Track Your Progress — Without Letting the Data Run Your Life

You don’t forge better performance by chasing perfect numbers.

You forge it by combining objective data with subjective awareness — using both to make better decisions, one day at a time.

Data pertaining to our health and wellness has never been more in-depth or more available than it is today with the digitization of medical records, more control given to individuals, and the boom of apps and wearables.  This data can be incredibly useful to track things like performance, recovery, progress, and spot trends or illnesses early enough to act before they get out of hand.  However, that amount of data sometimes become overwhelming, and it can also become easy to get wrapped up in individual metrics and miss the bigger picture.

There ae some pieces of data that are rathe straightforward and can combined with objective data to make them even more powerful indicators. For example, the weight you can squat is a good strength metric, but when you combine that with level of effort you now have a gauge for how well you're performing at that weight on that given day. As you progress lifting with that same weight, it will feel easier, and that ease (in this example) is an indication of when you're ready to progress and increase the weight. Another example would be from your blood work (something everyone should do at least a couple times a year) vitamin levels compared with the optimal levels for that nutrient helps guide towards potential supplementation, with repeat tests helping to understand absorption.

Where this process can lead to challenges is when focus is put on any one signal number with the exclusion of any subjective correlation. For example, many wearables provide some metric that represents how ready you are for the next day. And while that information usually combines a number of different pieces of information (heart rate, heart rate variability, previous days activates, sleep, etc.) it is only a snapshot of those metrics and even ignoring any potential inaccuracies, that is only one snapshot in time such that it is providing a limited view into the complex working of the body. Over time, you may come to find you typically feel similar to how that "ready" score indicates you should feel, but it is an important exercise to continue to check in to verify you feel in the ballpark of that number. Chasing the numbers can lead to additional stress, over-reaction/correction, exercising too hard or too easy, or prioritizing the wrong behaviors. It is more important to chase the process and not the numbers.

Another powerful way to leverage data is to not look at the single values, but the trends in those values over a longer period of time. When looking at something like sleep duration or heart rate variability, individual values don't tell the whole story but general movement or significant outliers can be useful to look at. Trends can help determine if behavioral changes are having a positive or negative impact while outliers can be an indication of a potential illness. Looking at trends, also helps with looking at the bigger picture as each data point builds on the previous data to form a more powerful story and helps minimize focusing on the small details.

If you're looking to make a change in a metric, first make sure it is one that you can easily and consistently track, and remember that absolute accuracy isn't a firm requirement, but the data should be consistent, or accurate compared to itself. Track that metric for a week without making any changes so you have a decent starting trend and rough idea of the variations. Then change one (maybe two) behaviors and continue monitoring for at least two weeks. This period will allow you to account for any normal variations and any issues with consistency in your behavior changes. After that period, you should be able to determine if the changes improved your metric or not. Based on that, either continue, shift behaviors, or maybe look at the next metric to attack.

Data is powerful — but only when used wisely.

Track what matters. Ignore what distracts. Let the numbers guide, not judge.

When you combine data with awareness, you make better decisions, improve consistency, and unlock higher performance.

If you want support building a balanced, data-informed approach to your health and training, I’m here to help.

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Macro Balance: How to Fuel Your Body for Real Performance

Executives and athletes have something in common: they live in energy-demanding environments.

Yet most underfuel, over-restrict, or eat meals that don’t match their needs.

Macro balance is one of the simplest ways to improve daily energy, mental clarity, and training performance — without dieting.

In any given day, I'm sure you hear at least 10 different ideas of what macros (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) should be what percentage of your caloric intake.  The short answer, as with most things health related, is that it depends.  There is no set of ratios that works for everyone all of the time. Even for an individual, there may be times where it makes sense to shift things around based on the current life situation. Finding the right balance that works best for you and understanding how you might want to make changes as you move through different seasons of your life is a very important skill to learn. At the core, it requires not only an understanding of what you're putting in your body but also a consistent assessment of how your body is responding to that fuel.

When I start working with clients on their nutrition, I always start with protein as it is one of the easier ones mathematically and is also one that many struggle with. Protein is the primary building block and repair tool for muscles and is incredibly helpful in managing satiety and blood sugar. Because of these 2 factors it is probably the biggest (or at least near the top of the list) nutritional factor in achieving long term weight management. As an initial optimal target, I tend to use the 1 gram of protein per target weight (in pounds) since this makes the math nice and simple. Now, this is a target, not a firm rule - but in aiming high, even if falling a little short, you're still getting sufficient levels. If you're looking to get started, keep track of your current protein consumption and aim to gradually move towards your optimal target. How much additional protein you can add will vary, but start with 15 grams per day for a week and go from there.

