Category Archives: Health & wellness

Step Up Your Game!

I hope that you’re feeling the burn and on to your next break-through. As you step up your game, you’ll notice that results will soon follow. So it’s time to establish a point of reference. Something you can look back on and see your progress.

Speaking of stepping up your game, the 2016 Summer Olympics are in full swing. It’s impressive to see these elite athletes compete. There’s such a high level of intensity and determination. I also love the inspiring stories about all of the hard work, discipline, sacrifice and struggle that Olympians endure to make it to the world stage.

Rio_2016_OlympicsHats off to everyone! Go USA!!!

While you and I may not be able to compete with these incredible athletes in the Olympic games, I think it’s worth noting that life can be a competition in many non-athletic ways. So congratulations! We are all in the “Life Olympics Competition” in some fashion.

For example, how you “perform”:

  • In your profession, and throughout your career.
  • On that next project.
  • During a negotiation.
  • While leading your family.
  • Or helping a friend.
  • While volunteering your time.
  • Or making a tough decision.
  • On that next sales call, or interview…

You know I’m gonna find a way to tie this to health & wellness, right.

Although these tasks may not require physical strength. Or appear to be linked to how you’ve been treating your body. There is actually a lot of evidence which proves that your nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits DO influence your performance – in life. And the quality directly impacts the results you achieve in these daily events.

So this begs the question, “Are you operating at peak performance and becoming the best YOU that you can be?”

For the next 2 weeks, we will discuss benchmarking. We’ll look at how we measure up. And where we can improve. By looking at 2 key metrics that relate to better health & wellness.

This week we’ll unpack a few ideas and take a look at body weight.

Lady_on_a_scale

We know that good nutrition combined with regular exercise and adequate rest is essential to our good health.

But just knowing this is not enough.

We need to take action, and incorporate these 3 elements into our daily routine if we want to perform better, live longer, and prevent disease.

The most common metric that relates to body weight is the number on the scale that looks back at you in the morning.

And with regard to our first metric, I’d like to begin with a simple ‘height to weight ratio’. The chart below illustrates the ideal weight (in pounds) based on height. It’s represented in 3 categories that range from low, target, and high.

Height_to_weight_chart

Here’s where we can establish a “reference point”. For example, if your interest is to get in shape and lose weight, this data can become the basis for establishing a long-term goal.

Let’s say you’re a 5’ 11” male, and your current weight is 205. Based on the height to weight ratio chart, you are overweight and have about 41 pounds to lose to get to the target weight of 164, give or take a few.

I can already hear the whining and excuses…

No, it’s not impossible. It’s very doable if you want to get there. But you need to start making better choices and create some new healthy habits. So let’s get back to our example.

We need to determine the plan for how you can learn to incorporate great nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest into your daily routine. So that in 6 months to a year for this example, you can build healthier habits that ultimately become your new healthy lifestyle.

This approach enables you to lose the excess weight.

And keep it off – forever!

No_more_diets

No pills. No diets. No quick fix.

And No fast food. Don’t worry, you won’t miss it.

It’s all about the choices you make, the habits you build, and the disciplines you develop.

Excited? Concerned? Confused? Ready to make a change? Great, let’s talk!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback.

What’s your Win to be Thin?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Are You Intense Enough?

I’m going to make an assumption here: that you exercise regularly.

Man_exercising

If that’s not you, you can stop reading this and move on. Unfortunately, this post and most of the content on this site can’t help you.

So this is for my friends that exercise, but have hit a plateau in getting positive results. And can’t figure out what to do.

See if any of these scenarios resonate with you:

  • You hit the gym 3 to 5 days a week.
  • You try to eat as clean as possible.
  • You avoid sugar, fast food, and highly-processed refined carbs.
  • You maintain portion control most of the time.

But you still can’t make a dentin your belly, your butt, or the number on the scale.

Exercising_overweight

It can be puzzling. Frustrating. And downright discouraging…

What the heck is going on? Well, it could be a number of things.

But in this post I’m going to focus on only one of the possibilities.

Perhaps your workouts aren’t “intense” enough.

What??? How do you know, or how can you find out?

You think, “But what about the ‘fat burning zone’? I thought that’s where I was supposed to exercise”.

Side Note: The fat burning zone is a theory that evolved because your body burns more fat during lower intensity aerobic exercise than it does during higher intensity exercise. It’s even encouraged on some cardio machines as it relates to your target heart rate.

