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Add to Your Health: 5 Positive Habits That Can Shape Your Life (And Waistline!) · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:07
  Turo Virta: Hey, and welcome to this fit meter fitness podcast today I talk about five positive habits that can save your life, and also your waistline and but that is something what usually happens when you focus on improving your health, you might end up losing weight without as a kind of side effect. And, and this is this is for most people and especially for me, and for many, many people who I work with, especially when you get at certain age, you might have some weight to lose. But the most important goal is to improve your health. And when you are doing it, when you focus on those things that are bringing something more for your health, usually, it's it's can it can, it's why it's important, it's first of all, it's lot easier to do focus on improving your health, instead of trying to try to lose fat, it's might feel so frustrating and so hard. And but good. Because if you if you really think it like what is the difference, like fat loss, or muscle gain or something, it's kind of performance. And and that is often like that it leads that you know, you have some metrics, some goals, what do you want to improve. And then if you want to lose fat, let's say you want to go from 40,000 to 30,000, fat, it's kind of performance. But if you just focus on things, what are improving your health, it's, it's a lot easier. Like, gosh, if you if you think like for example, this is what you are making 1000s per day, either maybe you don't even realize that you are making them but you make them anyways, there's some of them are just already so happy. It's what you are doing without even thinking about it without even noticing about it.
• 2:57
  Turo Virta: But this is like just normal decisions, or are you going to brush your teeth are you what clothes you are wearing, are how you are going to work, are you driving the car are you taking the are you walking, what you are going to eat, those are all decisions, just an example what kind of decisions you are making, and most of them you are doing with the kind of autopilot. And this is this is like a in to think how it makes how you can make it easier.
• 3:26
  Turo Virta: Those decisions. Like I don't say that you have to get each of them correctly. But let's say that you make 1000 decisions per day. And now at the moment, like improving your health you are doing maybe 300 Good decisions 300 are okay and 400 could be better. And now if you could change like that you could make maybe 400 Good diseases 500 Okay, and 200 what you would improve, imagine what kind of results that White might lead for your health. And then as a result, you might end up seeing as a side effect that you are actually getting by what you want, feeling more confident that you want. And but to get into those topics. And what I what I love to do, there is a great example of Heidi, one of my group coaching clients who is coming vertical working out with me every week, and we were talking it's now four months ago. And we were talking she said that she needs to see now she has got to a point that says you need to start doing something and then she was asking like she had many friends who are doing some kind of different diets and that and she was asking me that what I think about intermittent fasting, cutting carbs like gosto Stouffer things what have worked for her in the past and I said if those things were not what you were at that you were able to maintain your results, those things are probably not helping.
• 4:57
  Turo Virta: So I challenged her to become aware what cease eating and he actually started to follow like not trying to even not even trying to make some changes in the beginning but just writing down everything she was eating.
• 5:13
  Turo Virta: And then she figured out that there were so many different things what she was eating without actually noticing it.
• 5:21
  Turo Virta: And he learned to understand that how much how many calories had a slice of pizza have pizza.
• 5:25
  Turo Virta: Some other foods would see thought that those were not like a carbs or sweets and and this made her realize like an ice tried to start adding protein and as he started to add protein and that is that was leading that she started to feel so full like it decrease her appetite.
• 5:51
  Turo Virta: So this is this is something what most people don't think like that you are, you know that you have I'm sure you have heard about protein how important it is and especially when you are eating and poor muscles and do not lose muscle mass and that It's kind of stuff but if you don't know how much protein you are currently eating, and how much you should get, and for example for hydrate was she was looking first like that she thought that she was eating protein but in the end, it was like 50 grams per day and her goals would be well over 100 grams. So see, we need to make it like almost triple, triple that amount and but see in started to increase it finding new ways to think about finding new foods would see didn't mind eating, and then all that was leading automatically kind of that see started to realize that okay, now she's not that hungry than before. And obviously that was leading that she was eating less. So that comes that brings me to the point that about nutrition. So when you focus instead of thinking like, what I hear many people, they think that they have to leave all soakers away, they have to leave all carbs away or reduce drastically carbs, or some specific foods, but they might think that they eat too much.
