1. HYDRATION IS THE #1 SIMPLEST/MOST EFFECTIVE THING YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH. AIM FOR A GALLON A DAY (128oz)

Technically, the goal should be half your body weight in oz as a bare minimum but you’ll need more if you’re sweating, drinking coffee, or any other caffeinated beverage so just go for the gallon! The first thing you should start your day with is 16-24oz of water. Don’t chug it, pace yourself. Starting your day with water not only puts you on the road to being well hydrated, but it gets your body flushing your intestines before any more food goes in. Spread the rest of it throughout the day.

2. WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS IS DETERMINED BY YOUR ENERGY BALANCE CALORIES IN VS CALORIES OUT.

To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you expend. To gain weight, you must take in more calories than you expend. Ways to achieve this tend to be more complicated – but this is the bottom line.

3. PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

Your diet will rarely if ever be “perfect”. Unless you are competing, that’s not the goal. The goal is to build better habits and consistently be working toward healthier choices in order to best fuel your body while keeping your mental sanity. We’re shooting for an 80/20 average. (80% ideal choices/20% YOLO)

4. ADEQUATE PROTEIN IS VITAL

You need AT LEAST 1g of protein per lb of LEAN BODY MASS to build and maintain muscle. Getting enough protein will not only keep you full longer, but it will also help you from overeating other less beneficial things. It will help you recover and it actually burns (very slightly) more calories than other macros due to a thermogenic effect.

5. BREAKFAST SETS THE TONE FOR YOUR DAY

Your first meal sets the tone for your whole day, start off healthy and you’re more likely to keep it going. That being said, you don’t HAVE to eat first thing in the morning, there are more and more studies coming out about the benefits of intermittent fasting and I’m a firm believer in listening to your body so if you’re not hungry then don’t eat. However, your first meal should be a healthy one and should include protein so make sure you have something planned so you don’t reach for the nearest candy bar when you get ravenous halfway through the day. (Often times people who don’t normally eat breakfast that start to incorporate something find that their body starts to get used to it and need breakfast)

6. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

While macros matter, nothing is more important than LISTENING TO YOUR BODY. Paying attention and listening to hunger and fullness cues will help you sustain changes in your eating habits and increase the likelihood of keeping off any weight loss. Specific cravings can actually be a nutrient deficiency being highlighted, so paying attention/obliging them to an extent can be beneficial.

7. DIET IS KING, SLEEP IS QUEEN

Sleep is where your mind and body recover. 6-8 hrs/night is optimal for most people (there are some outliers that need less). Not getting enough sleep can throw off hormone levels, increase the desire for food and decrease willpower for ideal choices. A bedtime routine can be a great addition to a fitness routine.

TIPS

Meal Prep- Nobody has time to cook every meal. Prepare or at LEAST plan your food for the week on your day off – it will take a couple of hours, but you’ll save yourself time and stress as well as be ready to eat healthy all week.

Keep a food log – There’s an app called MyFitnessPal that I highly recommend. If that’s not an option, use a notebook and look up your calories online at myfitnesspal.com

Have an accountability partner – Someone you can talk to about staying on track with your diet and exercising regularly.

Make it work for YOU – Create your fitness and nutrition plans around goals that you can maintain as a lifestyle.

Sourcing – Whenever possible try to buy local, organic, non-GMO, fruits & vegetables, as well as grass-fed and/or pasture-raised meats, eggs, and poultry. The nutritional content and health benefits far exceed that of conventional products.