The Commandments of Health & Fitness
To lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit (to gain weight calorie surplus)
A higher protein diet is essential. Improves satiety, builds muscle & strength, and improves overall health
You must do exercise you enjoy. This reduces stress and improves activity levels. (don't do exercise you hate, it doesn't reduce stress)
Walk 6000-10,000 steps a day to improve your mental health, keep your satiety response system working and burn calories
Calories is king, but Macros is Queen. Understanding and optimising your macros can help lose more fat, keep/grow muscle, and improve energy levels.
Weight lifting 2-3x per week has too many benefits to ignore.
Sustainability > speed. The slower you go, the quicker you get to your end goal. Yo-yo dieting puts you forward two steps then back four. One day at a time.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ignore "new" diets, pills, and supplements that claim insane changes in 3 weeks.
Tracking your food intake is essential (especially at the beginning). Tracking doesn't have to = bad. We brush our teeth 2x a day, and we don't call that obsessive. We know more about Prince Harry's latest antics than the food quality we eat. Prioritises. Nothing has to become obsessive.
Become your own scientist. Track your data and make changes from it. If we see ourselves as data collectors, we can make far better decisions in the future. Fall in love with learning more about you, in all parts of your life.
Mindset is everything. You must focus on your mind as much as your body. Read books, learn from experts, understand the ego, learn how to deal with your "inner" chimp, and deploy gratitude. Recommended reading: "The Chimp Paradox", "How to think like a Roman emperor", "The obstacle is the way", "Mans search for meaning", "Be water, my friend," and "The fear fighter manual".
You are your habits. Habits in Latin means "I live". To change who you are, you need to change your habits. Start with reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
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