Most of what you read will at least be in the ballpark with protein, but where the variations really come out are when it comes to fat and carbohydrates. The main role of carbohydrates is to provide fast energy to the body, muscles, and brain in the most efficient way. Yes fats and protein can be broken down to create energy, but that process takes longer and is significantly less efficient. Fats do quite a lot for the body and as such can't be ignored either as they are the building blocks for hormones, aide in nutrient absorption, brain health, and help control inflammation. There are many fads out there that suggest reducing, or eliminating, fat or carbohydrate intake will be the best option. I tend to avoid recommending the exclusion of macros or foods (unless there's a medical reason) as that withholds vital nutrients from the body and in most cases sets the individual up cravings, dietary issues, and general challenges with weight management. For most people in most situations, the best solution for the body to function optimally is some level of all 3 macro nutrients. A good starting point s to balance out the calories left over after your protein target. As an example take a 2000 daily calorie target for an individual targeting 150 pounds, such that their protein target is 150 grams. That leaves 1400 calories (2000 - 150 g * 4 calories per gram) for carbs and fat that I'd split evenly to start. That works out to 175 grams of carbs (700 calories divided be 4 calories per gram) and 78 grams of fat (700 calories divided be 9 calories per gram) as a starting point. Using these as a starting point, keep track of not only how you're hitting those numbers but also more importantly how you feel based on that, as naturally there will be some variance to the balance of fats and carbs on a day to day basis. Understanding how your body responds to those shifts in each macro will allow you to better understand how your body responds and which macros it tends to like most. For an individual, it may end up looking more like a 60/40 split or some other number, however it is important to not go below 20% of total calories from fat as that can cause some potentially significant problems for hormones and nutrient absorption.

The last "macro" I want to mention is alcohol as the body does treat it differently but it does get converted to energy with 1 gram working out to 7 calories. Many look at the health benefits of some alcohol, however many of the benefits very well could be from the associated social behaviors. There have recently been numerous studies on the disruptions alcohol has on sleep and recovery as well as other potential downsides. As with everything, the right amount for anyone may shift and change but it definitely needs to be accounted for when looking at overall intake and how the body responds to it.

I know this may sound like a lot but the good thing is that for many people this is a one time process with check-ins as necessary based on shifting life patterns. If you're starting a new training program, increasing your carbohydrates will allow you to perform better in your sessions and recover better. On the flip side, some folks notice that they feel more bloated when they eat carbs (a very natural process) and as such they may feel better with a lower percentage of carbs. There are lots of apps out there that can help with this process, you can also use a notebook, or enlist the help of a coach to keep you organized.

You don’t need a restrictive meal plan — you need balanced fuel.

Protein rebuilds. Carbs energize. Fats support. Alcohol disrupts.

When you understand what your body needs, every meal becomes an opportunity to improve performance.

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Recovery, Explained: How Your Body Rebuilds After Stress

Stress shapes you. Recovery strengthens you.

Your body is constantly balancing breakdown and rebuild — and with the right inputs, you can turn stress into adaptation rather than exhaustion.

When it comes to stress, recovery, and adaptations the body treats mental and physical stressors in the same fashion with a very similar process. Knowing how this process works not only will help you as you look to make progress, but also pinpoint one of the biggest culprits in leading to plateaus. These stressors can be planned workouts, busy days at work, illness, relationships, or all of them combined and it becomes crucial to account for this when looking at how much you're trying to accomplish and what results are reasonable to expect.

The first step in this process is an immediate response to this stressor that includes things like an increase in heart rate, cortisol and adrenaline rise, mental focus increase, and an increase in blood sugar to provide more energy to meet the increased need. After the stressor has passed the body then shifts into repair mode shifting those resources to stabilize which will include things like a normalization of hormone levels, and repair of any tissue damage. Finally we get into the adaptation phase where muscle strength increases, muscular endurance improves, cognitive resilience increases, and there's a mood improvement all with the goal to better handle the next stressor that comes.

