Tag Archives: #thecompoundeffect

Active lifestyle, Health & wellness, Nutrition, Weight loss

The Verdict Is In…

Standard American diet

Excess body fat is dangerous, and can be deadly. In fact, the additional weight is not only a burden to carry around, it can cause so many different diseases. Diseases that include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension; plus, many more.

For the past 2 weeks we’ve been focusing on diabetes awareness. So it should come as no surprise that being overweight is one of the leading causes.

It’s not a guarantee, but the data is strong.

This doesn’t mean that if you’re thin, you’re immune to diabetes or other diseases. It’s just that being overweight is a condition that’s noteworthy as we evaluate diabetes prevention. Or reversing a diabetes or pre-diabetes diagnosis.

It’s also worth noting (or repeating) that the top 3 recommendations and lifestyle changes after receiving a diabetes diagnosis include:

  1. Improve your nutrition.
  2. Increase your activity level and exercise.
  3. Get adequate sleep.

Actually, these “recommendations” are advisable for everyone, including non-diabetics. People of all ages and fitness levels.

I know, I sound like a broken record – I continually write about these 3 topics. But this is what you need. It’s what we all need… to improve our health & vitality.

So my question is – “Why wait?”

Why wait for a medical emergency? Why wait for a doctor to prescribe this “directive” to get you to start doing something about it?

Diabetes is not to be taken lightly. It’s a serious disease that can wreak havoc on your body and your life.

You’ve heard the alarming statistic – two-thirds of people in the US are either overweight or obese. This is not only unfortunate. It’s unnecessary!

Standard American diet

The standard American diet (SAD) is one obvious giveaway. And yes, it is SAD this has become the norm (and likely the cause of so many health issues and early deaths in our society).

What does the standard American diet consist of?

Far too many highly processed meals (if you can even call them meals). Sugary or artificially sweetened beverages. A lot of excess sodium, sugar, fried foods, and saturated fat. Barely any nutrient-dense whole foods. And if there are any, they’re probably prepared with heavy sauces, or loaded up with other high calorie crap.

It’s truly a SAD situation.

I may sound like I’m ranting, and I guess I am. It’s just so frustrating to see so much neglect and laziness around, that eventually catches up and causes some nasty and devastating life-changing events for so many people.

So what can you do?

Let’s look at a common example: You have been consuming the standard American diet for far too long – you’re overweight – you have diabetes – and you want to integrate new, healthier habits into your life. You also want to break some of your unhealthy routines and habits, but don’t know where to begin.

Here are 9 things you can start doing to free yourself from the standard American diet and improve your health & wellness:

  1. Replace sugar and artificially sweetened beverages with water. Your goal should be 2 to 3 liters per day for the ladies, and 3 to 4 liters for the men.
  2. Start walking every day, or on most days. Strive for 10K a day.
  3. Minimize your sugar and sodium intake. This includes artificial sweeteners.
  4. Minimize processed white flour products like breads, pastas, pizza, and bagels.
  5. Cook more often at home, and eat fewer meals out.
  6. When you do eat out, skip the appetizers and dessert. And ask to have your meal prepared how you want it. Go grilled; not fried. Steamed; not soaked in butter. Salad dressing on the side…
  7. If you’re still smoking, STOP! And minimize your alcohol intake.
  8. Subscribe to this blog, and review previous posts.
  9. Hire a certified personal trainer to help you develop an effective exercise plan based on your medical condition and fitness level.

If not for yourself, make some healthy changes for someone else. Take it one step at a time. And have patience as you develop each new healthy habit. With consistency, your results will begin to appear. And compound!

Standard American diet

This wraps up our 3-part series on diabetes awareness. You can link back to the last 2 posts here:

If you know someone who can benefit from this information, I encourage you to share this post with them.

I hope you found this information to be helpful and valuable.

And if you’re approaching your diabetes diagnosis from the preventative side, I’d suggest getting on the waiting list for an upcoming group coaching program that I’m conducting.

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

This program will change your life!

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

If this describes you, then get on the waiting list and sign up 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 habits, Nutrition, Weight loss

How’s Your Relationship… with Food?

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Macronutrients

Eating is one of the most common things we all do. And a significant part of our life. I would assert that it’s one of our most important relationships. Right up there with our immediate family.

I know, this sounds weird… to think we have such a bond with something so ordinary as food.

