Habits 4 Life

If you’re going somewhere, how will you know when you get there?

And how will you know that you’re on track to your destination?

I like to focus on three important measures of progress:

Body composition: How much lean mass and body fat do you have?

Health: Are your body systems operating well?

Fitness and athletic performance: How do you perform in the gym or in your chosen activities?

In other words: How do you look, feel, and perform?

This is YOUR journey. So track what's important and meaningful to YOU.

Ask yourself:

What will tell me that I am getting better at doing what I want to do?

How do I know I'm on track to my Destination Postcard?

If I get what I want, how will I know?

Look for progress everywhere

You never know where progress may lurk. Keep an open mind, and hunt for it.

You'll find that it's easier to let yourself go slowly if you can find small signs of everyday progress.

Think about it.

What's the Opposite Day for binge eating, where you cram down a lot of food as fast as possible?

Eating slowly.

You can still binge.

Eat as much as you want. Eat whatever you want. (We'll worry about changing this later. For now, one thing at a time.)

Yes. You have our permission and you read that correctly: If you are in the throes of a compulsive eating episode, eat as much as you need to — and whatever types of foods you want — in order to make yourself feel better.

Eat until you're done.

The only catch is that you eat slowly.

Wait... isn't that irresponsible?

Well, if you're like most folks who have grappled with overeating, you've tried to "just stop".

You've tried to talk yourself out of it. You've felt guilty, regretful, and ashamed.

Did it work?

Probably not so well.

So in fact, the most "responsible" thing is to learn to be present with your eating, instead of zoning out.

You do that by slowing down.

One thing at a time

Right now, overeating does something for you. It's a way to cope. We're not going to take that away from you if you need it.

All we're going to do is change one small thing at a time.

Whatever you eat, whenever you eat, no matter how crazy or epic the eating episode becomes... just do it slowly.

You can eat everything you want. As much as you want.

As long as you do it one mindful bite, one deep breath, one pause to savor, at a time.

Hey, you want that food. You might as well truly enjoy it.

Make like a turtle. Sloooow downnn.

What are you doing ... right now?⠀

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What are you thinking ... right now?⠀

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What's around you ... right now?⠀

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If you're like most people, you're probably not completely sure.⠀

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You might be trying to answer an email while listening to music or talking on the phone or, heaven forbid, driving. You're probably kinda checked out most of the time, trying to multi-task and juggle all the demands on your attention.⠀

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Our brain makes thousands of small decisions every day. Most of them are automatic and unconscious.⠀

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The upside is that we can repeat patterns — like driving, tying our shoelaces, and brushing our teeth.⠀

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The downside is that we can repeat patterns — like mindless munching, using booze or junk food to de-stress, or grabbing another round of take-out for another rushed lunch break.⠀

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We don't make bad food decisions because we're dumb or lazy. (In fact, if you're still here, you're obviously smart and willing to work hard.)⠀

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We make bad food decisions because they're automatic. Because we're distracted. Because we're rushing and busy. Because we're human, just trying to get through another day.⠀

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And automatic choices minus attention plus rushed eating and busy-ness usually equals over-eating crap or skipping meals.⠀

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Luckily, there's a simple solution: ⠀

Notice and name.⠀

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Noticing just means pausing to pay attention.⠀

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What's going on right now? What am I doing?⠀

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Naming just means you take an extra moment to describe the situation to yourself. Call it out.⠀

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#Noticeandname #Habits4Life #Day23

The world is pretty uncontrollable. Life happens.⠀

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If you want to sell your house for a good price, you can renovate it and give it a fresh coat of paint. But you can’t control the real estate market.⠀

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If you want to play a few rounds of golf, you can buy some pricey clubs and get decked out in your dapper-est duds. But you can't control the weather.⠀

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Likewise:⠀

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You can’t make your body lose 20 pounds of fat, gain 20 pounds of muscle, heal from an injury, and/or improve your cholesterol numbers on command... or on a specific timeline.⠀

