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About This Guide

This guide is designed to support your health and lifestyle, not to overwhelm you or give you too many rules to follow.

There is no “right” way to use it. You don’t need to complete every section, answer every question, or do things perfectly. Take what’s useful, leave what’s not, and come back to it whenever it feels helpful.

This is a lifestyle-focused approach, not a quick fix. The goal is better health, more energy, less stress, and habits that actually fit your real life.

Progress (no matter how small) matters more than perfection.

Consistency matters more than complexity.

Use this guide to:

• Reflect on what’s working and what’s not
• Clarify what you want more (and less) of
• Build awareness around food, movement, rest, and stress
• Make small, sustainable changes over time
• Let go of all the other noise and distractions

Adjust things as your life, priorities, and energy change. Health is not about doing more, it’s about doing what works for you.

It’s time to take back control where it matters most!

 

Health & Lifestyle Mindset

“Health” looks different today than it used to. Hustle culture, extreme discipline, and all-or-nothing thinking are no longer the goal. Sustainability, flexibility, and long-term wellbeing come first.

This mindset is built on a few simple principles:

• Progress over perfection
  Small improvements, repeated consistently, matter more than occasional extreme effort.
• Consistency is the key
  What you do most days shapes your health more than what you do occasionally.
• Enjoy the journey
  Food, movement, and life itself should be enjoyable. If something feels miserable, it’s unlikely to last.
• Health over quick fixes
  The focus is energy, strength, resilience and quality of life, not short-term results or trends.
• You are in control
  There is no single “right” way. You get to choose the tools, habits, and routines that fit your body and your life.
• Flexible, not rigid
  Life changes. Your approach to health should be able to change with it.

This is your year to make meaningful strides forward!

 

Eating for Health

This approach to eating is about nourishment, simplicity, and flexibility not rules, restriction, or perfection.

The focus is on real food, consistent habits, and listening to your body. Food should support your health, energy, and enjoyment of life, not become a source of stress.

Key principles:

• Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods most of the time
• Eat in a way that supports stable energy and good digestion
• Keep things simple and sustainable
• Stay flexible. Adjust based on life, training, stress, and social events.
• Don’t worry about being perfect, focus on the next right choice.

Intermittent Fasting as a Tool

Intermittent fasting is not a requirement and it’s not a diet. It’s simply one tool that can help with simplicity, appetite awareness, and metabolic health.

Common ways to use it:

• Time-restricted eating (eating windows)/ 2 meals: Used more as a lifestyle daily eating pattern
• 24-hour fast: fasting dinner to dinner few times a week (helps keeps overall calories for the week in check)
• Longer fasts (36–48+ hours): optional, advanced tools used infrequently for deeper cellular repair (may not be for everyone)

The key is just finding what fits best for you and your lifestyle. Things like hunger, cravings, blood sugar, focus, performance and overall lifestyle stress play into this (since fasting is also a form of stress)

Other Simple Eating Tips

• Keep meal timing fairly consistent to support circadian rhythm
• Include protein at each meal (satiety and muscle preservation)
• Eat a variety of colorful foods for micronutrients
• If carbs go up in a meal, fats should go down
• If fats go up in a meal, carbs should go down
• Eat slowly and be mindful of what you are putting into your body for health and energy

The goal is not to eat “perfectly.” The goal is to eat in an overall (big picture) way that supports your health, energy, and lifestyle.

Don’t worry about what happened yesterday, just focus on what you should do today and repeat.

Movement & Muscle

Frequent movement and whole body circulation is a great way to support health and deliver the nutrients the body needs to all parts.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming either.

Take 5 minute breaks throughout the day to go for a walk (especially if you are able to do it outside). Your brain will thank you as well.

Also, maintaining (and building) your muscle is a metabolic boost to help control blood sugar as well as support overall longevity.

Give your muscles a challenge a few times a week so they stay strong and adapt to grow even stronger for next time.

Simple Training Principles

• Focus on whole-body resistance training using compound movements
• Work in short, higher-intensity bursts rather than long, exhausting sessions
• Prioritize good form and quality reps over volume
• Train consistently, but allow flexibility based on recovery and life stress

• Move daily outside of workouts: walking, cycling, playing, yoga, or just exploring the world around you.

Ultimately it’s your choice what you do and how you do it, so go enjoy your active lifestyle!

