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Stay Fit on the Fly: 7 Tactics for Health in Hectic Times · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:06
  Turo Virta: Recording in progress. Hey and welcome to this fitbitural Fitness podcast.
• 1:12
  Turo Virta: Today's episode is probably going to be a bit shorter than usually, so the reason is that, first of all, topic of this episode is staying on track when life is busy. So this is something, what I relate myself. And at this point as I'm recording this, it's a Thursday morning. It's at 730 usually I get podcast out by eight o'clock in the morning on every Thursday. And now it's kind of a last moment. But here I am recording this podcast episode for you, as that is something that I make promise for myself, to publish every single week new podcast episode, and sometimes, as you know, there's a deadline when you want to get it out. So it's a Thursday, it should be by 8am but if I'm maybe hour late, that's going to be fine. I it still gets the job done, and it says that proves a point also for myself, that I need to keep promises I made to myself, and this is a principle that I have been trying to follow, or I have been following for the past three years with my workouts.
• 2:23
  Turo Virta: It's not always perfect, but it's a it's a promise that I get at least started. So this kind of gets have helped me so much because I'm, I'm a person who doesn't, for example, in a workouts I don't enjoy, especially strength training, it's something that I have to really talk myself getting started every single time, or if I would say that nine out of 10, I really need to talk that. I need to get started and and I'm trying to avoid on any any price, my own workouts, because it's something what I don't naturally enjoy. But on the other hand, I know how important that is to get workout done, get my strength training done, because that's ultimately what have made me feel the better I have ever felt in my life, and I'm 42 at the moment, so it's something that I know that it's there's a long term benefits, but in a short term, I would love to skip it. I My mind is going I would have 1000 excuses with the busyness, other things that I pretend that are more important. But ultimately, I know that if I want to feel great, stay pain free, and be best version of myself, I need to get my own workouts and prioritize my own health. So that is something, but I'm not going to skip, and it's the same way with this podcast that is important for me to talk these things and help you get weekly new podcast episode out so so and topic came up this week earlier I was talking with, actually with couple of my clients. Adela was a one of the great example how we all kind of think like she was also coming, coming in a situation with just a newborn baby, very bad sleep trying to work out. There was some health issues in her family, so all possible excuses to not work out and that. And we were talking like that, what is actually what is actually possible? And here is just a summary, or things, if you are having a busy season of life feels like that. There's nothing you can do. How you could actually start making progress and staying on track when life is busy, and I was then, ultimately, as you know, when you are taking action even the busiest time of the of your life, it's so much easier later on to do a bit more than starting all over, because this is what, what I have seen I've been now nine years, almost coaching and and the biggest reason why people are struggling to get consistent results is that all in or nothing mentality, and that is so common And it's so easy to talk ourselves out of doing the job, what you know you should be doing. Because if you think that, you know, if I can't do it perfectly, I can't do full hour workout, what is the point even get started? Or if I can track all my meals, what is the point even to track one meal? Or there is nothing you can do. You know, this is so common, and I hope in this episode you get the strategies, what you could be starting to implement right away to your daily routine and daily life. And with all these strategies, like I understand, when life is busy, don't try to take all of these strategies.
• 5:44
  Turo Virta: Don't try to get start to use all of them at the same time, because that is again, trying to get too much, or get taking too much on your plate. And if you do that, you know what it happens. You become overwhelmed.
• 5:59
  Turo Virta: And what most people do when they get overwhelmed, they do nothing. So just pick one, two, not more than three, strategies, what I'm talking about in this episode, and start implementing these things today. Because, you know, if you start to do it that I started tomorrow, you know how that ends up. So, so take my advice, and if nothing else, pick one strategy and start implementing that right away. So first of all, for nutrition, partook. So this is something like, If you can't, I'm talking about like, maybe in ideal case, you would love to track your foods. You would do your 345, workouts a week and get your walks, you would get your sleep, you would drink your water, and so on. But this is what is the most effective ways to actually improve your make progress in your fat, loss in your health, stay in lean or or at least, do not make it worse. So first, first try again. What I'm talking is writing down everything you are eating. And now I'm not meaning to track your all meals or or track everything. It's just simply writing down. So why this is so effective? It's just simply because it creates so much awareness. So if you think that, if you are just writing was often what I have seen that happens so often that you don't you know you are afternoon, you are snacking mindlessly something or in evening, and you don't even realize that what you were eating. And then before you end up realizing that it was like, Well, I just had a like, a full beat of ice cream or or whatever, and we are not even aware of these things. And the whole point of this is to write down, actually what you are eating. So it could be just simply taking old fashioned pen and paper, taking your notes in your phone, or, obviously using some tracking apps, so even you are not trying to heat your calories, but just simply priding down, because it's always when you when you have it visible what you have been eating, what you are putting into your mouth. It's always it creates you are paying more attention. You are more aware what you are actually doing. And then there is no that pressure of counting calories, like hitting that if it's if I hit my calories or if I didn't, you don't need to count calories.
