to extremes. Simply showing up and exercising three to five times a week is enough to build lasting results.
Raj explains, “Number four, you need to exercise consistently. You already know this, but you don’t have to do anything crazy. You don’t have to push yourself. You don’t have to do anything intense, but you need to show up three to five times a week and stimulate and strengthen your muscles.”
5. Manage stress
Effective stress management is another often-overlooked pillar of weight loss. According to the fitness trainer, high stress can directly affect your progress by altering your behaviour – making you more likely to overeat or move less. As a result, maintaining a calorie deficit becomes much more difficult.
Raj notes, “Number five, you need to manage stress. Because when stress goes up, your behavior changes. You end up eating more than you usually do. You end up moving less than you usually do. This makes it hard for you to create a calorie deficit and lose weight.”
6. Sleep enough
While eating well and staying active are widely recognised as the foundations of fitness, quality sleep is just as important. Raj recommends aiming for at least seven hours of sleep each night, noting that without adequate rest, sticking to healthy eating habits, exercising consistently, and managing stress can all become significantly harder.
He suggests, “Number six, you have to sleep enough, at least seven hours a night. Because if you don’t do that, the first five things are going to feel impossible.”
