ATHLEAN-X founder Jeff Cavaliere is focused on long-term dieting success. In a recent YouTube video shared on June 30, 2025, he broke down his top 16 dieting principles to ensure a lean physique and sustainability.
Jeff Cavaliere’s a trusted resource in the fitness community. His science-backed content has helped fans and athletes achieve stronger, more resilient physiques. With over 14.1 million YouTube subscribers, he continues to guide his audience toward healthier living.
Jeff Cavaliere’s 16 Dieting Principles for Sustainability
Find the 16 principles that he shared in his recent YouTube video below:
Make your why bigger than your cravings
First, Cavaliere highlighted that your motivation or ‘why’ must be greater than the cravings you experience.
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“It starts number one with making your why bigger than your craving,” he shared. “When you know the why, the how becomes clearer and the only way to get to the real why is to understand your real motivation for change.”
Change your mindset: fat loss doesn’t equal starvation
He believes starting with a 500-calorie deficit is an ideal starting point that will help individuals avoid starvation.
“You have to stop looking for these massive deficits. Instead, limit yourself to just 500 calories of a deficit in a day from food alone. So if you’re taking in 2,500 calories right now, don’t go any lower than 2,000 calories.”
Water is the first line of defense
Water can trigger the body’s hunger response, so Cavaliere says this must be locked in.
“Everything in your body is triggered off of being hydrated. Every process in your body, especially metabolically, will struggle if you don’t have enough water.”
Prioritize protein at every meal
He shared that not all calories are created equal, and protein deserves a bigger portion on each of your plates.
“If water is number one, number two right behind it is protein,” he shared. “Not all calories are the same.”
Master whole food-focused grocery shopping
At the grocery store, try to scour the perimeter where there are more whole food options on display.
“The easiest way to do that is just shop the perimeter of the store. Why? Because in that perimeter, we have those whole single-ingredient foods like protein, chicken, turkey, eggs, Greek yogurt, in the freezer section along the back, all the produce, vegetables, carbohydrates, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, peppers, fruits, mushrooms.”
Seasoning and sauces are the secrets to sustainability
He believes sauces and seasonings are essential to structuring a sustainable meal plan.
“This is the only time I want you to go in between the aisles. For your seasonings and sauces, because these are the secrets to sustainability. There’s no way I or anyone else should expect you to stick to a meal plan if you hate it.”
Establish your baseline calories
Discover exactly how many calories you can consume a day while adhering to a calorie deficit.
“The counting of the calories increases awareness. So if you’re looking at the foods you have right now, a lot of you don’t know how many calories are even in the things you eat.”
Use the plate division method
Divide each plate accordingly, with proteins making up 40% while another 40% is preserved for fibrous carbs, and another 20% for starchy carbs.
“We simply divide the plate into compartments, three of them: protein, fibrous carbohydrates, and starchy carbohydrates. 40% of your plate starts with protein,” he shared. “Then have the same amount, 40% of your plate with fibrous carbohydrates.”
“The remaining 20% that’s where your starchy carbohydrates go,” he adds.
Create a go-to meal rotation
Have a stable of go-to meals to choose from to make the diet easier to stick to.
“You don’t need to become a chef to be able to support a healthy eating lifestyle. All you need to do is create a rotation of those go-to meals that you really like.”
Reframe meal prep and think meal assembly
Practice flexibility and prep your protein ahead of time.
“If we think of it like that plate, and components, we can become flexible with these interchangeable parts. When we become more flexible, it becomes more customizable.”
“Prepare or cook your protein and then freeze it if necessary,” he explains.
Eat when the clock tells you to
Use the clock to tell you when to eat rather than listening to when your body tells you to eat.
“All those little calories [while grazing] adds up. But if you start to eat when the clock tells you, that becomes a thing of the past. And it’s one of the most successful things I did to get on track. It’s going to regulate your appetite.”
Attach meals to anchors in your daily routine
Get accustomed to walking after or before a meal as an ‘anchor’ to healthier living.
“Make sure the breakfast immediately follows a walk. If you do it at work, one work block leads to the next. Have your lunch immediately after that particular meeting you have every day.”
Practice Flexible structure
Cavaliere argues that a flexible structure allows for more sustainability.
“Sustainability is going to come from that and it’s much greater than perfection. You can be perfect for 100 days, I’ll take the sustainable approach that lasts a lifetime.”
Eat out strategically
He cautions against eating out but understands it’s going to happen.
“You can’t be expected to sit home all the time and eat and count every single calorie,” he shares. “You can stay consistent without becoming anti-social.”
Build a supportive food environment
Keep healthy foods and better options around you so you don’t go for something that derails your diet and progress.
“You can’t rely on willpower always. Even those who are truly locked in are going to have their moments of weakness. The best thing you can do is try to control your environment a little bit more.”
Embrace the long game
Lastly, embrace the long game as dieting can be an arduous journey.
“If you find a way that’s enjoyable, and I mean it, find a way where it’s enjoyable to eat, because it’s necessary, then the rest of this stuff can become automatic.”
Above all else, Jeff Cavaliere maintains that sustainability is the key to effective dieting. He believes following these 16 principles will help anyone adhere to a long-term meal plan.
RELATED: Jeff Cavaliere Explains How to Train for Size vs Strength
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