To the first question: consistency. I left the the second sentence there, because it's the problem (a lack of consistency). If you wanna drop weight, you can't drink on the weekend. It sounds harsh, but that's how it is. It's one or the other. I think a reward meal once a week is all good (in fact, I think a reward meal is better than not having one, because it keeps you sane), but drinking has got to go. Consistency is everything for someone who's serious about losing fat. Pick something and stick to it for a few months. There's no other sure-fire way. Once you get where you want to be, you can start drinking and see how much it affects you.
That said, nutrition is by far the most important aspect of losing weight, followed distantly by weight training. Cardio isn't very important for most people, though if one hates weight training and sports, it's gonna have to do.
For nutrition, if you want to really drop that shit, this is hardcore, but it works for EVERYONE:
- Generally drink only water. Exceptions can be coffee and tea, but in moderation, and without milk/sugar, etc. (This is huge - it takes away so many empty calories)
- Eat "above ground" veggies with meals 3x/day (above ground meaning no potatoes, sweet potatoes)
- No grains (no oats, no wheat, no rice, no quinoa, no amaranth, no buckwheat, no rye). If you really miss grains, try to only have them around workouts.
- No soy (fuck soy)
- Eat eggs, meat, poultry, and fish for protein and fat sources. (Ideally grass-fed/free-range... It makes a big difference, but can get expensive).
- Bolster meals with fat to keep calories high enough and prevent too much hunger (nuts, nut butters, oils (olive, coconut), avocado, coconut, pastured butter, fat from the aforementioned meat if it's pastured)
- Supplement with whey protein if meat is too expensive to eat all the time (it's inferior, but better than nothing)
Sample day would be something like breakfast (4 eggs with broccoli cooked in coconut oil), lunch (ground meat with zucchini, tomato, onion, and spices), snack around workout (shake with water, whey protein, frozen blueberries, half an avocado), dinner (salad made of lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber, can of salmon, olive oil, crushed walnuts, vinegar). If you need more food than this, normally cooking that ground meat dish will make for two hearty meals, so you could eat both in one day.
Anyway, just some ideas. I'd rarely eat the same thing every day, but it works for people who prefer that kind of structure. You can get lots of variety by switching up spices and veggies; it completely changes the flavor of whatever you're eating. I actually eat like that almost all the time and I love it. I do eat carrots and a bit more fruit, and will occasionally have grains, but I'm maintaining weight as opposed to leaning out. Once you get where you want to be, you can play around a lot.
