HEALTH & FITNESS

Here are 5 ways you can set up your day-to-day living as a mini experiment to achieve the best health.

Step 1 - Know what the end product is. Have an exact number in mind and be specific with describing it. For example you might say 'I want to lose 10kgs by June 1 but lose no muscle mass'. This is very specific, it has a time component and puts restrictions of the type of weight loss allowed.

Step 2 - Look at what you are currently doing and see if you are the fittest, leanest, healthiest person you know. If you aren't 100% happy with the way you look, feel and perform than you need to identify what it is you are currently doing related to your nutritional plan, your exercise and your rest. And you'll need to change at least one of these three.

Step 3 - Identify the weak link with respect to your nutrition, your training and your rest. If it is your rest aim to get 8-9 hours of sleep a night, be in bed by 10 pm. Go to bed and rise at the same time every day. Likewise if your weak link is your training or nutritional approach then you need to put together a new plan related to these.

Step 4 - Implement the change for 2 weeks and record the results. In terms of results (waist, hips, chest, arms, legs), your photos, your scale weight, your strength, your quality of rest etc. Draw up a list with as many different parameters as possible and track these. After two weeks make note of your observations.

Step 5 - Be very thorough with your observations. Log, record, write down everything. You don't know right now what information is useful so record everything. As well, only make one change at a time so it becomes easier to see which change you made gave the best response. For example, if you lose 3 kgs you want to be able to see if that was during the 2 weeks you reduced your carb intake later in the day or when you upped your intake of protein. Don't guess. Let the results guide you.

This approach is meant to be a quick, no-frills approach to allow you to see how your body responds to the various changes you put upon it. In the research a paper may get dismissed if the experiment didn't run for at least 8 weeks to allow for a physiological adaptation. Don't worry about this. You will learn a lot about your health and how to improve it by following these 5 steps.

Chris Collins

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