045 New Mindset: You Can Eat Whatever, Whenever, and However Much

While a first-year university student I strictly followed [insert fad diet]. I kept to it except when I felt deprived, limited, or constrained. For example, at a family party my aunt, a gourmet cook and baker, served a delicious entrée coupled with a dessert table covered in a variety of sweet options. I know because I tried many of them. The lemon bars were exquisite.

In hindsight, how hypocritical I must’ve looked indulging in the sweets I outwardly had so adamantly condemned. I remember a moment behind the dessert table hovering over the lemon bars looking up making eye contact with my aunt. At that moment I knew that she knew that I knew I was not living what I preached.

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt out of control when it comes to food and eating? Who among us—given the plenteous availability of delicious options—hasn’t indulged at least once?

So what’s the best way to eat in an ever-challenging nutritional environment? What match are we against advertising expert food giants who have engineered offerings so that we crave them more and feel satisfied less? (Moss, 2014).

First, know you’re not alone. Learning to feed ourselves well is challenging! But it can be learned as we support each other.

Second, you have power to choose within you and you can do it. And you must do it because the quality of your present and future life depends on it. http://you-thrive.net/2021/12/02/not-if-but-when/

Third, Whatever you want your quality of life to be choose today and align your habits and behaviors with your desired future.

Pro Tip:

Adopt this mindset: I have no restrictions. I can choose to eat whatever I want, however much I want, whenever I want to. That is up to me. Because it is. This thought is liberating. The human mind is such that when it feels deprived it desires that thing even more. Remove the perceived restriction and take back control.

Now in control, see your 80 year old heathy, thriving self. Intentionally make choices to make your vision come true.

Moss, M. (2014, February 18). Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us (Reprint). Random House Trade Paperbacks. 28-29.

044 An Intentional Focus on Health

The healthiest people I’ve observed give attention to how they sleep, eat, drink, and move. They do it consistently over time. Fanaticism does not produce lasting healthy results.

Adlai E. Stevenson II wrote,

“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”1

Likewise, yours and my health is not achieved by “short, frenzied outbursts” rather by “the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”.

Your body will be with you for your lifetime—the one life you get to live—and for most, life is more like a marathon not a sprint. We should treat it just that way.

For example, a marathoner gradually builds mileage into his/her training in order to complete the full course on race day. He/She deliberately drinks and eats for best advantage—before, after, and during the race.

Pro Tip:

Begin today to dedicate or rededicate yourself to the idea that you’re worth it. Your health is worth it. Your kids and grandkids are worth you being around for them and able to share memories because you intentionally chose healthy habits rather than going with the flow.

#IntentionallyEatSleepMove

1. Quote by Adlai E. Stevenson II, (2022, September 19). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/146220-patriotism-is-not-short-frenzied-outbursts-of-emotion-but-the

042 It’s Never Too Early and It’s Never Too Late to Begin An Exercise Program

Are you 50 and think you’re beyond walking? Are you 80 and thinking of trying yoga for the first time? It’s never too early and never too late to begin a simple, sustained exercise program.

“For better or worse, whatever you do repeatedly becomes a habit, and many people get out of the habit of regular exercise and never go back.

“Fortunately, it is never too late. At any time, you can decide that you are going to enjoy high levels of physical fitness. You can make a decision, right now, to start a physical fitness routine of some kind and then set it as a personal test or challenge to see if you have the willpower and discipline to follow through on your resolution.”1

Pro Tip:

Decide right now you will begin to be physically fit and take one simple action proving to yourself that you’re serious—do 1 pushup, 1 squat, a short walk—you decide, but start right away. Contact me if you want further help getting started. YouThriveToday@gmail.com.

You can do it. There’s greatness inside you. Today is your day. Ready, set, go.

1. Tracy, Brian. No Excuses The Power of Self-Discipline, 241.

041 Feel Encouraged Along Your Journey

Christopher Sommer, a former U.S. Gymnastics coach, encouraged Tim Ferriss with these words when Tim felt frustrated after working for three weeks on a new exercise with no visible results,

“Dealing with the temporary frustration of not making progress is an integral part of the path towards excellence. In fact, it is essential and something that every single elite athlete has had to learn to deal with. If the pursuit of excellence was easy, everyone would do it. In fact, this impatience in dealing with frustration is the primary reason that most people fail to achieve their goals. Unreasonable expectations timewise, resulting in unnecessary frustration, due to a perceived feeling of failure. Achieving the extraordinary is not a linear process.

