Perfect Day of Health
When it comes to weight loss and health improvement what we do in the gym is only a small part of the bigger picture. Strength training and cardiovascular exercise are both necessary for health and body composition, however, if you are working out 1 hour per day there are still 161 more hours in the week where you can completely negate all the hard work you have put in.
Losing weight isn’t just about working out, it’s about stringing together day after day of healthy living. In today’s article I wanted to share with you what an ideal day would look like both from a nutrition and activity standpoint that you can replicate on your own. If you can come close to matching the habits I list below you are well on your way towards becoming a leaner, healthier person.
For the sake of this example I will pretend you work a 9-5 job from home with a goal to lose fat and put on a bit of muscle. I know everybody’s schedule is different, but do your best to tailor this example to your own life.
6:30am- Wake up without an alarm. Alarms cut our sleep cycles short and ideally you will get to bed early enough so you can wake up easily before work. Jump right out of bed without staring at your phone, time spent lying in bed is time wasted if you are on a tight schedule. It also sends a subconscious signal that you are not excited for the day.
6:40am- Drink a large glass of water to get ahead of your hydration for the day. Avoid drinking coffee until at least 90-minutes after you wake up to avoid physical dependance.
Bonus: Jump into a cold shower. I have been taking cold showers every morning for the last month and the energy I feel in the morning is unbelievable.
7am- Move. Go on a 15-minute walk around the neighborhood or get in a structured cardio workout of 30-60 minutes. Moving in the morning before you eat and getting sunlight in your eyes are both extremely important for setting your circadian rhythm. If you engage in structured cardio activity, shoot for 150-minutes per week. If you choose not to then target 10,000 steps today.
8am- Eat breakfast. Try to consume 30-50 grams of protein depending on your size and caloric intake. Include some fruit and avoid sugary breakfast cereals. However, on certain days if we have spoken about this, skip breakfast altogether.
8:30- Move (again). If you didn’t get out already, go for a walk or move your body in another way. This will help digestion and aid in blood glucose reduction. If you did a harder cardio workout you can skip this one.
9am- Start work. Drink some coffee if you choose to.
9:50- If you have been sitting since 9am try to get up and move around. A good rule of thumb is to interrupt every hour of sitting with 5-10 minutes of either standing, walking, or another form of light exercise if you are so inclined.
10am to 12pm- Continue alternating sitting and standing. The less time you spend sitting the better. Avoid snacking and feel your hunger build before lunch. Stay hydrated throughout the morning.
12pm- Eat lunch. As with any other meal, prioritize protein. Try to get at least one fruit and vegetable in at this point as well. Drink a big glass of water after the meal to promote satiety and help digestion and hydration.
12:30pm- Go for a walk. If you are on a weight loss journey, walking after every meal for 15 minutes at a moderate pace is one of the most powerful things you can do. The movement and sunlight in your eyes will also increase your energy and productivity for the rest of the day.
1pm- Continue work. Again, avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time. If you have done everything up to this point you should feel more energized than normal. Avoid drinking coffee after noon as this will negatively impact your sleep. Stay hydrated and avoid snacking after lunch.
5pm- Finish work and try to get outside and move before sunset. Getting more light in your eyes is beneficial for mood, energy, and circadian rhythm.
5:30pm- Strength training. Engaging in 45-60-minutes of strength training 3 days per week is sufficient for building and maintaining muscle mass. This increased muscle mass has countless benefits including increased metabolism and hormone function.
7pm- Eat dinner (or skip it if we have spoken about fasting). Try to finish eating at least 2 hours before you go to sleep and eat until you are about 80% full. Ideally dinner should be protein-focused and relatively light compared to breakfast and lunch. Avoid snacking after dinner as this is usually impulse-based and not necessary. If you are truly hungry after dinner try to consume a little more at the meal itself.
8pm- Avoid bright lights at this time before bed because it will negatively affect your sleep.
9pm- Go to sleep slightly hungry. Read a book or do something else to promote relaxation. Make sure your room is as dark as possible and get a good night’s sleep.
As you can see a “perfect” day isn’t rocket science and it can be designed a thousand different ways. The key is making this day as easy and habitual as possible so you can repeat it over and over again. I’ve said it a thousand times, if the changes you make are not sustainable they aren’t worth making. If you want help designing a day like this to fit into your lifestyle feel free to reach out as I would be glad to help!