• 8:33
  Turo Virta: You don't need to write down how many calories or whatever it was, but just simply writing writing down, and it's not about chatting to yourself or what you are doing if you are doing it right or wrong, or if it's too much or too less, just bringing that awareness. So this is it has been very, very effective for for so many people, for my clients and and it says that you understand, to learn patterns, why you are doing it, and when is the time that you often, because there is always, often, if you think that I can't, I hear people up during the time just the sweet tooth. I can't.
• 9:09
  Turo Virta: I'm snacking all the time. I'm snacking afternoon, or I need some sweet on afternoon or in the evening. And when you are writing it down often, there's a reason why that is happening. So the reasons are often why you are snacking while you are craving, for example, sweets, is that either you are missing fiber, you are missing protein, or you maybe your sleep didn't You didn't sleep that. Well, those are all scientifically proven facts why people are getting more cravings and and when you write it down, well, you might able to recognize those patterns and seeing that why it have actually happened.
• 9:49
  Turo Virta: So take second strategy. What I wanted to talk it's it's that what we actually agreed with arela Also, even she said that she now she don't have energy, barely to move, barely to walk, all her attention is with her newborn baby. And obviously, sleep sucks. She is. She has to prioritize when it's possible to get some quality sleep and and it feels like sometimes, you know, tracking and writing down it's not really possible for her or or she feels like that that is not what is always possible.
• 10:25
  Turo Virta: But then we came up with the with the strategy. What is one of my favorite strategies? I learned this from my great coach and mentor children side, and it's called 123, strategy. So what it stands for is one means that you are eating one big salad per day. Two stands for two pieces of fruit, and three is three big bottles of water. And this is, of course, this is not everything you have to eat in a day, because if you think that this is all what you eat in a day, that would be stupid. But this is just a minimum requirements to eat every or to do every single day, which doesn't require any calorie counting. It sounds relatively easy, but it's super helpful, because if you think it, why? Why it stands like one big salad it? It is, I guess, Alex, if you don't put a lot of dressing or olive oils, olive oils are totally Of course, they are healthy fats, but just pay attention how much you're eating it because it acts very quickly, calories if you use ton of olive oil. So just to pay attention what you put on top of your salad. But just go salads in general, 15 to 30 calories per 100 grams. So there is. It's almost kind of like what I love to call calorie free options, calorie free foods, like zero calorie foods and one big salary brings, like, of course, you get all vitamins, minerals, what are necessary?
• 11:55
  Turo Virta: But it also it's a lot of volumes with less calories. So you are most likely feeling fuller. There is a fiber element of it, so you are feeling fuller for longer. So you end up eating something else less. And the same thing is with fruit. So don't be like now in social media, you see a lot of like that, super sharp at if you don't have any reason, like any medical reason, you don't have any diabetes or something, there is no reason to be afraid of fruits. They are a great source of carbs, great source of fiber.
• 12:24
  Turo Virta: And when you eat which, again, relatively loads of Whole Foods.
• 12:28
  Turo Virta: Like, if you think that that fruits, there is one ingredient you don't have. Like, if you eat some processed foods, there is a list of ingredients in the fruits. It's just one banana, one orange, one pier, whatever, whatever you are eating whatever you enjoy. It doesn't matter which fruit you eat, just pick one, what you enjoy, and two pieces of fruit every single day. So this helps, again, with the volumes, with the fiber, and gives you non processed foods.
• 13:01
  Turo Virta: So this is it stands for two and three is three big parts of water. So this is drinking water. Hydration, for sure. It gives you hydrated, keeps you fuller, but it also it helps you to eat less, because often people are misunderstanding if they are actually if they are hungry or if they are thirsty.
• 13:24
  Turo Virta: So hydration, it's very, very, very, very important. And I have a feeling like that, maybe 80% of my clients are struggling to eat, to drink enough water. So three bottles, big bottles of water. And you know, then people are asking that, should I drink two liters? Should I drink three liters? It's there's a really simple way to know what is the right amount of for you, and it's everyday, different and it's but it's how you can check it. It's color of your pee, color of your urine. So when you go to toilet, if it's light colored, you are doing great job. If it's dark, drink more.