While it may be true that you may burn 10% to 20% more fat during lower intensity exercise, your body burns far more calories during higher intense activity. And in less time.

I prefer to spend less time in the gym; not more. How about you?

Disclaimer: I personally am not advocating that you train in the fat burning zone. I do not believe in this philosophy. Which is why I train at a higher intensity level at least 80% of the time. I base this belief on my own personal experience from training many years. But I’m not a doctor. So you should evaluate this by consulting your doctor, doing your own research, and perhaps hiring a certified personal trainer to help make your own decision.

I realize that everyone is unique. And we all have different goals, body types, fitness levels, medical conditions, age, and body weight. We also have varying pain (and tolerance) levels, injuries, and physical limitations that we’re dealing with.

So my overall advice is to not fall into the trap of staying in the fat burning zone as it relates to heart rate. It’s a myth that produces lackluster results.

I don’t know the scientific details behind it. I just know that it works for me. So I’m sharing in the hope that it works for you too.

Man_drenched_in_sweat

Here are a few personal tips to help you identify that you’re training at higher intensity:

  1. You’re out of breath and unable to have a conversation.
  2. You’re drenched and dripping with sweat. Stopping at Starbucks on the way home would be too embarrassing.
  3. You’re feelin’ the burn (not the Bern!) after your workout is done. Oh, it’s a deep burn!

Ron_burgundy_deep_burn

There are plenty of good online resources, a few of which I’ve included here:

By the way, I am still looking for more feedback. Link back to last week’s post here.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback.

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Is There Anybody Out There?

I’d like to follow up on last week’s post about feedback.

How? By asking for “your” feedback.

Is there anybody out there? (Click here)

But let me first tell you about a “tech” problem I recently discovered on my website. Well, actually it was a friend and fellow subscriber that tipped me off to the issue. Thanks ‘H’!

It’s very common for blogs to have a “comment section”, and Thin2Win is no different. So my friend read something he liked and was trying to post a comment.

For some strange reason, the ‘CAPTCHA’ software (that prevents spam) was acting up. So bad that it was actually preventing anyone from leaving a comment – arghhhh!

I am happy to report that the CAPTCHA problem is resolved and you are now able to leave comments again.

Why am I telling you this? Because I would love to hear from you.

Id_love_to_hear_from_you

This site is all about YOU! And so I want to make it more meaningful by providing content that’s relevant to YOUR needs.

So I’d love to know if you find my content applicable and meaningful. Perhaps how it is helping you. And what other topics you would like me to write about.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few questions that may help you to help me understand your needs and expectations a little better (you don’t need to answer all of them):

  1. What do you enjoy most about my posts, and why?
  2. What do you enjoy least about my posts, and why?
  3. How is this content helping you?
  4. What else would you like me to write about, and why?
  5. What is the outcome you are looking for?
  6. What’s your biggest health & wellness challenge?
  7. What derails your healthy initiative?
  8. What are you ultimately trying to achieve?

You can keep it simple. Or provide specific details. Whatever works for you works for me.

And if you’re not comfortable leaving a public comment, you can send your comments privately via email to jdolan@thin2win.net.

Get_smart_can_ya_hear_me_now

My ultimate goal is to learn more about your needs so I can focus my attention and the content I provide to those specific areas.

Ideally, I’d like to receive at least 10 comments to this post. Can you help me achieve this goal?

You can even just reply to this email so I know you’re still out there.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback!

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Can You Hear It?

Okay, so you’ve got rhythm. Congratulations!

I hope you put Darren’s Rhythm Register to good use and have found it as valuable as I have. Link back to last week here.

This week I want to talk about feedback, and the incredible value it offers each of us.Feedback

What do I mean by feedback? Well, it could mean a number of things. It’s most likely a reaction to something that you do or say; or don’t do or don’t say. It’s like knowledge or advice. But it may not always come from someone else. It may be something you discover on your own.

Feedback can be:

  • Given, received from others, or discovered on your own.
  • Verbal or non-verbal.
  • Solicited or unsolicited.
  • Positive, negative, constructive, or destructive.

Here’s how Dictionary.com defines it:

a reaction or response to a particular process or activity; helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance, product, etc.

I believe that obtaining valuable feedback comes down to 4 things:

  1. Being present in the moment so you’re ready to realize it and accept it.
  2. Asking great questions, of ourselves and others.
  3. Listening.
  4. Learning from and acting on that feedback.

