Last week we left off reflecting on our health & wellness. Specifically, I asked you to think about what has prevented you from accomplishing your weight-loss goal in the past. My questions were an attempt to help you identify the obstacles and setbacks that typically derail our initial intentions. Let’s put some perspective on this. The first thing I want you to understand – there is TOO MUCH INFORMATION about weight-loss. Think about all of the marketing messages, sales pitches, advertisements, TV commercials, and gimmicks galore. They’re bombarding you from every conceivable direction and media source.

Wouldn’t more people be healthy and fit if all that stuff worked? I’m often astounded by the ads that “claim” you don’t have to exercise or change your eating habits. Just take this pill once a day and you’ll lose 40 pounds in 30 days. REALLY???

So why don’t these claims work? Mainly because there’s a lot of crap being marketed. And yet despite the fact that some of the information is good, other factors come into play. See if any of these strike a chord:

1. There are too many choices, so we end up confused and frustrated.
2. We’re busy and find it difficult to carve out time to exercise or prepare healthy meals.
3. We’re looking for a quick fix or magic pill to solve our problem.
4. We expect immediate results and are therefore unable to delay gratification; at least for any real length of time.
5. We lack discipline when the going gets tough, and eventually just quit.
6. We give up too easily because we don’t have a strong enough reason WHY we want to lose the weight. Basically, we’re not willing to “pay the price”.
7. We may “watch” our calorie intake, and we may also go to the gym, but we sabotage those efforts with poor, unconscious choices at other times of the day.
8. We don’t understand calorie math. And as a result, our calorie deficit isn’t actually what we think it is. It may actually be a calorie surplus.

And “oh by the way”, I’m not here to proclaim that I have the latest weight-loss secret, fat-shredding supplement, or scientific formula from the Amazon rainforest that’s going to finally and magically help you lose all that weight. I’m here to tell it to you straight.

So then what can I do for you? Well, I can help you break your weight-loss initiative down to its simplest components by making it a little easier for you to understand and approach. Losing weight isn’t as hard as you think, but it will take work.

Accomplishing your weight-loss goal will require you to plan, to have discipline, to sacrifice, to sweat, to get 8 hours of sleep every night, to make conscious choices, to form new habits, and to do these 3 things:

1. Eat clean.
2. Exercise.
3. And figure out WHY this is important to you.

It really comes down to only a few things, done consistently, over time, whether you feel like it or not. Hey, this sounds very familiar. That’s right, it’s the Compound Effect. If you haven’t read it, you should. Buy it here on Amazon.

Okay, now we need to understand what eating clean is all about. And what you need to do for exercise, so both elements work together so you can maintain a calorie deficit to help you lose (I mean WIN).

I personally feel that it’s all about getting back to basics. You need to start slow and remain committed and consistent on your journey.

Eating clean is about eating food in as close to its natural state as possible. By eliminating processed foods and sugar, minimizing saturated fats and sodium, and eating more fruits & vegetables. If you do this consistently, you will take control over your weight-loss.

Exercise is about moving and gaining strength. Cardio training is great for getting your heart rate up for an extended period of time. You will burn a significant amount of calories, depending on your intensity and the time you spend. You will also burn calories during your strength training sessions with weights.

Combine exercise with eating clean and you will gain maximum leverage. Give it enough time and you will achieve your weight-loss goal.

I’d like to make one more point about strength training. While it’s true that your body burns more calories maintaining lean muscle than it does maintaining body fat, this is only one small side benefit. Not only does strength training make you stronger, it’s one of the best things you can do for toning and reshaping. But it takes time.

Don’t worry about “bulking up”. This should be the least of your concerns. Unless you’re spending 4 hours a day in the gym, 6 days a week, you have nothing to worry about. You need to work with weights to gain strength, improve stability, build lean muscle, and burn calories. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.

We’ve covered a lot here. You can link to some of my previous posts that outline these key concepts:

• A 12-Step Program – a summary of things you can do to jumpstart your weight-loss program.
• Just Getting Started? Just Do It! – for anyone that hasn’t exercised in a while.
• Get Back To Basics – gives you a brief, quick-start guide.
• Foods To Avoid – I’ve received some dirty looks for this post, but I think it’s spot on!
• Foods To Eat – a look at the 3 macronutrients and resources to assist.
• Choose Wisely – it’s all about your choices, habits, actions, decisions & disciplines.
• Get Fed Up and Do Something About It! – the 2 powerful forces that are behind every decision.
• Your Why – willpower will only take you so far. You need to activate the power of your WHY.

I’ve given you plenty of information to digest. Now it’s up to you to make a plan and take action. Still confused? Perhaps this DarrenDaily episode will help – http://www.darrendaily.com/step-it-up/.