The challenge for many is balancing out the stressors such that this entire process can run from start to finish in an efficient manner. Too strong or too quick of a stressor and the body never finishes the repair mode and as such can't adapt or grow stronger. The repair process can also be delayed by other factors too, such as poor sleep, underfueling, or even relationship stress. Some indicators that you may be stuck in this cycle are consistent muscle soreness or perpetual fatigue. The flip side can also cause problems as too weak of a stressor, or ones spaced too far apart and the body never triggers an adaptation as it doesn't need to.

Unfortunately, there is no one single test that can identify either of these as the exact problem you may be facing in hitting your goals. However, if you find yourself stuck at a plateau or feel like you're just going through the motions, the first place to start would be that honest assessment of your stressors and what actions you're currently taking. If you feel like you're perhaps putting your body under too much stress, look for ways to either reduce some of that or change up your workouts by reducing the duration or intensity. Most workout programs have a built-in de-load period to help the body adjust, but depending on where you're starting from it may take longer than that. If you feel like you're on the other side of the fence, I wouldn't suggest increasing your stress (don't go out purposely to get poor sleep) but look to change up or increase your workout frequency/intensity. With either of these paths, I wouldn't look to change too many things or make a drastic change but start small and evaluate progress.

Stress is unavoidable — but recovery is intentional.

When you understand how your body repairs, resets, and rebuilds, you can train harder, handle stress better, and perform at a higher level.

Support the process. Build resilience. Keep forging forward.

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Breakfast: The Why and The What

Whether you’re an executive juggling meetings or an athlete in training, your morning fuel sets the tone for the entire day.

Breakfast isn’t just a meal — it’s a performance tool.

Used well, it gives you steady energy, better focus, and stronger training sessions.

For many of my clients, breakfast can be one of the most challenging habits to change and then it can also be one of those most impactful changes they can make. There are lots of explanations I've heard (and used myself) for not eating breakfast but the advantages of breakfast far outweigh any of the other options by a large margin. What I try to walk through with my clients are the benefits of breakfast, and what can we do to gradually work towards a better solution. For those with looking to perform either physically or mentally, or those looking to better manage their weight in a sustainable way, some sort of breakfast is one of the best starting points.

Let's start with the benefits:

• Eating breakfast works to stabilize your blood sugar after a natural period of fasting (overnight sleep) which is one of the leading causes not only of fatigue during the day but also cravings.

• An early meal helps regulate and promote the normal hormone cycles of cortisol such that it can start to decrease during the day as well as helping to regulate the appetite hormones.

• From a practical standpoint, eating an early meal helps with getting not only the proper macro nutrients (primarily protein) but also getting in enough other nutrients from things like fruits and vegetables.

So what should a breakfast look like? Just like every other meal, there should be a good mix of protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and some color typically coming from fruits or vegetables. Three options that can not only knock out those requirements but are either quick to throw together or can be batch made ahead of time:

1. A combination of eggs, meat (or tofu), potatoes (or toast), and veggies. This can be done as a scramble, omelette, casserole, or a burrito and each of those present other options for additional flavors and prep times.

2. An oat mixture is a great bulk option, I use a version of overnight oats that tastes like a chocolate chip cookie and is not only one of my breakfast staples, but my pre-race meal as well.

3. A shake is another great quick and portable option that allows for the combination of a lot of things, with the taste of the veggies masked by the other items.

4. If you're starting from not eating anything, maybe think about adding something into your tea or coffee increase calories. Things like protein powder, collagen protein, creatine, and MCT oil are all good options that dissolve well and can either be flavorless or give a nice twist to your beverage of choice.

Each of these options has its advantages and which one is best will vary by the individual, circumstances, and you may even want to rotate through to provide a level of variety. As I've said numerous times, start with understanding of where you currently are and look to make small shifts to make consistent progress.

If you want better energy, stronger workouts, and fewer cravings — don’t skip the foundation.

Build a breakfast that supports your goals and sets the tone for your entire day.

Start strong. Fuel early. Perform better.

🔗 Subscribe to The Wellness Forge for more practical strategies to fuel your body and optimize performance.

How to Measure Progress (Even When the Scale or Stopwatch Won’t Budge)

Iron sharpens through challenge — not repetition.

Plateaus aren’t roadblocks. They’re invitations to refine your approach, dial in your habits, and train with intention.

Let’s break down how to progress with purpose.

