The holiday season is a very dangerous time of year for your diet.  Between wedding buffets, Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinner (and leftovers), and numerous food filled religious holidays clean eating gets put to the back burner. Use these tips to help you stay on track through the end of the year.

1. PANTRY PURGE

Cleaning up your diet starts with your pantry. Ditch the leftover Halloween candy, half-eaten package of Oreos and sugar-packed cereals. And don’t forget about the fridge, where old sauces and half eaten leftovers go to die. Instead of putting it off another day, purge the excess junk to make room for fresh, nutrient-rich, high quality-foods. 

2. FALL PRODUCE

Now that you’ve purged the junk from your pantry, fill it with bright fruits and vegetables.  Keep these at eye-level or on the counter as a daily reminder to use them before they go bad. Utilize your local farmer’s markets or health food store with locally sourced produce to fill your bag with everything from crisp apples and juicy pears to healthy greens, sweet root vegetables, and sturdy winter squash. Farmers markets are great places to learn where your food came from and to meet the growers first hand. Often times they have unique recipe ideas and tips for preparing produce.

3. HEALTHY PORTIONS

Sugar topped sweet potatoes, gooey mac & cheese and creamy casserole bake; with comfort foods it can be difficult to stick to realistic portion sizes. Even with healthier options, you can have too much of a good thing. Check your portions by imagining your plate cut into parts. One-fourth should be filled with protein – options such as chicken, turkey, steak, salmon and eggs, one-fourth filled with quality starchy carbohydrates – sweet potatoes, rice and whole grains. On the other side of the plate fill half with fresh veggies. Add a side of fruit for the ultimate nutritious and perfectly-balanced meal.

  

4. GO GREEN

We typically think of milk as the primary source of calcium, but greens such as spinach, broccoli and kale can also contribute to your daily dose of 1,000mg. Although your body is better at absorbing the calcium in milk, with green veggies you’re also loading your body with essential nutrients such as vitamin A, C, K, iron, folate and magnesium.

Try slipping in one extra serving of greens with two meals each day. Sneaking one cup of spinach into your morning smoothie, choosing a salad with darker greens in place of iceberg lettuce and roasting up a big batch of zucchini and broccoli will help you reach your calcium for the day. 

 

I’ve always encouraged our coaches to try different exercise programs and drop into other gyms while they travel. Being in classes and getting coached is a great way to hone our skills and learn a thing or two. I also encourage other gym owners to borrow from other exercise programs to help build their own.

Branding

I’ve noticed quite a few things, but one in particular has stuck out as a big shift in the group exercise space: Branding. Everything has a “hook” or a cool name. I get it. When I teach marketing to other gym owners, I try to emphasize that they have about 3 seconds – the average amount of time you spend on an Instagram post – to convey  your message. So, it only stands to reason that group exercise classes like Lean Fit, Shred30, ToneUp Yoga, sweat, Spin Fit, Sculpt, Shock, Fusion, RowFit, Grit, Barre Attack, Core Blast/Smash/Crush/Flow/Obliterate (basically just put “Core” before anything in the Thesaurus and you’ve got a packed house), and Circuit Express all exist.

I literally just pulled all of these names out of thin air. Apologies if any of them are real.

But, I get it. In an attention economy, you’re probably not going to join my new forthcoming group exercise class that’s about to take the world by storm. Still workshopping the branding, but I’m open to suggestions:

“Matt’s Constantly-Varied Functional Training Class That Borrows From Strength and Conditioning’s Best Practices Using Compound Strength Training Movements, Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Interval Training, Gymnastics, and Mobility Training in a Coached, Mechanics-Focused, Movement-Centric Environment”

Maybe I’ll just call it “Butts & Guts.”

Exercise and Fitness

As I’ve dug more into this new wave of branded group exercise, I’ve whittled things down into two main categories: Exercise and Fitness. Depending upon where you are now and what your goals are, one environment may be better suited to your long-term needs.