Receiving_feedbackAs I was preparing this, I started brainstorming to get clearer about this concept of feedback. Here are a few of my thoughts:

  • Interpreting feedback requires us to be present in the moment.
  • We get feedback from many things that we do. But we may not always recognize it if we’re not looking or listening for it.
  • Sometimes we need to slow down or quiet our mind to recognize the feedback. Sorry but multi-tasking or trolling social media doesn’t help. It rarely does!
  • Feedback is a great correction for when we find ourselves “off-track”.
  • I view mistakes as feedback. Although we don’t intentionally go out of our way to make mistakes, when they happen, we need to welcome the lessons learned and value that feedback so we can learn and grow.
  • If you’re in a sales or leadership position, you have the opportunity to gain valuable feedback all the time as you help and influence others.
  • When you want to experiment with or test a new idea, feedback helps to confirm, clarify, or refine that idea.
  • Feedback helps us learn and improve, so we need to welcome and embrace it.Giving_and_receiving_feedback

So how does feedback tie into health & wellness? Here are a few personal examples:

  1. If I eat too much, I feel uncomfortably full. That feedback of being uncomfortable reminds me eat to 80% full more often. And satisfy my hunger, but still feel great afterwards.
  2. I weigh myself in the morning and use that as a form of feedback. Mainly to assess the prior day. Like what I ate, my activity level, and the calories I burned during exercise. Not to be hypersensitive about an increase or decrease in weight. Simply to learn from what I’m doing and how it affects or impacts me the next day. But especially over time.
  3. If I am over-tired, or feeling extra pain in the morning, I’ve learned to listen to my body and take the day off from exercise.
  4. We also get feedback over longer periods of time from the results we get from our exercise and nutrition. And yes, a lack of results would also count as feedback. For example, is that new strength training routine helping you accomplish visible results? Are the results more intrinsic where you’re beginning to feel better? Or extrinsic? Perhaps measured by compliments you’re receiving from others?

It all comes down to getting to know ourselves better. And as we learn more, we grow and improve more. You can’t manage what you can’t see…

Can you hear the feedback over all of the ‘noise’ in your life?

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback!

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Do You Have Rhythm?

Did you complete your homework assignment from last week?

I hope so…

If you did, you should have some data from your “tracking” initiative.

Rhythm

I want to make sure that you understand how tracking works, and the value it can add to your life when you are trying to improve or change something.

This week, I’d like to take it one step further by expanding on something we revealed last week.

We discussed the importance of starting with a conscious awareness when we want to make a change. From there, we map out the positive choices we intend to start making. And finally we need to take action by making these new choices consistently.

So how can we ensure that we are remaining consistent with our new choices?

Thank you for asking…

I will refer to another valuable resource from Darren Hardy’s NY Times best-selling book “The Compound Effect”. He calls it the Weekly Rhythm Register. And you can download it here for free.

This is a powerful tool.

Not only does it help to keep you consciously focused on the new behaviors you want to reinforce, it helps you track them too.

Remember, this is a process that takes time. We’re trying to create a new healthy lifestyle, one habit at a time.

So only start with a few new things. Then you can add to your “rhythms” as your new habits begin to build.

Otherwise, you run the risk of making it too hard or overwhelming. And guess what that does? Right! It takes the fun out of it. And makes it a chore. Instead of being something you look forward to.

And before long, you’ll just drop it altogether. Don’t let this happen.

Check out the sample Weekly Rhythm Register below:

Rhythm

This will keep you on target with your new habit building initiative.

So let’s look towards the future and think about some new habits you can track as it relates to The 6 Pillars To Better Health & Vitality. Your list may eventually include some of the following:

  1. Water
    • Drink 3 to 4 liters of water
    • No soda or sweetened drinks
  2. Exercise
    • Strength train (2 to 3 days)
    • Cardio training (2 to 3 days)
  3. Sleep
    • Get at least 7 hours of sleep
    • Unplug 1 hour before bed
    • Meditate at least 4 days
  4. Eat Clean
    • Eat 2 to 3 servings of fresh fruit
    • Eat 2 to 3 servings of steamed veggies
    • Eat an apple a day
    • 50 / 30 / 20 macros for at least 2 meals
  5. Walk
    • Walk 10K a day
    • Start the day with a 30-minute walk
  6. Calories
    • Eat to 80% full
    • Burn at least 500 calories 5 times per week

Special Note: Base your exercise and walking routine on your fitness level. And always consult with your doctor before beginning a new exercise or nutrition plan.

