Category Archives: Healthy aging

Active lifestyle, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Weight loss

Is Your Lifestyle Sustainable?

2 Comments

Sustainable

I talk openly about the sustainability of the health & wellness strategies I write about and teach.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s the only way to approach a long-term endeavor. Like your health & wellness initiative… involving nutrition, fitness, and sleep… for vitality and longevity.

But what do I mean by sustainable?

Well, let me start by defining what I don’t mean, or believe in.

  1. Rapid and quick fix weight loss techniques – including body cleanses, and extreme diets with unsafe calorie restrictions.
  2. Diet programs where you are required to buy special meals.
  3. Gimmicks like freezing fat cells, slimming belts and creams.
  4. Supplement subscriptions that claim to be “the solution”. Especially the ones that promote the “magic” weight loss pill that requires no activity or exercise.
  5. Restrictive “no-fat” or “no-carb” diets that exclude one of the essential macronutrients.

Okay, now that I’ve cleared the air, I’d like to share my view on sustainable strategies for getting into the best shape of your life.

And this includes losing excess weight for many reasons, but mainly to prevent disease so we can live longer. But also for the “feel-good” and “look-good” benefits that maintaining a healthy weight provides.

Sustainable

To me, sustainability involves…

  1. Great nutrition. Foods you can eat and meals we can prepare that include the highest quality nutrients. Whole foods with portions containing all 3 macronutrients in the “cleanest” possible fashion.
  2. Exercise we can maintain that benefits our body, mind, and overall outlook. We need to stress our muscles, cardiovascular system (heart), and respiratory system (lungs) with “prolonged” Something you may not actually “love”, but “like” enough to maintain for the long-term. And realize, this will evolve over time as we age.
  3. Adequate rest in the amount of 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. This allows us to recharge our physical and mental capacities, so we can be our absolute best.
  4. Mindfulness techniques to help us relax and reduce stress.
  5. Essentially, it all comes down to making healthier choices, which build healthy habits that promote sustainability. And sometimes, this includes short-term sacrifice for long-term gain.

Sustainable

Earlier this year I wrote about The 6 Pillars To Better Health & Vitality. This included 6 specific habits based on years of my own personal experience. The program took place over a 6-month period, and focused on one habit per month that continued to accumulate (or compound) as the 6 months progressed.

I also coached a small group of people directly throughout the entire 6 months to help reinforce the philosophy, concepts, and healthy habits I was promoting.

Overall, it was a very successful program. There were however, noteworthy successes and failures. It’s interesting to note that those who took the program serious and participated, over-achieved their goals and succeeded. And those who didn’t, didn’t.

So, what’s next…

 

Recently I mentioned that I’m conducting another program.

I have designed this new “pilot” program to help you lose weight and get in shape in a very similar proven and sustainable way. It too is based on small lifestyle changes that produce better health & vitality by focusing on healthy habits that get results.

I am looking for 5 serious people who will commit to losing weight and getting into the best shape of their life.

Get on the waiting list by signing up to see if you qualify here.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Sleep

The Fountain of Youth

I’m sharing an interesting “scientific” post that reinforces my philosophy about health & wellness; and specifically, healthy aging. It’s titled “Is Your Lifestyle Aging You?”, and puts a spotlight on how our lifestyle affects the aging process.

Healthy

You can view the post by clicking here.

It’s time to get back to basics.

I often refer to The Health Triad, and firmly believe that by combining great nutrition with regular physical activity and adequate sleep, you will live longer and have more vitality.

You will also prevent life-altering (or ending) conditions that include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. And not to mention plenty of other nasty ones too by taking better care of ourselves.

I love this quote…

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” ~ Jim Rohn

I guess it all depends on how good you want to look and how great you want to feel; and for how long. Or put another way, how long do you want to live with a great quality of life (body and mind)?

And of course, how much you’re willing to “pay the price”. Although, I have to admit… paying the price will take some time and effort.

It’s not difficult, and it’s SOooo worth it.

If you’re having difficulty getting started, check out these posts:

Just curious, have you read The Compound Effect?

I think you should and I highly recommend it!

Go to www.thecompoundeffect.com.

