Catchup with Coach M - Edition 61 - Fitness Consistency & Adherence for Long-Term Health
- Active Living Active Living
- Jun 7
- 10 min read
Welcome to this week's edition of Catchup with Coach M.
Those who follow me know that I normally cycle through a range of topics, but over the past few weeks there has been so much that we've discussed from week to week, and so much that I've encountered in my daily interactions with people, that I felt it was time to take a broader look at some of the fundamentals again.
Most of what I am about to share is not new. In fact, it has been discussed over and over again. If you follow reputable coaches, health professionals, and leaders in personal growth, you'll notice that they all tend to say the same things.
So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's get going.
The Big Question
What if the secret to better health, improved fitness, personal growth, and long-term success wasn't found in the latest trend, challenge, or quick fix?
What if it was simply found in showing up every day and applying the boring basics consistently?
Over the years, I've learned that lasting results come from mastering adherence to the basics and doing them day after day without fail. No fireworks. No major events. Just the daily grind.
Moving your body.
Eating well.
Making good decisions.
Building strength.
Practising gratitude.
Doing the small things consistently.
And to be perfectly honest, most people don't want to hear that.
They want the new plan, the miracle cure, the quick workout, or the latest meal strategy.
Initially, they're excited about doing the basics.
But when it comes to continual adherence to those same basics—when things are no longer new, exciting, or moving as quickly as they expected—they fall off and move on to the next shiny object.
That is where most people get it wrong.
Six months later, they find themselves exactly where they started, or sometimes even worse off.
This week I want to share some thoughts on training, growth, health, and the lessons I'm seeing both in my own journey and in the incredible journeys of the athletes and clients I have the privilege of coaching.
Training
Over the last year, I haven't shared much of my training calendar or what I've been up to.
The reality is that most of my focus has simply been on finding some form of normality again during and after treatment. It has been about ticking boxes, doing the basics, and trusting the process even when it felt like nothing was happening.
It has been about getting my body functioning again and reminding my brain that I can still do hard things.
Then, hopefully, sustaining that effort over the next year or two.
There are some very big goals in the pipeline.
Honestly, some of them are just plain scary.
Not simply daunting—scary.
Many personal growth experts say that if your goals don't scare you, they probably aren't big enough.
Well, These definitely does.
The beautiful thing about it all is that there is no shortcut. There is only hard work, consistent weeks, and quiet, head-down grafting.
Along the way there will be several side quests.
Not only because they are important, but because they are essential stepping stones towards the bigger goal. They help keep the carrot fresh.
A carrot that's too far away eventually becomes stale.
So keep the carrot fresh, but never lose sight of the long-term plan.
The details will reveal themselves over time through these updates and across my social media platforms as the year unfolds.
For now, just know this:
Showing up is non-negotiable.
If that doesn't happen, nothing else happens.
Full stop.
The first major focus is already here.
The first weekend in July will see us tackling a double-header racing weekend, and I honestly cannot wait.
The last time I attempted these two races back-to-back was in 2013, and in my head it remained one of the hardest challenges I had undertaken at that stage. By the end of day one, I was genuinely ready to hang up my running shoes.
Now, years later, we're doing it again.
Ready for action and looking forward to the challenge.
This time with more experience.
A much-improved mindset.
More wisdom.
More muscle.
Better conditioning.
And a lot more enjoyment.
The challenge remains the same:
Show up.
Do the work.
Trust the process.
Athlete Focus
The AL4A athletes and clients are doing exceptionally well this year.
Some are quietly ticking over.
Others are chasing massive goals.
But every single one of them is remarkable in their own right.
For us, Medal Monday isn't really a thing.
But it is.
Because every medal and every training session tells a story.
This year so far we have seen:
Marathons completed and mountains conquered.
Comrades become a reality.
Distance PBs and route PBs achieved.
Oceans literally crossed.
Weights lifted.
Muscle built.
Rehabilitation journeys completed.
Body weight lost and kept off.
Gut health improved.
Body confidence built.
Body shapes changed forever.
Lifestyles adapted and transformed for long-term health.
I think about my seniors who keep moving despite their challenges.
The people who show up despite busy family schedules.
The people navigating work politics, household crises, financial pressures, and life's endless curveballs.
The other day I was doing my gratitude journal.
Normally I write down three things per topic and move on.
But when I got to the coaching side of AL4A, I was amazed.
The list just kept growing.
You are all stars.
Every single one of you.