Lifestyle, Recovery & Stress

Food and exercise matter, but lifestyle is the foundation. Chronic stress, poor sleep, and lack of recovery can undermine even the best nutrition and training plan.

Know when to slow down, recover/heal and protect your energy by making sure it’s being used to improve your health and not drain it. 

Core Focus Areas

• Sleep and recovery
  Prioritize regular, quality sleep. Consistent sleep and wake times support energy, mood, and appetite regulation.
• Stress reduction
  Identify ongoing stressors in your life (mental and physical) and look for ways to reduce, manage, or create boundaries around them.
• Rest as a skill
  Rest is not laziness. Scheduling downtime, quiet moments, and unstructured time is essential for health.
• Enjoyment and balance
  Make time for hobbies, creativity, nature, and play. These reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing.
• Relationships and connection
  Strong social connections support mental and emotional health. Invest time in people who energize and support you.
• Purpose over busyness
  Being busy is not the same as living well. Focus on what feels meaningful rather than constantly doing more.

Lifestyle changes don’t need to be dramatic. Small, intentional shifts that are repeated consistently make the biggest difference over time.

Let all the little wins add up!

Health & Lifestyle Review

The following section is for ongoing reflection, not judgment. 

To help you become more aware of what is working and what may not be. 

To help you stay focused on what matters most to you and let go of the rest. 

To help you take small steps to be the best you today. 

So grab a notepad/journal, pour your favorite drink, find a nice quiet/relaxing place and just write down whatever comes to mind. 

Just be honest with yourself. 

There are no wrong answers. 

There is no judgement.

Answer as many as you like.

You can do this anytime you want to have a review (make it a routine self check in).

You can print out the following page(s) to keep and reflect as needed, or copy and paste the questions into an online journal if you prefer a digital approach. 

At the end of the guide, you’ll also find the questions formatted with space for writing your own thoughts.

Diet & Health

• How has my eating and nutrition gone this year?
• What foods, meals, or habits supported my health and energy?
• What didn’t work as well? Why?
• What lessons have I learned about my diet and health?
• What is an ideal eating schedule for my lifestyle?
• What habits made the biggest positive difference?
• What health goals did I expect to work on but didn’t?
• Are they still important to me? How can I improve follow-through?
• What habits or foods feel less aligned with my health right now?

Movement & Training

• How has my movement and exercise gone this year?
• What workouts or routines worked well?
• What exercises gave me the best results?
• What did I enjoy most? What did I avoid? Why?
• What kind of movement can I do in small bursts daily?
• How has my strength, mobility, or endurance changed?
• What physical goals did I want to reach but didn’t?
• What habits accounted for most of my progress?
• What movement patterns or routines no longer serve me?

Lifestyle & Stress

• How has my overall lifestyle felt this year?
• What habits made my days better?
• What habits or situations made my days harder?
• What have I learned about rest, recovery, and stress?
• Where do I need better boundaries?
• Where am I getting distracted or wasting focus?
• What would help me feel calmer, more balanced, or more present?
• Are the people, places, or things around me supporting or draining my energy?”
• What gives me a sense of purpose or fulfillment in daily life?

Memories & Highlights

• Best meal or food experience
• Most energizing workout or movement moment
• Favorite walk or time outdoors
• Best night of sleep or recovery day
• Most relaxing day
• Most challenging week and what I learned from it
• A moment that reminded me why my health matters

Going Forward

• What do I want more of in my life this year? (Say YES to)
• What do I want less of? (Say NO to)
• What would an ideal normal day look like for me?

• What would need to happen for me to feel this year was a success?
• Who do I need to become to live the healthiest, most balanced version of myself?
• How can I stay consistent without obsessing over perfection?
• How can I enjoy the journey while making meaningful progress?
• What are the top 3 health habits I want to prioritize this year?

 

You Got This!

I hope this lifestyle manual helps you take back control of your health and wellbeing in a way that feels realistic, sustainable, and empowering.

This isn’t about perfection or extreme effort. It’s about building habits that support your life, not take it over.

To sum it up:

• Progress over perfection
• Consistency matters more than intensity
• Focus on health, energy, and wellbeing not quick fixes
• You are in control of your lifestyle and your choices
• Health is a journey, enjoy it, adjust as needed, and build habits that last

Make your health a priority in your life, mentally and physically, and let the small daily wins add up over time.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

In health,
Mike

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