In it, you will learn how just a few disciplines will completely transform your life and the way you approach everything.

I trust that you’ll find it as valuable as I have!

Healthy

Last week I mentioned that I’m conducting another “pilot” program.

I’ve designed it to help you lose weight and get in shape in a proven and sustainable way. It’s based on lifestyle changes that produce better health & vitality by focusing on healthy habits that get results.

I am looking for 5 serious people who will commit to losing weight and getting into the best shape of their life.

Sign up to see if you qualify here.

 

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Weight loss

You Are What You Eat! Including Snacks…

You are what you eat, and this includes snacks and beverages.

So it only makes sense that consistently consuming the best quality nutrition is essential if we expect to dramatically improve our health and live longer.

It’s not as difficult as you think.

But it’s a lot easier said than done.

All you have to do is observe all of the processed garbage in the supermarket, and the absurd amount of fast food joints as you drive around town.

I say, if it comes in a sealed box or bag (or vending machine), avoid it. And if there’s a drive-thru window, keep on driving.

Snacks

And this doesn’t mean if there’s no drive-thru, then it must be OK… not even close!

Quality food choices are very limited.

And this goes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

This week I want to focus on high quality and healthy powerhouse snacks.

A few things that I rely on for snacks include:

  • Fruit (apples, berries, bananas)
  • Seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower)
  • Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts)
  • Raw veggies (peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, celery)
  • Other (yogurt, sauerkraut, leftovers in a small portion)
  • Grains (quinoa, farro, brown rice)

Always include a lean protein at a minimum with every meal and snacks because it prevents the carbs from spiking your blood sugar. But aim to hit all 3 macronutrients every time you eat something. This includes lean protein, fibrous or starchy carbs, and healthy fats.

Snacks

And remember the macro ratios to aim for – 50% fibrous and starchy carbs, 30% lean protein, and 20% healthy fat.

Other things to remember about your snacks:

  • Fruit is naturally sweet, so don’t add sugar.
  • Nuts are very high in healthy fats, but also in calories. And watch the sodium.
  • Use dips and sauces (if you need) in moderation so you don’t sabotage your snack or meal with something that’s dense in calories and saturated fat.
  • Spice it up with some heat. Hot peppers have been proven to speed up your metabolism and reduce cravings due to the chemical compound capsaicin.
  • Drink plenty of water EVERY day. 2 to 3 liters for the ladies, and 3 to 4 liters for the guys.

I have included a few good articles in the links below to help you discover some alternatives for healthy snacking.

By the way, in addition to improving your health and longevity, another side benefit to cleaning up your eating, drinking a lot of water, and eliminating sugar is that you will lose weight without even trying. If you’re doing it right, those added pounds will fall off over time.

Include intense exercise, and now you’re on to becoming a fat-burning machine. So fire it up!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Weight loss

Is Sitting the New Equivalent to Smoking?

We know that smoking is more than just bad for us; it’s deadly.

Recent studies are revealing there may be a new equivalent to smoking. Something we all do every day, and need to do less of.

Moving

Are you a couch potato?

Do you need a reason to start moving more?

Is walking part of your wellness plan?

How about regular exercise?

Well, in addition to losing your gut, my goal for sharing this My Fitness Pal article is to help you get off your butt, and get moving.

This may even add a little spring to your step.

Exercise has been proven to provide many healthy benefits which include weight loss and reversing preventable medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Not to mention living longer.

And if you’re already enjoying the benefits of regular exercise, congratulations. But don’t start celebrating, yet… at least until you read this article.

You’ll probably find it shocking and helpful at the same time. If you discover that you’re an “active couch potato”, you’ll appreciate the tips to minimize your sitting time to increase your longevity.

So stand up and click here to learn more about this silent killer.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

Judgment Day Is Calling!

2 Comments

Every day is judgment day for me.

And it starts in the morning…

when I step on the scale.

Actually, it’s all about the day before… knowing that I will be stepping up and held accountable in the morning.

Which helps to shape my choices and decisions in the moment.

About the quality of the calories I consume, along with a reminder about the ones I need to burn.