It’s not the bond we’re after though. I believe it’s the enjoyment and satisfaction we gain. And not solely for the taste, or fulfillment of curbing our hunger pangs; although that’s necessary too.

But for the discipline of consciously making healthier choices. And the responsibility we take for fueling our amazing body with the best possible nutrients for our long-term health & vitality.

This is where we can make a difference!

Last week, we discussed the importance of maintaining good nutrition. And to be mindful of when we are, and when we’re not, so we don’t fall into the trap of ONLY doing this when “the mood strikes us”, or when “it’s convenient”.

It’s not about perfection, but it definitely needs to become a permanent mindset that we’re consistently striving for.

So let me explain further.

Food is our only fuel source. It’s how we consume the calories our bodies need to survive and thrive. Our food consists of 3 main types of nutrients, called macronutrients.

If you haven’t heard this term, I know you’ve heard of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Well these are the main elements that make up our diet, and what are referred to as… that’s right, macronutrients.

Before we move on, I need to make a point about quality… because it matters bigtime!

Think about the quality of the air you breathe, or the quality of the water you drink? Or how about your profession? Think about the quality of the work you produce and how you perform in your chosen career every day. Okay, you get the point.

It matters bigtime! And I will get back to how and why the quality of our macronutrients matters SO much in a minute.

But first…

Let’s get a better understanding about our nutrition by going to the post Nutrition 101 in the archives. In it, I introduce a lot of the basics including eating clean, macronutrients, and calories.

So, I encourage you to take some time reviewing this post and the associated links within for a basic understanding.

You will learn that macronutrients are the main components of our diet, which perform vital functions for supplying our bodies with energy. Which is why I strongly believe that we need to have a real “purpose” for eating.

You will also discover in the “calorie math” section how each macronutrient contributes to the calories we consume, which just seem to keep adding up. And that’s okay if you avoid the highly processed stuff and focus on consuming higher quality macro’s.

I only skim the surface here, but it’s helpful and valuable information that hopefully influences you to want to learn more.

There’s a wealth of material here (in my humble opinion), and we’ll wrap it up here so you can start clicking and reading to get a better understanding about the importance of what you consume.

But before we go, I want to get back to my comment about quality.

Macronutrients

It’s a pretty obvious statement. I think everyone associates higher quality with being better, and perhaps more valuable. But quality is not so clear to everyone when it comes to food choices.

Think about the…

  • number of overweight people.
  • availability of poor food choices.
  • unhealthy menu options in restaurants.
  • prevalence of highly processed meals, and snacks.
  • volume of highly concentrated sugary beverages and supposed sports drinks.
  • number of diets, supplements, weight loss programs, and fat suppression gimmicks on the market.

And here’s one that really drives me nuts!

How about all the pharmaceutical advertisements which are disguised as solutions to countless ‘preventable’ illnesses. Conditions that have been caused by poor food choices, neglect, and laziness.

It’s absurd and reckless!

But we can’t view these realities as excuses. That would be irresponsible. We also can’t ignore them because that approach only leads to those nasty diseases that make you miserable and put you in an early grave.

You know… the ones “Big Pharma” is targeting because they know most people would rather take a pill than take the road less traveled and do what’s necessary. Even though the pill only masks the symptom and does nothing to get to the root of the problem.

So then, what can you do?

Although it’s not easy, I believe it’s as simple as 1 – 2 – 3…

  1. Sign up for automatic updates to follow this blog weekly.
  2. Embrace the 3 tenets of The Health Triad to make healthier choices and build better habits.
  3. Start with one new healthy initiative… and stick with it consistently. One day at a time, for the rest of your life!

For example: Replace soda (and other sugary beverages) with 3 to 4 liters of water every day? (Work up to it in the beginning if it’s new to you). Or replace an hour of sitting in front of the TV every day with going for a power walk. Or how about giving yourself a great start to your day by making time every morning for a healthy breakfast, instead of calling coffee your breakfast, or skipping it altogether.

You see, it’s simple… if your desire is strong enough and you give it a chance. And avoid the quick-fix mentality at all cost.

Nutrition made simple...

And if you want to really dig in, I’d suggest getting on the waiting list for an upcoming group coaching program that I’m conducting.

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

This program will change your life!

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

If this describes you, then get on the waiting list and 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 habits, Nutrition, Weight loss

Good Nutrition Is Always Possible

Heartburn

Maintaining good nutrition is one of the essential elements for preserving great health. Speaking from experience, it takes time and discipline. And you are rewarded with amazing results!

