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A few of years ago I published my F.A.T. E.L.I.M.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. Standards.

The standards I live by. The NON-negotiable rules that make getting and keeping your best fit, healthy, body simple and sustainable.

Although those standards are all still super relevant and hugely effective – as I look back on them – they do weigh heavily on the food and exercise side of body gain. Food and exercise are the simple part of the equation.

The thing that I’ve noticed I struggle with in the areas of my life in which I’m not yet excelling is: Mindset.

Mindset isn’t often a simple flick a switch upgrade in the way that food and exercise can be. It’s more a gradual refining… a series of steps… a new improved way of thinking that initially means fighting your old way of thinking every single day.

I hope that doesn’t sound disheartening! 

It’s just the honest truth and my intention is that it actually provides you incentive and motivation to stick with the habits that are not yet easy. It’s my belief that: Each day you (I!) persist in muscling on through consciously looking to improve our thought process is one day closer to the point when that new, more effective thought process and the results it will deliver happens at an unconscious level… naturally, easily, sustainably. 

With the goal of natural, easy, sustainable Body Gain in mind let’s rock on into the first 8:

Guidelines For A Fit Healthy Happy Year!

One: Back Yourself.

I’m certain that in the areas of your life at which you most excel, you back yourself to excel. Whether we’re talking career, as a parent or partner or friend…. well, it’s just as important in the Body Gain game.

The really awesome benefit to backing yourself – to having certainty in YOU – is you no longer need to seek out and cling to the need for certainty in circumstances.

You may not know what’s in store for you today, tomorrow, next month or next year however you can know you’ll step up and do what ever it takes. 

How to work this into your routine: Journal a daily reference point for success. Something you rocked at today. It does not matter how small. Something as potentially insignificant sounding as getting up the second your alarm sounds instead of hitting snooze is a small win you can build on. It’s proof that you can count on YOU.

Two: Plan Your Day To Come The Night Before.

I find I’m fairly-overly-optimistic so far as the energy, focus and discipline I believe I’ll have tomorrow!

If you can relate, then don’t leave your effectiveness tomorrow in the hands of whatever state of discipline or lack there of you happen to wake up with.

Instead trust your effectiveness tomorrow to a system that takes into account your unique goals, abilities and weakness’s.

How to work this into your routine: List and order by priority the big rocks you need to make time for tomorrow. By big rocks I mean the things that keep you happy, healthy and successful. Recognize there’s a high chance you won’t get it all done so the ordering by priority bit is key. In addition set a time limit next to each task – it gives a sense of urgency and it’s also helpful to know you’re not stuck with something for hours – just for that set period of time you decided on last night.

Three: Prioritize Your Sleep.

Sleep has got to be one of the most under-rated success and health secrets. Everything is easier with a decent nights sleep and of course the reverse is also true. From discipline with your eating and exercising to efficiency with your work to just feeling more positive, rational and in control!

If you’re not getting the 7-8 hours sleep you need the question to ask yourself is: What are you doing in those late night hours that stop you from getting to bed at a decent time?

How to work this into your routine: Decide on the ideal time to get to bed based on 7-8 hours before your ideal time to get up. Commit to it. Set an alarm if you need to. Even better set a ‘time for device free’ alarm / reminder for a hour or 2 before bed time because the light emitted from electronic devices inhibits the release of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.

Four: Win Your Mornings.

The way you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. As such your morning is your opportunity to demonstrate  exactly what is most important to you.

Your chance to put your goals, your values, YOURSELF first.

How to work this into your routine: Decide on your winning morning routine. How does you ideal first 30-60 minutes of the day look? What time do you get up and what inputs (Yes fuel and ALSO, movement / information / company) do you give your body to help it power to the day?

I devoted the #110 show to: How To Become A Morning Person:

Five: Lock and Load Your Key Stone Habits.

You know how some healthy habits are just so impactful they naturally make you more inclined to stick to other smaller healthy habits?

These are your Keystone Habits.

They lay the foundation around which you can gradually – at your own pace – build all your other effective habits. Things like:

1). 7-8 hours SLEEP.

2). Plan and then consume NUTRITIOUS MEALS consisting of fibrous veg + quality lean protein + good fat and plenty of water.

3). Incorporate at least 20-30 minutes of PHYSICAL ACTIVITY daily.

4). PLAN your day to come the night before.

5). Consciously practice GRATITUDE daily.

There’s no right or wrong so far as your keystone habits. I shared the 5 that are most helpful to me however yours may be different. The question to ask yourself: What are the habits that have previously had the most impact on my health and happiness?

You can actually do this for the positive habits OR for negative habits and then come up with an opposite positive keystone habit. So the skipped breakfast that spirals into a rubbish morning tea => a skipped work out => a below par day at work => stodgy takeout for dinner… that skipped-breakie-spiral is your evidence that to Plan and then consume NUTRITIOUS MEALS may well be a keystone habit for you too.

