Diet – Exercise – Lifestyle

Happy Saturday. 😃

How’s your week been going?

A rough one?

Just dandy?

Could you not wait for the weekend?

Or are you happy it’s a new day, because any “today” is an opportunity?

We could dive down that rabbit hole of mindset and attitude, but we’ll hold off for now.

Your life, as it relates to your health and fitness, is comprised of diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Endless choices could be made in each category. However, let’s embrace the “challenge” of simplifying things as much as possible.

Diet

This isn’t the bad, four-letter word that gets thrown around everyday in magazines and on TV by people trying to sell you something.

Yes, I take supplements. But I don’t live on any miracle product.

We’re talking about what you put into your mouth on a regular basis.

Our diet is simply what we eat. We’re not talking about a plan that you follow or subscribe to.

Keeping it Simple

  • Just eat real food (JERF most of the time – 80 to 90%)
  • Protein (meat, eggs, fish, etc) consistently
  • Veggies (all colors) consistently
  • Fruits consistently
  • Nuts and seeds are good
  • Lay off the junk

Example?

We’re doing Whole 30 in March. This is more strict than we ask most our clients and members, but a great reset in keeping it simple.

This morning started with some hot lemon water mixed with Athletic Greens.

After coaching a morning class I came home and scrambled some eggs with broccoli.

My dessert was an apple with some cashew butter.

Nom nom nom

It was all delicious AND nutritious.

May seem boring to some, but food really shouldn’t be the highlight of your day.

Even healthy food can be tasty and satisfying.

Exercise

Move your body on a regular basis. Preferably more days than not.

Have some fun with it, yes, but understand that sometimes you do it to practice discipline and for knowing how much better you’ll feel afterwards – and for years to come.

Keeping it Simple

  • Get the heart rate up
  • Lift something heavy (to you) regularly
  • Use a full range of motion as much as possible
  • Walk around, stretch, don’t sit still throughout the day

Example?

My quads are feeling some definite soreness after the latest CrossFit open workout.

Did I need to go hard? Nope.

Did I need to take the day off? Nope.

Did I need something in between? You betcha.

Today’s circuit:

If you do the math, it took about 8 minutes.

Yup, 8 minutes

It got my heart rate up.

The rower helped loosen up my legs without any impact.

And I went on about my day.

Keep it simple.

Lifestyle

Your lifestyle can pretty much include everything else you do in life besides eat and workout (although those can be included as part of your overall lifestyle).

Are you dealing with stress well, regardless of source?

Are you sleeping enough to recover and attack each day?

Are you reading/studying something new to grow as a person?

Are you impacting other people in a positive way?

This still probably only scratches the surface of what could be described as your lifestyle.

Keeping it Simple

  • Be yourself. Not someone else, or what they portray online.
  • Stay active mentally as well as physically.
  • Sometimes, simply unplug. TV, social, everything. It’s ok to get bored.
  • Smile all the time.
  • Remember to keep growing yourself while helping others do the same (this will look different for each person).

Ok, maybe not always easy, but simple enough.

Make the most of YOUR life. Don’t waste yours following someone else’s.

It can be a good thing to stay informed, but it’s never good to stay consumed about the outside world.

As Darren Hardy reminds us, “We must recognize the difference between THE world and OUR world.”

Keep it simple and maximize the big 3 areas in your life this week.

Live. Love. Lift.

Resources:

Perfect Day Formula by Craig Ballantyne

Athletic Greens superfood

Concept 2 Rower

Darren Hardy’s Compound Effect


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