W.I.N. Wednesday: Start, assess, iterate, access, iterate, repeat.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by all the information on exercise, nutrition, and other elements of health and get stuck doing nothing. None of the “experts” can seem to agree on specifics other than to say that exercise (including resistance training) is critical to both brain health and physical health as well as health span. They also agree that “healthy nutritional habits” are important. They just do not agree on what that consists of.
It is easy to get stuck trying to figure out how to work in all the recommendations for Zone 2 cardio, resistance training, interval training, mobility training, flexibility training, walking, speed, power, and strength work, and the list seems to go on. Then we need to find time to do breath work, meditation, and other mindfulness practices. Once we work through all that we then need to decide are we exercising in a fasted state or a fed state, for how long, how many times a week and are we going to exercise in the morning, mid-day, late afternoon, or evening.
In addition to the activity piece, we need to decide what nutritional strategies to follow. Do we do omnivore, carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, low carb, slow carb, no carb, high carb, low fat, high fat, what types of fat, low protein, moderate protein, high protein, or any of the other styles of eating currently being marketed as “The Way”. Once we figure that out we need to decide how many times a day are we going to eat and are we going to eat in a specific eating window (8, 10, or 12 hours) or just eat whenever we feel like it.
Then there is the whole discussion around alcohol. Is it good for you or bad for you or is the volume (how many drinks per day / week) and the regularity (how often are you consuming alcohol) the biggest issue.
My advice is to figure out what works for you and start there. That may take some experimentation over time. Examine where you are at currently in your life and will work best for you. At 66 my considerations are very different than when we had young children and my wife and I were both working fulltime and for stretches both working shiftwork.
Personally, one of my main considerations is, “What can I do for activity, nutrition and sleep rituals that works both at home and when I am on the road?”. Last year I was on the road for 33 weeks and this year it will be about 22 weeks. I get up very early in the morning and workout in the morning in a fasted state. In order to give myself the opportunity for 8 hours of sleep I go to bed very early. Because I am on the road so often and some hotels have sparce fitness facilities and for some reason many do not open until after 6:00 a.m., I travel with resistance bands and an X3 bar so I can work out in my room. At home I do resistance training with resistance bands, my X3 system 3 to 4 times a week and add in some kettlebell work with the 3 kettlebells I have. We have a good gym in our condo building and when I am home, I will go down first thing in the morning 2 or 3 days a week and do my Zone 2 cardio (incline walking on the treadmill). I also have a Concept 2 SkiERG machine I use for Zone 2 cardio and interval training and an infrared sauna in the den in our condo. I also strive for at least 30 minutes of walking outside on the days I am home.
As far as nutrition goes, I consume two protein shakes and two meals a day and I strive to get 50 grams of protein in each of those feedings. I do that within a 9-to-10-hour window leaving 3 to 4 hours between my last meal and when I go to bed. When I travel, I pack meal replacement bars, protein powder and grass-fed beef sticks so I can have a measure of control with my eating. Depending on how long I will be at a specific location I will usually go to the grocery store and get food I can store in my hotel room to offer better control over what and when I eat. I follow three rules I learned from Ben Bikman PhD, a professor at BYU and author of the great book Why We Get Sick.
1. Prioritize Protein
2. Control Carbs
3. Fill With Fat
That is me. That is what I have discovered over time through a lot of trial and error what works best for me, at this stage of my life. What works for me likely will not work for you, so figure out what works with your life, your schedule, your likes and dislikes, and your current level of health. What works now will likely change over time. Ask yourself two key questions:
1. What’s Important Now?
2. What is the smallest change that will make the biggest difference?
The first question will help you decide whether to start with focusing on dialing in your sleep, activity levels or nutrition. The second question is designed to get you focused on the changes that will provide you with the biggest return on investment. This is a long-term project. You are not looking for quick fixes, hacks, or shortcuts. You are playing the long game.
The key is to start. Start with one thing that will move the needle on your health and then keep moving forward. It is too easy to tell yourself that you just need to listen to one more podcast, read one more blog post, research study or book. No. You need to just start. You can continue to read and listen as you go, but you need to start.
What’s Important Now? Start, assess, iterate, access, iterate, repeat.
Take care.
Brian Willis
www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com.
ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.
