A MEASURE OF SUCCESS
Time to take stock. If, like me, you're looking to make some improvements - fitter, faster, brighter, richer, etc. etc. - then making assessments on what needs to be done will help with the plans for getting the desired results. So....I've been looking into various ways to stay healthy through diet, exercise and making necessary lifestyle changes. I'll list out a few of them below - see if you find any of this helpful too. I'll be adding to this blog every day and any relevant new info I find that I've benefitted from, will be be added to this page - remember to click on the links. Likewise, if you've found something that could be shared, please comment or email me and we'll all have better chance at success!
First step: Take a good look at yourself in the mirror
You're on your own right now, ok. If nobody can hear you - have a little chat. Haha, feels weird doesn't it - talking to yourself? Strange, but that person talking at you, is the only person that you should be listening to - because he/she has your best interests at heart. Thing is, that person can't be relied upon because they are not of sound mind. That's right - we're all a bit messed up, because we have multiple personalities - voices at different days and times telling us to do this and do that. Some good, some bad. We have to keep notes because - get this - we lie and trick ourselves. We just can't be trusted. In fact, we're so very good at deceiving ourselves according to Professor Robert Trivers that we don't even realise we're doing it. That's why recording ourselves is so smart.
Start a journal
An easier way to have a chat with yourself without feeling so stupid, is to keep a journal. The physical act of writing it down, will help cement your intentions and goals. I find the iPhone notes and reminders apps (or other smart phone/devices) help but it's all too easy to delay reminders or ignore tasks altogether. The method I'm using currently - is a blog. Out there for all to see - a bit extreme but for someone so blindly ignorant and stubborn, it's really kicking me into gear.
Getting started
So if one of your goals is to lose a bit of weight and get some definition back, take a selfie from the front and and one from the side. Now put that somewhere safe - you're not going to look at it again for a couple of months which is when you take a new selfie.
Open up the notes app of choice on phone/tablet or get an actual journal that will be your daily diary of progress. Write down your goals for the short term:
For example...in two months I will:
• Exercise regularly in order to...
– Lose 7lb / 3.5kg in weight
– Drop body fat from 17% to 12%
– Be able to do 50 press-ups in a row every morning
– Fit into my skinny jeans without needing a shoe-horn to get them on/off again
• Save money in order to...
– Re-train and quit my current job
– Go away for a long trip over Christmas
– Get a deposit for a house
Then plan out your exercise days in your diary, set alarms/reminders, stick up post-its, draw on your hand - whatever it takes to get you doing them. Then look at how you're going to get the body and save the money.
Work/life balance
It's impossible to go from being a social butterfly one minute to a military major the next. Get a balance. I managed to give up drinking and sticking to a strict diet for 6 weeks - but it was tough. I was a hermit mostly and I knew I had a holiday at the end. As soon as the diet finished, I relaxed and I've now made up for my abstinence ten-fold! Thankfully I'd put in all that effort beforehand. So, my advice would be to cut out drinking as much as possible for 1 month. If you can do 30 consecutive days - you'll notice the 3 B's will be healthier - Brain, the Body and the Bank account. Otherwise, restrict drinking to only 1 or 2 nights a week. You can keep a strict diet, but the calories from drinking will stop you losing weight - so choose carefully. Have a look at the calculator on this link for seeing the worst offenders.
Keep track of the food
As I said above - our minds play tricks on us. Try and remember what you ate last week and you'll likely only remember half of it. Give these following techniques a go - they really worked for me and helped get rid of snacking urges. Snacks, on average, make up around 450 calories of our food intake per day!
Take a picture: Get out your phone and capture what your meal looks like. Also, write down every time you eat and drink - including when you take in some water too. Drinking lots of water will help keep you hydrated, keep away hunger pangs, get you moving around in the office a bit more and you'll be filling in your diary often which means you're seeing what you've eaten that day and therefore more mindful of what you are putting in.
Understand Nutrition
We need fuel to function. Regular meals with lean meat/fish and fresh vegetables. Everything else is going to depend on social interaction (alcohol), convenience (ie. flapjack/chocolate) or habit (anything that comes around at 11am or 3pm). If you look more at the calories on the back of snacks and work out how long it takes to burn off those calories - chances are you'll think again.
Marketeers have cleverly spun yarns about what's healthy for us and drive us towards lo-cal, lo-fat alternatives. Think you're being healthy? Research it. Flapjacks are full of margarine and sugar. Smoothies and juices are full of sugar. Lo-fat - very likely full of sugar which becomes fat. Even having a dash of cream in coffee is better than skimmed milk! The average daily calories for women is 2000 and men 2400 - do the math!
Diets
If you're keen to really get some good results. Nutrition and a healthy diet are key. Find one that works for you and plan out all your meals in advance. Avoid processed and convenience meals wherever possible and cut down foods with a high-glycemic index. I did a 30 day Paleo challenge in February and lost 14lbs - that's over a stone! Contrary to all my beliefs about food - I did not feel hungry, had more energy and combined with my no-alcohol period - felt amazing. Try Robb Wolf's 30 day challenge. If anyone is interested and wants to take a look, I have the book which gives a great insight into how our digestion works and why certain types of food are to be avoided if you want to be a lean machine!
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