One of the most important things we can do to improve our health is to be mindful of the feedback we receive, as a result of all that we do (or decide not to do).

I focus on the long-term, and build habits around The Health Triad.

  • Nutrition – the quantity and quality of the calories you consume.
  • Exercise – the frequency and intensity you generate.
  • Sleep – the quality and the amount you get.

How can we know if we’re on the right track if we don’t monitor our choices and measure the results of our habits?

Feedback

Seriously…

Which is why I’ve learned to seek feedback through observation, and embrace failure when it happens. The information is invaluable, and ultimately helps us make better decisions in the future by influencing the next step we take in the moment (toward our goals).

Here’s an example…

Think about it this way. Let’s say you’re overweight. This could mean 30, 50, or 100 pounds. If you’re playing along, use your number.

Safe to say, this didn’t happen overnight.

But if you were weighing yourself daily and tracking it, over time you would notice a steady increase.

So this process of hopping on the scale every day could’ve provided you with a necessary RED flag. Which may have (hopefully) caused you to take a closer look at your choices and habits. And to maybe even seek some help.

Let’s turn this around and see how this example can help you.

The point of weighing in every day is not to cause you to freak out if there’s an increase from one day to the next.

Some days there will be an increase, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is a consistent increase every week.

So here’s why you should be doing this…

It’s for the feedback!

What patterns are you noticing?

Keep in mind, these can be positive or negative.

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

~ Newton’s Third Law

And here’s the beauty of this feedback… how are these patterns (from your weigh-ins) influenced by the choices you made over the past few days or week?

Look back to find the real value of maintaining this daily routine.

Feedback

This keeps it memorable and manageable.

It’s top of mind. So let the scale motivate you! And use it to your advantage.

That’s why every day is judgment day.

“Your choices, decisions, and habits can be shaped in the moment when you know you’ll be held accountable in the morning.” ~ John Dolan

So the question becomes…

Will you maintain the momentum of healthy choices so you can live a longer, more fulfilling life? Or succumb to unhealthy ones and remain discouraged about how every diet you try ultimately fails?

It’s an example of delayed vs. instant gratification.

If your future is more important, then it will be easier to delay that gratification for the long-term value. Otherwise, disappointment and frustration may continue to rear their ugly head.

Only you can decide… so choose wisely.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Sleep, Weight loss

Your Longevity Plan

I like to consume a lot of information.

No, not Facebook posts and Twitter feeds. Books…

It’s something I learned from my dad.

And I have to admit, he was right.

“Reading is one of the best ways to learn” ~ Jack Dolan

That’s what he used to tell me and my brother growing up. But it didn’t sink in until I was in my 20’s. I guess you can say I was a slow learner… but not anymore.

Today, there are many ways to improve your reading habit. The obvious one is with a good old-fashioned hardcover or paperback book.

And reading is so easy thanks to technology.

Ordering with Amazon is a snap, which is my primary method.

But there are some titles or topics that I prefer reading on my iPhone with the Kindle app. And for driving, walking, or when I’m on the go, I like to maximize that time with the Audible app, and listen.

Each format gives you a distinct perspective. And there’s so much variety, so I just don’t understand how anyone can say “I don’t have time to read”; or even worse, “I’m bored”.

Really?

Stop making excuses and find a way. There’s so much to learn!

And if you feel that you’re a slow reader, and it’s become an obstacle, you can lose that excuse with an Audible subscription.

How cool is that?

So why am I writing about reading?

And what does this have to do with health & wellness?

Well, I’m just finishing up an Audible book titled The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China. And I love it!

It’s about a small village in China once known as Longevity Village. One of the few areas in the world claiming to have a large number of centenarians.

Reading

There’s a lot to learn from these people. And the interesting thing is, that you can find a way to incorporate just a few of their healthy habits and you’ll begin to gain massive results!

You can browse to 4 different formats of this book on Amazon by clicking here.

Here’s the Amazon description:

From a renowned Johns Hopkins- and Stanford-educated cardiologist at Intermountain Medical Center — comes the story of his time living in Longevity Village in China, and the seven lessons he learned there that lead to a happy, healthy, long life.