I am incredibly proud to be associated with each of you and honoured to play a small role in your journey.
Growth
Growth is a topic we could spend weeks discussing.
Today I simply want to highlight a few truths that are essential if we want to grow.
Growth is not always comfortable.
Growth is hard.
Growth requires change.
Growth requires sacrifice.
Growth requires focus.
Growth requires intentionality.
Growth requires us to get over our excuses and do what we said we would do.
Growth requires patience.
Without these things, growth simply does not happen.
Six months from now you could be exactly where you are today, carrying the same excuses and running around the same obstacles in circles.
Or you could be somewhere completely different.
Look up.
Be proactive.
Show up.
Do the hard thing.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that ACTION and ADHERANCE are two very different things.
ACTION is taking a step or doing something.
ADHERANCE is consistently sticking to a plan, routine, guideline, or commitment over time.
You can have plenty of action.
But if you want growth and results, there are fundamentals that must be adhered to consistently.
Otherwise, you're simply running in circles and convincing yourself you're moving forward when you're actually standing still.
Growth is often doing the basics exceptionally well, over and over and over again.
· Not for a week.
· Not for a month.
· Not for a challenge.
· But consistently, year after year.
Reputation is built through repetition.
Your gain is in your again.
It's not what you do occasionally that matters.
It's what you do consistently.
The magic is in the momentum.
What you repeat is what you become known for.
Over time, you become the person who gets 1% better every day.
Your body starts learning that it can trust your decisions.
And when that happens, it begins to respond.
Lifestyle & Health
When we look at lifestyle and health, many of our problems would be solved if we remembered the old saying:
An apple and a walk a day help keep the doctor away.
YES…that’s right...Not just the apple.
The walk too.
And then comes the other important lesson:
Adherence over action.
Most people don't need a complete lifestyle overhaul.
They need consistency.
They need to stop searching for complicated answers and start mastering the basics.
Nutrition Matters
Starting with the apple.
Most people don't need a complete dietary overhaul.
They don't need the latest diet trend, expensive supplement stack, peptide protocol, or miracle solution.
They need consistency.
They need adherence to basic principles over and over again while also taking care of their gut health.
Focus on eating:
3–5 portions of vegetables daily
2–3 portions of fruit daily
That's 5–7 portions of colourful produce every day.
One portion = approximately a fist-sized serving or 50–100g, depending on the food.
Eat the rainbow:
Green
Red
Yellow
Orange
Pink
Purple
Every colour provides different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds that support health, recovery, immunity, digestion, and long-term disease prevention.
Happy gut. Happy life.
If you look at this across three meals per day, it amounts to roughly two fist-sized portions of fruit and/or vegetables per meal.
Combined with smart carbohydrate choices, this will help most people reach the recommended 25–38g of fibre per day.
The fibre train is important.
It's the broom that helps clean out the digestive system and supports healthy elimination.
The basics may not always be exciting.
They may not look like artwork on a plate.
But they work.
They keep you fuller for longer and healthier from the inside out.
Bulk is also one of the best tools for preventing mindless snacking and constant hunger.
Protein Is Non-Negotiable
For every 100g of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, or fish, you're getting approximately 30g of protein.
Ladies should aim for 30–40g of protein per meal.
Gents should aim for 40–50g of protein per meal.
Choose grilled or broiled options where possible and prioritise lean cuts.
The goal should be a minimum of 1–1.5g of protein per kilogram of goal body weight per day.
Read that again.
For those following a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, protein targets remain just as important.
The source may differ.
The requirement does not.
Your body still needs protein to repair, recover, maintain muscle mass, and support a healthy metabolism.
The Challenge for anyone who just said, "But I eat enough protein."
Log your food for three days.
I can say with near certainty that the overwhelming majority of people are not consistently hitting their protein targets.
The Truth About Carbohydrates
Carbs do not make you fat.
Consistently eating more calories than your body requires leads to weight gain.
Carbohydrates often cause temporary water retention, especially when combined with sodium.
That's why you may be 1–2kg heavier after a creamy pasta meal or a salty restaurant meal.
It's water.
Not overnight fat gain.
Carbohydrates play an important role in:
Brain function
Hormone regulation
Mood regulation
Muscle fuel
Exercise performance
Recovery
A simple guideline is one fist-sized serving three to four times per day.