Action items for this week:

  1. Print the weekly rhythm register.
  2. Add a few key behaviors and track them.
  3. Leave a comment to let me know how you’re doing.

Thank you for sharing your time with me.

I hope you found value in this post.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback.

What’s your Win to be Thin?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, share it with them. And if you like what you see, SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates when new posts are published.

You can also LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

#rhythm

Can You Spare a Week or Two?

We’ve been talking a lot about choices, habits, and disciplines. And this week I’d like to continue this discussion by focusing in on habits.

Why? Because I firmly believe that understanding and improving our habits is key to making lasting positive changes in our lives.

A_new_habit

So where do our habits come from?

I believe they’re a direct result of the choices we make, compounded over time. Some of our choices are made consciously, while others occur unconsciously.

I think we’ve all heard the statistic that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I’ve also read that it’s actually 66 days; not 21.

But don’t worry, I’m not here to prove who’s right and who’s wrong. Suffice it to say, it takes some time and effort to build a new habit.

So I’d prefer instead to discuss how new habits are formed.

Why?

So we can build better ones. Healthier habits in this case. By learning about what we are currently doing, and how this influences the results we are getting, or not getting.

Once we understand this, we can consciously begin to make the right changes. Or better choices…

These changes take time to materialize. Whether it’s 21 or 66 days, or something in between, it all begins with the choices we make.

And consistency is key.

When you get this under control, your results begin to compound.

Healthy_habits

There’s a simple formula for developing new healthy habits:

  1. It starts with a “conscious awareness”, which helps us understand what we are doing, or not doing.
  2. From here, we can determine “what” we want (or need) to change.
  3. Then we need to map out the positive “choices” we intend to start making.
  4. We take action by consciously “making” these new positive choices, consistently.
  5. The “consistency” of these new choices begin to build your new healthy “habits”.
  6. As these new habits take shape, and more consistency is applied, “disciplines develop”.
  7. These new disciplines become part of you and your “lifestyle”.
  8. Now you’ve got some momentum on your side and simply need to “manage the process”.

Viola!!!

You’ve just developed a new healthy discipline!

Now it’s time to “continue adding” new healthy choices to your daily routine, one at a time.

So what’s the best way to obtain or gain this conscious awareness?

I’m glad you asked…

TRACKING!

Think about it. You’re probably already be doing this in some form, whether you realize it or not.

What is tracking?

Tracking is a process of consciously keeping tabs on something that you want to start or stop doing. In either case, you’re trying to improve something.

As Darren Hardy puts it in The Compound Effect: “Tracking works because it brings moment-to-moment awareness to the actions you take in the area of your life you want to improve.”

What’s the first thing you should track?

Drink_more_water

We need a “conscious awareness” of what we are currently doing, or not doing. And we need to take it one step at a time.

So pick one thing and track it for a week or two.

For example, if you want to start drinking more water, begin by tracking how much water you currently drink.

Maybe it’s not much at the moment. Perhaps you’re drinking soda, and want to stop doing that. And replace that soda with water.

Okay, now we’re on to something.

Keep a small piece of paper in your pocket. And write down every time you drink a glass (or a bottle) of water or soda.

Do this every day for a week or two.

Remember, the first thing we are trying to do is gain a conscious awareness of what we are doing, or not doing.

Is it difficult to do this? No. Is it inconvenient? Maybe. Is it worth the effort? Yes. So just do it!

Here’s the small piece of paper I referred to. It doesn’t have to be fancy. The simpler the better. Take an 8 ½  x 11 blank sheet of paper and fold it in half to 5 ½ x 8 ½. Fold it in half again to 4 ¼ x 5 ½. Fold it in half again to 2 ¾ x 4 ¼.

My_tracking_journal

As you track your water and soda consumption, you may notice that your choices start getting healthier. If so, that’s great. You’re beginning to make healthier choices as a result of your conscious awareness. If not, don’t worry.

Once we get a handle in a week or two, we will begin to consciously reinforce the healthier choice (aka our future habit) we want to make.

So what do ‘ya think?

Can ‘ya do it?

I believe you can.

For the next week, I want you to track one thing. Like the water/soda example above if that’s helpful. After all, water is the first pillar. So that would be a good one to start with.

If you have already mastered that one, pick another area to improve.

