I took this idea from Ramit Sethi. He runs I Will Teach You to be Rich.
One thing he has is his 10 money rules.
These are rules that help him create the life he wants to live.
He mentions that when people try to improve their financial situation it usually involves a budget. When people hear the word budget it usually brings up a lot of negative emotions (confusion, anxiety, fear, etc.).
In an article on his website, Jake Wengroff says this “No one should have anxiety about ordering an appetizer at a special dinner or investing in a gym membership”
When it comes to money most people focus on things NOT to spend.
But as Ramit mentions there is only so much you can cut.
He also makes a great point that improving your financial situation isn’t about “depriving yourself of little luxuries”
Basically, everyone focuses on what they should cut out and not do.
But they dont focus on things that work for them.
The more I thought about this article the more I realized this is exactly what people do when it comes to fitness.
“I need to get in better shape so I need to cut out this, stop doing that, etc.”
Usually, it involves cutting out their favorite foods or pleasures they have.
Again, you can only cut so much.
You need the rules to work for YOU.
So in this article, I want to go over 10 fitness and nutrition rules for myself.
I suggest you do the same. You dont have to copy mine, but you can make them fit YOU. This will require you to take some time to figure out what’s important to YOU.
For me, these rules are based on my goals, which are to be healthy (mentally and physically), apply what I learn to my clients, be my best self, and build MY best physique.
1. Protein at each meal
I will always make sure I have protein at each meal. I do this by planning ahead and making sure I have protein available at all times.
If I dont, then I make time to stop by the grocery store.
I have my “handy” sources of protein in case of an emergency:
- Greek yogurt
- Protein powder
- Tuna packets
- Jerky
One other thing that has helped me is using a meal prep service like Trifecta. I only use them for protein.
If I want a “tasty” food then I make sure I pair it with a meal or that im having at least 20g of protein with it.
For example, during Christmas time, when there are cookies laying around, I make sure I have a protein shake with a cookie as my late-night snack.
Or if I decide I want pizza, I will pair it was a spinach salad that has a lean source of protein in it.
2. Water first thing in the morning before coffee.
Before I have coffee or I start my morning routine I make sure I have a big glass of water.
This ensures that no matter what happens that day I already had a good amount of water.
Plus it wakes you up and makes you feel better.
3. Drink alcohol 0-2x per week
I dont completely abstain from alcohol, but I have a rule for how many times I will do it per week.
Alcohol in excess will not only hurt fitness progress, but it also can lead to many other issues in my life. Mainly I just feel like crap.
I also try to only drink on the weekends and avoid it during the week.
4. Sleep
I make sleep a priority every night.
Poor sleep not only puts your body in a bad position when it comes to building muscle or losing body fat, but I also just feel less motivated and in a worse mood when my sleep lacks.
This is just a trickle-down effect from there in terms of overall quality of life. Everything suffers.
I make sure I get at least 7 hours per night.
I also have a routine where I dont work or do things that “stress” me out 1 hour before bed.
5. At least 1 veggie per day
Each day I make sure at least one meal has a veggie in it. This helps me get the proper nutrients in to help me look and feel my best.
It also helps me fill up so Im less tempted to eat other food later on.
My veggie is usually a big ass spinach salad. With lean protein and other veggies.
6. Move daily
Each day I make sure I move at least 5k steps. With running my own online business it’s easy to not get movement in. When I was training in person I could get away without focusing on getting movement in. But now that im working from home I have to make myself and get moving.
On the days where I dont move as much, my energy levels and mood go down the drain.
This leads to me not being my best self for my relationships, business, and clients.
7. Lift
Lifting has a ton of health benefits, so I will always advocate for people to do this.
However, one of my goals is to build muscle, so lifting is a must for me.
Plus I always feel fantastic after a good training session.
For me, this usually involves lifting 5-6x per week, but it can look different for each person.
8. Eat tasty foods in moderation
No matter what my current goal is I will NEVER completely omit certain foods from my diet.
This never works out. I love food and I never want to restrict myself from certain foods that I want.
Now this doesnt mean ill eat what I want, when I want, and how much I want, but I will not restrict.
One other caveat, this may change slightly based on my current (fat loss, building, maintenance). What I mean is that during a building phase I will have more tasty foods compared to when I am in a fat loss phase.
9. I will always fit in date nights or nights out with friends/family.
No matter what my current goal is I will always make sure I fit in date nights and/or dinner nights with friends or family.
This usually comes down to having some plan for the week and making some sacrifices at different times throughout the week, but these things cannot and will not be omitted for the sake of my fitness goal.
10. Weigh-in 3x per week
I make sure to weigh in 3x per week first thing in the morning, post bathroom, pre food or drink.
This way I have an idea that I am moving/eating in the right amount based on my current goal.
As you can see from these rules there is nothing that says I CAN’T do something. Its all about making things work for ME.
Now the cool thing about these rules is that they put me in a good place overall to where no matter what my current goal is (fat loss, building, maintenance) each goal will be that much easier to obtain and then I just make small adjustments based on these rules.
A few other things:
- When making your list, you dont have to have 10. It can be 5, 6, etc. But the thought here is that just having a few rules will get you moving in the right direction. As Jake Wengroff puts it in his article on Ramit’s 10 money rules “always keep in mind that the real mistake is doing nothing.”
- I am not PERFECT with everything on this list. Some im better at than others. For example, water when I first wake up is 100% going to happen. Sometimes I have tasty food in excess of what I wanted, sometimes I dont get at least 7 hours of sleep.
If you are ready to take your training and/or nutrition to the next level or you just need more guidance, structure, and accountability then fill out the link HERE to see how I can help you!
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