On vacations, I let myself go a little. And by a little, I really mean a lot.
And when I say let myself go, I’m talking about food.
And when I say food, I’m not talking about anything remotely healthy.
I like to try the local flavors. Especially when those flavors are donuts and beer.
Our last trip was no different. This happened in New York City:
And then this happened in Edinburgh:
And this:
And of course, this:
Motivation
My gut is paying the price. I’m healthy somewhere around 155 pounds and I came back weighing almost 173. Not good. I need to drop these pounds pronto, but I lack internal motivation.
If I can’t motivate myself, I must resort to extreme measures. I have two strategies to kick my ass into high gear:
1: Competition
I have a bet with Mr. WoW from Waffles on Wednesday. We are both trying to lose weight. Mr. WoW is demolishing me so far:
The loser has to:
- buy dinner
- buy beer
- guest post on the winner’s site
- pay the winner $1
The stakes are high and I don’t like to lose, so this is incredibly motivating. And Mr. WoW, you should be worried. Despite my slow start, I’m coming for you.
2: Money (for you!) (maybe…)
I don’t like losing money. Actually, I HATE it! This is the reason you’ll never catch me gambling. Except that $1 bet with Mr. WoW.
Anyway, to further motivate myself, I will give one lucky reader a $100 Amazon gift card if I fail at either of the following by October 1st:
- Weight must be under 160 pounds
- 10 pull-ups (I must do them all at once with full arm extension. No cheater reps.)
On Sunday, I weighed in at 168.2 and did 5 pull-ups. To keep myself honest, I’ll post a picture of my weigh-in and a video of me doing pull-ups on 10/2.
What about You?
Do you have any secret tips for motivation? How do you get your ass to the gym? How do you keep the fire burning?
I need all of the help I can get, so please unload your best tips!
I realize that I just offered to pay you if I don’t meet my goals, so I’m not expecting much beyond:
Go on the Donut Diet!
Or:
Big Macs are tasty!
Or maybe:
Take up competitive drinking!
Obviously, I didn’t think this through. What the hell am I thinking?
Or maybe, just maybe, this is a deep Machiavellian masterstroke.
Nah, just a moronic joke. On myself.
Time to shut up and go running. Wish me luck. Or don’t.
My best tips are to track your calories and plan to reward yourself when you hit a certain goal.
Tracking your calories doesn’t have to be the whole way through. Do it for a few days so you can see what you are doing on a regular basis. Then you can stop. My husband tracked his for a week and managed to drop 4 lbs in a week and a half just by staying within his calorie goal.
For rewarding, plan it maybe the halfway goal. AND NOT WITH FOOD!! Something that encourages you to stay focused. Since you like trying beers, maybe a new one? Nothing expensive, but for me, the small wins along the way have always helped me lose weight. I’ve had 3 kids in 5 years, and have gotten back to my old weight all 3 times. That’s what works for me! Good luck!
Ember @ An Intentional Lifestyle recently posted…Date Night: Disc Golf Adventure
Thanks for the tips Ember! I think a reward is a good idea. I’m thinking of a weekend away…
Let me know when you want to try more Belgian beer. It is healthy I heard!
My motivation is the size of jeans I fit in. I refuse to buy a bigger size than I have today. That means either I loose weight, level the jeans open, or shorts only. Till now, loose weight wins.
Mmmmm, beer….
Good luck!
As to your weight loss/health, you know my opinion already 😉 Perhaps this is the time to give it a try, you might be surprised at the results!
Team CF recently posted…The Gift Conundrum
Yep, I remember your advice. And I’m implementing much of it, particularly the plant based diet part. Wish me luck!
Best of luck in your death race with Mr. WOW!
Team CF recently posted…The Gift Conundrum
My best advice is keep yourself busy, if it’s physical exercise busy even better. The more I sit at home or hang out with others the more weight I gain.
I joined a bootcamp in order to stay motivated. Having other people go through the misery with me makes it that much more enjoyable for me. So while it’s a small cost each month it’s well worth it for me.