For example, your daily steps, the number of workouts you complete per week, the number of calories you burn during each workout, the number of times you said “no thank you” to dessert or fast food. Or yes to breakfast. You get the point.

Next week we’ll build on this concept and take it a step further.

Thank you for sharing your time with me.

I hope you found value in this post.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback.

What’s your Win to be Thin?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, share it with them. And if you like what you see, SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates when new posts are published.

You can also LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

#habits

You Can Do This!

Independence Day

I hope you and your family had a great Independence Day holiday!

Last week we wrapped up our 6-month program on the 6 Pillars of Health & Wellness.

The 6 habits are nothing new. They’re basic but essential to your well-being. As they compound over time, you will begin to see noticeable improvements. The 6 habits are:

  1. Water
  2. Exercise
  3. Sleep
  4. Eat Clean
  5. Walk
  6. Calories

The goal behind this program is very simple. To improve your health by helping you make better choices. As you begin to consistently make better choices, your habits begin to improve and take shape. And as you build your new healthy habits, you will begin to develop new disciplines that become your new healthy lifestyle.

That’s it! No special diets or supplements. Just choices, habits, and disciplines. As you learn to make better choices, build new habits, and develop new disciplines, everything changes for you.

So if you followed the program, I’d like to ask you a few questions:

  1. How are you feeling?
  2. Are you beginning to consciously make better choices?
  3. Are your choices starting to become new, healthier habits?
  4. Are you finding joy and happiness with your new healthy habits?
  5. Can you maintain your new healthy habits for the next 6 months? How about the next year? 2 years? 10 years? A lifetime?

Remember, this is a lifestyle. You’re in it for the long haul. NO MORE DIETS; EVER! The fundamentals of this plan are the only thing you’ll ever need to stay in the best shape of your life!

I would love to hear how this has helped you. What was most beneficial? And most challenging? What did you learn?

Your feedback is always greatly appreciated.

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

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

What’s Your Achilles Heel?

I recently read an alarming statistic. It was in the July edition of the Consumer Reports ‘On Health’ publication. It’s been widely reported for years that excess abdominal fat puts added stress on the heart, which increases the likelihood of heart failure.

Belly_fat

In this story, they reported on a new analysis that involved 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 gonna let my gut put me in an early grave. Or cause me to have my chest cracked open. Sure seems like enough of 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?

This week we wrap up this month’s habit on “calories”. And that completes our 6 months of healthy habits. Something I like to refer to as “The 6 Pillars of Health & Wellness”.

In this final post of the series, I’d like to focus on where we can get tripped up when we’re trying to make healthier choices. It’s a very common problem that derails far too many people.

But I’m not going to leave you there. We’ll discuss ideas to help you avoid these pitfalls so you can stay on track for better health.

There are plenty of things that are vying for your attention… Like other people, your work, interests or hobbies, the media, social media, smartphone notifications, and your thoughts.

I realize that 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.

Distractions

They’re a distraction to your health & wellness initiative.

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

As Kevin O’Leary (aka Mr. Wonderful) often says on Shark Tank, “Stop the madness!”.

You intend to eat something nutritious, but you’re on the run and grab a highly processed snack instead because it’s fast and easy.

You think, “but 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 places (and ways) where you can get derailed:

  • 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
  • Good (but sometimes deceptive) marketing

Or just fill in the                         .

Think about what trips you up. Your Achilles Heel.

So what can you do?

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

I have some ideas:

  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 the plague. 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.

As we wrap up the last post of our 6-month series, I want to say thank you. You’ve come a long way.

If you participated in this program, congratulations!!!

I am very proud of you.

And you should be too. And thank you for keeping me accountable.

I would love to hear how this has helped you. What was most beneficial? And most challenging?

Your feedback is always greatly appreciated.

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

Question_markQuestion: Would you be interested in a program that teaches you these 6 Pillars of Health & Wellness in more detail?

Let me know. If not, let me know what you would be interested in.

As I create new posts I would like to incorporate your interests into meaningful content.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Are You Nutritionally Challenged?

We all know that improving our nutrition by eliminating refined sugar and processed food from our diet (or at least significantly reducing it) will result in amazing benefits. And these benefits will pay us tremendous dividends over time.

“Essentially, you’re investing in yourself. So it’s the best investment you’ll ever make!” ~ John Dolan

But what does “improving our nutrition” actually mean?

Well, this month is about calories. And as we’ve already established in The 6th Habit Is Here, calories are not a habit. But the role we allow them to play in our lives is essential.

