The blueprint
I don't have 45 minutes a day for a yoga class. I don't have 45 minutes for a dedicated strength session. I don't have time to prep elaborate meals. And I don't always get 8 hours of sleep. That's life with young kids.
What I do is focus on the bare minimum that gives me the most return. Enough to make a difference without pretending I live a different life. Most fitness content is made by people without kids. The routines, the meal prep, the early mornings. It's easy when nobody's waking you up at 2am or needing a bath at 6pm.
This is what I'm actually doing, day to day, week to week. Not a prescription. Just what's working for me right now.
Nutrition
I don't have strong opinions on diets. That said, I do think that mainstream diet advice has been off for a long time, and we're only just starting to understand the damage it's causing. Everyone's pushing something different, and they all claim to work. Keto, carnivore, vegan, paleo. Each camp has its own influencers and doctors swearing it's the answer. The one thing they all seem to agree on is to eat whole foods and avoid processed ones. I lean towards higher protein, higher fat, and fewer carbs. That's about as complicated as I make it. Do your own reading and figure out what makes sense for you.
My staples
I eat more or less the same things every day. Three eggs for lunch, either scrambled, boiled, or as an omelette with cheese. Then overnight oats. Same base recipe, I just change the flavour.
Vanilla
Honey + cinnamon before serving
Chocolate peanut butter
Intermittent fasting
I do 16:8, eating window from 12pm to 8pm. I didn't start it because I read a study or watched a documentary. I started because I have a serious sugar problem. I can eat a full pack of Oreos, three chocolate bars, and still keep going. Once I start, I can't stop. IF quiets that down. When I'm fasted, the cravings don't hit the same way. It just makes eating well easier.
During fasted hours I drink black coffee and water. During my eating window I try to eat proper meals with protein, veg, and decent fats. Nothing fancy. No meal plans, no calorie counting. Just real food.
Supplements
Most of what you need should come from eating well. Supplements fill gaps, they don't replace food. I keep it to three things that are hard to get enough of through diet alone, especially in the UK.
Fish oil
Omega-3s. I take two softgels with lunch and two with dinner. Unless you're eating oily fish most days, you're probably not getting enough.
Vitamin D
1000 IU daily with lunch. If you live in the UK, you're almost certainly not getting enough from sunlight for half the year. The NHS recommends supplementing through autumn and winter at a minimum.
Creatine
5g daily, first thing in the morning. One of the most researched supplements out there. Helps with strength, but there's growing evidence for cognitive benefits too. You'd need to eat about 1kg of red meat a day to get the same amount.