Exercise

I often classify Exercise as a “mindless sweat.” Not mindless in a negative sense. Sometimes mindlessness is important. It’s a great way to clear your head after a long day at work. Sometimes you don’t want to really think about a safe or optimal squat or press position. Sometimes you want someone to crank up the Beyonce and the thermostat. Here are some features of exercise:

• Dark room with very loud music
• Focus on calories burned during the session
• Focus on ancillary data like heart rate
• Little to no discussion of nutrition
• Little to no discussion of recovery and mobility strategies outside of the gym
• Lots of cheerleading, minimal movement correction
• Instructors rarely available outside of the class itself
• Little to no opportunities for individualized assistance

There are some people for whom group exercise is a great fit. And, you don’t even necessarily need to stay in the “exercise” group forever. There’s a fluidity between the two that will ensure long-term adoption.

• Starting out generally fit with little to no orthopedic issues
• Do not have a goal of losing significant amounts of body fat
• Do not necessarily enjoy learning new or increasingly complex movements
• You use exercise as more of a meditative process than a physiological change

Fitness

Fitness, on the other hand, can be more aptly defined by relationship. “Instructors” prefer the designation of “Coach” because it denotes a long-term relationship with their athletes. It often times means that they will be there in a supportive role, but will also give you a course correction if necessary. Aside from relationships, here are some other key features of Fitness:

• Big, bright, open space with more room for movement and coaching. You’ll be able to hear your coach.
• Calorie discussions are centered around the time outside the gym (where the vast majority of them are burned)
• Data, like heart rate, is used on an individual basis avoiding the potential dangers of giving broad group recommendations for such individualized data points.
• Nutrition is the basis of all physical pursuits and discussed regularly
• Tools and education are paramount to time in and out of the gym
• Movement pattern correction is at the forefront – with a focus on safe patterns in and out of the gym
• Coaches will email, text, or call you outside of their classes to provide additional supports
• Coaches give individualized recommendations for corrective exercises, recovery suggestions, and nutrition

Just as Exercise may not be right for everyone, Fitness is also not everyone’s cup of tea. In a nutshell, Fitness is comprehensive and pervasive. Executed optimally, Fitness will require you to do some challenging work for the long-haul. Fitness assumes that you’ll be actively using your body well into retirement and will ask you to invest in that future today. It will be hard and likely uncomfortable. Fitness is a good fit if:

• You’ve tried a lot of different things, but nothing’s stuck
• You have a goal of losing significant body fat and/or don’t have a large baseline of fitness
• You want to learn how your body works and how to move it safely
• You value relationships and interaction

With which option do you identify most? Can you recognize times when you’ve been in one camp or the other? Has it changed over time?

To dive deeper into finding a good workout option, check out our “What Type of Gym is Right for You?” Quiz

 

“I just want to lose belly fat.” I received this request on our website for the 30,000th time the other day.

Over the years the fitness industry has tried to do so many things to lose belly fat – blast it, torch it, pound it, crush it, slay it, eliminate, and reduce it. Belly fat has been on the cover of thousands of fitness magazines. It has been a point of frustration for millions of gym-goers for decades. It’s the reason that people do extra crunches, sit-ups, and “cardio” at the end of their workouts. Some of our most popular podcasts are on our fixation with abs and what it actually takes to lose belly fat. Hopefully, we can finally put this to rest. Spoiler alert: nothing sexy, magic, or supplement-based lies ahead. 

1. Know WHAT you’re losing

2017 was the year that we adamantly asked that you ditch your scale. Time and time again we found that people were losing weight but NOT losing fat (what you want to lose). We also found that people were gaining weight but losing considerable amounts of fat (read: increasing metabolism). If you find yourself losing more than one to two pounds per week, there’s a high likelihood that you’re losing lean tissue and water. In that case, you’re likely causing an adverse reaction to your metabolism. Translation: you’re going to gain all that weight back PLUS some. Seriously… knock it off with the weighing yourself. Find your closest gym, doctor’s office, or nutritionist with reliable body composition testing and begin testing every 8 weeks or so (if you’re doing something to change your body composition).

