Meal Prep Expectations, Protein Portions, "Practice! Don't Workout!"

Hey there - it’s Don.

Happy Friday!

This week I thought a lot about brain fog and its causes, and I started to do some research. There are a lot of connections between brain fog and diet, and as I stumble across resources I’ll be linking them in the newsletter. I have a few resources in that category today.

The mind is an incredible gift from God, and like the body, it’s something that requires stewardship.

If you’re new to the newsletter, my name is Don and I own Layman’s Fitness, which is a business that helps Christian guys lose weight and build strength all at home.

And, if you are a Christian guy who wants to follow a structured process that helps you lose weight and build strength while realistically fitting into your schedule, just click here to learn how we can work together.

Let’s jump into this week’s Fit Tip Friday!

🔎 In This Fit Tip Friday

Inside you’ll find:

• Meal prep expectations

• Protein portions

• “Practice! Don’t workout!”

• A Harvard nutritionist eats these 10 foods to fuel brain health and stay sharp…. (and more finds)

• The art of excuse making

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Tip #1: Meal Prep Expectations

With meal prep, I want my fridge to look like the Container Store.

I imagine opening my fridge and looking at 7 days worth of meals already prepared, neatly organized in tidy little Tupperware compartments.

But this is unrealistic, especially with little kids… who, by the way, would look at a Container Store-like fridge as a playground.

So here are some of the bulk decisions we make as a family that help us eat healthy:

• 1-3x a week, cook/grill a bunch of meat in bulk and store that in a massive Tupperware. Ground beef, chicken, pulled pork, burger patties, chicken sausages, etc… Pull the meat out and add to breakfast & lunches.

• Always make enough dinner for leftovers to have for lunch the following day.

• Have 24+ eggs in the fridge. Have eggs most days for breakfast.

• Buy healthy snacks in bulk, like apples, clementines, bananas, Greek Yogurt, cottage cheese, carrot sticks, beef jerky, etc…

Tip #2: Protein Portions

Simplicity is the foundation of consistency.

And using my hand as a simple measuring stick has helped me be consistent with my daily protein portions.

• 20-30 grams of protein is about the size of a palm

• 40-50 grams of protein is about the size of a hand

Easy measuring.

Tip #3: “Practice! Don’t Workout!”

This was one of the biggest mindset shifts for me with exercise in the last few years. And I didn’t understand this mindset at first. 

Practice? 

Isn’t the point of exercising to walk away with a burn? Or to get drenched in sweat at the end? Or to wake up feeling sore the next day? 

Practicing sounded… lame. And like a waste of time. 

This all changed for me when I started to “practice” the kettlebell movements, and I quickly realized that I was terrible with these kettlebell movements. 

I was terrible because these movements required skill. And I didn’t have any skills yet. 

So I had to practice. 

This was an entirely different mindset. But this has made my workouts far more enjoyable.

🔎 Finds/Resources This Week

Here are some of my favorite finds/resources this week.

Nutrition/Weight Loss

• A Harvard nutritionist eats these 10 foods to fuel the brain and stay sharp (more)

• How diet influences brain fog (more)

• Water significantly affects energy levels and brain function (more)

• Why good sleep habits are important for overweight adults (more)

• Why so many Americans lose weight when traveling to Europe (more)

Training

• The fitness secrets of Eric Leija, a kettlebell master (more)

• Full body kettlebell workout for beginners (more)

• The kettlebell market is expected to grow 15% annually in the next 7-8 years (more)

What’s New from Layman’s Fitness

• This easy to prep burger bowl recipe our kids love, with secret sauce (more)

• This 20 minute beginner kettlebell workout for busy dads (more)

🦥 The Art of Excuse Making

The Sluggard is an artist when it comes to making excuses.

He draws the outline of a dangerous lion. He emphasizes the sharpness of the lion’s teeth and claws with bold strokes of his pencil. He paints the lion with a terrible and frightening display of color.

Then he puts this painting in the hallway next to his door, as a reminder for him that this dangerous creature lives out there.

But the lion only exists on his wall in the form of a painting.

Sure, there may be an actual lion outside… somewhere. But everyone else who is walking around in the street doesn’t seem to be eaten on the spot by a prowling lion.

This is exactly what excuse making does. It makes us believe something to be real, when in fact, it’s not.

Elaborate excuses are imaginary.

Here’s what Matthew Henry says about this verse:

This hits home for me in so many areas of life… especially with fitness.

And each time I find an excuse escaping my mouth, I have to remember the Sluggard did that too.

👍 Thanks for reading!

I’ll see you next week.

Be strong,

Don

P.S… This guy not only makes his kettlebells at home, but also probably tosses them over his home.