1. Set clear goals
Get clear on what you want to achieve from your training.
Rather than just going in and going through the motions, have a good think about what it is that you actually want to get out of it.
Are you aiming to get stronger?
Do you want to lose fat?
Is your cardiovascular fitness a priority?
Are you looking to build more muscle?
The reason this is so important is it then allows you to make more accurate decisions on things like:
– What you should be doing to maximise your time in the gym.
– How to structure your training
– What program to follow
– What nutritional plan will work best
– How much cardio you should be doing
– Should you be lifting heavier or lighter
Essentially this a mindset around your nutrition.
etc etc
2. Practice flexible dieting
One where you allow yourself to eat healthily 90% of the time, but also allow yourself some room to enjoy certain foods that you may not usually consider to be ‘healthy’.
This style of eating has been shown to improve long term adherence and consistency, leading to greater results in the long run.
You can track macros for a period of time, which we recommend if you really want to understand what you should be eating each day for your individual needs and goals.
Learn what foods contain what macronutrient content.
Learn what maintenance, a surplus or calorie deficit is for you personally, and what fits into it regarding food choices.
It’s a great learning tool for nutritional education long term.
3. Think of your nutrition as INCLUSIVE not EXCLUSIVE
So many people have an exclusive mindset that can often make things harder.
Instead, ask yourself these questions:
How can I get more micronutrients into my day?
Where can I fit in more vegetables?
How can I get more fibre?
What is the easiest way to get more quality lean protein sources with each meal?
How can I improve my hydration levels?
A simple, yet very powerful strategy to improve your nutrition.
4. Track your NEAT for fat loss
Being aware and setting goals around daily activity.
Simply tracking your daily step count is great way to hold yourself accountable to how much you move.
Some people we work with who report being ‘quite active’ who don’t track steps, find themselves only completing 3,000-5,000 steps per day.
This has a huge impact on health and body composition results.
So aim for 10,000 steps per day minimum, on top of your training.
5. Change the way you look at exercise
Don’t train just to burn calories.
Train to progress. To get better.
To build strength and performance.
Aim to move better, feel better and be more mobile.
Less chance of injury as a result of all of the above as well.
So many people are simply always just trying to burn calories.
There are so many more amazing focus points and benefits to achieve from training, it’s a very powerful mindset shift to think about them.
6. Reduce your stress levels
Manage your perspective on things.
Practicing daily gratitude.
Removing stressful situations and people from your life where possible.
Take control of your situation and realise you are not a passenger in life, you are able to create the life you want with persistence, hard work and focus over time.
7. Sleep more
Aim to get at least 7-8 hour per night.
If you can’t sleep in, then I recommend going to be earlier.
Also working on sleep hygiene by removing technology and artificial light earlier at night.
Winding down from stressful days by relaxation techniques.
Making sure your room is as dark as possible.
And doing everything you can to have the best quality sleep possible.
8. Don’t compare yourself to others
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Everyone is different, everyone is on their own journey.
Remind yourself frequently that you are individual.
You are exactly where you are meant to be right now.
Most of the time, you are only seeing or hearing of other people’s highlight reels anyway, so comparing yourself to other people’s fitness journey is not going to serve you, so be aware of when it comes up, and choose to adjust your focus back to how can you improve right now to be better than YOU were yesterday.
9. Be 100% honest with yourself
If you’re not losing weight in a “calorie deficit” 1 of 2 things is happening
- You’re under-reporting how many calories you’re consuming
- You’re over-reporting how much physical activity you are doing
What is really going on?
– Not tracking food intake
- Not weighing foods / estimating
- Not tracking snacks
- Errors in tracking apps such as MFP
- Labels are not 100% correct
- Weekend splurges
- Alcohol
- Untracked cheat meals
- Lacking consistency
10, Enjoy your journey
Making a conscious effort to improve your health and fitness is such a powerful tool to impact your whole life for the better.
You should not be stressing yourself out about it.
Find things you enjoy. Train with people you like. Have fun along the way as much as you possibly can.
And most of all, celebrate your wins and be proud of the effort you are putting into looking after yourself.
If you need any help with your current health and fitness journey, drop us a line anytime at enquiries@definitionfitness.com.au we would absolutely love to help you.
Thank you for reading
Daniel Knust