Next week we’ll look at exercises you can do at home that will burn calories and won’t cost you a dime. Exercises you can start as soon as you get your doctor’s approval.

Thanks 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? What would you like to see in future posts?

Do you know someone who struggles with their weight? I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this 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.

According to Wikipedia, a twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for tackling problems including alcoholism, drug addiction and compulsion. Originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous as a method of recovery from alcoholism.

But this blog is about health & wellness. And I want to help you tackle one of the biggest challenges that far too many people continue to face. What is it? Obesity, weight-loss, “yo-yo” dieting, being over-weight; call it what you will. The bottom line is that you weigh more than you want and can’t find a long-term solution for shedding the extra weight, or keeping it off.

This is where I can help. I have created my own twelve-steps for healthy weight-loss. And although it’s not a program per se, it’s something you can follow if you want to lose weight once and for all.

Since I’m a big fan of the number 13, we’ll make it a baker’s dozen. So let’s count ’em down and get you some results!

1. Identify WHY you want to lose the weight and WHAT it will cost you if you don’t. What are the benefits and consequences?
2. Cut out sugar. All of it, including drinks and artificial sweeteners.
3. Go grilled, not fried.
4. No fast food. Seriously!
5. Drink water – lots of it.
6. Eat breakfast every day.
7. Get 8 hours of sleep every night.
8. Walk 10,000 steps every day. Work up to it if it’s too big of a start, and do it briskly as you progress.
9. When you workout, do it with intensity & purpose to get the most out of your strength and cardio training.
10. Minimize eating in restaurants, and definitely skip the app’s.
11. Snack smart by eliminating processed food. Focus on fruits, nuts and veggies.
12. Step away from the buffet! Nothing good happens here.
13. Spice up your meals to boost your metabolism.

Too daunting? Start with 1 or 2 items and build them into your routine so they eventually become a healthy habit. Then add a couple more and before you know it, you will have accomplished your goal, improved your lifestyle, and added years to your life! For extra credit, keep a journal to “track” your journey. It can be as simple as keeping tabs on your workouts, your meals, your water intake, your calorie burn, your wins, your weight…

Pick one. Or pick a few. Pick whatever helps you track your progress. This valuable feedback will provide added clarity for what’s working and what needs to be tweaked.

Thanks 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 helpful? Did anything resonate? What would you like to see in future posts?

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.

I was recently forced to take 5 days off from training due to an accidental, self-inflicted injury. Now that I’m back to my regular training routine, I wanted to share some observations and lessons learned from taking time off.

Even though I couldn’t workout, I was still hesitant to break the momentum that I had built over the course of many months. But things happen for a reason – I really believe this. I also believe that we are each responsible to make things happen. And this is validated by the choices and decisions we make every day. Whether that means deciding to eat right, workout; or having to make a decision to rest for our own good. So what did I learn from my brief hiatus?

1. My body needs a break, periodically.

Lesson: Daily rest is one thing, but sometimes an injury or illness can create the temporary space we need to pause and improve.

2. My mind is sharper when I exercise.

Lesson: I need to remember this when I don’t feel like working out.

3. I gain weight when I’m not exercising, despite eating clean.

Lesson: Being sedentary for too long is not good in so many ways. You’ve gotta move.

4. I tried to get an extra hour of sleep every night during my 5-day R&R. And although it felt nice to “sleep in”, it feels so much better to get up and hit the gym. Even though the endorphins don’t kick in until I’m done. It’s like delayed gratification!

Lesson: Burning calories and pushing yourself gives you a much better high than those few extra ZZZ’s. It lasts throughout the day and builds momentum. But sleep is important, and 7 to 8 hours seems to be the right amount for me.

5. Sleeping too long makes me lazy. And that doesn’t help toward making me feel great or wanting to burn calories.

Lesson: Being sedentary SUCKS!

6. There are so many side benefits to exercise – like a sense of accomplishment, increased stamina to work longer, better focus, the mind & body transformation that compounds over time, and the endorphin release.

Lesson: I need exercise.

7. I need to embrace the times when I workout by feeling more gratitude. Like feeling grateful for the ability to be able to exercise with intensity. To stay in great physical and mental shape. And to continue improving my health & wellness. Especially on the days that I just don’t feel like working out.

Lesson: Be grateful for the opportunity to exercise.

8. The biggest surprise of all, I actually got stronger by taking 5 days off. I thought the time off was going to affect my strength negatively. But it didn’t.

Lesson: Build a “break” into every quarter.

Your health & wellness becomes a lifestyle that compounds over time. I define health & wellness as an ongoing quest that includes regular exercise, great nutrition, and mindfulness practice. It’s a choice you make and one of the best gifts you can give yourself.

Thanks 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, or does it suck? What would you like to see in future posts?

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.