Progress is one of the key metrics we all pay attention to as we train, and we primarily focus on two types of progress - quantitative and qualitative. However, I will admit, for myself and many of my clients, the fixation on the quantitative (numbers/metrics) can be overpowering and dominate the thought process. That's not to say focusing on numbers is a bad thing, for the most part they can be a great metric as they're usually very cut and dry. You either hit that metric/goal or you don't. However, these only tell part of the story and shouldn't be used as the sole metric for gauging progress. You'll want to pair those metrics with some qualitative guides to help you understand HOW you're hitting those numbers. For example, if one of the metrics you're tracking is how much weight you're squatting, it is very easy to keep track of how much weight you load onto the bar (or hold in your hands, or how many body weight squats you're doing). But you'll also want to keep track of qualitative things like how easy/hard those reps feel, how you recover from that workout, how is your range of motions (think squat depth) is improving, and the list goes on from there. Pairing the numbers with the feel gives you a more complete understanding of how you're progressing with your squats, in this example, and a better grasp of when you might actually be hitting a plateau. Many consider plateaus when just the numbers stall, but if you're able to do the same weight but it feels easier, that's not a hard plateau, you're most likely very close to being able to increase the weight.

There are many reasons why you might be hitting an actual plateau where not only are the numbers not moving, but the workouts don't feel any different and they mainly will fall into 3 types:

1. Too much training or not enough fueling - these essentially get to the same problem, too much training load that the body can't properly recover from and as such never adapts.

2. Too little training which doesn't challenge the body enough such that it needs to adapt.

3. The wrong kind of training, an extreme example of this would be doing lots of speed work during your marathon training

So what does it look like to pull out of a plateau, it first starts with understanding IF you're actually in one and then figuring out which of the above three buckets your training falls into. Some of the solutions are simpler to figure out, for example an over training imbalance can be helped with either adding in a de-load week or an increase of calories. Starting with that honest assessment of where you currently are not only with training, but fueling and your other stressors will help narrow down the challenges to work to adjust. My recommendation would be to pick one aspect and make a small change to see if you notice things moving in the right direction, then lean in further. As an example, if you feel your fueling may be off, look to add a small snack, or slightly larger meals, to add around 100-300 calories a day for a week, and see how that impacts not only your training but how you recover and feel. Another option if you're feeling truly stuck, and assuming you don't have a calendar restriction (like a race in 3 weeks), would be to pivot to something completely different for a few weeks. This will provide a radically different stimulus and force your body to respond and adapt.

Sometimes it can be hard to be objective about progress, and it helps to have someone else to observe and discuss your current training. While this is the exact purpose of having a coach or trainer, you can also look to other training partners, friends, relatives, etc to get some feedback on not only the training but how they view your recovery and mentality. This outside viewpoint may be the missing piece in helping crack the plateau challenge.

Plateaus aren’t a dead end — they’re a sign to adjust.

Progress comes from intention, not intensity.

Change the stimulus, fuel well, recover well, and track your trends — and your progress will keep moving forward.

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Why You’re Tired, Craving Sugar, and Plateauing: Underfueling Explained

If you’re tired, unfocused, craving sugar by mid-afternoon, or feeling flat during workouts, there’s a good chance your problem isn’t discipline — it’s underfueling.

High performers burn more energy than they think. And most of them aren’t eating nearly enough to support the pace they’re trying to maintain.

One of the sneakiest ways I see many of my clients run into roadblocks with their progress boils down to a matter of underfueling, which can eating too little, fueling incorrectly, or not balancing fuel for the demands put on the body - or for a combination of all three. In many cases these aren't conscious decisions being made, or they're decisions that seem correct but lack context, and as such correcting them can be challenging. It takes a little more digging to not only identify the issue but also recognize how simple the solution might be.

Underfueling is one of those concepts that sounds simple and yet in practice is complicated enough that it goes unnoticed. The main idea is that you're not providing enough quality fuel for you body to perform the tasks that you're asking it to. The body is also very good at adapting and compensating for these deficiencies, but can only do so for a period of time before it becomes overwhelmed. A couple of the main culprits are caffeine and fiber as while they are beneficial in many ways, they also will dull or mask hunger queues such that skipping meals entirely or not fueling enough becomes not only easy but can become consistent. The first part of the challenge is underestimating the caloric needs of the body, some like basic daily needs (Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR) and training load are relatively straightforward to get a good estimate as there are calculators and wearables to help. However, these can also be wildly inaccurate, especially when estimating caloric needs based on exercise. In addition, other factors such as poor sleep, mental stress load, travel, and injuries will all skew your fueling needs and not always in magnitudes or directions as you might expect. Based on all these factors, it can be hard to get a handle on the caloric needs and even being off a couple hundred calories a day can create a sizeable enough gap to cause challenges.