“The secret is to show up, do the work, and go home. A blue collar work ethic married to indomitable will. It is literally that simple. Nothing interferes. Nothing can sway you from your purpose. Once the decision is made, simply refuse to budge. Refuse to compromise.”1

Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks, tells one of his baseball players, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”2

Lionel Messi, arguably the GOAT of soccer, divulged the secret to his success, “I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success.”3

Thoreau observed, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”4

Pro Tip:

If you’re feeling frustrated due to lack of visible results—regardless of the goal area you’re pursuing, albeit health, financial, marital, familial, social, spiritual, or intellectual—then you’re in good company: Ferriss, Hanks, Messi, and Thoreau. Each had their own mountains to climb before attaining the success they aspired to.

You’re on a path that if you consistently pursue will lead you to the success you desire. Hold on. Push on.

1. Ferriss, Tim. Tools of Titans, 162.

2. Marshall, P. (1992). A League of Their Own. Columbia Pictures.

3. Kidadl et al. (2022, July 08). 55 Messi Quotes from the World-Famous Soccer Player. Kidadl.coming. https://kidadl.com/quotes/messi-quotes-from-the-world-famous-soccer-player.

4. Henry David Thoreau Quotes. (2022, July 29). Brainy Quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/henry_david_thoreau_163655#:~:text=Henry%20David%20Thoreau%20Quotes&text=If%20one%20advances%20confidently%20in%20the%20direction%20of%20his%20dreams,success%20unexpected%20in%20common%20hours.

040 Bored With Dinner?

If you like variety, experimenting, and health than this post is for you.

Combine the Best Ingredients

Step 1: Choose your whole-grain (brown rice, whole-grain bread (in the ingredients list on the package it will list “whole-grain” or “whole-wheat” as the first ingredient), whole wheat tortilla, corn tortillas, old fashion oats, etc.). For example, BROWN RICE.

2: Choose a lean protein (skinless boneless chicken, fish, lean ground turkey, tofu). SALMON.

3: Choose a vegetable (endless options). ASPARAGUS.

4: Add low-fat dairy (ex. mozzarella cheese, 1% milk, Greek yogurt (with yogurt often there is mucho added sugar so be aware of it, be wise, and be intentional)). This meal doesn’t need it.

5: Add a fruit (fresh, frozen, canned—listed best to least, healthiest to less healthy; variety is good). BARLET PEAR SLICES

Viola!

You’re crushing it!—moving in the direction of your dreams, meal by meal, day by day.

039 Start Small, Be Consistent

How Matt Got In Shape

Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress (the platform I’m writing this blog from) “committed to one push-up before bed. Yes, just one push-up. Said he, ‘No matter how late you’re running, no matter what’s going on in the world, you can’t argue against doing one push-up. Come on. There’s no excuse. I often find I just need to get over that initial hump with something that’s almost embarrassingly small as a goal, and then that can become a habit.’ ”1

One way BJ Fogg got in shape; he did two pushups after he peed.2

Gandalf the Grey had this to say, “Saruman believes it is only great power [intense workouts] that can hold evil [poor health] in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds [consistent, small health habits] of ordinary folk that keep the darkness [creeping chronic disease] at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”3

“[B]y small and simple things are great things brought to pass…”4

It will require humility. Living in our age of sport and sometimes fierce competition you may feel the need to go big or go home. Not true!

Take It From These Pros:

Start small and be consistent. You can do it.

1. Ferriss, Tim, Tools of Titans, 205.

2. Tiny Habits, 109.

3. Jackson, P. (Director). (2012). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

4. Book of Mormon, Alma 37:6-7.

038 Reprogram Your Brain to Feel Happier

Grandpa was a psychologist. He was one of the most cheerful, positive people I’ve known. But he wasn’t always that way.