Choose foods such as:
Oats
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Brown rice
Basmati rice
Whole grains
Quinoa
Beans and legumes
Corn
Wholegrain breads and wraps
Healthy carbohydrates should form the foundation of your nutrition, while more processed options should remain occasional extras.
Hydration
Good old H₂O.
Aim for approximately 1 litre of water per 30kg of body weight.
Coffee doesn't count.
Sugary drinks don't count.
Water counts.
Herbal teas count.
Support your body's natural systems and allow them to function optimally.
· Know your calorie budget.
· Measure your portions.
· Log your intake.
· Know your numbers.
· Understand whether you're maintaining, gaining, or creating a sensible deficit.
· Do that consistently and results will come.
Move Every Day
Ladies: 8,000–10,000 steps daily.
Gents: 11,000–15,000 steps daily.
Every day.
Before anyone panics, I'm not saying you need to run a marathon every day.
Movement doesn't have to be complicated.
· A walk counts.
· Walking while talking on the phone counts.
· Dancing in your kitchen counts.
· Taking the stairs counts.
The goal is simple:
Move.
The movement that isn't always logged as exercise often matters more than we realise.
Most people now own some type of device that tracks steps, sleep, and activity.
Pay attention to it.
Daily movement remains one of the most underrated health tools available.
Build Strength
If you want to burn calories effectively, you need muscle.
Muscle happens when you lift.
And lift heavy.
Two to four times per week.
Do the boring work too.
Activation exercises
Stability work
Mobility drills
Balance training
The exercises nobody posts on social media are often the exercises that keep us healthy enough to continue doing the things we love.
Train Your Heart
Your heart and lungs are muscles too.
Surprise!!!
Just like your arms and legs, if they aren't trained, they lose capacity.
Aim for two to three sessions per week where your cardiovascular system is challenged and you break a bit of sweat.
Yes, All in all that means movement seven days per week.
· Some days hard.
· Some days easy.
· Some days it's simply your steps.
But your body was designed to move.
Sleep – The Missing Link
If there is one area that almost everyone overlooks, it's sleep.
Sleep is often the missing link between where you are and where you want to be.
Let's get one thing straight.
Sleep isn't the next miracle cure.
But it solves a lot of problems.
Most poor decisions happen when the "I'm tired" switch gets turned on.
You can have the perfect training plan and nutrition strategy and Adhere to it, but if your sleep is consistently poor, your results will suffer.
Sleep is where:
Recovery happens.
Muscles repair and grow.
Hormones regulate.
The immune system strengthens.
Learning is consolidated.
Most adults should aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night.
Not time in bed scrolling.
Actual restorative sleep.
Sleep is not a luxury.
It is a biological requirement.
Protect it.
Gratitude
We need to live our lives with gratitude.
In a world filled with crisis and negativity, gratitude changes perspective.
Be grateful for:
Waking up.
Being alive.
Being able to move.
Family.
Health.
Education.
Access to information.
Opportunities to grow.
The more grateful we become, the richer life feels.
Brain Stimulation & Our Screens
Like it or not, screens are part of daily life.
The issue isn't the screen.
The issue is what we do with it.
What if we dedicated just 15 minutes each day to intentional learning?
Reading a book
Listening to a podcast
Learning a new skill
Researching a topic
Developing our health, career, relationships, or mindset
Small amounts of intentional learning repeated consistently can completely change the direction of our lives.
Feed your brain the same way you feed your body.
· Choose quality over quantity.
· Choose learning over distraction.
· Choose growth over mindless consumption.
Your Challenge
As I wrap up this week's thoughts, I want to leave you with a simple challenge:
Keep your gratitude.
Show up.
Do the basics well.
Move your body every day.
Eat foods that nourish you.
Train with purpose.
Protect your sleep.
Learn something new.
Spend less time waiting for motivation and more time building momentum.
Success in health, fitness, growth, and life rarely comes from one big breakthrough moment.
It comes from the small decisions we make every single day.
· The walk when you don't feel like it.
· The healthy meal instead of the convenient option.
· The strength session nobody sees.
· The extra glass of water.
· The chapter of a book.
· The gratitude you choose to practise even when life feels challenging.
Six months from now will pass anyway.
A year from now will pass anyway.
The question is simple:
Will the future version of you be grateful that you started, stayed consistent, and kept showing up?
Or will they still be waiting for the perfect time?
Choose growth.
Choose consistency.
Choose gratitude.
Do the work.
Build the momentum.
And become the person your future self will be proud to look back on.
The choice starts today. 💚
All My love Coach M
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