SLEEP
This is everything and why it is first!
More and more studies now suggest nothing beats getting enough good quality sleep.
- The better you sleep, the more efficient your metabolism, meaning you will burn more fat, your body will become better at building muscle and the stronger you will get.
- Studies have found Sleeping 8+ hours per day, will optimise recovery, reduce inflammation and improve strength and performance.
- A lack of sleep increases Ghrelin (your hunger hormone), meaning you will experience greater hunger throughout the day.
- Little sleep will also increase your Cortisol levels (Stress hormone) further reducing your ability to recover from your workouts, burn fat and build muscle.
- Sleep is a cognitive enhancer; increasing daily awareness, decision making, memory and learning both physical and mental patterns.
SLEEP HYGIENE…
- No TV or phone 1 hour before bed.
- Carbohydrates in your evening meal can aid sleep quality.
- Sleep in a dark room with no noise.
- Avoid stimulants like caffeine or drinking too much water before bed.
- Try to go to sleep and wake the same time every day.
Without structured or regular quality sleep, your efforts towards training and nutrition will be wasted. PRIORITISE SLEEP!!
EXERCISE
NEAT- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This refers to the calories you burn during normal day to day activities such as walking, cleaning, shopping which all add up to your energy expenditure.
Setting a daily step goal is a great way to increase your NEAT. All of my clients with a goal to lose body fat have a daily step goal ranging from 8000-15000 depending on their lifestyle. This helps increase activity levels and create a greater calorie deficit.
TRAINING- Essential for muscle building and highly recommended when working towards fat loss goals. Training in the gym should be programmed and specific. Are you training hard enough to achieve your goals??
CLEAN UP YOUR DIET
Before counting calories you need to consider the quality of foods you are eating, maximise your nutrient consumption and absorption, thus supporting your bodies environment to perform and adapt optimally.
For example; You can be in a calorie surplus eating 3 x big mac meals per day. This however has no nutritional value to your body and will not put your body in a position to achieve your goals. I have heard it before… “training hard and eating lots for muscle mass goals”. But then I see a diet diary of the poor quality foods being consumed, it is no wonder the body is not adapting and changing.
Without nutrient dense foods you are diminishing muscle recovery and metabolism as digestion, hormonal balance, nutrient absorption and gut health will be poor.
WHOLE ‘CLEAN’ FOODS– Typically one ingredient foods e.g. broccoli is broccoli, salmon is salmon, an almond is an almond.
Whole foods are naturally packed with enzymes which aid digestion and ensure nutrients are absorbed efficiently by the body. When foods are processed the number of enzymes found in the food is decreased and thus the body finds it harder to digest and absorb effectively. This can cause bloating and other digestive issues which are not effective for the body’s functioning for fat loss or muscle building.
KNOW YOUR ‘WHY’
Planning towards a goal is amazing but consistency is key and what will make it happen. Knowing your ‘why’ you have created your goal should be at the forefront of your mind to ensure consistency. This means shifting the balance of your life so that training and nutrition becomes of a higher priority. Changing your body is not easy and the defining factor of your success will be how badly you want it and what you are willing to change to achieve it.
My best advice would be to hire a trainer that can help you plan towards your goals and monitor your progress. This takes less pressure from you with regards to the planning stages so you can put more effort into staying consistent. Another way of tracking your progress and being accountable to yourself would be the take weekly progress photos and stick to this consistently. You should see visual changes in your body every week.
Knowing your WHY will be your driving force to achieve your goals.