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151R | Fit Waist Fat Wallet

Using David Hauser’s framework from last week of decision making through split testing, Brad and Jonathan look at their sleep, fitness, and diet.

Split Testing

Split testing allows you to test small differences to determine what can make a big impact.

Little input differences or little changes in wording can make an enormous difference in your actual results.

For example, if you were split testing a website design, then you might change the color and wording slightly. You would compare which design worked best through a simple A-B test presented to the users. Even if your intuition says something is right, it doesn’t mean that it is.

The chance that you hit on the exact right strategy that first time is so fleetingly small.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can apply split testing to your own life.

Sleep

Sleep is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle. Over time, Brad has been able to make small changes to completely transform his sleeping patterns for the better.

Modern society has encouraged people to sleep less for years. The saying ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ is all to commonplace. For Brad, he combated that notion by reading books about sleep such as Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson.

A few things that have helped Brad include:

  • Sleeping in the cold.
  • Investing in blackout curtains.
  • Taking the electronics out of the bedroom.
  • Buying a comfortable mattress topper.
  • Removing any small light sources, like LEDs, from the bedroom.

Make an effort to find out what works best for you. Maybe you’ll need to use a combination of these solutions or create a completely new approach. The important thing is to simply find the best way to create optimal sleep for you. It is impossible to be a high performer without a good night of sleep, so take action today.

Related: How Getting More Sleep Will Impact Your Finances

Fitness

In general, most of us need to be more active. It is very easy to do less when you have so much convenience afforded to you. When you can drive to the store to buy everything you need, your requirements for exercise seem to disappear.

When it comes to fitness, you don’t have to do the same thing as everyone else. Instead, you need to ask what you want to get out of your fitness routine. Do you want to look good? Do you want to feel strong? How much time are you willing to put into this? The answer should go beyond that you want to be healthier. Think about what you want to reward you for your exercise.

Brad has tried a wide variety of exercise routines, but currently, he is doing Crossfit. With just 3-4 hours of exercise a week, he feels that he is getting great results. Earlier this year, he tried StrongLift but it was too intense to sustain.

If it’s not sustainable, if it’s something you feel like you are going to fall off the wagon at any moment because of willpower, just sheer willpower, that is no sustainable plan going forward.

If you are looking for ways to get into exercise, you have so many options. Two of those options include F3 and the November Project. Both offer free fitness resources to help get you started. Remember, it does not have to be intense exercise. It could be as simple a getting off the couch and walking around the block. You have to start somewhere, so start somewhere that you are comfortable. Slowly work your way up over time to a level that you want to be at.

Related: Frugal Fitness Hacks For 2019

Diets

For Jonathan, he is hardest on himself about the fact that he likes everything to happen in a 12-week transformation. When something doesn’t work as quickly as he hoped, it is easy to go off the rails because it was an unsustainable way of life. Now, he has learned that deprivation is just never going to work. Instead, he has started to listen to his body and find ways to fuel it properly.

He has tried every diet under the sun, but at this point, he has taken the parts that worked for him and created his own path forward. Here’s what works for him:

  • Staying hydrated throughout the day.
  • Being mindful of what he is putting into his body.
  • Choosing to eat moderate proteins and fats.
  • Avoiding carbs and sugars that lead to crashes.
  • Intermittent fasting with the Zero app.

He no longer counts calories and tried not to be driven by food. The goal is to eat because he has to but not allow food to rule his day.

Brad has discovered through split testing that he has some food sensitivities. Most people don’t realize that the food they are putting in their bodies directly affects how they feel a few hours later. Now that he is paying attention to these reactions, he can avoid foods that don’t make him feel great.

What you put in your body leads to a certain outcome is really important for everyone hearing my voice to understand.

There is no perfect way to find the best balance of food and nutrition for your body. That’s where split testing comes in. Do some testing to find out what works best for you.  You can compare how you feel with different foods. As your goals for your fitness and health change over time, allow that to be reflected in the foods you eat and exercise you commit to.

Check out the full episode with David Hauser here.

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