This month we've been devouring You Can't Screw This Up, the latest health book by Adam Bornstein, a former editor of Men's Health, fitness advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ladder, and a bunch of other things. He's one of the more sane and progressive writer's in the space, and so here are 3 quick things from the book that we found insightful, and you might too!
Keep One Foot in Your Comfort Zone
When making significant changes to your food or exercise routine, you cannot sustain lasting change by jumping entirely out of your comfort zone.
You cannot get rid of all the regular food that you enjoy to go on an extremely different food plan. If you love burgers, keep them in your new meal plan. One day you have the works, and other days you have them without the bun or ditch the fries and replace them with vegetables that you like.
It's the same with fitness. You likely cannot train for a lengthy period at a place with a bunch of people who are not like you, personality-wise. (Just go to BOMB wink, wink).
And it's the same with relationships. If you are a social butterfly, it's going to be really hard to just suddenly show up and tell everyone you're on club soda for the night. It's tough to have an opposite, individual habit when you're part of a tribe that doesn't adopt the same habit. Maybe you just have one drink or choose some low-to-no-alcohol beers.
Discomfort does not require you to chase extremes. The goal is to leave one foot in your comfort zone and use the other foot to expand it.
Choose 80% Good, 80% of the Time
Embrace an "80% good, 80% of the time" mentality to reduce stress, enjoy treats, and stay on track.
It's the same for working out. The goal is not to have 100% perfect workouts; the goal is not to have zero workouts.
It's a dial, not a switch.
A Great Reminder About Muscles & Protein
The best metabolism booster is muscle. The more muscle you have and the less fat you carry, the higher your metabolic rate. Muscle is high maintenance. It requires more energy, even at rest. When you use that muscle during exercise, it helps burn more calories too. Fat is low maintenance. It just sits there, so it's easy to accumulate more of it.
When we mention muscle, we're not talking about being bulky; we're talking about the amount of muscle on your body, at any size, compared to the amount of fat. Muscle simply makes you more efficient and helps you process food more effectively.
Obviously, the best way to gain muscle is to exercise (Dynamite Strength anyone?) but consuming more protein will help maintain muscle. Eating more protein also satiates you, so the lure of snacking won't loom as much.
Have a great week!
Kevin & Victoria
