KISS. Don’t overcomplicate things. It’s not hard. Just be consistent with the fundamentals…
Sleep:
Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep, every night.
All systems are negatively impacted from lack of sleep. Poor mental/physical recovery, negative effects on mood/emotional health, increased anxiety/depression/stress sensitivity, increased appetite and weight gain. Make sleep a priority.
Diet:
Eat your body-weight in protein in grams per day. 150 pounds = 150g protein/day.
Don’t overcomplicate nutrition. Stop eating dessert for breakfast (doughnuts, pastries, pop-tarts, cereal, etc etc etc). Stop drinking your calories. Stop eating processed and sugary foods. This.is.not.rocket.science.
Eat fruits, veggies, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and add spices to your meals. Supplement with creatine - it has great benefits and no risks, even if you don’t workout regularly. Protein should be a staple in your diet - its what your muscles are made of and it makes you feel more full, which makes you less likely to overeat.
Drink water, lots of it, 100oz/day for most people is a baseline. I like LMNT electrolyte packs added to my water. They help me rehydrate and make drinking water more palatable, so I’m more likely to do it.
I recommend the Carbon app if you want additional help with creating a weight gain/loss program, but aren’t ready to go all in on a real coach, which I would always recommend for accountability…
Cut/reduce alcohol intake. Most people use alcohol and/or food to cope with life/stress. Figure this out. It's not easy. You will thank yourself for it.
Exercise:
Walk 2-3 miles daily. 10k steps minimum/day.
For real, start with the simple stuff - if you’re not walking 10k steps/day, start here. There’s incredible mental/physical benefits to this small habit. Get up early, get vitamin D and out in nature, start your day with physical activity and the sunrise.
Once this is easy, add weight. I ruck with this vest on every other day with 30# of added weight (roughly 17% of my body weight). Why? Ruck training gets 70% of the metabolic benefits of running, without the wear and tear on my body and joints. Plus its way better at building “core” muscle endurance and smoking the hamstrings/glutes/calves. Plus I can do it while I’m walking the dog and drinking coffee. Win. Win. Winning.
Then, add muscle. You don’t need to be a body-builder. You need to be able to get yourself up off the floor when you fall down at 77 years old. You can do body weight exercises (squats, pushups, etc) or lift weights. You need to do something for your muscles for healthy aging of the body/mind.
Muscle tissue increases your metabolism. Exercise & being physically fit improves your mental health - reduced anxiety, depression & stress. You should set an example of what healthy living looks like for your children. And you owe it to your future self to keep yourself in decent shape, so you are physically & mentally able to enjoy life in your later years.
Jiu-jitsu at Tipping Point has been great for me mentally, physically, and emotionally. Find a sport you enjoy and do it. Play pickleball. Swing kettlebells. Walk your dog. Deadlift the moon. Get active.
Mental health:
Meditate or do box-breathing for 5-10 minutes/day.
Let's face facts - most people struggle with anxiety, depression and/or stress. Its a fact of life in modern society. Instead of ignoring it, how about tackling it head on?
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Breathe into your belly (not your chest). Hold for 4 seconds. Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds. Hold for 4 seconds. Repeat for 5-10 minutes.
That cycle took 16 seconds. It brought your breathing rate down to 3.75 breaths/minute (we are typically at 10+ breaths/minute). This shifts you from sympathetic (running from a bear) into parasympathetic (rest & relax) nervous system. It helps to calm your mind, better process your emotions, slow your heart rate, balance your cortisol and stress hormones, and generally function better as a human. It's about finding balance, not transcendental enlightenment.
Read. Listen to podcasts/audible. Expand your mindset, get new outlooks on topics, 10x your growth by learning from people outside of your circle. The amount of information you can take in and the growth you can achieve from this is invaluable.
Journaling: write 3 small things each day you’re grateful for. Write out what’s going well in your life. Write what areas need to improve. Write down your 1, 3, 5 and 10 year goals and what steps you are going to take to reach those goals.
Dr. Nathan Weber
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