This is one of those areas where you really need to have strong reasons (aka – your WHY). Because without this reinforcement, you’ll find it difficult to maintain when obstacles occur. And you’ll slowly abandon the practice when your busy life gets in the way.

It’s one of those things that’s not hard to do. But it’s not exactly easy either. So don’t fall into the trap of…

Only doing it when

  • “it’s convenient”.
  • “others are around”.
  • “the mood strikes you”.

It needs to become a permanent mindset that we’re constantly striving for. Remember… Strive for 95!

Like any habit, our efforts (or lack thereof) compound. And over time, produce an outcome that we either like or loathe.

And here’s the cool part… when you eliminate the noise and distractions, and take a closer look, the results we achieve are completely within our control.

So now that we’ve established that good nutrition is possible, let’s look at a ‘what if’ scenario that affects millions of people.

‘What if’ you experience frequent heartburn?

Although heartburn doesn’t have anything to do with your heart, some symptoms are similar to those of someone suffering a heart attack. So you should definitely seek medical help and see your doctor to rule out a heart issue and identify the actual cause.

Let’s assume that your heart is fine, and you are suffering from heartburn related symptoms. It could be caused by overeating, or the actual foods and beverages you’re consuming. But it could also be the result of a physical problem in your esophagus or stomach.

Which is another reason to see your doctor.

I am not a doctor, and respect those who are; along with the amazing things they do every day to advance medicine and save lives.

But…

Sometimes busy doctors only treat symptoms and not the actual cause of the condition. And I’m a big fan of trying to fix whatever I can with nutrition and exercise.

Hey, I didn’t say that I’m always successful at it, but I usually try this route first because it’s within my control.

So in the spirit of trying, you may want to explore the possibilities of how better nutrition and exercise can help your heartburn.

I have included a few articles to help you get started:

And in full disclosure, heartburn isn’t something that I’ve ever had to deal with, fortunately. But I know many who have, and have seen some of the difficulties it has caused.

So I’m hoping this post may provide some help or guidance to finding a better solution than dealing with a life-sentence of having to take prescription medication for a potentially preventable condition.

Perhaps a few small tweaks can provide the necessary relief. Or help to completely eliminate your symptoms.

And wouldn’t that be cool?

Heartburn

Now, let’s shift into high-gear. I have been talking about another coaching program that I’m conducting.

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

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

If this describes you, then get on the waiting list and 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.

Health & wellness, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Weight loss

You Need To Get This Right, or Else…

I find it interesting to note that although nutrition is at the core of our existence, it’s an area that far too many people struggle with.

Nutrition

Our diet plays an essential yet neutral role in our lives as it creates both healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. And it’s all based on our “moment-to-moment” choices that compound over time.

Seems like a “duh” comment by simply stating the obvious.

I guess you could say that I am absorbed by or passionate about what I refer to as The Health Triad. Which integrates great nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest for ultimate health & vitality.

And I would have to agree with you… I am. And for good reason.

But think about it… We

  • eat 3 to 5 times a day.
  • spend time planning our next meal.
  • make decisions about where to go eat.
  • meet up with friends and family to have a meal.
  • complain about our fullness because we ate too much.
  • And we vow to improve our nutrition so we can lose weight.

We can’t blame this on the food companies that are producing and marketing all of this crap. Although I would love to see them all go away. And we can’t blame the fast food joints and restaurants. It’s their choice to sell that garbage.

This is on us, and up to each of us to get it right.

Food contributes to our wellness in such a big way. But it can also become an Achilles Heel if we let it control us. As a matter of fact, obesity recently surpassed famine as a cause of death.

But it’s a lot broader than this. Obesity doesn’t only put you in an early grave, if that weren’t bad enough. Along the way it causes so many other problems that could’ve been prevented. A few of which include diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

The food choices we make can produce significant benefits when we’re serious about consuming high-quality nutrition. Or they can pose dire consequences if we run on auto-pilot and unconsciously eat anything (or make excuses). It’s the compound effect, and for me, it stands out like a RED flag!

It’s all about discipline and consistency.

And this is where I believe I have an advantage. And can help you.