2. Increase your metabolism (or, grab something heavy)

“How to increase my metabolism” is on par with “how to lose belly fat” in the misunderstood physiology department. There’s the perception that people are born with a “fast” or a “slow” metabolism when, in fact, this is a measurable data point that you can control quite a bit. The genetic – or “born with” – factor of metabolism is how one carries their body fat. Where you carry fat or muscle is very much a genetic burden. Some people can actually have dangerously high body fat along with a 6-pack. Consider them lucky now because these folks often have the most difficult times maintaining good habits later in life.

But on to your metabolism. When we refer to “metabolism” we’re referring to your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BRM. Put simply, it’s how many calories you’ll burn while binge-watching Stranger Things. Basically, there are active and passive tissues in your body. Active tissues require oxygen to stay alive while passive tissues don’t. I like to think of this like a car – the gasoline is what you eat and it is mixed with air to combust in your engine. Your BMR is the size of your engine. A larger engine will consume more fuel – i.e. belly fat – throughout the day. We want a larger engine, or more of the tissue that requires oxygen so that it uses passive tissues as fuel. The only active tissue that we can control (you can’t grow and extra set of eyeballs just yet) is your muscle mass. More muscle = higher metabolism. If you want to lose belly fat, your workout MUST include large, compound movements that increase lean tissue – back squat, deadlift, press, cleans, and dumb bells are all great options.

3. You’ll need to eat fewer calories

So sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, here. No super-food or the 7 Foods Guaranteed to Lose Belly Fat will actually do anything magical for you. You’ll simply need to eat less calories than your body is burning (see #2) over a long period of time. I’m going to rewind so it sinks in: OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. Want to lose 20 pounds of fat? You can probably achieve this over the course of a very diligent 6 months. 40 pounds? Probably a year.

Sure, you can go down to 800 calories a day and sustain this for a month. After that month, your metabolism has TANKED thanks to you starving all of the active tissues (again, see #2) that actually burn fat. Thankfully for most of us, eating fewer calories does NOT mean eating less. I’ve yet to work with a client that wasn’t still consuming calorie-dense treats. I’ve whittled down how to eat fewer calories, while eating more food into two small changes:

• Eat two to three handfuls of veggies at each meal
• Eat a palm-sized piece of lean protein at each meal

Boom. Seriously, you’re not doing either one of these and THEY’RE THE FIRST THINGS YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU WANT TO LOSE BELLY FAT. Knock it off with the breakfast bars and do not buy another smoothie or drink product. They’re all BS. Eat lean meats and veggies at each meal – you’ll be full and you’ll increase your metabolism.

4. Have someone in your corner

Of the very small minority of Americans who work out on a regular basis, there is one thing in common: they have a training partner or a coach. You we may look at the guys in the weight room with ear buds in or the jogger we see every morning on our commute to work and think: “I’m gonna do that one day.” No, you’re not. It took them years to develop that habit. Chances are, that habit began when they were in youth sports at eight years old. No matter how much believe that 2018 is your year, it just isn’t. You’re going to need some external motivation when you inevitably lose your’s.

Find a coach, a training partner, or a trainer. Find a real human being that will rely on you to show up and put in the work that is necessary both in and out of the gym. Maybe you’ve been working out solo for years and not seeing the results you want. I’m going to bet that you gravitate toward the comfortable things in the gym – find someone that’ll keep you accountable to do difficult work. Or, maybe things aren’t all that great in the kitchen. Find an accountability partner at work and share some recipes.

Wrapping up

I’m sorry if you clicked this expecting to finally have the 4-step secret. Here’s the secret: there is none. You’ll need to lift weights, you’ll need to eat veggies, you’ll need to wake up a little earlier, and you’ll have success if you have someone helping you out. Trust me on this: it’s much easier to sell a pill or shake to someone each month than it is to come alongside them to help with training, eating better, and all the emotional baggage that comes along with that. There’s a reason the industry sells you “7 Steps…” and “Superfoods”. It’s because that is much easier than actually helping you. Let that be your guide.