• 13:58
  Turo Virta: If it's totally white, okay, you are probably overdoing it. But it's not the emergency. Better that way than drinking too less or too little. So. So just those three things. It's very simple but effective therapy. So the goal is always, for me, what I love to teach all my people, like 90% or even more than 90% of people who are trying to lose weight, they are actually they are trying to take things away.
• 14:28
  Turo Virta: They are saying that I can't eat carbs. I can't eat I have to eat less. There is something what I can't eat sugars. But I find it like that. This is kind of that you are training your repower, that what is what you can do, and then it's only like kind of arrow you are loading it and waiting that how long you can take it. And then in the end you are and someday you are saying that Fuck it. Now I can't take it anymore. And that is the moment when you are eating and you are saying that I can take it. I I need it. And then you go overboard, and it weights you much. So rather, I focus on adding things and adding things like protein, adding things like fiber, adding things like water, adding things like salads, fruits. So this is it's the impact is the same. So you are when you are eating more, something else you are going to you are already feeling full, or you are feeling satisfied, and you are automatically eating something less so you are having less sweet cravings, which is scientifically proven fact, and it's the same effect. It's the same it's just mentally so much easier to focus on things, what you are adding and what are your minimum requirements every single day, than trying to limit something. Or, for sure, some people need to limit also, but it's in general, it's so much easier to focus on adding things than taking things away. And then starting number three is planning a hit. And this is not now, I'm not talking that you should plan every single meal a hit, but that if you are planning, for example, what I love to use is planning your proteins, so for the next day, so you know what are going to be your protein sources. So for example, I use my own example.
• 16:16
  Turo Virta: Let's say I'm having breakfast.
• 16:20
  Turo Virta: I'm trying to get my goal is to get 70 grams of protein. So half of my protein goes before I'm going to the lunch. And this is, of course, this is mine. You don't need to if you are not the person who enjoys eating earlier in the day. It's just me personally who loves to do it, because I know that it helps me to eat less during the lunch.
• 16:38
  Turo Virta: Eat less later on today, if I eat a lot earlier in the day, and that's why my goal is to eat like, obviously your numbers are different than mine. My numbers are what I try to aim for is around 150 160 grams of protein per day. And I know, if I know that, I get 70 grams, 75 grams before lunch, I'm half of my goal already before lunch. So then I don't need, I don't have always control over what I'm eating for the lunch or for the dinner. But if I know that I'm eat already that bare minimum every single day, with my habits, what I have built, I'm I'm likely to get at least close to that cold. So, so that's why earlier today, and great call is, for example, to eat 30 grams of protein before 10am so then you get, if your goal is, like, I would say that every person needs at least 100 grams, depending on what size you are.
• 17:38
  Turo Virta: So that is a bare minimum. Like, we can talk like, what is, what is the requirements? Maybe some, some people are telling two grams per kilo, party weight, I would say that even you get 1.5 it's pretty good. So if you're you bake 70 kilos, your goal should be around 105 per minimum. And to get 100 grams, if you divide it for how many meals you are eating, if you eat three meals per day. It's around 30 grams, 35 grams per meal. So in this way, if you get by before 10am 30 grams, 35 grams, you are 1/3 of your goal, and it gets it makes it so much easier.
• 18:20
  Turo Virta: If you skip your breakfast, you try to get 50 and 50 grams, for example, to in your lunch and dinner for your to eat, your protocol. So how I do it? My own example, I love eating smoothie every breakfast. That's my how I get what I thought earlier on, that it's my one two like it's not a salad, but I get my two pieces of fruit in my smoothie. I mix it with 250 grams of Greek yogurt, which gives me 225 grams of protein, and I add scoop of neutral, natural protein powder so there is no taste. So I get taste. I don't enjoy having some chocolate protein with mixed with some fruits. I rather have some fruits, fresh fruits, berries. Enjoy taste of them, but having the protein powder they're in just to add little bit protein. So that is my 50 grams of protein. Then some snack around then 11am it's going to be either 200 grams of cottage cheese. Sometimes I have a protein shake with another protein. Like in morning, I have a whey protein on, on on my snack. I love to have carcinogen protein. So it's a two different kind of type of protein. If it's even if it's same, it doesn't make the big difference. It's just for me personally, I love to have writings and and that's what I'm doing myself. So this is one way just to add protein.