At forty-four, acclaimed cardiologist John Day was overweight and suffered from insomnia, degenerative joint disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. On six medications and suffering constant aches, he needed to make a change.

While lecturing in China, he’d heard about a remote mountainous region known as Longevity Village, a wellness Shangri-La free of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, dementia, depression, and insomnia, and where living past one hundred—in good health—is not uncommon.

In the hope of understanding this incredible phenomenon, Day, a Mandarin speaker, decided to spend some time living in Longevity Village. He learned everything he could about this place and its people, and met its centenarians.

His research revealed seven principles that work in tandem to create health, happiness, and longevity—rules he applied to his own life. Six months later, he’d lost thirty pounds, dropped one hundred points off his cholesterol and twenty-five points off his blood pressure, and was even cured of his acid reflux and insomnia.

In 2014, he began a series of four-month support groups comprised of patients who worked together to apply the lessons of Longevity Village to their lives. Ninety-two percent of the participants were able to adhere to their plans and stay on pace to reach their health goals.

Now Dr. Day shares his story and proven program to help you feel sharper, more motivated, productive, and pain-free. The Longevity Plan is not only a fascinating travelogue but also a practical, accessible, and groundbreaking guide to a better life.

I highly recommend reading or listening to The Longevity Plan: Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China.

And since we’re on the topic of reading, I can’t help but also highly recommend 3 other books that can help you get in great shape and build better habits in many areas of your life.

This includes:

  1. Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle (Tom Venuto) Great book about getting lean, naturally.
  2. The Compound Effect (Darren Hardy) This book can transform your life.
  3. Essentialism (Greg McKeown) – Learn how to simplify your life by doing “less but better”.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Personal development

I Do…

I am so excited!!! My daughter got married this weekend!

It was an incredible celebration. Hearing Niki and Chris exchange their vows and say “I do” made me think a lot about commitment.

And of course, I had to find a way to tie a current event into a teachable moment about health & wellness. Full disclosure, (don’t worry Barb) I wasn’t thinking about this blog during the ceremony.

But there’s a great lesson to learn or simply remind ourselves of.

Commitment

Here’s a commitment example.

We want to get in shape by building healthier habits, but somehow life gets in the way. And then tests our true commitment to the change we want to make.

These challenges can disrupt our good intentions, but hopefully not derail them entirely.

So, speaking of “I do’s”, what is something you’ve been wanting to do to improve your health & vitality, but for whatever reason, haven’t been able to accomplish? Need some ideas?

Here’s a sample start doing list:

  • Walk 10K a day
  • Drink 3 to 4 liters of water
  • Add one more workout every week
  • Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night
  • Eat one more fruit or vegetable with every meal

Or, you can approach it from the other side.

Instead of “I do”, try… “I don’t” as an alternative.

Here’s a sample stop doing list:

  • Quit smoking
  • Eliminate sugary drinks
  • Stop going to the drive-thru
  • Replace a processed snack with nuts
  • Avoid late nights so you can exercise tomorrow

As with any habit, pick one and focus on it for the next month. Identify WHY you want to make this change, and then just do it.

Take action and track your WINS!

So what new commitment will you make this week?

Congratulations Niki and Chris!!! Wishing you all the best as you enter this new chapter in your lives…

Commitment

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

A New Approach To Wellness

This week, I’m sharing a podcast episode that I believe resonates with this blog’s focus. It’s titled “A New Approach To Wellness”.

Wellness

In it, Chris Kresser discusses how a healthy diet can reverse many of the health conditions that sideline 50% of American adults.

Chronic illnesses that are preventable!

These preventable illnesses include:

  1. Heart disease
  2. Stroke
  3. Cancer
  4. Type 2 diabetes
  5. Obesity

I firmly believe that these illnesses can be prevented, reversed, and eliminated by what I refer to as “The Health Triad”.

Wellness

This is where nutrition, exercise, and sleep become the foundation to a healthy lifestyle that’s focused on longevity and vitality. Instead of inactivity and instant gratification.

Great health & wellness only happens when you have a long-term vision, and blend consistency with healthy habits that get results.