• 7:11
  Turo Virta: And this is kind of the mindset that if you if you try to take one port may be your favorite foods completely away, it's going to be only a matter of time before you eat it again.
• 7:23
  Turo Virta: But instead of when you start doing it, otherwise, adding something adding things like what are improving your health, it becomes in the end effect is the same you are the ultimate goal is that you eat less calories than you consume. So I'm I'm sure you know about the calorie deficit as you are listening this. So this is the only Abruzzi still the only way to lose fat. And and when you do when you start adding things which have some kind of essential nutrients and reduce like you can eat so much food like us I'm I'm My example is that I'm a person who loves food I, I had to figure out the ways to eat as much volume as possible while eating my calories. And obviously, it's not always easy, because I really love Ford and, and my problem is what it is, but it's another story that I can't leave Ford behind, I need to finish my blade, this is something I know I'm, I'm struggling with it still at the age of 41. But it's something what I what I need to learn. And there are some ways I have been improving, but it's still there. And it's it's not easy to change the things that to leave something behind. But when I make sure that food is what I'm eating, they are in, in lower calories and high in protein. And then you know, it's not even I'm kind of overeating.
• 8:53
  Turo Virta: It's, it's still I'm still staying within my calories. So what you should be then focusing on your balanced nutrition is that first step is what I always tell is that those two most important thing is to add some form of protein or add protein if you are not getting like, what is the good protein goal, it's most influential still that two grams per kilo body weight or gram per pound. That's, but that is for me, it's a very, very high range. And like for example, Hey, this example if I would tell her to eat from first day one, three times more protein than earlier, probably she would end up quitting. But when you are learning to these ways, like best examples, what I love using is that just simply making a list of your protein foods, what you don't mind eating and then starting to think over protein like that, what is what is going to be your protein source at the breakfast, at lunch at dinner at snacks. And then let's say that, first of all, what is very good what is bare minimum for most people is to get 100 grams. And when you get 100 grams it could be like that, it would mean that if you divide it if you for example three meals per day, it could be 30 grams for breakfast, for the grams for months 30 grams for dinner and you have your 100 grams of protein and then learning force what you into eating or you don't mind eating because protein might be something that it's not what you naturally into eating but finding ways how to add that more protein. And when you do it, when you add it, you start to feel less hungrier because it's most satiating macronutrient and it's automatically leading that you are eating some other stuff.
• 10:44
  Turo Virta: Other thing what you should be adding is some kind of fiber fiber pizzas in whole grains.
• 10:51
  Turo Virta: Fruits are great source of fiber. And then third one is kind of that low calorie high volume foods like vegetables which obviously provide some kind of vitamins and minerals, which are kind If that's healthy stuff but when you are thinking like that but you could be adding and when you add more as much as you can that kind of healthy stuff which is like a Whole Foods lender and a Whole Foods pile up to date with what is minimal processing and how they know what it's like it's not it's nothing there's nothing dangerous you don't need to be scared of eating some processed stuff but if you think foods what you are eating like for example carbs carbs are not making you fat even some people are telling but if you think that you eat one ingredient foods like we had in my be sustainable based call with in animals little bit scared of eating carbs and less than if you were MC was asking what is your what are good sources of carbs. And I said that think think one ingredient carbs, for example, potatoes, rice, there is only one ingredient or banana, there is only one ingredient in those foods. And then when you look labels, then more ingredients you find more possibilities. But if you have just one ingredient foods, those are the best kind of foods, what you could be eating pizza like kind of dose hold, and how it's going to help them it's, it's going to stabilize your blood sugar levels. And, and you are not going to get probably those energy, energy crises or having a lot of cravings like for almost all people who are starting to add protein who are not eating, they realize that they are snacking less, they don't crave so much weight, as those as protein is decreasing your cravings like drastically, which together with fiber, and I'm not telling that you have to add everything at once but starting to think that how you could be improving your health and how you could include somehow more those foods and it leads that you are reducing automatically something else and then obviously then there is some other other things like healthy fats and those kinds of things which are important too but but I'm not going to go any deeper in this episode about those buzzers thinking thinking how it's, it's going to help when you are starting thinking a little bit opposite what most people are thinking instead of taking things away starting to add things then part two is adding some kind of physical activity and and this is these are not things like what you probably haven't heard, but But what is like what I what I what I realized for myself now because I what I love to use myself like I love tracking all kinds of data. I love tracking my steps. I love tracking my weight, I take my weight every single morning at the same time.
