Have you ever wondered what the best practices / habits / mindsets are of people who are fit?’ Kudos here to Chalene Johnson who created the list below. I’ve added my own spin to provide color and personality based on my lifestyle, but the habits themselves are her own work. Yes, integrity is important so credit those that create original content.

One caveat as you read through this list: know that individuals are — well individuals — meaning that there is no one size fits all. This isn’t a short-term fix but a way of life. So what do these type of people have in common?

Healthy Habit #1: They don’t ‘diet’ — they follow a specific lifestyle diet

The concept of ‘dieting’ is bogus. It causes a state of lack and want rather than a state of knowing your body. A life of chicken and broccoli is unsustainable and once the body figures things out metabolically, it will boomerang so crazy that you’ll find yourself driving to every donut shop for an eating frenzy. Most super fit people generally eat the same types of foods as their primary stash, at the same intervals, and then add in supplementary foods to satisfy and satiate. In my case, I stick to primarily lean protein, whole fruits and veggies and water, then supplement in with a starch to satisfy. If I have a desire for something sweet, then I’ll take a bite or two of that. This is how I eat every damn day.

Wine is a trigger for me to indulge more in starches, so knowing that about myself, I either avoid it entirely or I dial down on another meal earlier in the day if it looks like wine is in the plans for later than evening.

These people discover their core foods. Foods that they eat daily.

Here’s some my ‘go to’ snack options: a high quality protein bar, a bag of veggies, raw almonds, cashews or even a hard-boiled egg. My gut can’t handle dairy well, so I avoid that. I know this because I eliminated it for 2 weeks, re-introduced it, and had symptoms of bloating and gas. So again, the only way to tell how your body responds to foods is to remove it for a period of time then reintroduce it and see the effect. By sticking to the same core foods, healthy fit people are able to predict and stay true to the same calories (generally) over time.

Now if you are hungry, have low energy, and are craving foods, this indicates a metabolic issue and needs to be addressed. Mood and sleep should also be watched. If you’re moody, can’t sleep well, or have broken sleep patterns, those are all indicators of a metabolic issue.

Research tells us that weight loss is a combination of two factors: metabolic health and caloric deficit. You need both for weight loss success. Most healthy fit people don’t need to worry about that because their weight stabilizes over time; however, if their training program is adjusted, additional or fewer calories may need adjustment.

These people don’t necessarily obsess over the number of macros or calorie count. By virtue of this habit, they don’t need to because they are eating similar foods in similar quantities day in and day out.

Healthy Habit #2: They don’t start their day with breakfast

Wait, what? Yes, most healthy fit people aren’t cooking up the bacon and eggs at the crack of dawn. They may have a little protein or complex carbs pre-workout if they’re working out in the morning, but a ton of people workout in the morning and do it on an empty stomach (fasting) or very little food. Their first meal is typically 11am – 12pm. Shocked?

Personally, I don’t eat much breakfast either. I workout in the morning, fasted, and have a high quality complete meal replacement shake that blends high-quality, undenatured whey protein from grass fed cows from New Zealand or a vegan option, low-glycemic carbs and healthy fats mixed with some frozen berries, half a frozen banana, and some slivered almonds about 11am which is my first meal. I’m just not hungry until then so I honor that and go with it.

During my workout, I have a custom mixed drink with cold-pressed fruits, greens, and an herbal-based tonic infused with vitamins, minerals, and adaptogens (for stress, fatigue, endurance, performance) and a green tea, yerba mate, naturally sourced caffeine energy ‘shot’ (to kick-start my workout and give me clarity/focus and help with recovery). It’s important to keep your body in a state of alkalinity and the cold-pressed fruits and greens do that for me.

Healthy Habit #3: They hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Water, replenishing, water, replenishing. Individuals who are healthy and super fit are constantly rehydrating with water.

Healthy Habit #4: They eat smaller meals more often

Yes, these type of people are eating a little all day long and then go without eating in the evening after their last meal through their first meal in the morning.

They are eating approximately the same time, and eating enough to keep their metabolism revved up but they aren’t eating a ton at night. Healthy, fit people stop eating about the same time each night and they generally stick to it.

Healthy Habit #5: They eat whole foods

This means foods that resemble the natural state as close as possible. So, yes, grill your own chicken, bake your own veggies, create your own turkey meatballs, fix your own salads and put your turkey meatballs on top, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pack your own snacks. Yes, I did buy my daughter her own lunch box for Christmas – LOL. Sorry, not sorry. It’s my job as a parent to teach my kids a healthy lifestyle.

Stop with the all or nothing approach. It’s not. Start to learn about nutrition, enlist help of others that went before you, implement some of these practices and adjust.

Healthy Habit #6: They become experts in nutrition

There is so much information available to each of us. It’s a shame not to take complete advantage of all of the free resources out there to learn something new. Download a podcast, an audio book and listen during your time in the car, on your walk, doing laundry, while you’re preparing dinner.

Knowledge gives us confidence. Knowledge changes our beliefs. When we change our beliefs, we change our habits — Chalene Johnson

The more you become an expert in nutrition, and understand what is going on with our bodies because of food, you’ll start to make changes not because someone told you to do it, but because you want to.

Healthy Habit #7: They aren’t picky eaters, but careful eaters

Healthy, fit individuals have balance. They understand how to read a menu, how to modify what is in a dish, etc. to honor habit #1. These individuals aren’t obsessive, but are careful with what they eat, how much, and when. They know what is happening in their day and plan in their mind how to maneuver the food for the day. For example, if there is social event that afternoon, the healthy fit person would probably eat beforehand and then navigate the food table as needed.