At one point in his life, married with a wife and a couple kids, he was so depressed it was hard for him to get out of bed. During his doctoral program he favored Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), adapting his own version. He advocated intentionally programming positive, present tense attributes into one’s subconscious mind (non-conscious mind, like a good computer program, always running in the background, making your computer work) to improve attitudes, skills, and knowledge. It was his life‘s work.

For example,

“I think only beautiful, clean, uplifting thoughts, largely related to my relationship with God and Christ and the things which I can do to build Their Kingdom.”

“Everyday I get and stay organized.”

“I feel a warm, ‘acceptance love’ for all people no matter what they have done or said or have not done or not said.”

“I am a cheerful, happy person.”

Intentionally and consistently retraining his mind to think this way, Grandpa did get out of bed, completed school, raised a large family with Grandma, and started a psychology business, influencing thousands of lives.

Like Grandpa, Brian Tracy teaches the subconscious mind accepts whatever you put into it.

A student of Tracy’s course was a salesman. He wasn’t doing well. The young man tried out the following proposed idea: before starting work and after every rejection say aloud the words, “I like myself. I like myself. I like myself…” fifty times.

Not long afterwards the young man’s self-image improved and so did his sales—dramatically.

And yours can too—self-image, sales, or otherwise.

Pro Tip:

During your daily morning routine or while commuting to work say, “I like myself!” fifty times. Do it everyday for a month. Compare how you feel at the end of the month to how you felt at the beginning.

037 Join the Physically-Fit Elite—Simply, Easily, Over Time

What if you could feel great about yourself and be among the top 1 percent of physically fit people in the world?

No you don’t necessarily need any special equipment or necessarily need to pay a membership fee; you just need a good pair of walking/running shoes.

Brian Tracy writes, “Physical fitness specialists generally agree that you need to exercise 200-300 minutes per week to enjoy the maximum levels of physical well-being that are possible for you. This means that you need to exercise between thirty and sixty minutes, five to seven times each week.

“At the low end, if you simply went for a 30 minute walk each morning before you started off for work or each evening when you got home from work as well as each weekend day, you would be one of the healthiest people in our society.

“If you increase your exercise level to sixty minutes each time, five times per week, you will be in the top 1 or 2 percent of physically fit people in the world today.”1

Pro Tip:

Wake up thirty minutes earlier than usual and walk for thirty minutes before work, five to seven times per week.

#YouGotThis

#You’reTheBest

1. No Excuses The Power of Self-Discipline, 237.

036 I want to begin exercising again. Where do I start?

Due to injury, I haven’t consistently run in nearly a year. And distance running is my thing. I read this two days ago which inspired me to know what to do and where to start again:. Perhaps it may help you too or help someone you know:

“Some years ago, there was a sixty-eight-year-old woman living in a senior citizens’ home who had never given much thought to physical exercise. She had worked hard, raised a family, become a grandmother, and was now living comfortably in a senior citizens’ residence.

“One day, she saw a television special on jogging. During this special, they interviewed a couple of people in their fifties and sixties who were running marathons. Some of them has started running later in life.

“This sixty-eight-year-old woman decided that she wanted to run a marathon as well. She drove down to a nearby store and bought the proper shoes for walking and running. That day, she began her exercise regimen by walking around the neighborhood where she lived. Over the next few weeks, she walked ever-greater distances. She bought books and sought advice on how to exercise and train her legs for running.

“After two months, she began jogging a little as part of her walking routine. After six months, she began running as part of her walking and jogging routine. By the end of the first year, she ran in a mini marathon in her local community.

“By the time she was seventy-five, she had completed ten 26.2 mile marathons and two 50 mile cross country marathons. And the most remarkable thing was that she had never run before the age of sixty-eight.

“So what’s your excuse? If this sixty-eight-year-old woman could start exercising so late in life, why can’t you?

“One of the greatest guarantors that you will live a long, happy life, being bright, alert, and full of energy, is that you begin a regular physical training program, four or five days per week, and continue it for the rest of your life.”1

Today, running irritates my injury but walking does not. Inspired by this woman’s courage and belief in herself I walked around the park for 45 minutes yesterday morning (while reading a book). I’m one for one. . .

Pro Tip:

Start today and start small. Keep going. Keep your streak alive. If you break your streak, start a new one.

1. Tracy, Brian. No Excuses The Power of Self-Discipline, 241-242.