Let's get straight to the point.
You are busy. You want to change for the better. Have more energy, reduce stress and lose fat. (I don't think of it as 'losing' because you don't miss it but it's just a word we use)
The number one step you can take right now to change your life is- breathing.
Yep. You are thinking it has to be more complicated than that but it's not. Some of the most profound discoveries and strategies are the most basic and involve nothing fancy.
Just you and your breathing.
Even just 5-10 minutes of deep breathing 'exercises' can have a huge impact on your health and well-being AND vicariously how lean you are. I put exercises in quotes because it's just inhaling/exhaling for a certain number of seconds so it's not really exercise but anyway..
Where do you begin? There are plenty of different options, look up Mark Divine and Sealfit and the Unbeatable Mind podcast to start. Or just search breathing/meditation on google. Just pick one and start. Don't waste time analyzing and thinking about it, just do it.
On to the next big action step to change your life quickly--
Bodyweight exercises/yoga/stretching combination.
Another one that is not exciting and you probably think there's no way this can make a big difference. But it can and it will if you do it consistently.
No matter how often you hit the gym you can still benefit from doing some basic calistenics, stretching and yoga poses.
Not long ago I would have rolled my eyes at this. Honestly, I thought anything that didn't involve a barbell or sled was a waste of time. But I let my stubborn hard-head try it and see the results.
I began with the 5 minute flow which I got from Max Shank -5 Minute Mobility
Only 5 minutes daily. I was skeptical but I gave it two weeks to see if I felt any different.
I did. So I began with 5 minutes of deep breathing and 5 minutes of mobility/yoga/stretching type stuff. I did this usually at the beginning of my day but sometimes I did it in the middle of the day.
After a few weeks of building these new habits they have become a staple in my day. I have missed a day here or there but mostly every day I do these simple activities.
What I've done with bodyweight exercises is add them in to my warmups and cooldowns/finishers.
Example- warmup- pushups, reverse crunches, bird dogs, squats, planks, reverse lunges, reverse pushups, shoulder/hip mobility drills. Repeat for approximately 5 minutes. Don't be alarmed by the hip/shoulder 'drills'.. again just a word we use that basically means moving the hip/shoulder joints around in circles. Feels good man.
Ok that's it. Try these out. See how you feel after. Give it a few weeks. It doesn't take a lot of time and you will feel the benefits immediately.
It doesn't seem like much. I was skeptical. But do this on top of some strength training 2-4 times per week and you'll be on your way to increased muscle, strength, energy and less fat.