• 19:46
  Turo Virta: And how about the tip what I'm what I talked is to plan your proteins ahead. So like for this way, I have my protein, let's say 50 grams every breakfast that is going to be every single day, then lunch, what is going to be your protein source? So for example, for today we have chicken. Let's say it's a, I'm gonna eat 200 grams of chicken.
• 20:11
  Turo Virta: So it's 4550 grams of protein from chicken. So then I have already 120 grams. And then for the dinner, I will look that I have 30 grams for something.
• 20:20
  Turo Virta: Let's say it's a it's a shrimps, it's a salmon, it's a tuna can, whatever, whatever source protein you are having. But if you plant them ahead, how much you need to have for let's say for breakfast, for lunch, and let's say then you have your protein sources. If your goal is to get 100 grams, what I need to have 30 grams for breakfast?
• 20:44
  Turo Virta: What I need to have 30 grams for lunch? Would I need to have 40 grams for dinner, for example, so that you hit your goal. And if you plan ahead your protein sources, then first question, if you don't hit your goal, first question, what you should be asking yourself, that, could I be eating more of this? And if the answer is no, then I would ask that. What else I could be at adding and other tip. Great tip how to do it, like make it easier. If you have a busy life, if you have at some point of the week, you have time to prepare little bit things ahead. So I would always love to pre cook my protein sources. So let's say that chicken breast you can cook it for. Let's say 345, days ahead. And then when things are busy, you could make from chicken. Someday it's going to be some racks wraps. Some days it's going to be with rice. Some days you can make some chicken pasta so you have your protein source already pre booked. And then it makes it so much easier when you know that what is what you are going to eat. And then you can variety. Don't have to be the same thing every single day, but even your protein source, it's it's pre cooked for the next day or for the next meal. So then when things are busy, you already you are more likely that you are actually hitting your protein both. So then strategy number four is not about what you are eating, but how you are eating. So this is something, what I love to use myself, but also give this to always, some reminders for my clients. I'm, I'm, I have to commit. I'm, I'm a person who struggles with this. I need reminders myself every week.
• 22:25
  Turo Virta: Almost feels like sometimes that it's kind of every meal I need to that remind myself, and because I'm a person who loves to eat fast and who loves to eat a lot, and I need to really practice, learning to leave something behind it, not eating too much at one sitting, and that, and but it's consistent struggle. I think it's, it's coming from my side hood. And I know many people are struggling.
• 22:49
  Turo Virta: If you have had, if somebody have said to you when you were a small kid that you have to finish your plate, it's at least, for me, it's, I still struggle with that. And I'm now 42 and it's the things like that, what kind of things like it's 3035 years ago, when I have been teach this thing and they're still struggling, even I know that it's not the probably the best thing to do, but mindful eating. What it means that you are vegetable checklist, what I love to use is that you are sitting, you are not eating. On goal, you are sitting. You are you have a glass of water before your meal.
• 23:27
  Turo Virta: You are eating as low as you can. You are trying to stop when you start feeling full. So there is all like, what is that 80% full? But how to say if you are 70% full or 80% or 90% that's very hard to know exactly. And it says that just when you start feeling a little bit full, leave it, put it. Wait 1520 minutes. And if you still are hungry, you can always eat more. So it says that learning this, this simple strategies, trying to implement them and go eat as low as you can. And this is, this is how I love to do it. I eat always, first my salad, so and then time to go for my protein sources. It doesn't matter. It's just I feel like that that helps me. Those are, what, with the least amount of calories, the most important things first, and then once I have eat my big salad, I feel already fuller. And then there is like when I start to feel fuller, then I eat. There is a chances that I eat less, something else, something what, I probably enjoy eating more, some delicious carbs or something. But when I hit first my big salad, then everything else I already I'm already full with the lace gallery. So this is kind of strategies I use myself. Not sure if they are the right or wrong strategies. Then strategy number five. And now this is kind of movement strategies. And this was, with the other Latu, what we talked like. You might have heard about 10,000 steps, and that is random number. It doesn't matter. You don't need to hit 10,000 steps. And like for Arla, what we were looking, we were looking what she had last week, and she had a 40,000 steps. So we set the goal to add 1000 or 10,000 steps per week.
• 25:20
  Turo Virta: So that is 1000 to 300 steps more on average per day.
