Remote work and gained weight
The world has changed since the pandemic.
It opened up, and at the same time, got closer.
It became remote.
Living remotely for us means choosing where to travel and/or where to live.
As in every passage of change, it creates winners and losers and for many, it has brought a lifestyle change.
A change that has impacted their health & fitness.
Big time.
Most people don’t realize that their health and fitness greatly depend on their personal ecosystem.
The gym, or the yoga studio around the corner, eating habits, or simply their social environment.
We have lived and traveled around the globe for the past 15 years.
We developed our lifestyle based on staying fit & healthy in any environment and circumstances:
The Remote Fitness Lifestyle
Why Remote Fitness is so essential
The era of “remote” has opened up a world of possibilities.
Now people are able to live where they want and work from anywhere.
Spending time at the office became more an option than a must.
Work and life have grown together more than ever.
Clean cuts (work vs. life) are gone and many people chose working more.
Instead of putting time into self-care.
More Kilos/pounds gained than lost
As said before.
After every change, there are winners and losers.
The “losers” in this case are all those who gained those extra pounds/kilos.
The winners are those who chose to get their ass up and DO something for their fitness, health, and well-being.
I don’t want to offend anyone here, but you get the point.
As a matter of fact – fit is healthier than fat.
Your health is your biggest asset
I don’t need to tell you about the possible health consequences of being overweight.
Maybe I should.
Scientific studies show that a high BMI (Body Mass Index) is a risk factor for an expanding set of chronic diseases, like
- cardiovascular disease
- diabetes mellitus
- chronic kidney disease
- many cancers and
- an array of musculoskeletal disorders.
Not only that.
Your health becomes a liability.
Liability to your well-being.
The impact of weight on well-being
Apart from the health issues, those extra kilos impact as well your overall well-being.
And how content and comfortable you are with yourself.
First of all, we nourish ourselves to have energy.
Not enough food leaves you with low energy, but
too much food (or too much of the wrong food)
drains your energy as well.
In our world of food abundance, often the biggest problem is related to
- the emotional part,
- some form of attachment to food, or
- using food as a compensation “tool”.
Remember, the food you eat, the movement you do, and the thoughts you have,
directly influence your energy level.
It’s not about a number on the scale.
At the end of the day, it’s about your well-BEING.
Why create a remote fitness practice?
Remember the pandemic?
When gyms, yoga studios, and cross-fit boxes were closed?
What did you do during that time?
Let me guess.
If you’re like 82,3 % of people, you stopped training.
Why?
They lacked
✘ the place to go to,
✘ the knowledge of how to train for strength, flexibility, and mobility
✘ the external motivation of being around others
See, if you need a gym or an instructor – you’re f**ked.
To crisis-proof your fitness lifestyle and weight you need to build knowledge on how to eat and train intuitively for your goals.
You can literally build the functional body you want.
And it’s not only about working out. Fitness starts in the kitchen.
You can cook for yourself and gain full control over what you put into your meals.
How to lose weight with the Remote Fitness Framework
We both have/had corporate jobs with a lot of travel time. In total together we have traveled for more than 15 years.
We have worked and lived in a variety of different parts of the world.
Markus backpacked around the globe for 365 days. And we have been living a minimalist nomad lifestyle for the past 5 years.
We know all the pitfalls of keeping up your fitness, health, and well-being AND managing your weight no matter where you are.
Independently from your personal ecosystem or environment.
It’s about creating your own structure so that you don’t need to rely on anyone else.
Doing that with accountability partners or a great supportive online community is even more valuable.
Let us share the rough remote fitness framework we use ourselves.
1] Create an intentional fit & healthy life
Becoming intentional about your healthy & fit lifestyle simply means putting yourself in the driver’s seat.
Taking responsibility for the direction you’re headed.
It means making tough decisions and having the discipline to follow through.
It might not be easy in the beginning.
Eventually, it gets easier over time.
Let me outline a process of how to create an intentional fit & healthy life:
Mindful awareness is a great tool here.
The Process
1/ Set 30 min. of undisturbed time for yourself
2/ Sit down with pen and paper and bring your focus to the NOW
3/ Notice and acknowledge what is real and what is a perception in your life (get real with yourself)
4/ Ponder on the question “What brought me here into this state?” (avoid judging yourself)
5/ Now realize that you can change your current state intentionally. Yes, you really can.
6/ Write down a realistic outcome you want to achieve in the next 6 months
7/ Now reverse-engineer and outline the process backward to HERE and NOW
8/ Outline the first 3 steps towards reaching that outcome
9/ What is the first step you will take today?
10/ Go and take that step! (this is the most crucial part of this process – and 95% of people don’t take that step). Don’t be one of them.
Don’t lose more time.
2] The “No-Diet Method”
The base of our nutrition approach can be summarized in the what, why, and how you eat.
WHAT – Understand the basics of food and what it does to you.
There is no one perfect diet for everyone. But there are some principles that we can guarantee, will help you to lose weight in a sustainable way.
Modern diets are based on “eat this”, and “don’t eat that”. They are restrictive and in most cases, people gain back the kilos or pounds they lost. And often they gain even MORE than that.
Our approach is literally “anti-diet”. We hate diets ourselves, and would never suggest anyone go on a diet.
WHY – Reflecting on why you eat, and why you eat what you eat, is fundamental for your weight loss plan.
Only by understanding and tackling the WHYs beyond your food choices, you are able to change your habits and behaviors in a sustainable way.
HOW – How you consume your food makes a huge difference.
Bring your attention to
- how quick or calm you eat,
- the way you combine food, and
- how mindful or mindless you are in the process,
to mention some examples.
Furthermore, we believe that our health is directly connected to the health of our planet.
Starting from the environment we get our food.
For this reason, we suggest eating as much as local and seasonal as possible.
3] beyond Movement practice
Beyond movement is a multi-dimensional framework to train the body on strength, flexibility, and mobility.
Instead of using heavy fitness equipment and weights you only use body weight (calisthenics & yoga) and simple props.
Gym rings are the best equipment to build extraordinary upper body strength.
Elastic bands can create resistance or serve as help.
Base your practice on principles and knowledge around building strength, flexibility, and mobility for a functional body.
Here are some of my key principles:
- Your body is unique, everything you did until today, shaped it the way it is (but you can start to change this any time)
- Weakness, pain, instability, or tension keep us from reaching our full potential
- We train the body for functionality – strength, flexibility & mobility ➙ strength @ length
- For maximum effectiveness & efficiency, we need balance within the body & mind
- Mindfulness, awareness & consciousness help us reveal what we don’t sense [yet].
Get acquainted with yourself by knowing what you need and want to work on – and then DO the work.
You want to feel great and do the things you’re passionate about.
It all comes down to having a functional body you enjoy.
Losing weight does not need to be at the center of your efforts.
Once you build a fit and healthy lifestyle, your weight loss will come as a by-product.
The paradox here – the less you concentrate on your weight, the more likely you will reach your weight loss goals.
It’s important to learn how to increase your fitness level and health
without relying on external factors.
Living an intentional fit and healthy life simply means
being aware of why you are where you are – and taking action if you want to change your current status.
Our remote fitness framework is based on mindfulness and mindset, nutrition, and movement.
Our gift for you: 30 min. of our precious time to get ONE ESSENTIAL TIP that helps you implement what you’ve just read.
“The Extra Byte”
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out.