Our choices about nutrition run the gamut, including:

  • conscious and healthy
  • unconscious and unhealthy
  • about convenience and comfort
  • emotional, unpredictable, or habitual
  • for the nutrients vs. to satisfy a craving

Eventually, our nutrition habits catch up with us. There’s that compound effect phenomenon again; always at work, for or against us based on the choices we make.

No one is perfect. And you don’t need to be. Perfection is unattainable. Which is why you should strive for 95!

Nutrition
This symbol for imperfection is a great reminder for me every day, to lighten up and be myself.

Improving your nutrition isn’t easy. But it’s also not hard. It starts with a strong desire. And requires us to be conscious about our choices. It also takes a little effort, planning, creativity, discipline, compassion, and time.

And sometimes you need a coach…

Unfortunately, food distractions are everywhere we turn. And this isn’t going to change. You need to ignore them. So I’ve included a few links to recent posts (about nutrition) to help you get or stay focused on “healthy side” of nutrition.

Also, I saw this very brief article and found some value in it, so I’m sharing it with you in this link. It’s helpful sometimes to hear advice from other reputable sources so you can make better decisions.

So what’s the takeaway this week?

To help you become more conscious about the food choices you make every day. And this includes beverages too. It all matters…

I want to help you make better decisions about your nutrition so you can live longer, and have more energy and vitality.

How? By focusing on The Health Triad.

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 proven and sustainable way. It’s based on small lifestyle changes that produce better health & vitality by focusing on healthy habits that get results.

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

If this describes you, then get on the waiting list and 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.

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

Is Your Lifestyle Sustainable?

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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.

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

7 STEPS FOR LIVING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE

This week, we have the opportunity to learn from life and business coach, Lemonade Dave Justus. Dave and I met in a BNI group, and he has become a great friend. And the lesson in his guest post this week resonates directly with the focus and theme of this blog.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

 

For as long as I can remember, society has been pushing people to lose weight. There have been, and still are, a variety of diet programs and exercise plans advertised on TV, all with a promised outcome to lose a certain number of lbs. or inches. “Meet Jane,” they say, “she lost 30 lbs. using our miracle diet,” as if this might be a good reason for you to call and order – and it must be a good reason because people do call!

Extraordinary life

Maybe you know someone like Jane? They lost 30 lbs. on a miracle diet, but when you see them six months later, they gained back 45. This repeated loss and regain of weight is commonly referred to as “Yo-yo Dieting,” a term coined by Kelly D. Brownell of Yale University. So why does it happen?

Yes, the need to lose weight might be a good reason to go on a diet, but it is not a good form of motivation for changing your life. Think about it, people who need to lose weight are not jumping out of bed in the morning saying, “I can’t wait to drink chalky-tasting shakes and to go to work out near a bunch of sweaty gym rats.” Well that might work for a few days, but then the covers seem just a little heavier, putting on running shoes at six in the morning becomes an agonizing chore, and eating another protein bar seems about as much fun as having a bite of chocolate-covered cardboard.

Here is the problem with setting a goal to lose 30 lbs.—it is only an objective of what should be a bigger goal. Let me explain: Once I reach a goal, such as losing 30 lbs., my brain begins to say, “Now what?” and it reverts back to my old habits. Thus, the yo-yo effect. However, what if you wanted to live an extraordinary life and set an EXTRAORDINARY LIFE GOALTM that reflects why you want to lose weight, such as “to live a life of health and wellness so I can enjoy time with my family”? Then, losing 30 lbs. only becomes one objective of your bigger life-goal.

As a life coach, I work with a variety people on living an Extraordinary Life by setting both personal and professional goals. We follow what I call the 7 STEPS FOR LIVING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFETM.

Although there are more details to the seven steps when I help a client, the basic steps are:

  • Set a stretch goal that will change their life and at the same time allow them to grow;
  • Create reasonable objectives and identify available resources;
  • Develop a plan with actions steps;
  • Track their outputs and achieved outcomes;
  • Work on ways to improve.

In the previous example of the Extraordinary Life Goal – To live a life of health and wellness so I can enjoy quality time with my family, the purpose is to create a life-changing desire that you can constantly pursue and work towards.  When you set such a big goal, your motivation becomes the pursuit of the larger purpose, or in this case, “quality time with your family.” Thus, every time you see your family, you want to live healthier so that you can experience more quality time together.

