237 - 2026 is coming! How do I start my health and fitness journey?

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Summary:

- Start with Simple Steps at a Local CrossFit Gym: Rather than trying to follow extreme programs like "75 Hard," find a local CrossFit gym where coaches can help you develop sustainable fitness habits. You can use CrossFit.com's gym finder to locate one near you. When starting out, focus on building small wins that will snowball into bigger accomplishments.
- Focus on Food First: Food is the easiest lever to pull for health improvements since you're going to eat regardless. Start by removing sugar, seed oils, and processed snacks from your diet. Consider getting blood work done (including advanced lipid studies) to understand your metabolic health. Start your day with protein like eggs, prioritize red meat, and stay properly hydrated.
- Understand Different Levels of Physical Activity: There's a progression from simple movement (like walking 10,000 steps) to exercise (scheduled activities like jogging) to training (skill development and progressive overload). Start where you are, but recognize that strength training provides the best measurement for longevity. Key exercises to include are deadlifts, squats, and thrusters.
- Track Your Food for Accountability: Use an app like MyFitnessPal or MyNetDiary to track your food for at least two weeks to understand what you're actually consuming. This awareness alone can lead to better choices and help you see where adjustments are needed.
- Create an Environment for Success: Design your environment to make healthy habits easier. For example, prepare workout clothes the night before for morning workouts, or keep them in your car for after-work gym sessions. Simplify food choices to make healthy eating more sustainable and automatic.
- Build Community Connections: Join group fitness classes and engage with the community aspect of health. People don't care what you know until they know that you care - show up, be fully engaged, and connect with others who share your interests. You become like the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely.
- Change Your Identity Statement: Instead of saying "I can't eat sugar" (restriction-based), say "I don't eat sugar" (choice-based), or better yet, "I'm a healthy person who makes healthy choices" (identity-based). People who frame goals as part of their identity are significantly more likely to achieve them, especially when they write them down and review them daily.
- Prioritize Consistency Over Perfection: Consistency beats intensity and perfect planning every time. It's better to show up consistently and "half-ass" a workout than to push too hard occasionally and risk injury or burnout. Remember that consistency in health, like consistent investing in finances, compounds over time.
- Address All Five Pillars of Health: Focus on how you eat (fuel, not entertainment), sleep (aim for around 8 hours), move (strength, conditioning, and skill training), think (manage stress and maintain a positive outlook), and connect (build meaningful relationships). When these pillars are strong, age becomes just a number.
- Choose Progress Over Sabotage: Understand the difference between "cheating" (which implies advancement) and "sabotaging" (which sets you back). When you skip workouts or eat poorly, you're not cheating - you're sabotaging your progress. Approach your health journey with self-compassion but also honesty about your choices.

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