Five Tricks to Stay Lean in the New Year
Trying to stay lean is challenging, and it can even be an unrealistic goal for some people. However, it’s not impossible to achieve. You can’t simply work as hard as you can and then give up once you reach your goal. Your body will naturally be inclined to go back to its natural equilibrium.
For those of you who are determined to stay lean, I’ve compiled 5 essential tricks on how to remain lean in the new year.
Trick #1 – Sleep is Everything
Sleep is the most important trick because it is the most effective regeneration system we have in our bodies. However, it is the most underrated. We need to change that misrepresentation. Not prioritizing sleep is the biggest mistake you can make. To change this, set an alarm to go to bed 8 hours before you have to wake up to make sure that you get enough sleep. You will be happier, healthier and more effective in all aspects of your life by getting 8 hours of sleep a night.
Trick #2 – Apply the 5 by 5 Rule
Jim Rohn has a great quote, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” However, it does not stop there because from a health and wellness perspective, you are the average of your five most common habits. Meaning you are the five most eaten foods and the five most common thoughts that you have.
Look honestly at what your five by five are. Determine how you can raise the average of different aspects of your life, so you can be a better version of yourself. For example, improve the quality of the vegetables you eat. Simple. Don’t over-complicate things. They can be simple changes.
Trick #3 – Switch Up Your Stay Lean Training Routine
Do not do the same physical movements with the same weights because your body will quickly adapt to that particular activity. As the body adapts, you need to switch up your training in order to continue to see progress. Learn how to manipulate your training routine, so your body doesn’t get used to a specific routine. This reduces the likelihood of overtraining your body and provides a fresh perspective of a specific work out.
One of my favorite methods for this is to play around with my training goals, so my body constantly has to adapt to something new. For example, one week I may focus on strength training and the following week might be performance-based exercises or vice versa.
Trick #4 – Eat with Others
Eat with other people and not screens – this includes tablets, laptops, mobile phones or the television. Some of you right now are eating mindlessly. Whenever possible, eat with family and friends because it improves digestion and helps builds long lasting relationships.
Trick #5 – Make Smart Choices for Long Lasting Habits
Every item mentioned above relates to a choice you consciously have to make on a everyday basis. The types of foods you place on your plate, the exercises you do, and the kind of lifestyle you choose to follow are all based on choices you make. Continue to make smart healthy choices repeatedly, and you’ll eventually no longer have to the desire to go back to old habits. By that point, you will have built automatic, powerful and positive habits and that’s when you’ll stay lean year-round.
Implement these five tricks in the New Year to help you stay on track for a healthy and lean body. If you need any additional help, please feel free to reach out. Together, we can figure out other ways to help you stay lean.