Lately, I have been wanting to share more about how I do things.
I love to share the recent research and other topics I find interesting, but I know it’s important I start to share more of my views of things and how I do certain things.
While my life is very easy compared to others, I still have responsibilities that can get in the way of my fitness and nutrition.
There are ways that I manage that and still ensure I stay on track with my fitness and nutrition.
The thing with fitness and nutrition is that over time you get better at managing it, you find out what is and isn’t important to you.
And the other thing, your priorities will change over time.
In this blog, I wanted to share with you how I manage my fitness while working full time coaching/creating content/building my business, pursuing my masters, in a committed relationship, and traveling, etc.
Let’s dive into them.
➡️Make it a priority.
You have to make it a priority.
If you just tell yourself you’re going to get a workout in or eat better that will only get you so far.
If it’s important to you then you WILL and MUST prioritize it.
This means that if you have a busy week or something comes up, you dont use that as an excuse. You find a way to work around it.
You can plan ahead, move other things around etc.
For example, if I know I have a busy day at work and I get to the gym at my normal, I sit down and figure out how I can fit it in.
For you, maybe it’s doing it on a day you dont normally, or maybe it’s waking up a little earlier, or its skipping your favorite TV show for a week.
You have to make it a priority.
➡️Have nonnegotiables.
These are things that no matter what, you get done.
For me it’s:
Making sure I have a lean source of protein for each meal
Lifting weights at least 5x per week,
Getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep per night.
A big glass of water first thing in the morning
Make sure I get atleast 5k steps per day.
My thought here is that if I hit these each week/day, ill always be on track.
Your non-negotiables can be completely different than mine. They can also change over time and depending on what’s currently going on in your life.
➡️Have a routine/plan.
If each day is vastly different it’s going to be tough to stick to anything. You need to have some structure from day to day.
If my routine gets messed up for the week, then I sit down and plan ahead for the week and figure out how I can make things work.
In my experience working with clients, those who dont have any set routine are the ones who struggle the most.
This doesnt mean you need to have everything you do day in and day out be a set routine, but for tings that are important to you, its important to have some sort of routine around it.
For workouts, I have clients pick atleast 1-2 days per week that they know they will workout each week.
For nutrition, this can be something like having the same number of meals per day.
When it comes to sleep, having a routine before bed can help improve your sleep.
➡️Have go-to meals.
These are meals that you can go to in times when you are too busy to cook or you are having a crazy day.
I use Trifecta for all my protein needs now, BUT I also make sure I have easy go-to meals for when I am in a bind or in a rush.
Some of my go-to meals:
- Oatmeal with milk and protein
- Tuna packets with rice
- Greek yogurt
- Trifecta protein (usually chicken, steak, shrimp) w. Rice
Having these go-to meals will get some structure/routine to your nutrition, but it also will save you in those times when you aren’t prepared (and let’s be honest, we all are at some point).
➡️Learn to say no.
You aren’t going to be able to say yes to every little thing if you want to improve your body.
Sometimes you have to say no to another drink or another meal out to eat. Or sometimes you have to say no to going out for the second night in a row.
It’s a tough thing to do, but saying no is a good skill to develop for life anyways.
You get better at it by practicing it.
I know for me, there have been many times where I wanted to drink more or have more to eat, but I wanted to say no. I knew by saying no I would feel better about my choice later on.
➡️Stay active on weekends/when you can.
Seek out ways to get more activity in. It’s too easy to not be active in today’s world, especially if you have a job that is sedentary.
Because of this, you have to seek it out.
Anytime there is a chance to move around I take it. This can be done by:
- Doing more household chores
- Putting things further in the house
- Taking that wak or hike with friend or loved one
- Doing yardwork
- Grocery shopping or regular shopping
- Parking farther away.
- Staying active on weekends and when on vacation allows me to enjoy more food during those times.
Staying active also helps you regulate your appetite better, which can help you eat less.
➡️Have a low-cal drink of choice/set a limit.
Drinking alcohol can wreak havoc on your physique. I know I used to drink every weekend back when I was in college and I was frustrated that I couldn’t get lean as I wanted.
Well, it makes sense. Ever since I have moderated my drinking, I have seen a huge transformation in my physique.
I always tell people, it isn’t so much the drinking (even though that does add a lot of calories), but it’s more so what you do the night of and the next day.
Oh and your sleep suffers, which makes the next day terrible as well.
I enjoy drinking from time to time and I mostly try to stick with lower-calorie drink options.
I also make sure to set a drink limit depending on what the event is. Like do I really need to have 4 drinks on a date night?
Again being able to say no helps here.
➡️Eat “healthy” most of the time so then you can enjoy it when the situation arises.
You are probably too black and white when it comes to nutrition.
You think that if you have one meal out then you ruined your diet. But really what you do most of the time is most important anyways.
One meal or two won’t hurt you unless you aren’t on point the rest of the time.
I make sure I am partaking in healthy meals most of the time so I can then enjoy times where I don’t have to worry about it.
➡️Periodize your training/nutrition and hard work.
You’re trying to be 110% with everything 100% of the time.
This leads to you getting burnt out at some point and then completely falling off.
You dont have to be 110% on all the time.
I make sure to work hard when I need to, so then I can enjoy my rest and relaxation and not stress about my fitness/work every second.
This may look like 4-5 weeks of hard training followed by a deload. Or 1-2 hard sessions per week and then 1-2 lower intensity ones.
For nutrition, this may look like 6-8 weeks of fat loss followed by maintenance.
Or for work, this may look like having dedicated times to work, and then rest of the time im stepping away and doing things I enjoy.
Work hard, rest/relax hard.
The key is that you aren’t always going 110%. Just like you need the weekend from work, your body needs time physically and mentally from going 110%.
➡️If you have a bad day, leave it behind you and move on. Tomorrow is a new day.
This has been something that has been a big game-changer for me. I used to dwell on my mistakes and then let that affect me moving forward.
But now I am much better at turning the page.
Some days are going to be better than others. But you have to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Just get back on it and keep showing up.
➡️Hire a coach.
Having someone take care of your fitness can be a game-changer. All you need to do is execute.
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to this stuff. Having a non-biased opinion can be super helpful.
We also tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. Having a coach solves this as well.
If are looking to take your training/nutrition to the next level, fill out the link HERE and let’s get to work!