There's no magic pill, just sticking with it.
It should surprise exactly no one that we tend to overcomplicate things when it comes to our health.
We expect severe elimination diets to help us “reset” our metabolism and kick start our weight loss.
We stack up on expensive supplements hoping they will balance testosterone, boost libido and stop us losing our hair.
We sign up for gym memberships, take HIIT classes and hire personal trainers expecting that we’ll suddenly start working out 5 days a week.
We try to do too much all at once, and when it gets hard or we don’t see results fast enough, we give up.
What no one tells you is there is one key to staying on track and achieving your health goals:
Consistency.
Just being consistent with your simple, healthy habits will have a much greater impact on your health than a cabinet full of supplements or trying to make it to the gym 5 days a week.
Consistency applies to everything. When you eat, how much you eat, what you eat, when you go to bed, when you wake up, how often you exercise, when you exercise, you get the idea.
Tips for consistent healthy habits
Eating window
Science is showing how eating during a consistent eating window each day affects your hormones like insulin and cortisol and can have a lot to do with optimizing our metabolism.
Your body works on a 24 hour circadian clock. It expects to go to bed at a certain time, wake up at a certain time, and it expects food at certain times. Eating too early or too late in the day can mean it’s not ready to respond with sufficient insulin or produce enough stomach acid.
Consistently break your fast 2-3 hours after waking, and stop eating 2-3 hours before going to bed each night. The window in between should be the time when your body is ready to digest and absorb food.
Your body also expects a certain amount of protein each day, and will signal you to keep eating until you get there. This can cause you to overeat, especially if you have a bunch of chips and crackers and other snacks in the house.
Does this mean you have to eat exactly the same thing at exactly the same time every day for the rest of time? Of course not. Variety is the spice of life. Use the 80/20 rule, and do your best most of the time.
Sleeping window
While the amount of quality sleep you get is important, what seems to be as or even more important is maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake up routine.
Those circadian rhythms tell your body to increase hormones like melatonin at certain times of day to help you fall asleep, and cortisol to help you wake up.
Staying consistent with a sleep routine means the right hormones switch on and off at the right time. It tells your body to expect a regular period for down time, letting your body and brain repair and throw out waste, and a regular period of energy and productivity.
Blasting your eyes with blue light from your phone or a TV tells your body it’s daytime and signals wake-up hormones.
Sticking to a regular sleep schedule also benefits your metabolic health. Irregular sleep patterns can lead to increased risk of obesity, elevated blood sugar and high blood pressure. Yes, even on the weekends, your pancreas doesn’t know it’s Saturday.
Again, this really just means doing your best to keep to a regular schedule. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a late dinner with friends once in a while, or stay up late binging Alone.
Exercise window
As the saying goes, the best exercise plan for you is the one you’re going to stick with.
You may have all the best intentions to make it to the early F45 class 5 days a week, but if that’s not realistic for you, intention won’t get you very far.
I strongly encourage you to find time throughout the day to move, whether it’s walking the dog or a nice bike ride or even just playing at the park with your kids.
For more intense exercise like weight training or HIIT, do your best to stick to a schedule and work out at the same times each week.
Again, this comes down to hormones. Intense exercise in the morning may be better, since your cortisol levels are already high and coming down. In the evening, your cortisol levels are low and you want to keep them that way.
But I realize that’s not always possible for everyone. Your body adapts to a consistent routine, so evening workouts are still beneficial, and can even help snap you out of the stress of the day.
Your body goes through daily cycles in states of energy and activity, or rest and repair.
By keeping those windows of eating, sleeping and exercising consistent each day, you’re giving your body what it needs, when it needs it.
Guys, this is what we cover in my 1-on-1 nutrition program. We figure out ways to build consistency in your eating, sleeping and exercise habits, along with finding healthy swaps for your diet and adding in useful supplements. I’ve got a spot open for you, the best way to get started is to set up a quick 15 minute discovery call.
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