Ah, the holidays. They’re such a great time to get together with family and friends, eat (lots) of great food, and make a few less trips to the gym. It’s no wonder that New Years Resolutions come on the tail-end of the shortest, most food-filled days. The majority of resolutions involve some type of healthy habit or self improvement and over 90% of them fail.

I’m guilty too. I’ve made proclamations that I’ll read more, spend less time working, and start a new hobby only to find the resolution fall by the wayside come February. A lot has been said (and I’ve written plenty on the subject) about why so many people fail. Yet… the same thing happens every. single. year. Gearing up for the holidays this year has me thinking about some type of rubric to check our resolutions against likelihood of success or failure. At a recent conference I was introduced to Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory. Albeit a very simplified version of his theory, I believe I finally found something that sheds some light on resolution failure.

Wilber’s theory outlines four quadrants – like foursquare – that make up one’s personal development. Again, I’m dumbing this way down, but here’s the broad strokes:

1. Interior-Individual “How I feel about myself”	2. Exterior-Individual “How I act”
3. Interior-Collective “How others feel about me.”	4. Exterior-Collective “The systems I’m in”

The theory suggests that you can make a behavior change when at least 3 of the 4 quadrants are accounted for. This makes a ton of sense to me. It explains why it is so difficult for a 28 year-old who is kinda out of shape to make a lifestyle change whereas someone around middle age who has a major cardiac event due to lifestyle diseases will create habits that stick the very next day. Consequences of poor health are a slow-moving glacier. There’s no urgency to change… until there is. Let’s dissect each of these quadrants as it relates to this year’s resolution:

1. How I feel about myself

Due in large part to gluttonous holidays and this finally being the year that… it is very easy to feel motivation on January 1st. You feel motivated and energized. You sign up for a gym membership. You’re going to do this thing! But then motivation is lost. It’s important to come to the realization that motivation is a made-up construct. A momentary electromagnetic pulse in your brain caused by temporary events. It will run out. Go into the New Year knowing that this quadrant will only last you 6 weeks. You’re going to need to make sure the other 3 are squared (pun intended) away or you’ll be one of the 92% come February.

2. How I act

This quote isn’t mine, but I can’t remember where I heard it. I say it to myself daily. “Feeling like doing the thing has nothing to do with the thing.” YOU DON’T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE BEING A BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF TO TAKE ACTION. In fact, it is important to accept the realization that a lot of life is doing the right thing absent your feelings about it. This is a quadrant neglected by most somewhat healthy middle class people. Once motivation or the slightest hint of difficulty comes along, they no longer feel like doing the right thing. Your feelings have nothing to do with your actions. Imagine if you used going to the gym as your “practice” for life. Whether you feel like it or not, you go. By practicing delayed gratification despite your feelings, you’re becoming a better employee, significant other, and citizen.

3. How others feel about me

When resolution time comes around, the five closest people to you will likely be on board with this new change. Your spouse may help you clean out the cabinet and even join the gym. Your co-workers may bring donuts into the office a little less. There are certainly no more holiday cookies floating around. Your business associates will totally get it when you opt for a walking meeting instead of BBQ. But they, too, will lose motivation. You’ll someone consistent in your corner. Find a gym buddy. Commit to a schedule (whether you feel like it or not), and do not let each other slip. Find a coach that will hold you accountable.

4. My community (systems)

I don’t recommend you buy a new house this New Year. I don’t recommend you move to a more “green” city. But, I want you to recognize ways you can create systems in your own community to impact change in your own life. If you manage people, institute a culture of walking and standing. Eliminate lunch meetings and happy hours for more active team building opportunities. Volunteer. Give back. I can guarantee with almost 100% certainty that a focus on giving back and serving others will result in you sticking to your own resolution. Join a gym that wants you to go, not sell you a contract and hope you won’t show up. Start a club. Whatever it takes, identify the systems that will lead to maintaining your new habit.