So what does underfueling look like, or what are some of the symptoms you might notice? First off, physically you may notice:

• Low energy or consistent fatigue

• Inability to concentrate or brain fog

• Frequent illness

• Poor sleep

The symptoms don't stop there, you will also notice struggles mentally as well:

• Irritability or mood swings

• Decreased libido

• CRAVINGS

• night time snacking

And then to further compound all of this, you'll notice some performance and metrics dip as well:

• Workouts feeling harder than normal

• Heart rate variability (HRV) dips

• Higher than normal resting heart rate

With all of this, it may seem daunting to overcome this challenge - however, the first step is quite simple, remember simple doesn't always mean easy. I've mentioned this before, and will continue to suggest it - but awareness is your greatest asset for this kind of situation. And that comes down to:

1. Understanding your body's needs including not just calories but the allocation of those calories between carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

2. A good handle on your intake and timing of your fueling including the macro breakdown.

3. A honest self assessment of how you feel on a daily basis such that you can better understand where you may be lacking.

Another option you could consider, if you feel like you're experiencing a number of the symptoms, would be to increase your caloric intake by 200 to 500 calories, paying attention to how you feel. This could come from the addition of a snack, or if there's a particular meal (like breakfast) you typically skip, add that back in. Do this for a week or so, and see if you notice any differences. This is also a time when using a scale can be helpful to notice if you're gaining any weight, but with the increases I'm suggesting it would probably take a couple of weeks before you noticed anything significant considering the normal day to day weight fluctuations. Continue to balance how you feel with the numbers you're seeing on the scale and look to continue to increase the calories without seeing a consistent weight increase. I typically recommend increasing for a couple of weeks, then taking a week to hold steady to help accurately assess the dynamics.

Travel, busy seasons, and packed schedules make underfueling even more common. But they don’t have to derail your performance.

Learn how to fuel consistently no matter where life takes you — and build the foundation that drives your energy all year long.

🔗 Subscribe to The Wellness Forge for more tools to support strength, energy, and recovery.

The Most Underrated Performance Tool: Sleep

Sleep is the highest ROI habit in health.

One extra hour can boost focus, regulate hormones, and even improve training outcomes.

Here’s how to start improving your sleep tonight — and what happens when you don’t.

Most people I work with have an understanding or a desire to improve either their sleep quality or the amount of sleep they get, but struggle to effectively make a change.  Like I mentioned in my previous post on Nutrition, awareness is the key first step.  Start a sleep log - paper, electronic, or via an app, doesn't matter at this stage, and start to look for trends to target.  But, something you can start tonight that will make a difference and build towards better sleep hygiene - before you try to go to sleep, take 5 minutes for the following:

• Put your phone/tablet/laptop down for the night

• Focus on your breathing, taking deep controlled breaths

• Reflect on your day, focus on the good things of the day to help calm the nervous system and relax

• Think about 1 thing you want to do tomorrow.  This isn't about creating your to-do list, or run through your calendar, but 1 tangible thing you want to do better tomorrow.  Maybe this is walking more during the day, taking the stairs, drinking more water, picking fruit for a snack and not the candy, or whatever small tangible step seems plausible to accomplish.  And then check in on your progress with that the next night.

What does this 5 minutes get you?  It starts you on the path to establishing a night time ritual that you can build on that doesn't have to be overly complex.  It simply needs to be a series of things you do (ideally around the same time each night) that helps you signal your body that it is time to sleep.  As you progress on the journey towards better sleep, there are lots of other things you can look to change, but for now, start small and build momentum. Another simple (not necessarily easy though) step to take that you can implement immediately, start reframing sleep from something you need to do to prevent the negative impacts, towards an attitude that embraces the restorative and supercharging benefits more productive sleep provides.