How to work this into your routine: Decide on your top 5 keystone habits. Those hugely effective actions that when added to your daily / weekly routine form the foundation from which your other positive habits build. Once you’ve decided now schedule your keystone habits into your routine. 

Six: Build Your Meals Around Primarily One Ingredient Food.

I know I rant on about this one a lot. I’ll try to approach it from a slightly different angle today! Committing to the primarily one ingredient approach and further to that building your meals around:

=> First a variety of fibrous veg.

=> Next some lean protein.

=> Finally some good fat.

…when you do that, you not only get the best body gain results you also make the whole process EASIER.

Here’s how:

1). By drastically reducing refined food you’ll no longer be at the mercy of the cravings that eating poor quality, nutrient lacking food forces your body to inflict on you. By the way, those cravings don’t mean you need more sugar or fat or salt… they mean you need more micronutrients from natural unprocessed foods.

2). You’ll also no longer have to battle the “I can’t have just one” willpower battles that addictive fakes foods are again manufactured to create in you once you start with them.

3). You’ll get to eat huge, satisfying, generous meals and actually (if you want to!) feel full… because real foods tend to have a lower caloric density and more filling fibre.

4). With time (and less time than you think!) whole, natural fruit and even veg will start to taste sweeter and better because your taste buds are no longer being assaulted and dulled by the extreme taste sensations of fake crap-o-la.

5). You can pretty much (90% of the time) ditch your measuring devices because eating real food is not about calories, grams and struck portion control… it’s just about eating delicious, nourishing food.

Are you sold?

How to work this into your routine: Make 3 fake food upgrades this week. Perhaps cereal and milk swaps for a green smoothie at breakfast. Maybe a bar, muffin, or even yoghurt swaps for nuts as a snack. Possibly your sandwich or pasta upgrades to a substantial salad with a heap of veg (and not just light weight lettuce, cucumber and tomato – I mean spinach, broccoli, capsicum, mushroom and asparagus), some protein like hemp or chia seeds and also some satisfying good fat like avocado.

Seven: Schedule Motivation.

You may have heard me refer to The Motivation Myth in previous shows?

The Motivation Myth, is that you have it or you don’t. That if something’s important enough motivation will just turn up as needed. Even, that if you’re not feeling motivated – then I guess that thing (perhaps your health!) just must not be important enough?!!

Of course that’s rubbish.

Your solution is two-fold: Firstly I believe some things are important enough that you need to step up and do them regardless of whether you feel motivated or not. 

Like brushing your teeth and showering and doing your taxes… the consequences of not doing the action are dire enough to in a way become motivating.

Secondly, is the scheduling motivation approach.

How to work this into your routine: Start with one of your Keystone Habits that we covered in guideline five. Aim for a few things to schedule into your routine that will help motivate you to create and stick to that habit. So, maybe it’s: to Plan and then consume NUTRITIOUS MEALS. You know it’s important. You know doing it consistently will deliver results. You always start off motivated! Now is the time to schedule in some motivation before you need it.

Maybe it’s as simple as the screensaver of the body that inspires you. And also, subscribing to the email list or YouTube channel of the chef that inspires you to create genuinely nutrious and delicious meals.

Even deciding on the reward you get at the end of each week you stick to planning and consuming those nutritious meals. Or perhaps it’s a weekly catch up with friends where you each make over a meal that used to be unhealthy yet doesn’t need to be. I cover: Low Carb Takeaway favs in show 122.

Eight: Be Brutal With Your Focus.

I mean this in every sense of the word. So on a surface level focusing on your training when you’re training, your work when you’re working, that person you’re with when you’re with a real person!

I also mean so far as how you choose to spend your time.

Perhaps most of all I mean so far as where you let your thoughts focus.

If what you focus on expands – and it DOES, (as I covered in the very first ever episode of Healthification) then it’s super vital to direct your focus towards only that which you want more of. For example:

=> rather than fat thighs and a huge butt focus on the slim thighs and firm butt you’re sculpting.

=> instead of hard hateful and tedious cardio focus on how much fitter you’re getting and how fab it feels when you finish.

=> in place of how far you’ve got to go focus on the progress you’ve made.

How to work this into your routine: Catch yourself as your focus drifts to that which you don’t want to experience more of. Whether that’s “Ugly Fat” or “Punishingly Hard” or “Sooo Much Work” or whatever… catch yourself and reframe that thought.

It’ll seem tedious and manufactured at first – however that’s not what you focus on! 

Focus instead on the progress you’re making one reframed-for-the-better thought at a time as you move closer to when your thoughts naturally become focused towards that which you want.

Since we’re at the half way mark I’ll leave the next 8 Guidelines For A Fit Healthy Happy Year, for show #384 on Friday.

Till then, your time of the actionable is to choose the ONE guideline that most resonates with you and work it into your routine.

Thanks so very much for spending this time with me. I appreciate it big time. I hope you can join me for Fridays show and Part 2 of: 16 Guidelines For A Fit Healthy Happy Year.

If you liked this you’ll also like: How To Prevent Weight Gain Over Christmas and New Year (6 step survival blueprint).

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.