Why old school is the best school – how going retro can kickstart your weight loss

Look at photos from yesteryear and you’ll notice people were slimmer. Not because they were dieting, tracking macros or on the latest health trends, but because everyday life naturally kept the weight off.

Today’s world makes weight gain easy, but you can borrow the best habits from the 70s and 80s and use them to lose weight in a simple, realistic way.

Move more in your everyday life

In the 70s and 80s, people walked more, had fewer cars, and spent less time sitting. Movement was built into daily life.

Try this: walk short trips, take the stairs, do 10–15 minute walks after meals, and break up long sitting periods. These small movements help burn calories and add up fast over your week.

Smaller portions, less snacking

Portions were smaller, and snacking wasn’t an all-day thing. There were no mega-sized bags of crisps, huge chocolate bars in the shops or fast food at the click of a button.

How to use this today: try using smaller plates, cut out snacks, and keep sugary fizzy drinks, chocolate bars and biscuits as an occasional treat. Not an everyday thing.

Home-cooked meals

Most meals were cooked at home with simple, nutritious ingredients. These meals had everything your body needed. Without the added chemicals and preservatives that are added to our food today.

Ready meals that are high in fats and salt weren’t even an option. So, every meal was freshly prepared.

Modern twist: aim for mostly whole foods, meat, veg, fruit, and whole grains. Try and keep takeaways or ready meals as an occasional thing.

Home-cooked, nutritious meals will give your body everything it needs and leave you feeling fuller for longer.

A great way to help with this is to do a big shop, buy all natural foods and check the labels on pre-packed foods for hidden nasties.

Less eating out, more eating at home

Eating out was an occasional treat, not a weekly habit.

Use now: limit takeaways, and choose grilled over fried foods. Another great tip is to batch cook your meals. Make extra for your lunch the next day. Take it to work, and it’s another nutritious meal that will keep you fuller and give you much more energy than a shop-bought meal deal ever could.

The retro blueprint for today

You don’t need extreme diets or the latest meal trend.

Just recreate a few simple habits:

    •Walk more.

    • Eat simple whole foods.

    • Keep portions modest.

    • Snack less.

    • Reduce takeaways.

These changes reflect how people lived back then – and they still work brilliantly for weight loss in today’s world.