I know many live by the "I'll sleep when I'm dead" mantra, and I lived that way for a while too, but at some point that lack of sleep will come back around. Lack of sleep is one of the biggest stressors you can subject your body to, so it will dramatically limit your ability to perform as well as fight off any illnesses or injuries. The mental impact sometimes is hard to recognize as so often we've gotten used to the feelings and don't really appreciate it until we start getting CONSISTENT good sleep. Also it is hard to compare the impact on our body as there isn't a great way to quantitatively compare what it could be if we were getting better sleep. Some wearables can help address this and provide some insights, I personally have been using Whoop for almost 5 years now and have a pretty good feel how impactful sleep is on my mental and physical performance. However, there are numerous studies that look at exactly that - the dramatic impacts poor sleep has on your mental performance and capacity, as well as your physical performance. Physically it is even more damaging as the lack of sleep not only diminishes your performance but it will also prevent you from absorbing the same amount of your training such that you see reduced gains from your daily (or however frequently you work out) efforts. I could go on talking about the negative aspects, but honestly that list is VERY long!

Not only will you see the opposite of the above problems when you start getting consistently solid sleep, but you will also start to notice long term trends as well. The big health metrics - things like body fat percentage, blood pressure, and metabolism will all trend better as you work on your sleep quality. This is not only due to the short term impacts, but while we sleep the body has the opportunity to recover and repair itself. This recovery and repairing then compounds with your training load to create a very powerful healthy stress, recover, and adapt cycle that allows your brain and body to best leverage the hard work you're doing.

To summarize the last two paragraphs simply - progressing towards healthier sleep is the single best way to supercharge your tomorrow. It is one of the harder changes to make, but the benefits can be life changing.

Sleep is the foundation — not the reward — for your hard work.

You don’t earn it after performing; you build everything from it.

Small changes tonight can create measurable improvements in your energy, focus, and recovery tomorrow.

💡 Subscribe to The Wellness Forge for more practical, evidence-based strategies to perform better, recover faster, and live stronger.

You Can’t Outperform Stress — But You Can Learn to Recover From It

Even iron needs time to cool before it can be forged again.

Your body and mind are no different.

Today, we’ll explore the balance between stress and recovery — and how to strengthen both.

Stress is a part of all of our lives and what complicates the challenge is that stress is required for the exact kind of healthy adaptations we all strive for, that's the good stress. Most people think of stress as a bad thing, and in many cases it is, but the majority of stress actually has a positive impact on the body. Where stress becomes a problem is when there is too much of it for the body to handle, the classic too much of a good thing problem. Let's start with something you can implement today that will have an immediate impact on how your body handles stress. Like I've mentioned before, awareness is where I start with all my clients - but I'll admit, that process takes time (a few days) so today take at least one 5 minute break during the day to pause, reset, and get ready to tackle the next task. Maybe even take part of that 5 minutes to practice awareness of your stressors.

Taking a deeper look at stress, it typically can be divided into 6 buckets:

• Physical - exercise or injury would be examples.

• Mental - think learning tasks or prepping for a meeting.

• Environmental - outside noise, pollution, temperature, and allergens fall into this bucket.

• Emotional - general mood and happiness

• Existential - why are we here and what is our purpose?

• Relation - friends, family, and coworkers would fall here.

Inside of these buckets there are good stressors and bad ones, which are usually rather obvious, but there are some good stressors that can become bad if done at the wrong time or at too high of an intensity. For example, strength training when done appropriately is a great form of exercise. However, lifting too hard for what your body can handle that day will most likely lead to soreness and potential injury with long term impacts if consistently overused. This is where that self awareness comes into play, having a feel for your body and knowing when it is a day to push, when to pull back, and understanding that when you have to over-reach because of a deadline or race, you will need extra recovery on the other side. Using wearables can be a help in this area to monitor the body's response to stress and help give some quantitative measurements on things like Heart Rate Variability and Resting Heart Rate which are both good indicators of overall stress and how primed your body is to handle more. The best approach is a mixture of the numbers and the knowledge of your body to form that complete picture.

What does recovery look like then from all these different kind of stressors? As you've probably guessed, that first step in a awareness or audit of your primary stressors and then looking for ways to handle them. Some may have immediate simple solutions, for example an air filter in your office to help remove allergens and other contaminates if that's an area you struggle with. Others are more complicated and 100% might require some outside assistance to help work towards resolving. And some are constant parts of life and need continual work to manage. Inside each of those stress buckets are also recovery techniques that you can apply, here are some examples:

• Physical - sleep, stretching, low intensity exercise

• Mental - reading, preparation, planning

• Environmental - air filters, blankets for warmth, air conditioning

• Emotional - honest communication, mental exercises such as reframing

• Existential - prayer or meditation

• Relation - that supportive friend or family member

This isn't to say that the best way to recover from a stressor in one area is recovery in that same area, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. You've probably noticed that you have great ideas when taking a long hot shower - that physical recovery technique can not only relive physical stress, but open you up to recovering from pretty much all the other types of stress too. You will notice over time, what recovery techniques work for you and which ones work best for specific stressors you face. My two most consistent tools I use for recovery are my sauna blanket and reaching out to friends and/or family. These 2 not only hit multiple buckets but also are examples of a daily routine and a more tactical tool to handle the stress spikes we all go through. The way to become adept at managing your stress is to develop a full tool chest of recovery options that you know work for you, can be pulled out when needed, and used as backups when your first choice doesn't yield the results you're looking for.

