5 habits that are essential to changing your body composition

In addition to a suitable nutrition plan and strength training program, the following are 5 habits or practices that you need to implement to see the best results from your nutrition and training program. You could be 100% compliant on your diet, and hit PBs consistently in the gym, making awesome strength progress, yet you don’t lose much body fat or gain much muscle considering how much effort you put in. Well, if you aren’t doing the following 5 things, it could be why…

1- Drinking enough water. 

Many people barely get litre of water in and wonder why they’re tired and flat all the time. 2-2.5L minimum is a good ball-park number.

2- Eating quality food. 

It’s not just about hitting macros, it’s about eating foods close as possible to it’s natural state, which actually have the nutrients our body needs compared to highly processed food void of nutrients.

3- Going outside for natural light.

If you’re sedentary and inside most of the day except when you go to the gym, it’s likely your body is stiff and sore a lot, and you may not be sleeping well either. Getting outside for at least 15 minutes to be exposed to natural light in the morning regulates our circadian rhythm - it helps us sleep at night. It also improves your mood. Sunlight obviously is where you get vitamin D from, which is crucial for cognitive function, immune function, the ability to lose fat, strengthening tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones, just to name a few of its many roles.

4- Getting quality sleep.

Poor sleep elevates blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and cortisol. It interferes with “hunger hormones”, which means you’re hungrier and less satiated after meals. You’re lethargic and weaker in the gym. You lose less fat when sleep deprived: 8 hours is ideal, 5-6 hours is where it begins to have negative effects on fat loss results. Ultimately, chronic sleep deprivation leads to weight gain and puts you at a high risk of a long list of diseases.

5- Managing stress.

If you’re chronically stressed you’ll have elevated cortisol, lowered thyroid and sex hormones, imbalanced hunger hormones (either you’ll be ravenous, or not want to eat at all). You’ll also be constantly lethargic and weak in the gym. Ultimately you’ll gain fat and stay stuck until the stress is managed.

If you don’t practice these daily habits, you could see very little results in your body composition, no matter how compliant you are on your diet or how big your strength gains are in the gym.