I help women transform their bodies in as little as eight weeks. These are the fat loss secrets that changed my life

One of Australia's leading personal trainers has shared the secrets to fat loss after helping hundreds of women transform their bodies with ease. Rachael Attard, a qualified sports nutritionist and trainer, is famed for her programs designed specifically for women, sculpting lean legs and toning up without 'bulking'. Now, after many years studying the body and how fat loss really works, Rachael has shared the five tips that have changed her life, body and mindset.

'I've learned that fat loss involves more than counting calories,' Rachael says. 'It's about balancing what you eat, how you move, how you recover, and the mindset you bring to it. Once you get that right, the results follow and trust me, it feels amazing.'. And while it might sound simple in theory, in a world where there's a new 'trick' for fast fat loss every other day, getting back to basics is just what everybody needs.

Rachael said this is the single most important principle to understand if you have a goal of fat loss. One of Australia's leading personal trainers has shared the secrets to fat loss after helping hundreds of women transform their bodies with ease. 'Put simply, if you want to lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns... but don't worry this doesn't mean starving yourself or drastically cutting your food intake,' she said.

Rachael said extreme calorie cutting can lead to metabolism issues in the form of 'metabolic adaptation' whereby the body adjusts to burning fewer calories. As a result, fat loss is much harder to achieve in the long term. Instead, she explains, the 'sweet spot' for fat loss is eating '200-500 calories less than your body needs for maintenance'. Rachael offers a maintenance calorie calculator on her website here.

With your diet, think foods that are minimally processed and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Rachael urges clients to follow a diet packed full of lean proteins like chicken, healthy fats like olive oil, fiber-rich foods like legumes and, of course, balance. Rachael Attard is famed for her programs designed specifically for women (pictured, one of her clients on the eight week Lean Legs program).

A huge advocate of the '80-20 rule', Rachael eats healthy whole foods 80 per cent of the time and her favourite 'non-diet' foods the other 20 per cent. 'This creates a more sustainable way to approach eating without feeling deprived,' she says. You can see Rachael's own day on a plate here. Rachael's number one exercise recommendation is walking as it is easy, low impact and keeps the heart at the ultimate fat burning zone.

She urges clients to aim for 10,000 steps a day or whatever is 'realistic'. Rachael also recommends strength training at least twice a week to boost fat burning at rest, and promotes workouts like squats, push-ups and lunges which can be done at home. Rachael describes sleep as one of the most 'underrated' components of fat loss due to its impact on hormones - especially those to do with hunger. It's also central to muscle repair, energy recovery and overall body balancing so put simply, poor sleep equals poor fat loss.

Rachael recommends seven to nine hours of sleep, forming a solid bedtime routine and limiting caffeine and screen time in the hours before bed. Rachael's number one exercise recommendation is walking as it is easy, low impact and keeps the heart at the ultimate fat burning zone. If there's one thing Rachael wants everyone to remember, it's that burning fat takes time. 'I know it's tempting to want quick results, but I can promise you that consistency and patience are the keys to success,' she says.

'Instead of stressing about reaching your big goal right now, try setting small, realistic goals for the week. 'For example, you could aim to eat healthy for five days in a row or hit 7,000 steps each day, then gradually increase it as you progress.'. Small wins can include things like getting adequate rest, movement every day, reaching water goals, focusing on gut health and pritoritising the things you enjoy.