There is so much information available to us today (thanks Mr Internet!) that it’s REALLY tough to know what to believe, what’s real, what’s fake, what’s a scam – and when it comes to fitness — what to do!
Well, you’ve probably heard the cliche: “The Basics haven’t changed because they work.” This is very true when it comes to your health and fitness.
They’re not shiny, they’re not sexy, they’re not immediate, they’re boring, they’re repetitive, they’re simple, they seem TOO easy – but they work.
If I needed to get fit and into shape, here would be my top 5 …..
(1) TRACKING FOOD
This is a MUST. We will severely under-calculate how much food goes in AND how many calories there are in certain foods. You can’t ‘eyeball’ this stuff, you can’t be ‘good’ — and be accurate. Use a simple, free tracking app. (Don’t track activity, just calories). You’ll get a better, more successful result. Like learning to drive a car, it’s awkward and clunky in the beginning. Then it becomes second nature.
(2) EAT MORE PROTEIN
It’s more than you think you need. Your dinner with meat/fish and ham sandwich at lunch won’t cut the mustard (excuse the pun). Use your tracker (above), eat protein with every meal. Add in a protein shake or two. See things change. More protein preserves muscles, increases metabolism, burns fat. Simple.
(3) STRENGTH TRAIN
Lean muscle needs food! It will burn calories even at rest, even whilst you sleep. It will take sugar and fat stores from your body and use them (meaning you get leaner). Train properly 2-3 times each week, watch your body shape change. Prioritise strength over excessive cardio which will burn muscle, reduce your metabolism, make you hungry and more likely to snack!
(4) WALK
We under-estimate the epic power of walking. Great for the mind but if we’re thinking about fat loss, it’s a tool we must use. Walk whenever you can, don’t stress about hitting 10k daily, do short ten minute bursts, here and there, it all adds up. Coupled with strength training, this will turn you into a calorie-burning furnace.
(5) SLEEP
Do your best to sleep properly. 7-9 hours allows your body to recover so you’ll easy preserve the muscle you’ve been building. It also keeps your hunger hormone ghrelin lower, meaning you feel fewer hunger pangs, cravings and tummy rumblings. Research shows that those who get better sleep eat WAY fewer calories daily. If you don’t sleep well, try to 3-2-1 method. No food 3 hours before bed. No fluids 2 hours before. No screens 1 hour before.
At our personal training gym in Ely, we do our best to educate people about the basics WITHOUT extreme measures, diets or fads. By covering these simple 5, as best as possible, it makes being in shape more sustainable.
The beauty of this also is: you can go on holiday, relax your habits, take a break (very important) AND always return to the basics when you get back – or ever need to. 🙂