Take a moment to recognize that you’ll be firing on all cylinders going into 2018. You may even be able to check the box in all four quadrants. But please recognize that, inevitably, these squares will begin to fall off. The first to go will be #1. You won’t be motivated. Then goes square #2 – you won’t act like a motivated person acts. From there, it all comes tumbling down. Prior to February, take a moment to identify the ways that you’ll recognize and intercept the challenges as they come along.

Productivity is important. Exercise is important. And, you’re busy.

“I can’t find the time…” It’s easily the number one reason people give for not adopting healthy lifestyle habits. But, what if exercise actually made you more productive? What if, with increased productivity, you actually had more time in your day?

When you were younger, you had an elementary understanding of finances. Maybe you had a checking account that you would balance each week. Money in, money out. Don’t write a check for money you don’t have. Pretty simple, right? Your next financial experience was likely the purchase of a home. But, that mortgage is technically money you don’t have right? I thought you weren’t supposed to spend money you don’t have. Your understanding of equity and the housing market probably led you to know that this was an investment; that, ultimately, your investment would be worth more than the mortgage.

Why do you treat your time like a simple checking account? Why do you still believe that a 1/2 hour spent on your nutrition or fitness won’t yield a 2, 3, or 4 times return on investment? What if the discipline you develop through a more regimented routine yielded more productivity in the office? Here are some ways that exercise can measurably improve your productivity.

You’ll have more energy.

Exercise promotes the production of mitochondria in your body’s cells. More mitochondria = more energy. Think of it like a thermostat – when your home reaches a certain temperature, the thermostat kicks in. Working out is like a thermostat. When you exercise, your brain is triggered to generate more energy to account for the increased physical activity. Remember: your brain and body haven’t quite evolved for office work. So, if you don’t exert yourself physically, your body’s default response is to maintain a low-energy mode.

You’ll be happier.

Exercise produces endorphins shortly after a workout. Endorphins are what contribute to the common “Runners High.” Additionally, completing a workout will give you a “victory” for the day. As you work your way up the chain of management or build your own company, projects tend to get longer and more tedious. A workout has a definitive beginning and end – a feeling that can be very satisfying amidst long deadlines.

You’ll have perspective.

Humans are keenly adapted for survival. Our deep-rooted “fight or flight” response allows us ignore extreme pain, exert a tremendous amount of physical force, and evade danger at a very fast rate. This came in handy as our ancestors roamed the wilderness surrounded by all kinds of dangerous sharp-toothed predators. There are no saber-toothed tigers in your office, but you still have that same fight-or-flight response. Only now, you’re not using those fight-or-flight brain chemicals to run from a wolf, you’re using them to empty your inbox. This response increases cortisol – a hormone related to stress and weight gain. By exerting yourself physically, you’re training your body to have a more appropriate – and differentiated – response to physical stress in the gym and less physical stress in the office.

You’ll be more disciplined with the time you do have.

When I was in my last semester of college, I needed 18 credit hours to graduate. Between that and a part-time job, I couldn’t fathom a scenario in which I would be busier than that semester. Then I graduated smack-dab in the middle of a recession. I had 3 jobs, was planning a wedding, and trying to move to a new city. An 18-hour semester would have been a respite from that schedule. Then I got my first “real” job. Now, I had deadlines, managers, a start time, calendar, meetings, and projects. I was busier than ever! Then, I got promoted to manager. WHAT?! What was I complaining about before? Then I started a business. Then I started another business… and then another. What the hell is wrong with me?!

I think you see where I’m going. You actually are capable of MUCH more than you think. Unfortunately, we tend to feel like our current schedule is the maximum we can handle. Much like we tend to fill out the houses in which we live. When you’re in a dorm room, you have a dorm room’s worth of crap. Move to a 10,000 square foot house and you magically find 10,000 square feet worth of possessions.

Begin to think of your time as intelligently as you think of money and investments. A dollar invested isn’t a dollar spent. An hour can be spent or it can be invested. Your choice.