Or, on rare occasions when a medical emergency strikes (as a result of facing one of the 5 preventable illnesses due to years of neglect), and you’re forced to make significant lifestyle changes.

But unfortunately, this isn’t even enough of a motivator to make those necessary changes, many times.

If better health & vitality interests you, then you’ll find a wealth of information and takeaways here. And I hope you learn from and enjoy this wellness podcast as much as I did.

Here’s the link:

A New Approach To Wellness podcast

And if you’d like to learn more about Chris Kresser, go to www.chriskresser.com.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Weight loss

This Is The End…

This is the end… or is it? I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Is it over, or the start of something awesome?

That’s up to you to decide.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s only the beginning.

Why am I asking this question?

Well, we just completed our “6 Pillars To Better Health & Vitality” program and I’m curious how you’re feeling.

It’s time to turn the page. This is a new chapter. Are you on track, or do you need to catch up?

Some of you are celebrating the completion of a successful program, and continuing on your journey. While others are lamenting because they gave up too soon and didn’t follow through.

Which one describes you?

Either way, you have results to validate your level of commitment.

Better health & vitality

But today is a new day. And it’s never too late to start. Or to continue on the trail you’re blazin’ to better health & vitality.

Stop searching for “quick fix” and get to work. You can do this.

We all have one life to live, and plenty of opportunities to get it right. There’s no time to worry about past mistakes; only a need to learn from them and move on.

We can’t stop the clock. And there’s no turning back.

There’s only one thing to do. And the time to do it is now.

So stop thinking about it, and…

Better health & vitalityWe are 100% responsible for our choices, actions, and decisions.

There is no room or need for excuses. Besides, excuses just make you look lazy and weak.

So don’t go there. Instead, decide on one element to focus on for better health & vitality, and start doing something about it. Today!

Need some ideas?

How about:

  • Increasing the amount of water you drink.
  • Exercising 3 days a week.
  • Getting 8 hours of sleep every night.
  • Cleaning up your eating habits.
  • Walking 10,000 steps a day.
  • Consuming higher quality, nutrient dense calories.
  • Meditating for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pick one and stick with it for a month or two. Make it a habit, then add another one.

Piece of cake… No, check that (sorry, poor choice of words).

Easy, right?

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.

Active lifestyle, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Weight loss

Been There, Done That. Now Don’t Get Tripped Up…

3 Comments

This week, we wrap up this month’s habit on “calories”, which completes our “6 Pillars To Better Health & Vitality” program. In this final post, I’d like to show you where it’s easy to get tripped up when you’re trying to make healthier choices.

It’s a common problem, and it derails far too many people.

And don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you there. We’ll discuss ideas to help you avoid these obstacles so you can stay on track for better health, despite the challenges along your journey.

But first, I want to share an alarming statistic.

It’s been widely reported that excess abdominal fat puts added stress on the heart, which increases the likelihood of heart failure.

6 pillars program

In a recent analysis involving 12 studies and more than 360,000 people, they found that every 4-inch increase in waist size ‘added’ a 29% chance of heart failure.

WOW!!! That sounds painful. And preventable.

There’s no way I’m going to let my gut put me in an early grave. Or cause me to have my chest cracked open.

Sure seems like an incentive to change a few habits, doesn’t it?

Personally, I’d rather eat right and exercise than have that hanging over me. How about you?

I think Jim Rohn said it best… “There are two types of pain you will go through in life. The pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

Let me help you find a way to eliminate this.

Plenty of things are vying for our attention… like friends, family, and co-workers. Busy schedules, work demands, hobbies, and personal commitments. And how about social media, smartphone notifications, the media, and of course our thoughts, just to name a few.

Your list may be longer. And in most cases, aside from the good that you may gain from some of them, these “attention grabbers” usually result in one thing.

They’re a distraction!

More accurately, they can disrupt your plans and interfere with your health & wellness initiative (if you allow them to).

The point being, when you’re trying to make healthier choices and build better habits, it’s easy to get tripped up when life happens and distractions occur, despite your good intentions.

You intend to eat something nutritious, but you’re on the run and short on time. So you grab a highly processed snack because it’s fast and easy; instead of eating the macronutrient-rich meal or snack you planned for.