• 25:24
  Turo Virta: So that is realistic. So if it's if it was 6000 steps or six and a half, now the goal is seven and a half. So that is a lot more realistic than trying to hit that 10,000 steps. So if you are averaging now 5000 steps, and if somebody is telling you to go to 10,000 steps, that's unrealistic when in one time, and it feels like that, it's impossible, and again, to avoid this all in or nothing. If you add 1000 steps per day, that is not that big amount. It's maybe it needs some effort, but it's possible. So how you could be doing it? It could be just going for a walk outside. Then 15 minute walk. You get your 1000 steps. You could be just trying to walk inside of your apartment if you can't go outside when you are talking in a phone instead of sitting, walk around so these all kind of things, park your car a little bit further.
• 26:23
  Turo Virta: Whatever, whatever strategy is you need to do, take some stairs instead of elevator. Those are small things, and they are adding like, if you look amount of calories, that's the simplest way how to raise your calories out. So how to burn actually more calories is to increase your daily movement. So it's not about having a 30 minute workout. You probably you are getting a lot more and a lot easier. You are burning more calories when you increase your movement. And there is also other benefits for if you, especially if you get those steps outside, so you get you might get the daylight. You get the sunlight you your sleep is improving. You are failing asleep, usually faster if you are outside and it's there is a huge benefits of your mental health as well. So Walking is one of the best ways to improve your mental health. So I love to do it with my wife, with no cell phones, nothing, just the talking. And that is for our mental health, for our relationship. It's the best thing what we are doing. So there you are, present. You are talking about things, what is happening, and that is, that is for mental health, it's crucial.
• 27:33
  Turo Virta: And then step number five is kind of adding short workouts.
• 27:39
  Turo Virta: So even if you don't have time to do, let's say 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour workouts, or what we talked with Ali that trying to put them like, you know, 510, minute workout. So it's instead of telling that what you can do, focus on what you can and if that feels like that, if you find yourself finding excuses that you don't have time for 30 minute workout, then ask yourself, what, how much time you have? Because if you tell that you don't have time, you are lying to yourself. But if you tell that I have time, but I have only this much time, it's you do that amount. And that is the way how I talk myself always, to get in there. I don't need to. I need to do one exercise. I need to show up. I need to change my clothes, go there, go to do one exercise, and then if I feel like I can stop if I want. But of more often than not, I do at least 234, exercises I end up doing.
• 28:32
  Turo Virta: And of course, that is better than nothing. And this way you stay consistent, you prove the point for yourself. The promise is what you make to yourself and and that's you might think that is it worth it to do it? Of course, it is I. When I was younger, I was kind of athlete, and with this mentality that those short workouts, they don't mean anything. But now, when I'm older, it's it. Of course, I'm not making huge amount of progress, but I'm not losing it.
• 29:01
  Turo Virta: So this is this amazing benefit, and it's more more than not losing progress. It's maintaining that habit and showing up. So both of them, more often than not, you those once you start to skip your workouts, let yourself out of it. Planned ONE TWO WEEKS ends up in month, two months, maybe years. So don't let yourself.
• 29:22
  Turo Virta: Talk yourself out of doing work what you know that you need to be doing, and ask yourself, what is the minimum amount? And last but not least, is focusing on present and setting realistic course. So instead of thinking that what, I can't pack my meals, I can't do three workouts, I can do this and that focus on that moment, what you can do today and and, of course, what have happened in the past?
• 29:56
  Turo Virta: What happened yesterday? What happened week month ago? You can change. That is in the past and what happens in the future. We don't know what is what is going to happen? Life is more likely going to be crazy. You are not.
• 30:07
  Turo Virta: You are going to get busy later on. What is the difference? Is how you react at this moment, what you can do today. Ask yourself better questions. What is amount? What you can do today? If you can't do workout, how much you can if you can't get 10,000 steps, what is realistic? Put you at five minutes? Could you at 10 minutes if you can't eat perfectly? What ask yourself, what healthy person, what the person with my goals would do in this situation, and what they would decide? Of course, you are not going to make every decision, right, but more often than that, you make better decisions, smarter decisions, in the long term, that's what you are going to become. And that was quick episode. I think it was a lot of talking, but I hope it was helpful. And thank you for listening. If you are interested any of my services, my one on one coaching, my my membership coaching, I put links in show notes, and that is how somebody is keeping you accountable, telling you exactly what to do.
• 31:19
  Turo Virta: So if this was helpful, I know you would love coaching program benefit from accountability and telling these things again. So at least consider it, and if not, no heart really thank you for listening, and talk to you soon.