I have a secret I've been keeping from you! I know, I know - why would I keep anything from you? I wouldn't! That's why I'm sharing it here! I only just started this blog so now that we are into the swing of things, I thought now would be the perfect time to introduce you all to the Savage Six!
The Savage Six are the 6 most important, key ways to ensure you are living a healthy lifestyle (as determined by me: a Savage). Nail these and, I can assure you, the rest will fall into place.
I have been doing this a long time. I have seen a huge spectrum of people of all ages, personality types and in all stages of life. Everyone is different and everyone has different needs. Across the board, these are the 6 things I have decided that everyone, everywhere, at every age can benefit hugely from. It's quite simple but I'll dive in and explain the hows and whys a bit of each one for you here. Copy this list and keep it somewhere you can see it. Shoot to do these every day and you'll be golden (in a healthy way).
Whether your goal is weight loss, getting healthy or just feeling better, here are the key changes you NEED to succeed:
1. Drink 60+Oz of water:
It's not as hard as it sounds! Create a routine, water before each meal, after a conference call, anytime your kid says "pee pee poo poo buttsies" (is that just my kid??). Creating the routine will help develop the habit. And you will have to pee more, so just be ok with that. Your body will get used to it in a week or two and be better at absorbing it into your cells rather than directing it straight to your bladder. It may interrupt your day, but peeing is actually super important, too! It keeps your body and organs functioning, creates a healthy blood flow and rids your body of toxins (without the need for herbs and teas). BONUS: you'll get in more steps going to and from the bathroom and some squats as you sit and stand up! I have a client who does a set of squats, lunges and counter push ups every time she goes to pee - we call them her potty squatties and man does she have a nice booty because of it!
2. Sleep 7-9 hours:
Sleep has been proven (remember that Nobel Prize last year?) to have a huge impact on our health. Poor sleep = poor health. Direct correlation. Heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer have been linked to poor sleep. Need me to keep going? Check out this blog post here for some of my tips on how to get more and better sleep!
Running on 3-5 hours of sleep, cortisol builds up and then it's not just about not making the time to sleep, but not being able to when you do make an effort! Get that sleep and let your body heal and restore itself. Your body needs it and your weight loss efforts will be sabotaged by a poor sleep schedule. Trust me, I see it often (and I see the results when people get their sleep sorted out - spoiler: it works!).
3. Get active:
Make some choices that get you more active than you might otherwise be! Park far away, go for a walking meeting or meet-up vs. sitting over coffee, or grab a few minutes of strength work or some stretching! Often just telling yourself to just get in 5 minutes of SOMETHING will often blossom into more. But even if it doesn't, you'll at least have gotten in those 5 minutes. And that is SOOO much better than no minutes! Trouble finding time for a workout? Try these tips!
4. Don't go longer than 3 hours without food:
Your body will just get hungrier and hungrier as the time goes. That's how it works! Too much time passes and you'll not only grab whatever is easiest, but you'll also convince yourself that you're allowed to have whatever you want since you went so long without eating! Sound familiar? The result is way bigger portions, more calories, and worse quality of food than you would ever have had had you planned and spread out your meals and snacks. So that behavior isn't healthy and it definitely won't get the weight off (at least not in a way it will stay off!).
What about intermittent fasting? I'll address that in a newsletter soon, but despite the heading of this bullet point it is actually a great option for a sustainable diet plan. BUT, the focus isn't on just not eating as long as you can handle it, it's about letting your digestive system have a break, resetting your relationship to food, getting to know your body's true hunger signs, and definitely about breaking the fast with small meals and not seeing the fast as a reason to binge. Read more about the 5:2 diet here if you're interested. And if you want a coach and some accountability to make sure you've got it right, sign up here!
5. Prioritize protein and fiber in your meals and snacks:
I got so excited about fiber I wrote a whole blog about this one! Check it out!
6. Speak kindly to yourself:
Celebrate your success and move past any hiccups. Forgive yourself and don't let guilt stand in your way. Acknowledge all your feelings (the good and the bad!) and remind yourself of all the good you do for yourself and the people you love. Meditate if you're having trouble letting go of pain or anger. Or meditate just to check in with yourself and your feelings. Use it to calm you down when you're stressed or to refocus on goals and objectives that are important to you. Write in a journal to learn to listen to yourself or to give yourself a time and place to focus on what you are thankful for. Or just stop and give yourself some affirmations. Look in the mirror and say them aloud or sit in silence and repeat them to yourself in your head. You're awesome and you are in control of your health and happiness. You've got this!
Click below to download your own FREE Savage 6 Accountability Board! Print it out and laminate it and get it up on your fridge to keep you engaged, inspired and celebrating all your healthy efforts so you can stay consistent and feel SAVAGE!