Therefore, the following is how the rest of the formula might look:

  • The OBJECTIVES in getting there could be: 1) lose 2 lbs. a week for 15 weeks or 5 ounces a day for 100 days; 2) lower my blood pressure; 3) get my blood sugar levels under control.
  • The RESOURCES are what you need to support your objectives. Examples are gym membership, specific diet, support group, treadmill, and running shoes.
  • The ACTIONS STEPS become: 1) eat four fruits and vegetables a day; 2) exercise for 30 minutes three times a week; 3) watch my calorie intake (specific goal); 4) only have one sugary item a day.

Next you track your OUTPUTS and OUTCOMES for the week. The OUTPUTS are how you did on your actions related to your objective.  For example, maybe your plan was to exercise for 30 minutes three times a week, and you went to the gym twice and only managed 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill. I say that effort is a success! You started and now you can improve on the outputs the following week.

The OUTCOMES, which is where the real motivation happens, are the benefits you receive as you reach for your goal! Going to the gym three times or losing two lbs. that week are great but that is not necessarily a motivating factor. However, the ability to take a walk with your daughter and not needing to stop every five minutes to rest, that is a positive outcome.  Even better, hearing from your daughter about how school was, becomes your motivation to keep going!

Here is a quick review of the “7 Steps for Living an Extraordinary Life”:

  1. Set an Extraordinary Life Goal, which is big enough that as you pursue it, it will cause you to stretch and grow, thus having a positive impact on your life.
  2. Create three to five Objectives that will help you get closer to your extraordinary life.
  3. Identify what Resources you have at your disposal or what you will need.
  4. Develop a plan with specific Action Steps you can take and get started right away.
  5. Track your Outputs, the number of actions you took as way to measure your progress.
  6. Focus on the Outcomes related to your extraordinary-life goal.
  7. Try each week to improve as best you can.

Extraordinary life

In closing, I hope you find this information helpful, and in turn, discover a way to live your Extraordinary Life. If you would like a PDF of the Extraordinary Goal Worksheet©, or to reach me with further questions, please email me at davidj@northcoastuniversity.com.

Extraordinary life“Lemonade Dave” is a life coach, motivational speaker and Guinness World Record Holder.  A source of motivation and inspiration, he gives you the guidance you need to reach your full potential. He is a remarkable strategist that will help you reach your goals in an effective and meaningful way. For more information, visit www.LemonadeDave.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, 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.

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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.

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Active lifestyle, Fitness, Healthy habits, Longevity, Nutrition, Sleep, Weight loss

This Is Incredible News!

Nutrition and exercise

This is incredible news! For years we have been hearing…

If we want to lose weight and live longer, that diet and exercise are 2 things we need to change. But that’s kind of vague.

I agree that nutrition and exercise are important. But to be more specific, I believe we need to consistently consume the highest quality foods, exercise regularly with intensity, and get 8 hours of sleep every night if we wish to live longer. And have more vitality…

I like to call it The Health Triad. And the article I reference below gives hope and reinforcement to this valuable advice.

One of my main motivators for eating clean, exercising with intensity, and getting 8 hours of sleep on most nights has been a desire to keep my arteries clear.

Hey, I don’t want to have a heart attack or stroke. So there’s only one way to do my part to prevent it. I’ve gotta take care of myself.

After reading this article, I’m going to enhance my description about keeping my arteries clear, to keeping my arteries “clear and flexible”.

Here are 2 takeaways from the article:

One: There are 7 risk factors that age us faster. These include:

  1. High blood pressure
  2. Elevated cholesterol
  3. High blood sugar
  4. Inactivity
  5. Poor diet
  6. Obesity
  7. Smoking

Two: We can lower the risk of heart disease by staying active and eating well, which works to keep our blood vessels healthy and keep our arteries youthful.

I’m not a doctor, but here’s my belief. Unless you have a serious lifelong medical condition, you have control over every one of these conditions.

Nutrition and exercise

And the prescription is nutrition, exercise and sleep – period.

I’m in! How ‘bout you?

Still not convinced. Read the article…

You CAN be as a healthy as a 20-year-old in your 70s: Staying active and eating well keeps arteries youthful and lowers the risk of heart disease by up to 55%. Researchers from Boston University found being physically active, eating well and not smoking increases the health of our blood vessels by up to 10 times, lowering our heart disease risk.

’70 is the new 20′ seems like a bit of a stretch.

But even if these best practices add 20 or 30 years to your life, it sure seems worth the effort.

Click here to read the full story.

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.