Weight loss experts tell us that losing weight is as simple as being in a calorie deficit, but how do you actually do that?

Tackling your diet with meal replacement shakes, exercise, and sleep is critical to ensuring your body gets enough of the good stuff to get stronger and thinner. 

One can compensate for the other – more exercise for eating more – but nailing all three is the trick to healthy, sustainable weight loss. 

1.    Set weight goals 

Your weight loss goal should be to lose 1-2 lbs per week for the first four weeks – that will give your body enough time to lose weight without a shock. 

Some people lose weight faster in the first two months—up to 4 lbs per week—but it’s crucial to know that up to half of that is water weight from eating fewer carbohydrates (it isn’t all fat, although it still reduces your waistline). 

After a month of dieting, you might plateau or lose weight more slowly, which is perfectly normal: you burn fewer standing calories as you lose weight. Eventually, your metabolism will slow down to conserve energy.

When weight loss stalls, there are a few strategies to restart your progress:

•         Recalculate your daily calorie target based on your new, lower weight to avoid a too-dramatic calorie deficit.
•         Increase your protein intake, as protein has a higher thermic effect and prevents excessive muscle loss that can tank your metabolism.
•         Ramp up the intensity of your workouts by adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to maximise calorie burn. Post-workout oxygen consumption can rev your metabolism for up to 48 hours.

2.    Drink meal replacement shakes

Meal replacement shakes are fantastic for weight loss because they provide ultimate calorie control and dosed nutrition, making it easy to hit your daily macro requirements.

vybey Complete Meal Powder uses 100% natural ingredients and has a perfect ratio of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. It isn’t your typical meal replacement with its exceptional nutritional profile.

Additional ingredients like lion’s mane (a powerful nootropic good for your brain) and B-coagulants (a probiotic) make it a fantastic all-around weight loss aid. Replace your meals and snacks with it to see those gains.  

3.    Cut out the added sugar

Replacing sugar is the easiest way to cut calories in your diet, and added sugar is the worst of the lot. Processed foods and sugary snacks—including breakfast bars and so-called ‘healthy snacks’—can also contain a lot of the stuff. 

Sugar is no enemy to weight loss when it’s found naturally in fruit, vegetables, and shakes because it also contains fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Just avoid processed foods that claim to be healthy when they’re anything but. 

4.    Get a Gym Membership

Working out at home is a fantastic way to lose weight if you can stay motivated, but it’s oh-so-easy to take things easy when no one’s watching. 

That’s where a gym membership comes in. It's somewhere you can take classes and really sweat it out with expensive equipment. 

Gyms also offer the benefit of machines that police your form when lifting weights, making it easy to build your strength as a beginner.

5.    Start your day with stretches

Stretching first thing in the morning will give you a sense of accomplishment and get your heart rate up to set you up for the day. 

Yoga and pilates poses are perfect for your morning ritual, or you can do something as simple as hamstring, back, and core exercises. 

6.    Have a Nootropic Coffee

Nootropic coffees like vybey Braincare Smart Focus contain caffeine and active energy-metabolising ingredients like Reishi extract, maca root extract, and lion’s mane mushroom – perfect for burning extra calories.

Coffee on its own is a fantastic calorie burner because it gives you more energy to do things, but nootropic coffee is even better.

7.    Walk and cycle more

Jumping in your car to drive five minutes to the shops isn’t the way to lose weight—you could easily burn an extra 200 calories by walking.

Cycling is a more expensive hobby because you need a bike, but it will enable you to travel further than on foot and replace your car for 15-minute journeys – just remember to chain it up when you stop, especially in cities and town centres. 

8.    Pick out motivational clothing

Do you have an old pair of jeans that no longer fit you that you'd love to slip inside? That's the perfect goal for your weight loss, or you can head out and buy something too small. What better way to motivate you? 

It’s also worth giving away old clothes that no longer fit you as a way to say goodbye to your old body and embrace the new you. 

9.    Hone your sleep

Sleep is crucial for weight loss because it helps regulate hunger hormones, insulin sensitivity, and energy metabolism. 

Simply put, a lack of sleep makes you hungry and tired, a terrible combination that’ll have you craving sugary snacks like nothing else. A lack of sleep also negatively impacts recovery from exercise, making it harder to keep the intensity up. 

Adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every 24 hours, so if you go to bed at 11 p.m., you should wake at 7 a.m.

You can improve your sleep in a few ways:

•         Reduce blue light exposure 3 hours before bed.
•         Avoid caffeine up to 6 hours before bedtime. 
•         Turn off your smartphone an hour before bed.
•         Read a book in bed to tire out your eyes and brain. 
•         Exercise to relax your brain and tire yourself out.
•         Get a summer and winter duvet for different seasons. 
•         Take nootropics like lion’s mane.
•         Invest in a mattress that suits your weight and sleep position. 

10. Don’t feel guilty about weekend cheat meals

The biggest enemy of weight loss is boredom and the impossible-to-ignore craving for certain foods like cheeseburgers and chocolate. 

The truth is that a cheat meal at the weekends is no bad thing—in fact, it can re-stimulate your metabolism after it drops off due to excessive dieting. 

Portion size is important with cheat meals, and they shouldn’t turn into cheat days, where you eat so much junk that Monday is a killer. 

Basically, enjoy a little deviation, but don’t go too crazy.

Summing Up 

Losing weight is one of the best things you can do for your health, and it all starts with changing what you eat. 

Meal replacement shakes like vybey go beyond protein shakes and are a terrific investment for calorie counting and ensuring good dietary choices with minimal time. 

Snacks should never consist of crisps, chocolate bars, biscuits, or anything ultra–processed—reach for some fruit or nuts instead. 

Throwing in some daily exercise will significantly boost your active calorie burn and provide a cardiovascular and strength boost. Lifting weights, walking, running, and cycling are all fantastic options for losing weight, and you can vary them to keep things exciting.

The quality of your sleep is what glues these steps together. Sleep enhances immunity, provides energy, and gives you the motivation to keep on going.

So, the weight loss formula is this: Sleep more, move more, and eat well to beat the fat away and get into shape. You've got this.