 

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” While I don’t think Benjamin Franklin was big on meal prep, this is absolutely true when it comes to eating healthy and staying consistent with a workout plan. I’m consistently amazed at how people go into Monday morning without a plan for breakfast, let alone lunches and snacks throughout the week. What do we think will happen? Veggies and lean protein will not fall like manna from above. You must account for needing to eat 2-3 times while you’re away from your home. Without a plan, you’ll default to the quickest, easiest decision no matter how motivated you happen to feel at the moment.

This phenomenon is called “Decision Fatigue.” Basically, the number of decisions you can make in a given day is a zero-sum game. Whether you’re deciding on quarterly objectives for Microsoft or deciding which belt goes best with your watch, you’ve just “spent” a decision. This is why habits like laying out your clothes the night before, making your bed, and meal prep are so key for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Let’s take a look at some low-hanging fruit when it comes to making nutrition choices easier with meal prep.

1. Understand your time value

I was just listening to a physics professor lecture about the sheer magnitude of the quantity of stars in the observable universe. He used money to illustrate what billions truly meant. He used Bill Gates’ (at the time) estimated net worth of $50 billion. Basically, his question was: “What denomination of coin would the average American (based upon their annual salary) take the time to stop and pick up?” The audience agreed that this coin was somewhere between a dime and a quarter. Using the quarter as an example and the average American’s net worth compared to Bill Gates’ as a scale, the professor noted that Bill Gates would not stop to pick up anything less than $45,000!

So, the first question you need to ask yourself is this: Should I be doing my own meal prep? Personally, I LOVE meal prep. I really like to cook and try new things and feel a sense of preparation for the week to come when I complete meal prep. You may hate it. A quick way to gauge this is by taking your annual salary and breaking it down to an hourly rate. If the cost difference between doing your own meal prep for 3-4 hours/week and buying meals from a company does not account for your “hourly rate,” you’d probably be better off buying your meals pre-prepped.

TIP: Be sure to choose a meal company that publishes their caloric and macro-nutritional data on the labels and PAY ATTENTION. Remember, “clean and healthy” doesn’t necessarily mean it has a responsible amount of calories.

2. Stop using recipes

Everyone wants a recipe. Recipes are fun to try for dinner with a significant other or friends. But, recipes are a quick way to make meal prep take way too long and cost way too much. Recipes usually require one or two unique ingredients that would only be required by that particular recipe. These ingredients tend to be niche, expensive, and sit in your cupboard until you move. To keep the cost of food prep low and your adherence high, avoid going to a recipe. Instead…

3. Think of food prep in “macros”

I’m not say to count your macros. If you’re new to food prep, you’re still a year or two away from needing to tweak things on the macro-nutrient level. For the purposes of quick and cost-efficient food prep, however, let’s begin to look at macros as a way to “build” your meals:

Carbs: Rice, beans, tortillas, oats, quinoa, and potatoes are all great sources of carbs that can be prepared en masse and stay good throughout the week.

Lean protein: Salmon patties, chicken, lean beef, bison, eggs, and lean pork are all great lean protein options that can be grilled or baked in large quantities.

Fats: Olive oil, peanut butter, and avocado make for great food-prep fats. Be sure to account for whatever fats you use in cooking so you don’t over-do it on your calories.

By pre-preparing larger quantities of macro-nutrients, you can use them as “building blocks” to make healthy meals that won’t get boring.

4. The slow-cooker is your friend

Seriously. I own two slow cookers that I use on a weekly basis – one for carbs and one for protein. You can throw a bunch of brown rice in one and slow cook some lean beef in the other. In some cases, a slow cooker may have a steamer basket where you can throw some baby potatoes or some sweet potatoes to steam while you’re cooking rice. The slow cooker is a great hands-off way to build some seriously great meals.

5. Ditch the salad for some veggies!

Last but certainly not least are vegetables in the meal prep equation. I prefer to get the maximum fiber and micro-nutrient bang for my buck, so I opt to go with raw veggies in a sandwich bag. Salads aren’t a great workday meal prep item because they tend to get soggy and cumbersome to eat, so we’ll save our leafy greens for dinner. Find a hummus or other low-cal dip that you like and eat a full sandwich baggie of assorted veggies each day – split between two meals or snacks.

