Maintaining body composition success with three simple habits
In today's article, I want to take a step back from reviewing the scientific literature and instead provide you with more simplistic strategies, ones you can easily implement into your daily routine and ensure long-term success!
I'm going to go through three habits of mine, habits that ensure I, at the very least, stay in pretty good shape throughout the year.
Prefer to watch than read? Then please check out the video below:
Eat protein with each meal
Habit one is to eat a decent source of protein with each meal:
Skinless chicken
Turkey breast
Whitefish
Lean beef
Pork loin
Eggs
Protein bars
Protein powder
Almonds
Greek yoghurt
Tuna
Anything that's high in protein and low in calories
Protein is imperative for muscle building and is super satiating – meaning you'll be much fuller with a protein-rich diet.
I would say eat veg with each meal as well, but I'd be lying if I said I did that religiously!
Go for a walk daily
Habit two is to go for a walk; I go for a 20-45 minute walk each day, and it's one of the best things I do! I went through the benefits of walking a few weeks ago, so there is no need to go through it in detail here. But, as a quick reminder, walking burns extra calories, improves your cardiovascular health, boosts immune function, improves your mood and can possibly even extend your life – it's pretty awesome!
Lift weights
Finally, habit three is lifting weights, pumping iron – I pretty much lift every day, and I love it! You don't need to lift daily, that’s not what I’m recommending, but you do want to train regularly enough to really solidify it as a habit. Three resistance sessions per week will suffice for most people! Resistance training is needed to build a great physique, increase strength, improve biomechanics (movement patterns), and when done correctly, can even develop your posture!
Summary
These three habits allow me to keep on top of my physique all year round! The resistance training allows me to continue making both strength and muscle gains. Though, building an athletic physique would be incredibly difficult without building blocks, which I obtain from the amino acids of my protein-rich diet. The protein also ensures I'm satiated and, therefore, rarely overindulge and subsequently gain body fat. The walking burns extra calories and keeps my CV system in a pretty decent position, which means when I go on one of my somewhat infrequent runs, they don't kill me!
Long-term success relies on habits – we are a walking talking manifestation of our daily habits. Think about what three habits you wish to have, or currently have, which are conducive to your goals, and ensure you nail them religiously. It then won't matter if you periodically do a ‘Bruce Bogtrotter’ and heroically devour an entire chocolate cake, as you'll have solid foundations which allow you to keep moving forward and ensure long-term success!