MM#4: Can You Hit A Curveball?

Happy Monday, Friend.

Welcome to Episode 4 of The Monday Mashup.

Today’s health & fitness article focuses on some strategies for sticking to your fitness plan when things aren’t easy and straightforward.

Life doesn’t always provide you with 3+ hours for the gym and ample time to grocery shop and meal prep.

Your ability to stay fit for the long run requires you to be flexible.

The biggest mistake I made when I started with fitness is that I overate healthy foods. 

You can have the healthiest diet imaginable, but you’ll still gain weight if you overeat.

The game-changer for me was learning about nutrition and how to track my calories. Being accountable with nutrition isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be — it’s completely sustainable if you do it right.

I wrote a guide with everything you need to get started and build a meal plan you enjoy that will get you to your goals.

I’m offering it at 50% off to subscribers. Use code “ThriveProtocol” at checkout and get it for just $9.98.

Grab it here.

A Tweet

A Quote

Content

The Future of the Creator Economy by Dan Koe

I love Dan’s writing; I don’t think there’s anyone better at articulating the exciting potential of the creator economy.

This one particularly resonated with me.

Fitness accounts on Twitter largely say the same things over and over again.

I’m not being a hater — I’m a part of it.

• Go to the gym 2 - 4 times per week.

• Sleep 7 - 8 hours per night

• Drink lots of water

• Eat protein

It seems obvious.

But when you look at the stats on the health of the general public in the West, it’s clear that most people do not have the basics on lockdown.

Whether in fitness, relationships, or health, the basics are not as simple as they seem.

They’re simple in theory, but the hard part is to execute them consistently over decades.

So what is it that gets in the way of people trying to get healthier?

What prevents someone from building their ideal physique or even losing 15 pounds and keeping it off?

There are a lot of potential answers.

Over the next 3 weeks, I will focus on a few different ones.

Today, I’m talking about the challenge of hitting a curve ball.

My go-to analogy for when life makes healthy habits difficult is the curveball.

Many fall into this trap:

As long as everything is predictable, organized, and going to plan, they’re nailing their habits out of the park.

• They prep their meals.

• Go to the gym before work.

• Follow a wind-down schedule.

They can hit home runs for days with these straight pitches.

But then comes a curveball…

A curve ball could be a number of things.

It can be as small as dinners out with friends.

An intense project at work.

A vacation.

An injury.

And if you don’t learn to hit a curve ball, you won’t stay fit forever.

Someone will be on point with prepping healthy high-protein meals, but when they find themselves at a restaurant with friends, it’s a cheeseburger, wings, and 3 beers.

Or they completely fly off the handle when they go on vacation.

Or when they get an injury that stops them from doing their usual workout, they go into fuck it mode and take to the couch and become customer of the month for Doordash.

The most important part of being fit for life isn’t how well you can execute your plan when everything is calm, organized, and predictable.

It’s how you can stay the course when your schedule changes or when shit gets crazy.

It comes down to how well you can hit a curveball.

I’ve eluded to a few common curveballs.

Here are the main ones to watch out for:

Eating out

This is SO COMMON.

Someone is on point with their nutrition as long as they’re cooking their meals but falls apart when they enter a restaurant.

And since eating in restaurants is an unavoidable part of life for most of us, this can be a major issue.

I’m all for treating yourself once in a while and getting the burger or the pizza, but most of the time, the way you order should align with how you’re eating in general.

• Choose options that have the most protein

• Order sauces and dressings on the side (so you can control portions)

• Stay away from anything deep fried

• Order a burger or sandwich as a lettuce wrap (restaurants are good at this these days)

As long as you are polite, you can make a nuanced order that ensures you get what you need to support your goals.

Don’t let restaurants throw you off - stick to your plan.

Traveling

I immediately want candy and/or donuts when I set foot in an airport. It’s just how it is.

Traveling presents a host of problems with sticking to good nutrition:

• You’re often tired (tired makes you extra snacky)

• You’re stressed or low on time

• You’re surrounded by snacks and junk food

If you’re someone who travels regularly, it’s especially important that you manage these challenges and don’t let them throw you off:

• Come prepared with good protein snacks (protein bars, beef jerky, pepperoni, cheese sticks)

• Choose healthier pre-made options (go for the chicken caesar salad or the wrap over the pizza)

• Drink plenty of water, and opt for water over mindless snacking

Avoid the empty-carb “breakfasts” you’ll find at most hotels.

You’re better off holding off and going on coffee and water than starting your day with a donut if that’s all that's available.

Aim to get to a grocery store where you can pick up something that has decent protein and reasonable calories.

Getting Super Busy

The most common people have for getting out of shape is that they become too busy.

I get it.

This is real; it’s not usually a lazy excuse.

You won’t have the same amount of time for the gym as a father with a demanding job as you did when you were twenty and the only things on your to-do list were lifting weights and chasing girls.

Five 2-hour workouts per week aren’t going to happen.

But the mistake people make is they switch to nothing.

When life gets crazy, whatever you do, DON’T stop completely.

Adjust.

• You can get a good workout in 20 minutes with a single kettlebell.

• You can do 10-minute micro-workouts of pushups and bodyweight squats.

• Your gym sessions can last 25 minutes by using supersets; they don’t have to be 90 minutes.

Don’t let life beat you down into doing nothing.

The shortest fitness routine beats no fitness routine.

Injuries

Getting injured is a part of life.

Whether it’s something minor that prevents you from training hard for a week or something more serious — it’s gonna happen.

One of the most important things you can do is not let an injury unravel you when it does come up.

Always focus on doing what you can do over focusing on what the injury is preventing you from doing.

Too many people have stories about being in great shape, getting injured, gaining 30 pounds, and never quite getting it back.

The golden rules of dealing with an injury are:

1. Always do AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

This doesn’t mean pushing yourself and being dumb, but it’s a commitment to doing some movement no matter what.

1. Not letting it be an excuse to let your diet go to shit.

You’re injured, so you’re sad and turn to food.

It’s understandable but not helpful.

Stay focused on what you can do, and if your ability to train is severely limited, find better habits to take its place

• Read more books

• Start a new project

• Learn a new language or skill

Life will not always send you simple pitches to nail out of the park. People who stay fit forever are adaptable.

• They can get a quick workout in anywhere

• They can order food to support their goals in restaurants

• They don’t let traveling or injuries completely unravel their plans

How have you been at hitting the “curveballs” for your fitness?

What have been the most difficult challenges?

Let me know in the comments or by replying to this email.

When you’re ready, here’s how you can work with me.

I want to help you ditch confusing diets and workout programs and help you achieve your fitness goals in a way that works for you.

If you’re tired of spinning your tires, failing to get results, and wondering what you’re doing wrong, apply for 1-1 coaching now.

I guarantee your results.

You’ll hit your goals, or I’ll work with you for free until you do.

Or, if you just want a custom training program and nutrition plan, you can book a Fitness Roadmap Call, where we’ll jump on a call and come up with a clear strategy to achieve your goals.

Book Now.