Forming a habit with meal prep is just like forming a habit with anything else. The #1 rule is to not let perfection be the enemy of progress. Start small and build. If you fall off the program, just hop right back on tomorrow.

I’ll be the first to admit that I wear a watch with a step counter. But, it’s the only piece of wearable technology I’ve ever used. Several months ago I noticed that I was getting in an extra 5,000 steps out of nowhere. I was very proud of myself; maybe taking it a step too far in bragging about my 15,000 step days. One day I tried to retrace these newfound steps. After going through my day, it dawned on me that my recent uptick in steps coincided with my return to playing the drums on a daily basis. These weren’t steps at all! These 5,000 steps were 5,000 flicks of my wrist in a 30 minute drum session. Imagine if I relied on this app for my calorie intake? I could’ve easily made a 10% swing in my “allotted” calories according to this app and my waistline would be the victim.

Is wearable technology worth the money?

I had the pleasure of interviewing Phil White, co-author of Unplugged, a book about wearable technology, measurable bio-markers, and evolving from tech dependence. In our discussion, he mentioned a 2017 in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise that found the range of accuracy of wearable technology to be between 40%-92%. That’s a HUGE range. 

As a thought experiment, let’s give wearable technology the benefit of the doubt and use the 92% accuracy as an example. I buy a wearable device, input all the usual data – for how long I work out on a weekly basis, my age, and my weight. It gathers data such as for how long I stand on a given day, my sleep quality, and how many steps I take in a given day. It spits out a calorie recommendation for body composition maintenance of 2,200. Let’s say that number is only 92% accurate in excess but I religiously stick to my calorie recommendation. I’d be eating an excess of 175 calories in a given day. In this scenario, I would gain a pound of fat every three weeks. That’s over 17 pounds of excess fat in a year. And this is the really accurate wearable technology. 

What data should you NOT track?

We love data. We love the instant feedback that a number gives us. It’s much easier to monitor our heart rate than to look at creating sustainable lifestyle habits for the long-term. But, what does heart rate actually tell us? Well, it only tells us how many times our ticker pumped in a given minute. This isn’t a measure of calories burned, VO2 max, metabolism, or fat loss. There is no “fat burning zone” and the standard 220 minus your age measure has proven to be wildly inaccurate.

If you’re a competitive endurance athlete, it may be worth using heart rate variability to maximize your training. Notice I said variability. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) can be a great way to monitor your stress levels, diet efficacy, and sleep. It will require multiple measures throughout the day & week. You can adjust your training volume accordingly. Simply strapping on a heart rate monitor during a training session tells you nothing. 

What data should you track?

Lean body mass

Your lean body mass (muscle tissue) measured against your body fat will provide you a much more accurate picture of your actual health and is a greater indicator of mortality. Stop weighing yourself on the scale and hop on a more accurate machine. Your lean body mass can give you a more accurate measure of your basal metabolic rate (how “high” or “low” is your metabolism?)

Leg strength

Another great measure of long-term mobility and quality of life is leg strength. Going into middle age with a strong lower half will ensure a lifetime of increased independence.

VO2 max

VO2 max sounds like a really complicated test that would require an extraordinary amount of wearable technology. You can go that route, but there are other ways to measure your current aerobic capacity. This can be done using a simple six minute walk/run test for maximum distance. I like to use the “breath” test – measuring how long you can sustain an aerobic workout requiring heavy breathing.

Takeaway

If you like the fashion of wearable technology by all means buy some wearables. Don’t put any stock in the data, however. If you need a reminder to stand up and walk – your cell phone can do this for you. Strapping on a heart rate monitor during a workout – especially in a group setting – is pointless and potentially very dangerous. Individuals’ heart rate variability and capacity can vary wildly and to assume that a group of people should fall into the same “zone” could have potentially disastrous effects.

Furthermore, what if we began to enjoy movement for its own sake? What if we got out for a walk not to accumulate steps, but to get away from a screen and feel the sun on our faces? What if we stood up from our desks not because our watch told us, but because life is best lived actively and in motion?