Stress isn’t the enemy — it’s the signal. Recovery is the response.

You can’t eliminate stress, but you can build systems that help you handle it better and bounce back stronger.

🔗 Subscribe to The Wellness Forge for more actionable tools to help you perform, recover, and thrive — without burning out.

Strength Training 101: A Foundation for Health and Performance

Most people chase fitness trends, but few invest in what actually moves the needle: strength.

Whether your goal is longevity, performance, or simply feeling better in your body, strength training is the foundation.

Here’s how to get started — and why it matters more than you think.

When it comes to starting any new routine, you must understand where you're starting from and adjust accordingly. If you're completely new it would be prudent to verify with your health professional that there are no underlying issues you need to be aware of, and consulting with some sort of advisor through this process might help reduce your ramp up time. Assuming you've progressed past that point, whether you're brand new or have lifted for years and have just taken a break, always start with less then what you think is needed. It is way easier and more productive to add more to your routine than struggle because you went too hard that first session and can't move for 3 days because you're too sore. I'll go into more details in future emails, but a good starting point would be a routine you feel 95% certain is maintainable, the goal is consistency, not hammering yourself from the start. Even 1 workout a week can yield results! Another key aspect to consider is where to workout as both gyms and home have advantages and disadvantages. This is one of those honest discussions you need to have with yourself to understand if working out with other people with all the equipment you could ever want helps you, or if you'd be better served by the time flexibility and comfort of working out in your house. Neither is necessarily better than the other, but their effectiveness is highly dependant on the individual. The last suggestion I'll make, at this time, is that if you are going to go the home gym route, start small and incrementally add as you go. Don't go and spend thousands on what could become expensive hangers if you come to find out there are too many distractions at home for a consistent workout.

Let's step back and define what strength training is, and what forms don't provide the same kind of results. By definition, strength training is movement with resistance, which would include using your own body weight, bands, dumbbells, barbells, or anything else you might have lying around. The key to reaping all the benefits is to lift as if you're trying to get stronger which means you'll want to chose a weight that is challenging for you to complete 5-15 repetitions, keeping good form. To continue to see the benefits you also need make sure to progress to higher weight when those reps become too easy. Another key component to strength training, resting in between sets, should range from at least a minute to upwards of 5 minutes depending on what you're doing. Resting allows for your muscles to recover their energy stores and be ready to exert maximal effort again. The exercises themselves are not what provides the benefits, it is the body's reaction (building muscle) to those exercises as it adapts to the increased demands. This means not only do you need rest intervals during your workout, but days off between workouts such that your body has time to recover AND adapt to these stimuli. Each session should provide as different of a stimulus as possible from your normal daily routine to maximize the benefits. Because of this, "lower" repetition amounts with "heavier" weight shows far better results than lots (anything over 30) of repetitions with lighter weights.

I've mentioned the results and benefits of strength training, without any further context. Here are just some of the ways in which strength training has a positive impact on your body:

• The obvious one, you get stronger. But that's not just your muscles, your tendons and ligaments which support those muscles and movements get stronger. And all of those pieces attach to your bones that then also getting stronger. Not only will this help with many daily activities and tasks (as well as any sort of performance venture) it can also help reverse or prevent bone issues like Osteoporosis and Osteopenia.

• Some of the muscles that will be strengthened are the stabilizing muscles which will in turn help with balance. Not only will this help with performance, but it will dramatically increase your injury resilience. Certainly losing balance could result in falls which are a major health risk as we age, but also the majority of soft tissue injuries (think ligament tears - ACL, MCL, Achilles, etc) result from those tendons filling in the gaps for weak muscles.

• Another important aspect of building more muscle is that it is one of the primary locations the body stores glucose (think sugar or carbs) which not only means that there's more energy available for the body but it is actually better at managing the energy levels. This then translates into a better insulin response which helps drive down many of the factors that leads to ailments like diabetes.