Not only for how we look and feel. It’s the quality of the calories we consume and burn that will have a significant positive impact in the short term on our mood and happiness. And long-term on our overall health & wellness and quality of life.

I would like to begin this post by clarifying something.

When I use the word “DIET”, I am referring to everything you eat, and drink. The foods you consume every day to nourish and fuel your mind and body.

Diet

Unprocessed, whole foods. Prepared “clean” without a lot of added butter, breading, or heavy creamy (high-fat) sauces.

And NOT:

  • Some restrictive, calorie-cutting regimen that leaves you hungry or craving more after every meal.
  • A “program” you have to buy and then follow by purchasing a lot of exotic ingredients.
  • A bulk supply of a magic pill or supplements you need to buy.
  • A quick fix cleanse or crash program to drop a “quick 40”.

These are not only dangerous and expensive, they’re usually bogus. Unsustainable for any length of time, which doesn’t lead to a healthy lifestyle. It’s quick fix for a quick buck. More like a scam than a diet.

Instead, consider the following as you design your healthy lifestyle:

Think grilled instead of fried. Steamed instead of sautéed in butter. Marinate or dry rub instead of cream or barbecue sauce. Fresh or raw as in fruits and veggies, or nuts and seeds.

Portion control & plate management instead of restrictive limitations or severe calorie counting.

Look at the big picture by focusing on developing long term habits. Lose the quick fix mentality and need for immediate gratification.

Or the “I need it now” approach… As in, “I know I’m 40 pounds overweight, but I need that ‘beach body’ for the summer. Oh crap, it’s already June. I need an extreme diet so I can be ready for the 4th of July!”

Really?

Have these modern trends caused us to become this lazy and nutritionally illiterate? Or delusional? Looking for the fastest shortcut.

Crash_diet

My goal for this post is to raise awareness about the “calorie side” of nutrition and exercise. The only way I know how to get it done. By eating cleaner for better quality calories, and exercising more intensely to maximize calorie burn.

Are you giving yourself the best possible nutrients? Or have you been cutting corners and depriving yourself by consuming fast food and processed crap ‘cause you’re supposedly busy?

How about your exercise? Are you going at it with intensity and vigor? Or just going through the motions with little enthusiasm, and experiencing lackluster results?

You know the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out!”

I can tell you first-hand that by incorporating our 6 Healthy Habits into your life, amazing things will begin to happen. But you need to be patient. And disciplined.

How? You already know… By making the “right” choices every day. Before you know it the results start flowing.

Momentum

And then momentum kicks in!

Hey, I never told you this would be easy. But it’s really not that hard either. It’s just not going to happen overnight. So learn to enjoy the struggle. And the challenges along the way. It’s invaluable feedback that you’ll never forget.

It’s YOUR choice!

So let me give you some suggestions:

  1. Learn more about nutrition (good and bad) so you can start to make better choices.
  2. When you eat out, ask your server to have your meal prepared how you want it.
  3. Look at food labels or nutritional values before selecting something. There’s definitely an app for that. Be wary of excess sugar, sodium, and ingredients you can’t pronounce.
  4. Make a commitment to yourself to make healthier choices by planning in advance.
  5. Learn to be grateful. For everyone and everything in your life. For the opportunity and ability to change your situation. For the results you are achieving… Don’t worry, you’ll find plenty to be grateful for. Even if you’re just beginning this journey.

What else can you do?

Taking_out_the_trash

It’s time to clean house! Literally…

Remove any temptation of unhealthy, processed snacks and junk in your home.

How?

Get a clean garbage bag and toss it all! Yes, toss it. All of it. Seriously…

It’s not doing you any good. So why keep it around?

And don’t give it away, or worry about how much you spent on it. Just dump it and move on.

Treat it like poison.

Can you do it?

If you found a poisonous substance in your home, what would you do? Exactly… So do it!

You’re welcome.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

This Pisses Me Off!

Do you know people who are afraid of things?

Like heights, spiders, flying, snakes, failure…?

How about when it comes to food?

No, not broccoli or Brussel sprouts. I’m referring to anyone that fears carbohydrates. Or fat.

I hope you’re not one of them! For the record, I’m not either, but it pisses me off to hear someone say it! Mainly because it’s so wrong. But “supposed” authorities will tell you otherwise to promote their agenda, book, quick fix supplements, or new “magic” claim.

