Any diet or fat loss plan that requires you to cut out every single food you enjoy is – sorry to be the bearer of bad news – unlikely to be one you can actually stick to. Sustainable weight loss isn’t about taking the joy out of eating – it's about finding a healthy eating plan that works with your life.

That's the message Olympic legend Sally Gunnell shared in a recent Instagram video in which she outlined the foods she believes are worth including in your diet if you’re trying to lose weight.

‘Fat loss isn’t about cutting any foods out,’ Gunnell explains in the video. ‘It’s about building a way of eating that you can actually stick to.’

In the caption, she added that she still has milk chocolate, ‘but dark chocolate is my go-to for that little post-dinner snack’.

Sally Gunnell’s 3 best foods for fat loss

1. Chocolate

Gunnell’s first suggestion comes with an important caveat: she isn’t claiming chocolate is a fat-loss food. Instead, she says that choosing dark chocolate helps her enjoy something sweet without feeling overly restricted.

‘No, I’m not saying that chocolate is a fat-loss food. I’m saying that sustainable fat loss is about finding what works for you,’ she says.

What to Read Next

For Gunnell, that means choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate.

‘If I buy milk chocolate, which is my favourite, I will eat the whole bar,’ she says. ‘Whereas dark chocolate, I would just eat one or two pieces a day, which means I don’t feel restrictive and I don’t overdo it later.’

2. Potatoes

Potatoes were Gunnell’s second choice, despite the fact that many people trying to lose weight avoid carbohydrates altogether.

‘Most people think that carbs are a no, but that’s wrong,’ she said. ‘Carbs are our body’s main source of energy, and potatoes are one of my favourite carb sources.’

Her reasoning? Potatoes offer a rather generous portion for their calorie content, which may help people feel fuller.

‘For roughly the same amount of calories, I can eat nearly double the amount of potatoes compared to pasta,’ Gunnell explains, ‘which means a bigger plate of food, staying full for longer and making fat loss that bit easier.’

3. Fruit

Gunnell’s third recommendation is fruit. ‘It also adds a great amount of volume to your meals, as well as adding fibre to your diet,’ she says.

The bottom line

It's all about balance when it comes to healthy eating. Want to lose fat? Yes, you may well need to make some alterations to your diet – add in more high-protein meals, and swap out sugary ultra-processed snacks for whole foods – but it doesn't mean completely cutting out your favourite foods that give you joy.

As Sally Gunnell says, it's about creating an eating pattern that feels both satisfying and sustainable.