• 13:52
  Turo Virta: It's not that I don't have any any goal at the moment I just want to stay where I am. I feel very good but that thing what was what happened was that I was I was looking my weight because I how I use it I don't coach I know I have learned I It wasn't always that way but now I know that the scale rate is only data and I collected like I collect my steps I maybe I watched my finances there's no difference.
• 14:20
  Turo Virta: It's just the data. And like with money, I hope I I have a month that there is coming more in than going out. And if not then I it's time to take do some something against it. But But same thing is with my weight I take average weight per week so I take I measure myself every day every morning at the same time after I have been in toilet and it's it's just in my tracking app and then I see weekly average and now within the past two three weeks like my wife started telling me that they told her what is going on but they even even vacation in summertime, you look so good.
• 14:58
  Turo Virta: And now to be honest with you it started to go in opposite direction and as the day I have noticed my scale rate was a little bit up some days and some days it was back in normal. And then I was I was looking back I looked my my average rate per week and I was looking at the whole issue it's it's it was not a lot but like three 400 grams per week on average and that for past three four weeks, so game over kilo 1.5 or something in three four weeks and I was like okay this is now it's I'm recognizing the strength now I have to look and then I was thinking that what I what I have been doing so differently what I have been doing like was I feel like that I have been eating the same weight as but because I'm not I'm not tracking my every single food I've really tried to focus on getting enough protein and I felt like that with my nutrition. Obviously maybe I was little bit more loose with that.
• 16:00
  Turo Virta: But but there was no no big change is and then I realized that what is what have changed.
• 16:04
  Turo Virta: Is that now kind of new routines courses do better. I haven't been detective and then I was looking at how is my how my steps have been. And so that while I have my average amount per day, have decreased 5000 steps I was averaging in the month of August, July to June 15 1000s. Maybe it was even in, in May, I think I had 18,000 on average. Because obviously better is better, you walk more.
• 16:37
  Turo Virta: We had a my wife had a vacation, we were walking every morning, 3040 minutes. And now that habit I haven't been through, it's a lot darker, it's colder, and I haven't been doing it and I was looking at now why average then 1000s. So obviously there was missing lot of movement, like what is not exercise because exercise I haven't been I have been doing basically saying things. And this made me realize that wow, this non exercise activity, it has decreased so much that it's it's an it's really hard to recognize I wasn't I wasn't totally aware of before I saw those that data, what is what is why it's happening. And then now it's it's a lot easier to start to tell myself that now it's time to go for a walk or making smarter decisions when I don't need to use car I walk or add some quick walks. And that is that is now this week, when I when I record this, I have been doing it. And now the trend is going again on opposite direction and obviously with little bit smarter food choices.