You think, “At least it says ‘low fat’; or ‘lightly sweetened’; or ‘organic’… So it must be okay.”

Maybe it’s a power bar or a sports drink. That’s good for you, right? Not exactly!

Or worse, you stop at a drive-thru. NOOOoooo!!!

Here are some ways and places where your nutrition and exercise plans could be compromised.

  • A hectic work schedule
  • Restaurants and bars
  • Vacation
  • Business trips
  • Family functions
  • Going out with friends
  • Holidays
  • Late nights
  • Old habits
  • Running behind schedule
  • Not getting enough sleep
  • Deceptive marketing

Or just fill in the                       .

Think about what trips you up. Your Achilles Heel.

OK, now that you’ve thought about it, what can you do?

How can you take control, at least most of the time?

6 pillars program

I have some ideas. 10 to be exact…

See if any of these can help:

  1. Keep snacks with you. For example, I like to keep bags of nuts on hand. Like at my desk, in my car, and in laptop bag. And fresh fruit and veggies for the day while I’m on the road.
  2. Prepare and pack those snacks in advance to grab on the run. Otherwise, spare a few extra minutes before you leave to get them together. And remember your water too.
  3. Brown bag it. This makes your lunch decision easy and healthy. And it will probably save you a few bucks too.
  4. Eat before you go out. Yep, especially if you’re going to a function, a party, or even dinner. This way you’ll have had something nutritious and won’t be starving. Which could cause you to opt for less healthy choices. Then you can just “pick” while you’re out.
  5. Eat to 80% full. Your brain will catch up with your stomach if you give it a few minutes. And you’ll feel much better. Think about those times when you think or say “I’m so full”, or “I ate too much”. How do you feel during those moments?
  6. Avoid fast food like poison. I know it’s difficult sometimes when you’re out. It seems like 90% of your ‘options’ are garbage when you’re trying to eat clean. And they are unfortunately! That’s where the first 3 or 4 tips above can help.
  7. Don’t let 5 + 2 = 0. This is where you work hard to stay on track all week, only to throw it all away on the weekend. Late nights and some alcohol will usually sabotage your efforts. I’m not suggesting that you avoid having fun. Just trying to bring awareness to a vicious cycle that can leave you wondering why nothing is working. But it’s one you can easily fix.
  8. Get balanced. Aim for 50% carbs, 30% protein, and 20% fat with every meal. Opt for quality – complex or fibrous carbs, lean protein, and healthy fat whenever possible.
  9. Strive for 95, as Carol Merlo puts it. Stop chasing perfection, and beating yourself up when you fall short. Perfection isn’t practical so set your sights on getting it right 95% of the time. And lighten up a little. Go for progress, not perfection.
  10. Learn from feedback. Mistakes and failure are both good things if you learn from them. And these are usually our most valuable and memorable lessons. So, don’t be afraid. Instead, relax and embrace these teachable moments.

6 pillars program

As we wrap up the last post of our 6 Pillars program, I want to say thank you. Especially to our pilot group students.

Those of you who stuck with the 6 Pillars program have met or exceeded your weight loss goals. You’ve learned some valuable lessons and have built sustainable habits that are now part of you and your new healthy lifestyle.

And remember, even if you didn’t reach your goal yet, you’ve come a long way. Because you have the results to prove it. Nice work!

If you participated in the 6 Pillars program as a loyal follower of this blog, I am extremely grateful. And I congratulate you as well. I’m proud of you. And you should be too.

And finally, thanks goes out to everyone for keeping me accountable.

Let me know how the 6 Pillars program helped you. I’d love to hear:

  • What was most beneficial?
  • And most challenging?
  • What do you struggle with?
  • And what was your “a ha” moment?

Your feedback is always greatly appreciated.

If you’re new to us and would like to learn about the 6 Pillars program, and how to incorporate these 6 healthy habits into your life, you can link back to the first post of the series here.

And I’d like to ask one final…

6 pillars program

Who do you know that could benefit from a life-changing transformation in their health & wellness? I’m building a waiting list for another 6 Pillars pilot program.

So let me know, or share this.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive an email with a link to each new post. And if you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them.