As for alcohol, most healthy fit people would either avoid it all together (especially if there is an activity early that next morning) or they would have one along with lots of water (habit #3). Why avoid alcohol? That’s another blog post coming soon, but there are a plethora of reasons.

A careful eater is reading labels, cares what’s in the foods they are choosing, and uses the whole foods as the core of any meal (habit #5) to get ‘full’ then uses the complex carbs as that satisfying tool. A careful eater also thinks about how certain foods play into their energy. For me, I cannot eat donuts. Well, I can, but when I do, firstly, I want more than one, and secondly, about an hour after eating that delicious fried yummy round ball of flour, water, and salt, I need a pot of coffee to get me off from the floor. My energy levels literally drop hard and it’s not pretty. How do I know that? I’ve experimented and I pay attention to my body.

A careful eater is aware of what happening the next morning. If I have a long run in the AM, I avoid certain foods and gravitate towards others. How do I know that? I’ve experimented and I pay attention to my body. I know what fuels my body and what it needs to endure and perform.

Healthy habit #8: They shop and fill their home with healthy, whole foods

Wash, clean, and cut (if necessary) veggies and fruit, and put them eye level in your fridge. Cut lemons and put them in a Tupperware container so you can easily throw one in your water (habit #3). Carry a water bottle every where you go. For Christmas I bought 4 new S’well bottles and gave them out as gifts. Yes, I’m obnoxious like that. But, I also want all my family healthy and promote that with the gifts I either make or buy for them.

Prep some food on the weekend, so during the busy week, you have choices to pick from. Freeze some of your prepped food so you have lunch options. Get out that lunch box (remember the one I bought for my daughter?) and fill it with healthy snack foods and carry that little lovely thing with you in your car, in your backpack, etc. Take it to meetings if you have to. Yes, I do that. Many days, I can be in back-to-back meetings and I refuse to let someone else dictate my health. I know, I’m a bit sassy.

Healthy habit #9: They stop eating at a specific period of time 

Go to bed with an empty stomach. Instead of satiating yourself with food, why not satiate yourself with knowledge? Pick up a book. Call a friend. Color. Give your body a time to rest. It’s actually a good, healthy thing to do and the super fit healthy people do it consistently.

Start craving the feeling of rest, feeling recharged, a flat stomach. This is opposed to a body that is tossing and turning, a feeling of bloat and waking up feeling like you haven’t rested all night due to the food you shouldn’t have had. Once you begin to think in your mind what you want, then it’s easier to make healthier choices.

As you can see, healthy, fit people aren’t made overnight. They are made with repeated actions and habits.

Healthy habit #10: They know how to be politely picky eaters at restaurants

Yes, I’m one of these. Be extra polite. Chicken or fish? Ask them how it’s going to be prepared. If its pan fried in butter, ask them if there is an option to having it baked, perhaps un-breaded with sauce on the side. Easy peasy. All they can say is no or give you the stinky eye.

Healthy habit #11: They know when they are triggered by emotional eating

You all know those times. Mindless eating, picking at food in the kitchen etc. If you aren’t stomach hungry, then you’re not eating for fuel, but eating because of emotions. Identifying those times, then switching your brain in knowing you are eating not because you are actually hungry, but because you need a break from an activity or are under stress is the first step to change the behavior.

Healthy fit people are able to know this because they are in touch with their bodies. They use their bodies daily. They honor their bodies and know that with a fit healthy shell, they are more capable of performing other necessary activities than the unfit individual.

Healthy habit #12: They practice intermittent fasting

Yes, research is now validating that intermittent fasting (a practice that practitioners have promoted for centuries) is good for bodies. In fact, one of the key factors that got my metabolism back on track in 2013 was a weekly 24 hour nutritional cleanse — not a poopy cleanse or a water/lemon/cayenne pepper concoction, but a cleanse that is supported with nutrients.

This gives the digestive track a rest, helps rid the body of visceral fat and other nasty elements that make their way into our bodies on a daily basis and with the nutrients that are in the cleanse drink I use, the body is completed supported through it all.

Healthy habit #13: They move their body every day

Our bodies are made to move. You don’t need to be an endurance athlete or spend hours in a gym lifting heavy weights to get the benefits of exercise. Walking is one of the best forms of movement a body can have. In fact, I’ve added walking into my schedule because it helps keeping stress at bay.

Healthy habit #14: They have daily rituals

Yes, once rituals are established, habits are formed. Once habits are formed, consistency is built up and there is progress. Once progress is made, success and belief happens.

They wake up early. Many meditate, write, journal, and move their body first thing in the morning. They plan the night before for the day ahead so they know exactly what needs to get accomplished and also use the morning hours to front end their day of success.

They are lifelong learners. Learn something new every single day. In the age of information overload, there is no reason why anyone shouldn’t be learning. Go to YouTube, watch a video, stream a podcast, and listen while in the car to appointments. Ask a mentor or person that is in the field you are interested in. Just learn and don’t be afraid to share what you’ve learned.

Sleep is also a key component to any fit individual’s lifestyle. It allows for recovery of the muscles and it is through sleep that human growth hormones are produced. You can read all about the effects of sleep loss here.

So there you have it. Inside the kimono of a few habits of the fit individual.

It’s not magic, it’s not special, it’s not hard, and it’s not a quick fix. It’s a lifestyle of experimentation and adjustment.