It’s great that you want to get fit and start leading a healthy lifestyle! Since there’s an overwhelming amount of information out there, it might seem impossible to figure out where to start. Let’s ignore the noise and fads and break down a few foundational concepts to remember about being healthier.

Consume fewer calories to control your weight. What’s easier: burning 500 calories (1 hour of vigorous exercise) or eating 500 fewer calories (one regular burger)? Swap out your cream cheese bagel and latte for 2 scrambled eggs and an Americano. That’s a 500-cal difference right there. Or skip one single piña colada. Taking in fewer calories is the quickest way to make a big impact on your weight and health.

Exercise. For right now, forget cardio vs. weights vs. whatever. Pick things you like and will DO. Take a walk. Do some pushups. Or jumping jacks. Or yoga. Start to build a routine that you’ll stick with - you can fine tune it later. Don’t over-complicate things. Like the gym environment? Go regularly. More of a homebody? March in place while watching TV every day. THINK less, DO more and be consistent with it.

Eat more nutrient-dense food. That means getting more nutrients in the same (or fewer) calories. First, look for whole foods that aren’t processed.

Think:

apple > apple sauce > apple juice

raw peanuts > salted/roasted peanuts > Skippy peanut butter

Egg omelet > fried eggs > egg breakfast sandwich

Second, look for foods that have more of what you want (protein, fiber, healthy fat) and less sugar and saturated fat. Think baked fish instead of pasta, or quinoa over twice baked potatoes. Reading nutrition labels will really help, too. The supermarket keeps sugar-filled, “yogurt-flavored” smoothies right next to the fat-free, no-added-sugar yogurt flavored with natural vanilla.

Sit less. We are not built to sit so much. Stand up! Move! Excessive sitting causes weak backs and back pain, poor posture and neck pain… it’s even bad for your heart. Get a standing desk or put a box on your desk and your laptop on the box. Do conference calls standing. Walk to a colleague instead of sending an email. When home, move during TV commercial breaks. Set alarms to remind you to get up every 15-20 minutes. You won’t get a nice butt by sitting on it.

Focus on eating more protein. Studies have shown a strong relationship between consuming more lean protein and lower body fat. Try to get at least one source of low-saturated fat protein at every meal. Think chicken, chickpeas, eggs or edamame (not sausage or cheeseburger). You can also pick sides that have it, too, like peas, spinach or quinoa. Replacing unhealthy sides with ones like these also helps increase nutrient density.

Drink more water. Super easy and you’ll feel the benefits right away. It just takes practice. Our bodies need water and most of us don’t get enough. Carry a stainless steel water bottle with you all day and set an hourly alarm to take a drink. Drink 8-16oz before and after your workout. Keep a bottle by your bedside and drink first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day, especially since we’re dehydrated when we wake up.

Sleep more. You don’t sleep enough. (Neither do I.) Our culture has glorified sacrificing sleep to get ahead - and it’s killing us. It increases stress hormones and body inflammation. It decreases recovery and focus. It can increase blood pressure and put us at a higher risk of heart disease. If you *need* coffee to function, have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning or accidentally fall asleep during the day, you should prioritize sleep more.

Most of all, have a plan. Don’t make lofty goals without thinking through how you’ll get there. Instead, focus on moderate goals that are well thought out. Check out my blog on better resolutions.

Here’s to a fitter you in 2022!