• Muscle requires more energy to sustain itself than fat does, even at rest, which means that your body will naturally burn more calories because of the additional muscle mass. This allows for an increased level of metabolic flexibility since the body consumes more calories it becomes easier to either increase the amount of food you enable more muscle growth, or reduce calories to lose weight.

• These are just a few of the benefits, but are some of the most impactful.

Strength training isn’t just about building muscle — it’s about building capability, confidence, and longevity.

Start small, stay consistent, and give yourself credit for each rep of progress.

Ready to build your foundation? Join The Wellness Forge and get clear, actionable guidance to help you move, perform, and live stronger.

The Smarter Way to Begin Any Nutrition Shift

The most important part of any successful, healthy diet isn't the macro distribution or what foods are added or removed, the magic is in the awareness of what you're trying to accomplish, how you feel about the food you're eating, and how your body responds to those foods. That awareness will allow you to more accurately monitor whatever phase of life you want to shift towards, losing weight for that summer vacation, building muscle to compete with your buddies, or fuel your next endurance event.

To start this process, you'll want to add to your daily routine a few questions around each meal or snack you eat. You don't need to over think these, just a word or two is fine:

• What did you eat, don't worry about measuring or weighing (yet). Pictures are fine.

• A general idea of the time (or reference the time stamp on your picture)

• How you felt before you ate, what you were feeling while you eat, and how you felt afterward. Again, this doesn't need to be a long dissertation, just a sentence or so for each.

• Where you ate is also important as well as the other things that may have been present. This would include watching TV, scrolling on your phone, out with friends, at the table with family, or other such locations and events could be applicable here.

Keep up this log for 3-5 days and it is best if you can span a weekend as most people usually have a variance in their weekend and weekday routines. Keep this record in whatever medium makes the most sense for you. This could be a notebook, a blank email, text app, or using one of the many tracking apps available on your phone. At this stage of the process, the specific tracking mechanism isn't as important as the insights you gleam. If you decide to continue this process for a longer period of time, it may make sense to move to something more tailored to your goals.

Based on your observations, there may be some trends you can pull out into some actions. Start with making one change and working to sustain that for a couple of weeks before looking to change anything further. Think about what change you feel 90% confident you'll be able to implement on a daily basis for the next 2 weeks. This is important for 3 reasons:

1. making a single change is easier in practice and for the brain to accept. It also makes sustaining that change easier going forward.

2. With only a single change, you can track what works and what doesn't. If you make 10 changes all at once it becomes almost impossible to understand what is helping and what might be making things worse.

3. Picking something you feel confident in not only will allow you to build momentum, but typically after 2 weeks of doing a specific task, it becomes a habit.

Some examples of actions based on what you observed:

• If there's a particular meal you're struggling with, one option is to add some calories to a drink - protein in your coffee might be something to try.

• Another suggestion is to think about meal prepping something specific for a meal. This might be some sort of bulk breakfast like overnight oats, casserole, or muffins, or a larger portion of a protein, like chicken, beef, or pork that you could quickly add to a rice bowl or wrap for lunches and/or dinners.

• If you notice you have energy dips, pay attention to the meal preceding that dip. You could add in a snack if there's a large time gap, or see if there's something missing from that previous meal. Look to maybe add some carbs for energy to a larger protein meal, or some protein (even some fat) to a pure carb meal.

• If you notice that you're hungry late at night, or first thing in the morning then take a look at your dinner. Perhaps adding in some more filling calories like protein or fat or more fiber to boost the satiation of the meal.

• This will also give you a idea around your general daily calorie intake as you may notice it is either significantly higher then you expected or lower which could be a factor in either struggles with weight management or energy levels.

Whatever change you end up deciding on, stick with that for at least a week, aware of the same questions you were before, but also pay attention to things like your mood, sleep, and energy levels such that you can better understand if this change helped and in what ways. This process can be repeated as frequently as you feel makes sense for where you are and where you what your goals are. It will also make sense to have a sustaining period where you keep everything the same, this allows you to verify that the changes you've made are showing the results you expect and want.

If you feel like having someone guide you through this process, this is exactly what I do for my clients and the process looks very similar if we decide to tackle something besides nutrition like your strength training, sleep habits, or stress management.

And remember, sustainable change doesn’t start with restriction. It starts with awareness.

See the patterns. Make one shift. Build momentum

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