1. Eat a good quality Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For a great cognitive boost as well as sustained energy levels we suggest a high protein, moderate carbohydrate breakfast, such as Protein oats and some berries, eggs or even steak, salmon and avocado and other vegies. This not only helps with your focus and mental alertness but sets you up for greater fat burning through the day.
2. Drink, Drink, Drink
Most people who think they drink enough water don't drink nearly enough. Being dehydrated severely affects your body's ability to burn fat. Dehydration also impacts your hormonal balance as well as our productivity and performance in and out of the gym. Everyone should be aiming to drink 3 litres of water per day. Start drinking first thing in the morning and spread evenly throughout the day.
3. Know your portions
I spoke with a client this week who after showing me a photo of her dinner suggested that she had eaten 100g of Haloumi. By my eye she had at least 300g instead. Buy yourself a set of food scales and start weighing food until you can adequately eyeball portion sizes.
4. Do Not Skip Meals
People often skip meals when they are busy, however, this can be very detrimental to your productivity, and your weight.
Skipping meals can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels resulting in a drop in energy levels and often making poor food choices to pick you back up. We recommend having a meal containing a good serving of protein every 3-4 hours.
5. Buy and cook in bulk
These days everyone is time poor and therefore susceptible to making the easy (and often poor) choice when it comes to meals. The answer to this is to buy some foods in bulk (think meats and vegies that you can freeze) and cook in bulk to last you a few days. The best way of doing this is to pick 2 days per week and cook for the following few days. This will ensure you always have a good option for a meal ready to go and will keep you away from rubbish takeaway options.
6. Be prepared for what your day could hold.
Unexpected circumstances can arise through your day where you can't sit down and eat your meal that you planned or you can't get out to get a decent lunch etc. The trick is to always be prepared. Keep handy at your office, home or car a few portioned-out amounts of nuts, and a protein bar or stash of protein powder to add to your water. Here is a good ready-to-go meal that you can use if you get caught out through the day instead of resorting to rubbish snack foods or takeaways.
7. Eat well when you eat out.
Everyone likes to eat out once in a while; others eat out more often due to a busy lifestyle. Either way, eating out isn't an excuse to sabotage your progress and indulge in excess calories.
Stick to one main meal containing a meat and a serving of vegies or salad. Avoid the unneeded calories of butter on your steak and ask for dressings or sauces on the side and use sparingly.
8. Get some z's
Prioritise your sleep. It's important for so many reasons. Your body builds muscle and burns fat whilst you sleep and balances out your hormones which control hunger and energy levels. Establish a regular routine around your sleeping patterns and try to avoid the use of mobile phones for at least an hour before bed.
9. Exercise!
To get in the best shape possible, you need to exercise. As a guide you should try to get in at least 2-3 resistance sessions and an amount of cardio depending on your goals per week. However, something is always better than nothing. If you are time poor then make sure you use your time wisely and train hard and smart with the time you have. If you can't get to the studio then perform bodyweight exercises in a circuit or get out and do a hit session involving short bursts of high intensity cardio (think sprints) followed by short rest periods.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