• 17:41
  Turo Virta: But this is this is to be what is what is adding things. So adding steps, adding walks. And, and when you do it's the simplest way to add some kind of activity. So adding what you are currently averaging, if you get 1000 2000 3000 steps more per day, and then after that you can, there is no that you have to take 10,000 steps, that's very individual, but what you are currently doing, adding 2000 steps, what you're kind of doing that surrealistic. And that's, that's possible. And that makes a huge impact on a way like how you are looking. And obviously it seems it improves your health too. And, and it's for example of walking like in my previous podcast episode I was talking about calories. And that is that is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and endurance. And then other thing, what is what is very important to add is some form of resistance training. So strength training lifting weights, using bodyweight pants. And because this is something like especially the older we get, we are losing automatically muscle mass if you don't fight against it. So there is that protein and some form of resistance training, which is helping you to prevent that, especially if you're trying to lose weight because if you your goal is only to lose weight, your body doesn't care if you lose it from your muscle mass or if it's from your fat so obviously you want want it to be from fat, but your body doesn't care it makes it very easier available and that is basically calorie deficit that you are losing some form of tissue so so adding string thing and you don't have to be strengthening something that depending on your goals, but I would say that if you do it one time per week, you are able to maintain where you are. And if you start to do if you are able to get to systems per week, three, four that is when you start to make progress and increasing that muscle mass and and but I will do more episodes where I have more episodes where I go deeper on exact string planning what you are doing so I'm not going deeper in this episode. So and this is then some just basically adding some activity and and the best way best way is to finding some kind of activities you love to make it kind of what is at the same time that you are improving your health and and improving your endurance improving your strength but it doesn't feel like that you know you do it only for fat to losing fat that you have to exercise to lose fat because this is again something that you when you focus on exercise to losing weight or losing fat you are you are it's kind of performance and then it might feel hard but if you focus on things what actually makes you feel good, it's a lot easier, a lot more sustainable.
• 20:36
  Turo Virta: And the best way is what is what is what I always if even if you don't enjoy doing it like I don't enjoy doing my strength trainings, but I do it because I know that in long term, this is something what is what makes me feel so much better and allows me to eat more calories when I'm resting so this is the benefit of strength training that it increases your metabolism and and making you your muscles feel more toned or a new artists Simply stronger. And this is, this is just the, what this what you suit have also include some form of resistance and strength training for your training recommend, then 13 What is is what is often misunderstood or not talking about his quality of sleep, and how that quality of sleep it's, first of all, how it's affecting, obviously, you know, your energy levels, and, but also for weight management, it's it's regulating your hormones related to stress and appetite. So there are several studies that if you are sleeping, not sleeping at least seven hours, you are going to have more hunger and cravings.
• 21:51
  Turo Virta: So there was an interesting study with so that that I think people who were sleeping six hours versus eight hours or was five and seven. But anyway, anyway, that was the amount was 300 calories, those people were eating more or sleeping less so per day. So it's it's there is a it's a scientifically proven fact that you are going to eat more when you don't sleep enough. And obviously, when you sleep don't sleep enough your your energy levels are lower with Selenium cane that you are not moving outside of your workouts even you might be doing your workouts but then besides that, and it's not only it's not only the amount of steps that movement, it's it's like kind of facing presidents how you are if you are talking are you using your hands, this is all what needs energy. And this is when you don't sleep enough you are like a little bit more passive.
• 22:46
  Turo Virta: Even you take your steps you do your workouts, but outside of that, it's it's affecting a lot more than you think. So what is one thing for sleep? What have changed my I had a podcast episode, it's with Dr. Shelby Harris, who's a sleep doctor.
• 23:06
  Turo Virta: And and what I learned from her is that they mean for for training that kind of paid routine and trying to go to sleep for at the same time. Like obviously you know about that limiting screen time. But what is it that sleep time like you don't need to like what is the most important that you are not watching your phone you can watch some television or something but that you are not scrolling using your finger at the same time so that you are kind of in calm pace, and that is still totally fine for most people but just reducing light and that and the best thing that it actually starts everything starts creating better sleep routine starts in your morning that you get actually some kind of light like if you have possibility to get sunlight is the most ideal but if you don't have if you live in a place where it's no sunlight in the morning when you wake up even some like lit light or something it's helping you to your body to understand that you are actually awake your brain understands that you are awake and then it makes you that you are later at night you are getting tired and because if you don't do it, you your body your brain doesn't understand that it's it's morning it's day it's time to be awake. But when you get that light early early in the morning, you are actually recognizing that it's a baby brain is recognizing that it's it's morning and then you get tired later on. So but if you are interested if you suffer with your sleep, just check out that my episode I will I will put that link to the show notes now. So this is this is very very it was I learned so much from that episode from Selby.
