FORGET CORONAVIRUS.
THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE IS COMING THIS MONDAY.
And you can thank the switch to Daylight Savings Time.
When I started coaching I was obsessed with learning all the cutting edge details of fat loss, such as different protocols, magic hacks, supplements, and every trivial nuance.
As I got busier I realized that the basics (calorie control, tracking, progressive training, sleep, stress management, setting realistic goals, chasing the right metrics) are far more important, even among very advanced, seasoned exercisers.
Then came the most important realization of all:
Knowing the basics is one thing. But you become #BrilliantAtTheBasics when you perform them at a very high level, CONSISTENTLY.
That requires fixing lifestyle FIRST.
So instead of addressing sleep, daily rhythm, coping strategies, kid stress, daily commutes as an afterthought following diet and exercise, I go after those things first.
Think of it as building a house. Your genetics plus how you live and sleep and think make up the foundation. Food and exercise are the materials we use to build & maintain it.
So if you start off with a weak foundation (chaotic lifestyle) and even high-end building materials (diet and exercise), none of that will translate into a beautiful forever home (great physique).
Instead the likely outcome is a good looking house that floods every spring, rendering it almost unlivable.
Until you write a BIG check to fix the foundation. Or move and start over.
– – –
A low stress, productive, consistent lifestyle starts with getting in a punch the clock rhythm, as in consistent meals, meal times and training times, and especially sleep & wake times.
And the best way to solidify sleep/wake times is by treating weekends like an extension of the workweek (if possible).
Which brings this ramble back to the Zombie thing, because if there ever was a weekend to be vigilant with sleep, it’s this weekend.
Don’t be like the millions who will stay up past 2am Saturday night, then get an extra kick to the wahzoo as we lose an hour due to the switch to Daylight Savings Time, then show up to work Monday looking and feeling like hot garbage.
For sustainable, healthy fat loss, it’s the lifestyle tweaks that are most effective.
P.S. Struggling to balance lifestyle with your fitness goals? Or your diet and exercise building materials aren’t so “high-end”? Work with me one-on-one and we’ll get it sorted.