Fit for Life: It’s Not About the Food

Saturday, March 04, 2023

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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I was doing a nutrition consult for a member on Wednesday, and after she left, I realized that within a 60-minute nutrition consultation, we only talked about food for 15 minutes or so.

 

The reason for this is that most people already know what they should or should NOT be eating.

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For the most part, you know vegetables are good for you, and you know fried food & sugary snacks are bad for you. Right? I hope so.

That’s pretty obvious, since our parents jammed that down our thoughts (literally) when we were kids.

 

There are some things that most folks don’t know, such as whole wheat bread, isn’t much better than white bread, due to the fact that it’s loaded with empty calories.

 

Or that fat free dairy products are worse than the real deal, due to all the sugar it contains, and how it spikes insulin levels more than the full fat versions, but that isn’t what will get people results. It only helps them make better choices.

 

So what do you talk about? Well I thought you would never ask.

 

The first section of our consult educates people about the most crucial element of success, and that is creating the habits that will lead you to long term success, not just a quick fix to drop a few pounds.

 

We want to help our members create sustainable habits, so they stay fit for a lifetime, not just for 8 or 12 weeks while doing a challenge. Yes our challenges ignite a spark for fast results, but creating the habits is what will last a lifetime.

 

We like to call it the step ladder approach, where you take small steps, build a solid foundation of habits, then create new and improved habits along the way in order to get sustainable results.

 

Getting enough WAP is the first step.

 

Water and protein are the primary things you need to focus on.

 

A huge majority of people walk around dehydrated and lack enough quality protein in their diets to support their activity level. If you don’t drink 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water daily, you probably don’t drink enough water.

 

When new people come into our facility and join our 12-week Ultimate Transformation Program, the first four weeks is just focusing on water and protein.

 

That’s it, we don’t talk about logging anything else, calculating macros, or even telling them what types of food to eat, just get in the water and focus on protein.

 

Why? To build muscle and burn fat.

 

When you build muscle, you rev up your metabolism. When your metabolism is fired up, you burn calories faster.

 

But let’s take a step back. In order to build muscle, you need 2 components: Resistance training, and protein to build the muscles you break down during exercise. (Fun fact, you don’t build muscle in the gym, you build it when you eat & rest properly)

 

This is why we changed our language from being a “weight” loss program to a “fat” loss program. We care more about body composition & building muscle, than what the scale says.

 

Without it, it’s like trying to build a house with no wood or nails. It can’t be done.

 

So here are a few ways to create the water and protein habit.

 

First the water: To get the ball rolling, I recommend drinking 16 - 32 ounces as soon as you wake up. Get it in before you get distracted or start doing something else.

 

I wake up, walk downstairs and fill a 16oz glass, then drink it immediately. Then fill it up again, add my powdered greens and a wellness shot, then drink that down. All before I even realize that I am awake!!

 

That means I have 32 oz (1/3 my water intake) already flowing through my system before my day even starts.

 

This is a simple practice/habit to form and it will set you up for success for the rest of the day, however, you need to create a plan to continue throughout the day. (What gets measured, gets managed)

 

I have a 25oz canteen that I carry and fill at least 3 more times before days end, so get yourself a decent water bottle that you can measure your intake with.

 

Next is the protein. I recommend eating 2-3 small meals and supplementing with 2 protein shakes, otherwise, you need to consume a lot of food to get in the required amount. (.75 g per pound of body weight for the active person).

 

Build your meals around your source, whether it be chicken, beef or fish. If you are vegan, you need to do some homework creating complete proteins with plant-based foods. It can be done, however, it takes a bit more work to get the required amount.

 

This will help you in 2 ways. First, you need protein to build muscle, second, when you focus on getting your protein in, you will be more satisfied, and less likely to overeat the empty non-nutritional calories. A win/win situation.

 

The last 2 habits we discuss is getting enough sleep & getting to the gym 3-5x per week for a 30-minute session.

 

These 2 can be manipulated by simply making the time.

 

With the workouts, you NEED to commit and prioritize by scheduling them in your calendar and ruthlessly protecting your time. Treat your workouts like a doctor’s appointment, as you wouldn’t miss it for some lame excuse.

 

Don’t consider it as just a workout, treat it as a step needed to AVOID the negative consequences you will encounter later on in life if you don’t take care of yourself.

 

This may seem inconvenient to some, but being proactive now will save you even BIGGER inconvenience later on in life when you are sick, tired and overweight. Remember, discipline now saves you from regret later.

 

Lastly, we need our sleep. This is a non-negotiable to me, because sleep is where the magic happens. Just google “the benefits of sleep” and you will get my drift.

 

The formula is simple. Figure out what time you need to wake up, then reverse engineer 7-8 hours, and BINGO, you have your bedtime.

 

Nothing is more important than this component, because if you don’t get enough, it creates a domino effect with the next day, and you will trudge through your day like you are walking in ankle-deep mud.

 

In conclusion, start small. Create one habit a time, then when you get that mastered, add on another. If you create these 4 simple habits into your day, I can guarantee better health and fitness will “magically” happen to you!!

 

Committed to your success,

Matt

 

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