How to Get Ahead of 99% of People In Your Fitness and Health (With More Ease and Less Complication)

You have shiny object syndrome (SOS).

"ohh look at that diet
"Have you hear about the Ultimate Workout 500000?"

You are distracting yourself with too many "solutions"

You think health and fitness is complicated so you are only interested in solutions that are complicated. You think being fit and healthy is hard, so you keep trying only hard things. 

This is causing you to try diet after diet and program after program with little to nothing to show for it. Just more and more frustration, which reinforces how difficult being fit and healthy are.

The problem isn't that its difficult, its that you are making it difficult by choosing only difficult options.

The truth is that its not as complicated as Murph trying to solve the gravity equation in the movie Interstellar.

There is a concept called the complexity trap. It basically means that people are generally more drawn to and interested in concepts and ideas that are drawn out and complicated because it makes you/them feel more interesting.

For example, you're at a party talking to a fit guy. You ask "What's your secret?"

He says, " I manage my calories by prioritizing protein, walk a few miles a day and lift weights 4 days a week." 

You nod along and smile "Oh" you say. Not too sexy, not too fancy. 

You ask another person the same question and they answer "oh well I just got this infrared sauna and the brand new supplements that are only made in INSERT WHATEVER EXOTIC COUNTRY and I use this cream on my abs that melts fat."

Immediately this answer draws more attention and interest. "Hmm" you say. "Tell me more about that? Do you think I should do that?"

This is a problem in much of the fitness industry with coaches, teachers, doctors, influencers, professors and the list goes on.

Everybody has a million bio-hacks and ideas on how to get in shape and the best diet and training program. The more complicated the better, because it makes you believe you need them for support. They are the magic ingredient to your puzzle. 

But the truth is very simple (as it usually is in life and nature.)

Being in better shape than 99% of people only demands a few basic things ( my clients would agree and you can read about their experiences here.)

Lets dive in.

1. Managing Overall Calories. Being a healthy body composition comes down to managing the amount calories you consume vs the amount of calories you burn. This is a foundation element. If you want to lose, gain, or maintain your bodyweight then this is the most important element. Nothing changes until this is taken care or. Period. I wrote a blog in the past about how to figure out how many calories you should be consuming and you can view that here.

Fasting, keto, paleo are all diets that can work because they manage your overall calories. However, whether or not it works for you depends on your unique physiological and psychological factors. How does each affect your sleep, hunger, mood, energy and food cravings? if all of those are good and your bodyweight is healthy then you've found a winning formula for you!

2. Resistance Training. This has unique benefits that, in my opinion and that of research, trumps the overall benefits of all other styles of training. Yes, yoga, cardio, biking, are all good and beneficial. However, resistance training, specifically weight lifting has many of the benefits all of those do (conditioning, mind-muscle connection) plus more. Building muscle builds a stronger body. A stronger body is a healthier body both mentally and physically. A healthier body means optimal stress management and hormonal balance. This also creates a healthier metabolism. All are major wins. 

Luckily you don't need to do a ton of it to see the major benefits. Recent studies suggest that "Exercise Snacks" which are short 4 minute bursts of exercise can have amazing benefits. Personally, I believe lifting weights 2-4 days a week for 20-60 minutes are a good place to aim for long term but there are great benefits to offset a sedentary lifestyle by just doing anything!

I wrote a blog a while back on The Secret To Effective Training.

3. Movement. This is different than training or exercise. This is how much you walk, fidget, stand up, fold laundry, do dishes, etc. Its everything you do during the day. In fact, this is so important and often overlooked. Movement actually burns more calories during the day than your training will. It what is called non-exercise related thermogenesis (NEAT.) 

NEAT accounts for around 15% of overall calories burned throughout the day while exercise is around 5% and food is 10%.

As far as measurables go I still like to use step count because it is objective. You can point to it as an absolute. Aiming for 8-10k steps a day seems to be ideal to achieve and maintain a healthy body composition as well as metabolism.

4. Drink More Water. We all know to drink water but many aren't drinking enough and most aren't drinking good water. Water is crucial to getting micro nutrients and minerals that support basic bodily functions. Without enough of it, our bodies just wont function and feel as great as they can. Shoot for half your bodyweight in ounces of water to start. Switch to spring water as it has the micronutrients that are often stripped and missing in regular drinking water or tap water.  I used to drink 2 gallons of water a day and still felt like shit. Trust me here on the spring water. Its better.

5. Manage Stress. I always remind my clients that you don't get rid of stress, you just ensure that stress doesn't ruin your body and hormones. I realize this may be a tall task, but its crucial element regardless. One of the best ways to manage stress is to get better sleep. Lack of sleep is one of the biggest stressors to every major metabolic process in the body. It's not just low energy, its moodiness, its cravings, its hunger, its motivation, discipline, its hormones, how your body utilizes calories, etc.

8 hours is often talked about as ideal but I get it, that's not always doable, especially if you have kids. So the alternative option is to find moments throughout the day to recoup lost sleep with 10-30 minute naps or moments of rest. Doesn't have to be a deep sleep, rather just a little shut eye. Think of it like plugging your phone in the charger for a little extra battery. 

Here is what an example of this could look like. Mind you this is just an example, not a prescription of what you should do.

6am. Wake up.
16 ounces of water, 30 minute walk.
Coffee, breakfast. 400-600 calories. 30-50g protein.

8am. Work.

12pm. Lunch. 16 ounces of water. 400-600 calories. 30-50g protein.
5-10 minute walk.
5-10 minute restful moment.

2pm. 16 ounces of water.

4pm. 16 ounces of water. 200-400 calories snack. 30-50g protein.

5pm. Done at work.
6pm. 30-60 minute resistance training session. 16-30 ounces of water

7pm. Dinner. 16 ounces of water. 400-600 calories. 30-50g protein.
10-30 minute walk.

10pm. Bed.

End of day. 1400-2000 calories. 120-200g protein. 8 hrs sleep/restful moment. 40-60 minutes of intentional movement. 70-90 ounces of water.

Not a bad day. 

This is what getting back to the basics looks like. This is how you get ahead of 99% of people in your health and fitness. 

If you are not doing these things 90% of the time then it is completely pointless to be prioritizing anything else. 

Start here. Become a master of it. Make it your own. But do it.

Only after doing this is it worth trying anything else.

Hope this was useful.

Enjoy your week.