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In other words, you can’t control the outcome.⠀

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But you can control the behaviors that lead to the outcome you want.⠀

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Outcomes are WHAT you want. But outcomes don't tell you what to do.⠀

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Behaviors are HOW you'll get there. Behavior goals give you an action plan.⠀

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So instead of setting “outcome goals”, set “behavior goals”.⠀

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Here are a few examples showing the difference, just so you get the picture:⠀

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Outcome goals⠀

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Run a 5K race in 20 minutes.⠀

Bench press 200 pounds.⠀

Eat better.⠀

Behavior goals⠀

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Run for 20 minutes three times per week for the next month, gradually increasing the duration and speed.⠀

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Get coaching on bench press technique, and focus diligently on a targeted bench press training plan.⠀

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Gradually incorporate the PN Coaching habits into your daily routine, one by one.⠀

You get the idea.⠀

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Notice how all of the behavior goals are a commitment to do a specific set of actions or tasks that lead to the outcome you want.⠀

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Also, notice that:⠀

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behavior goals are things you do consistently and regularly;⠀

behavior goals are small, manageable tasks that are within your control; and⠀

behavior goals are often things that you can do right now, today or in the near future.⠀

Again: You can’t control the outcome.⠀

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But you can control the behaviors that, when done consistently, will move you in the right direction.⠀

Almost all of us have busy, over-scheduled, rushed lives. We're pushed to live faster and faster.

And we want to lose weight immediately! Six-pack abs in six weeks! Or six days!

Our bodies struggle to keep up the pace.

You can feel it when you're living — and eating — too quickly.

Rapid results don't last. Everything worthwhile takes time and patience.

(Think: Parenting, relationships, getting a degree, mastering a skill, building a career, etc.)

HERE ARE THE GOALS

Eat slowly. Savor your food. Use your "make time" habit to add 5 minutes to each meal.

Stick to the program. Be consistent, patient, and persistent. Keep showing up.

Day after day. One step at a time.

Our “satiety mechanisms” kicks in about 20 minutes after we started a meal. No matter how much we eat during the first 20 minutes of starting a meal, we won't feel satisfied or even full until we hit the magical satiety time.

That’s why many people overeat: they eat too much during the first 20 minutes, thinking they’re not full. Then, 20 minutes later, they feel “overfull” and guilty.

However, if we would only slow down, our bodies' natural satiety mechanisms would kick in to put on the brakes.

(Remember that: You can and will feel full if you just slow down. The body's natural signals will do the work for you. You don't have to overthink it.)

Eating slower is a tough thing to do, definitely when we have been "Trained" to eat as fast as we can.

Luckily, there are a few techniques that can help us.

We Can:

· Sit down and enjoy your meal

· Put utensils down betweens bits

· Use a timer

· Take a breath between bites

· Use your non-dominant hand

· Being curious about your food

Eating slowly and mindfully is more important than:

· What you eat

· When you eat

· Where you eat

· Who you eat with

· Getting anything else "perfect"

Wow.

That's one really important habit!

People with a reactive attitude:

· Don’t typically take responsibility for their actions and the consequences

· Often find themselves “fighting fires” and dealing with crises

People with a proactive attitude:

· Take responsibility for their actions and the consequences

· Don’t “fight fires” often since they prefer “preventive medicine” and looking at the long-range effects of their actions.

Now, notice I said “people with a proactive/reactive attitude” rather than “proactive/reactive people”.

Because you can choose to think and act proactively or reactively — it’s not “who you are.” All it takes is some self-awareness.

What Do You Do When Motivation Fails?

When you were so hyped to start something and now you despise it.

When you feel like you hit a brick wall and it doesn't matter anyway.

When you look in the mirror and you are disappointed with the person you see staring back at you

There are two things at the end of motivation:

Emotionalism or Dedication

Which one do you have?