We can be our own worst enemies sometimes. Trying to do our own research to learn how to do things perfectly and in the meantime we waste days and weeks progressing towards our goals.
Nowadays it’s even worse in my opinion, with articles, podcasts, and social platforms to follow. It can confuse and paralyze a person’s decision making so they either don’t start or put off so much time starting because of anxiety, confusion, or just purely overwhelmed.
I mean why not Netflix and Nap like our homie above! I’m jealous tbh.
Ok, I digress back to some TIPS!
It is and always will be the basics that work. They don’t work with the game of marketing, but they work in the real world application. Oh, the irony.
Below are some quick tips you can start and/or schedule this week. If you incorporate them consistently (70% of the time) you will see progress.
SLEEP
This is the foundation of good physical and mental health!
7-9 hours of restorative sleep is well studied, researched and agreed upon from the top minds in the field.
Set your thermostat to 67-69 degrees prior to sleep
Stop caffeine 12 hours before sleep
Minimize/eliminate screen time 1-2 hours before sleep
Warm shower/sauna/hot tub prior to sleep
Doing all of these is not required and it’s by no means an exhaustive list. I nudge you to reflect and evaluate where you can start and then build from there.
Even some supplementation could be beneficial such as:
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Theanine
PharmaGaba
Look at Thorne.com for each of these and read their instructions carefully. Consult your physician prior to taking any.
If weight loss is your goal and your focus right now I cannot empathize how important sleep is. Without quality and consistent sleep the bodily processes involved in shedding weight will be interrupted, under recovered, and stressed.
NEAT/STEPS
8,000-10,000 steps is what we want to work up to for our daily average. Some days may be higher some may be lower, it’s all about the average.
Most people will have to get creative with this. You may have to walk around your house in the evenings to hit your numbers. You may have to schedule it, set alarms. You may have to join a group, but it is one of the lowest barriers to good health.
It’s also a great opportunity to take activity and merge it into a healthy social/community connection. No phones, just movement and connection.
This is called NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) because it’s not considered exercise. It’s basic movement throughout the entire day that ultimately accounts for more energy burn than exercise itself. Let me say that again, your NEAT burns more calories than the cardio you’re trying to do for weight loss.
Small changes add up to big results.
So setting up your environment in such a way that we can average those 8-10k steps is in your best interest. Then we can build our food and exercise on top of that foundation.
SCALE
The scale is just a guide for our progress. We will only use our Friday morning number and over time that will guide us and help us understand areas we can make minor tweaks/adjustments. The HappyScale app does a fantastic job of breaking your goals down into milestones and realistic segments as you progress towards your end goal all while keeping you motivated.
Getting on the scale 1x week or even 2x a week isn’t disordered. You don’t have a problem contrary to what some industry leaders might lead you to believe. Just like food journaling, that doesn’t mean you have an eating disorder.
What gets measured gets managed. There’s nuance and context with all of this, but in general it will keep you on track, take emotion out of the equation, and it’s raw data you can then interpret and make adjustments accordingly.
It will save you pain and time from making confusing decisions and wrong decisions on your journey.
PORTIONS
How much we plate is one of the simplest skills we can sharpen, yet the one that trips us up the most. It’s not entirely our fault. Everywhere you look the servings have increased, whether it’s a plate/bowl you buy, a meal you purchased or an event you attend, we’re constantly working against the forces.
Whether you decide to use measuring cups, food scales or smaller plates it’s a good starting point to get a reference of what a serving looks like. It is not a lifestyle to weigh or measure your food, that comes with its own risk factors, but getting a reference of what a serving size looks like is the classic “manage only what you measure.” It will have a powerful effect on your end goal.
Measuring for 1-2 weeks is a very powerful initial skill I have most of my clients do. Once the eyes see it a few times your reference becomes more inline with your goals. The rice you plate or the protein you cook starts to become more dialed in and as a byproduct you see the scale move and clothes fit.
1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (goal weight)
Get that dialed in first and then adjust your carbs and fats based on your progress.
If you’re plating ¾-1 cup carbs and the scale isn’t moving then take it down to ½-¾ cup. Go slow and ease into it because that only increases the odds you’re going to sustain the lifestyle.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a journey so please do not forget to enjoy the process and be kind to yourself. The weight and your health will come as a byproduct of the controllables. You can control all of the above, but it is on you to create the boundaries and environment for them to be executed.
It’s not about intensity. There’s many people who do intense workouts inconsistently and they struggle with their goals. They’re always trying to get leaner, lighter, or tighter. It’s about what you can do consistently.
Tortoise and the Hare.
Consistent behaviors not only gets people to their destination, but they STAY THERE TOO!
Your Coach
-Matt
WWW.REVEAL-WEIGHTLOSS.COM
© REVEAL LLC