Your body can NOT survive without the 3 macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fat. So don’t believe it when you’re told that you should eliminate any of them.

Here’s my take. It’s all about how you look at it. Carbs are not bad. But some are better for you than others. And there are some you should consider avoiding altogether. Especially if you need to lose weight and get in shape.

They’re just not going to help you achieve your goal.

So go for the healthier, more nutrient-dense carbs. Like raw or steamed veggies, fresh fruits, and whole instead of refined grains. And avoid the less healthy, highly processed options.

The same can be said for fat and protein as well. Focus on the highest quality choices.

Last week I made a comment about how the quality of your calories matters. For example, if you were planning to have a mid-afternoon snack, you could:

  • Eat an apple with a scoop of peanut butter and a bottle of water.
  • Have a bag of chips with onion dip and a can of Pepsi.
  • Grab a Snickers from the vending machine with a can of diet soda.
  • Stop by McDonalds for a cheeseburger, fries, and a small soda.
  • Have a cup of coffee and a cigarette.
  • Skip the snack, become ravenous, stop by happy hour for a beer, then overeat at dinner.

The point being, you could approach your snack in many ways. And the quality of the contents that you’re “fueling” your body with will have an impact on both the short term. Like your energy level in the next few hours. And in your long term future. Like your waistline, resting heart rate, and cholesterol.

Hey, it’s the Compound Effect in its simplest form. And it’ll work for or against you. Based on what you do or don’t do.

And I can’t help but make another related point. Not only does the quality of your calories matter. The quality of the protein, carbs and fat that you consume every day matters.

For example, carbohydrates should typically make up about 50% of your daily calories. And to continue the comparisons, you’ll benefit way more from eating a plate of raw veggies with hummus over a bagel with cream cheese. Or a piece of fruit instead of a slice of pie. How about a handful of peanuts instead of a candy bar (even if the candy has nuts in it).

And we need to let fat make up at least 20% of our daily calories. Yes, even if you’re over-weight and trying to slim down. Healthy fat and Omega 3 fatty acids (mostly found in certain fish) are your friend.

So consider a small cup of olives instead of chips and salsa. Or a handful of nuts or seeds instead of a few cookies. How about some olive oil with fresh lemon juice as a salad dressing instead of the creamy ‘whatever’ option?

The devil is in the details… And your choices matter!

For you, and for those around you.

If you’re thinking, “C’mon John! Pick up the pace and tell us something we don’t already know”. Then I have to ask, “If this is so basic, then why are vending machines still around? Why are there SO MANY fast food joints? Why are supermarkets so stocked with junk food? Why are two-thirds of us over-weight? Why are healthy lunch choices so difficult, unless you bring your own?”

Obviously it’s because too many people are still buying this crap! And it needs to stop!

It blows my mind that people can be so lazy, uninformed, and neglectful about their health & wellness?

This is the ONE and ONLY body they we get to drive.

Each of us are unique and amazing miracles! We have ONE lifetime to work it out. And that one lifetime affords us so many chances and opportunities to get it right.

time bombBut the clock is ticking…

So WTF are you waiting for???

Getting back to my initial comments about fearing things. Like carbs and fats. Here’s what I think more people should be afraid of:

  • Sugar.
  • Fast food.
  • Processed food.
  • Type 2 diabetes.
  • Being over-weight.
  • A sedentary lifestyle.
  • Heart disease, including a heart attack.
  • Stroke.
  • Cancer.
  • Having to rely on prescription drugs.
  • Dying too young because they didn’t take better care of themselves.

A lot (and possibly all) of this could be prevented with better nutrition and exercise. And it all starts with the choices we make, which influence the habits we build, and impacts the disciplines we develop. You have more control over your future than you possibly realize.

So it may be that the enemy within is your choices. And the result of your ignorance about nutrition. Or your preference of taking the comfortable and easy road instead of the one less traveled. Whatever it is, you can change your direction. The ball is in your court.

And please, please, please…

Don’t buy into extreme or highly restrictive diets. Stay away from quick fix claims. Like lose 30 pounds in 30 days. These DIETS are not sustainable. And the odds are stacked against you. Unfortunately, you will eventually end up gaining it all back, and then some.

And finally, stay away from gimmicks, like what I am about to show you below. You’ve gotta check this out. It’s freakin’ unbelievable!!!

Weight-Loss GIMMICKSWhatever you do, DON’T buy this crap!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.