If you’ve spent more than five minutes scrolling through fitness content online, you’ve probably seen the exact same blueprint recycled a thousand times. Eat tiny portions, live on the treadmill, choke down chicken breasts, and grab a slim-fast bar when you're in a rush.
If you're trying to reach your goals on a plant-based diet? That mainstream advice doesn't just feel outdated—it can actually make the whole process miserable and unnecessarily hard.
Look, I’m not here to hand down the absolute commandments of fat loss. There is no single "right" way that works for every single human on the planet. But after working with clients day in and day out, there are certain things I would never tell them to do.
Here are six pieces of old-school advice I actively push back against—and what we do instead.
1. "Eat smaller portions"
The second people hear the words "fat loss," they immediately think of deprivation, tiny Tupperware containers, and going to bed with a rumbling stomach.
I don't know about you, but I like food. Starving yourself is a fast track to binge eating and burnout. Instead of shrinking your meals down to nothing, focus on high-volume, fiber-rich plant foods. You can literally eat a massive plate of nutrient-dense food, stay completely full, and still sit comfortably in a calorie deficit without feeling like you're punishing yourself.
2. "Eat lots of chicken and fish"
There's still this lingering myth that getting lean requires an endless rotation of poultry and seafood.
Modern outcome data consistently show that we don't need animal products to build a strong, lean physique. Plant foods give you clean fuel, powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants, zero cholesterol, and keep things aligned with your values. You can absolutely hit your goals while keeping your plate entirely plant-based.
3. "It doesn’t matter about protein"
On the flip side, some plant-based beginners make the mistake of thinking protein is an afterthought.
Protein definitely matters. When you're dropping body fat, you want to make sure you're losing fat, not muscle. I usually have clients aim for around 2g of protein per kilogram of healthy body weight daily. Hitting that target helps preserve your lean muscle tissue, keeps your metabolic rate humming along nicely, and—best of all—keeps the constant hunger at bay.
4. "Just do loads of cardio"
If your strategy for losing fat is to strap yourself to a stairclimber for two hours a day, we need to chat.
Excessive cardio on its own is a great way to fry your nervous system, spike your appetite, and end up "skinny-fat" by losing muscle right alongside your fat. Don't get me wrong—cardio is an amazing tool for heart health and a little extra calorie burn, but it shouldn't be the foundation of your fat loss journey.
5. "Don’t bother lifting weights"
This ties right into the cardio trap. A lot of people—especially women—avoid the weight room because they're worried about getting "bulky."
Here’s the reality: resistance training tells your body to hold onto its hard-earned muscle while it burns through fat. If your goal is a tight, defined, athletic look, lifting weights is a non-negotiable. Plus, feeling strong feels entirely different than just trying to shrink yourself.
6. "Use low-calorie meal replacement drinks and bars"
Walk down any diet aisle and you'll see shelves packed with artificial shakes and processed bars wrapped in aggressive marketing.
The problem? They usually leave you starving an hour later and completely fail to teach you real, sustainable habits. You can't live on synthetic meal-replacement bars forever. Real, whole plant foods will always win out because they actually teach you how to eat for the long haul.
Keep it simple
Shedding fat on a plant-based diet shouldn't feel like a punishment or an exhausting guessing game. When you actually structure your training and your nutrition properly, you get to eat full, satisfying meals, keep your energy high, and build a strong, capable body along the way.
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With love
Paul & Gemma
Hench Herbivore
PS. If you need recipes that’ll help you achieve optimal nutrition, take a look at our tasty meal plans and variety of healthy vegan recipe e-books.
