Eat Clean, Train Mean, Sleep Hard: Fundamentals of Weight Loss, Fitness & Goal Kicking!

SLEEP!! Sleep is one so many times gets overlooked.  

Eating clean & training mean are just 2 of 3 fundamentals of weight loss, fitness and well, success in all things in life. Quality sleep is the third in that key trio and, for me, I am starting to see it as the most important right now!!

It’s almost the end of Week 4, Round 2 12WBT and more than ever I am focussed on balance and consistency after a very busy time at work followed by 2 weeks of bliss overseas. I’ve returned to home this week so restoring normal life and finding the current balance that works for me is the theme.

I’ve been reflecting on the last 4 weeks, which have been fantastic, but without a routine and let’s face it, 2 weeks lounging around a resort or having adventures is hardly ‘balanced’ … it’s fun, it’s gotta be done from time to time… but now we return to normal programming, or at least try to!! Haha.

I’ve also been reflecting on the bigger picture and what I think really helps me nail my goals – weight loss, fitness / training and other goals.  It’s not just the Eat Clean, Train Mean mantra. That is a huge part of it… but for me, SLEEP is paramount. That is the foundation.

If I sleep well then the eating clean and training mean just follows these days.  And… when I eat clean & train mean… I shed body fat, I build lean muscle, my strength & fitness increase and I feel sensational. And… *most importantly* for me, with all that humming along like clock work I have tonnes of energy to tackle goals and challenges in my life in all other areas.

However, if I am not nailing the SLEEP part of it well gradually it all falls apart despite my very best efforts to keep everything happening. I can compensate for days, even weeks because there’s that bit of my personality that will just push me beyond that limit and I will burn out if I am not paying attention to my body. Even pushing through it for a few days is not smart. That only makes me more tired or frazzled when sleep is the solution.

I’ve had a goal setting session with my fantastic Zenergy PT, Mase, this week and I hit him with the words that were at the forefront of my mind when I thought about goals for the next 4 – 8 weeks. Words like: balance, consistency and simplify. We talked about any barriers to getting back into a post-Phuket clean eating and training mean routine. I was quick & firm in my response: Eating clean and training mean are not an issue IF I GET ENOUGH SLEEP! It is that simple.

I have shifted my thinking from spending the earlier part of my life giving sleep a derisive glare to rating sleep at Number 1 thing to have in place because from that all else flows for me. I used to buy into all those quotes that “Sleep is for the weak”… or “Sleep is what boring people do”… or I would “Sleep when I’m dead”. Over the year or so I have realised that those old ways of thinking about sleep didn’t work out so well for me… and that they can easily creep back into my life too. I can easily go down that bullshit “Work Hard. Play Harder.” path. And I can just as easily do the “Workaholic Burn Out” thing – these are habits of my past that sneak in easily. Elements of my personality or my response to certain environments and it’s not healthy. So – the focus is on putting some of those ideas to bed once and for all! I love sleep!   You will be hearing more from me on this blog & around the place about sleep I think!!

Eat Clean. Train Mean. Sleep Hard.

That is my new mantra.

What are your experiences with sleep or lack there of? How does it affect you?

On that note… it’s time to prepare for some shut eye! Ni-ni!!

xx Ange

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