• 24:53
  Turo Virta: Then number four what is adding 13 What you should be at is drinking water. So hydration so it's it's helping for that system. It's helping for nutrient absorption. So Serpentis and all kinds of the date of detoxification so so there is there is a kind of connection what is between that dehydration and reduced energy levels so this that's why you have probably heard that drinking water might actually boost your metabolism so more you are able to print water much better it is for just you are clearing your body kind of detoxing your body you don't need to have heavy either detox detox then your body so just reminding yourself like that is that is now what I what I like that was something what I really struggled with like was if I I know that if I start to feel thirsty, I'm probably already dehydrated. So it says that when I when I work I sit on my desk.
• 26:01
  Turo Virta: I have my two bottles of water so they are joy i know that i Then my goal is every morning that I have those two panels done by midday, and I know that it's one and a half liters of water. And then I repeat, I eat during the months, and then afternoon I have the same two bottles. So it's I know that when I have those goals done, they are I have my three liters of water. So this is something like the other tip, what I love to use his test to put some rubber pants on your water bottle, if you have half bottled water, rubber band, whatever your goal is, if it's two liters, if it's two and half, three liters, just put as many rubber bands as you need to that and every time you your bottle is empty, remove one time. And so this way you know what you are getting, and it's a lot easier to kind of stay on track.
• 26:49
  Turo Virta: And then like for me, I tried to try to put that bottle visible always so I don't forget to drink because it's it's easy to forget things. And obviously, if I realized that that night, you know, I didn't drink I met dates that I can't if I drink water, close to bedtime, I know that I'm going to wake up several times during today during the night to go for toilet. So for me, it's not worth it. That's why I tried to get the quarter in already during today. So so.
• 27:24
  Turo Virta: And the other thing is that alcohol is by the way that is not counting it's dehydrating you so don't alcohol don't count and alcohol we had an interesting conversation how alcohol is I might be sustainable peace call this week how alcohol actually even one class I guys, if you it's totally fine every once in a while. But if you know if it's like you might be feeling like that alcoholic helps you it might help you to fill up sleep easier. And you might feel like that you sleep better when you drink some alcohol. But if you have never tracked your sleep and look what it actually does, it decreases quality of your sleep and drastically. So even you might feel like you fell asleep faster. In the end, you do lot more harm than good with alcohol and, and if you get used to that kind of written that you need some kind of alcohol to fall asleep. It's it's doing so much harm. Like for me I love to track. Like I said, I'm a big fan of tracking my all kinds of health metrics. And sleep is one of those things and, and it's not that I still I still enjoy eating or drinking wine or beer every once in a while but I don't do it on a daily basis. It might be a weekend. But I know that how it's affecting my sleep. Because it's a it's a first of all, even if I drink one beer or one glass of wine close to my bedtime. My heart resting heartbeat is five beats higher. If I have more alcohol, it's probably like a 10 beats higher and all other like recovery. It's luck poor. And overall, I feel next day that I don't have so much energy I'm more hungrier as my quality of sleep, haven't been that good as it was even quantity was probably even higher than it would normally be. So alcohol is that these are strange, like and obviously, it's not it's still I don't I never do it. But at least I know what it is. And it's it's just helping to make those decisions, those healthier decisions that if I really need it, if it's okay to have one glass of wine, or do I need three? Or if I need one beer or is the tree helping me? Or or do I need to have anything at all.
• 29:42
  Turo Virta: So this is it's all about making those healthier and better decisions. Like the whole topic of this episode is. And then the last thing but it's not the least is your stress management.
• 29:55
  Turo Virta: So how that chronic stress it's, it's going to lead hormonal imbalances, and that is often encouraging weight gain. So for many people who are struggling, like they blame their hormonal, like now if you look social media, it's full of kind of hormonal experts and what is balancing your hormones to lose weight. It's Yes, your hormones affect weight loss, but how they are affecting how you are fixing them. It's simply these simple things, these five things what I'm talking if you are doing these things today, you need to get some hormonal balance things it's going out automatically they will be in balance. So so when you have that when you are able to reduce your stress somehow, like goes your buddies in flight or fight or flight response and and when you are able to reduce it like somehow I'm talking a little bit about how to actually reduce it. It's it's you are going to balance your hormones and usually your weight management everything your sleep Everything is going to get better. And what are the best examples like, Okay, some buddies enjoying meditation, yoga, or some breathing exercises, those are like things. I love breathing exercises, but I'm not big fan of meditation or yoga. But what I have on what really helps me to reduce my stress is that I try to show No, I like I love to talk about these things. And that's why I'm talking here. But if I'm if I'm wondering, what helped me was that I, when I met, when was a COVID time, couple years ago, I made a decision that I don't read any news. And that is like, dealing that kind of anxiety way. And, and when I don't know, because how news are created today, unfortunately, it's it's all some drama or something, what creates even more anxiety like, and if you are following using social media, social media platforms, they don't care how anxious you are, how depressed you are, their only goal is that you spent more time in their app. So so this is, this is one thing if you if you follow accounts, or if you feel like that you are more stressed or more anxious, while watching after watching social media training, be without go take some break from social media or or unfollow those accounts, what makes you feel anxious for specific foods or for anything, or if you feel like that there is too much they've kind of shocking news, do yourself a favor and spend less time there and instead, go for nature, go for a walk, do something that you enjoy, rather than just don't prank to distract you with social media, because it's really, it's really making more harm than good. And then for reducing stress, it's really finding some hobbies, spending time in nature. And being with the real person who's talking with the real person. Like for me, and my wife, the best thing is that what we do, we go for a walk, we walk 30 minutes, we tried to do it every single day without any bones or anything, it's just our time to for our relationship, reduce stress, talk about things what have happened during the day, and that answers it, then this is this is the best thing what you can do. It's, at least for me, you know, obviously maybe you don't have time for do it. But just trying to do things what you naturally enjoy and and giving you kind of that time for doing things you actually enjoy it because this is this life it can be it can be challenging the terrorists, good times, bad times. But more you focus on those good things and and what are bringing more to you than instead of taking away better you are and these five things, instead of focusing on adding things and doing things slowly.
• 34:08
  Turo Virta: You don't need to do all five things in one time, but focusing, picking up maybe one thing one of these five things what you try to focus at the time, and then when you when it becomes a new habit, then it's time to add another thing. And when you are more more of these things, like I said in the beginning those decisions you are making daily, more you focus on what is doing good for your health health, instead of focusing on some numeric or specific goal or this kind of performance called easier it becomes when you include these positive habits and time is working for you. And you can you can in the end you don't even your that is not your main focus as a side effect, who might have liked other benefits than just you're improving your health what is still in the end, it's the most important thing, what you can do for yourself. So this was episode for today. If you find I'm curious always to hear from you. Just email me to like feed me turo.com Or if you find this episode valuable obviously I would appreciate if you could share it take a screenshot share it in your Instagram story and technique so I can give some love and obviously what this helping more than you can believe is those are those five star reviews. So I really thank you for all those who have done pay started five star review in Apple and in iTunes in Spotify.
• 35:36
  Turo Virta: They are helping so much so thank you for those who are doing it and if you haven't done it, I would really really appreciate it as item. That's all what I asked from you. So thank you for listening and talk to you soon.