Mustard Seed Money recently posted…Over 40% of Americans Can’t Pass This Financial Literacy Quiz
While I am a bit of a running/exercise junky (I love the way I feel when I am on my game), I still have struggles keeping up the routine at times! I find motivation to workout in several ways.
1) Make it fun! I try to mix it up depending on my day/need for motivation. Some days, I’m perfectly happy with a 5 mile run, but others, I need the mixture of exercises (Bootcamp style or something similar) to keep me going.
2) Go on Autopilot. I have days I am mentally exhausted after work and don’t want to think about a work out. That is when a class or a YouTube video is great! I don’t have to think, I just do what the instructor tells me to.
3) Accountability. Nothing like telling your friend you will meet her at 5:55am to guilt you into actually getting out of bed…
4) Make Easy Days still Active. Instead of completely bumming easy days, I’ll still try to walk and maybe do some stretching or yoga. This can help me keep a little active and gently work muscles out.
5) Group Work. I have a running group with great motivation… we meet once a week at a brewery, run 3 or 5 miles, then we come back to hang out (have a beer, have 1/2 a beer, have a glass of water, whatever). It has become a social outing as well as a workout and I now look forward to seeing my running friends every week!
Hope this helps! Good luck 🙂
Mrs. Adventure Rich recently posted…Leveraging our Property for Half a Pig
Thanks for the tips! You’re the second one to mention a bootcamp style routine, so maybe I need to look into that more.
Regarding #4, I’m super active. I don’t have a Fitbit, but I’m guess that I 20,000 steps a day. We walk to our girls’ school which is a mile away to start.
Oh, awesome that you are active in general! I work remotely, so if I don’t go for walk or something on my off days, I end up not moving all day (just sit at my desk!)… it’s awful!
I’m in a similar boat, Carl. I’m somewhat happier when I’m soft and pudgy, which doesn’t help things.
My only reliable secret is to reduce activation energy for good behavior. So for working out, instead of telling myself I’m working out…I just tell myself I have to put on my running shoes. If I get them on, then I don’t have to go for a run, I just have to step outside and see how I feel (or that’s what I tell myself). I also sleep in clothes appropriate for working out, so it requires as little as possible to get that first step going.
Re: food, I’d have healthy foods that I like ready-made and portioned out in the fridge, so it seems more convenient to eat that than to drive to a restaurant/shop.
If beer’s the culprit, keep most of it warm in the pantry instead of in the fridge so that there’s only one or two you can drink in one session…
Done by Forty recently posted…Iceland’s Ring Road in a Kuku
“If beer’s the culprit, keep most of it warm in the pantry instead of in the fridge so that there’s only one or two you can drink in one session…”
Good idea. I’m going to take it one step further and just not have it in the house to begin with.
Exercise wise: the best is chose something you actually like doing. And then build up a routine in it (some moment on same day of the week) so it becomes a habit. When unemployed I finally got back in the habit of going for a swim at the public pool (I like swimming). 2 months was enough to build up the habit and now I keep doing it even I am back at work!
Losing weight: no idea! I actually gained two kilo’s (hopefully muscles) from all the swimming I do … I really should eat healthier, but have you seen Belgian supermarkets? They are full of great beers, chocolates and waffles and if you can resist that they get you with patisserie!!!
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I need a trip to Belgium! Or maybe I don’t! 🙂
I am also working on this. I started tracking my food intake in the Fitbit app. The bar turns red when I have eaten more than I should. It also adjusts how much you are allowed to eat based on how much you exercise. On days when I hit the gym, I am allowed more food without getting yelled at.
This has been pretty helpful so far, but I am still working on optimizing this area, so take that with a grain of salt.
Matt @ Optimize Your Life recently posted…Comfort is Not Happiness
Bahaha! Well hey, those look like some damn good eats. I’m not sure if I would have been able to control myself. I tend to unhinge my jaw and inhale anything that’s covered in chocolate.
As far as motivation, I have to be make exercise SO easy. I’m lazier than you, Mr. 1500, so everything literally has to be 10 feet away for me to exercise. I’ve converted our bonus room (converted garage) into a fitness studio. I have an elliptical in there and, as of this weekend, a dance pole. Yup, dance pole. Workouts have to be fun and challenging, otherwise I’ll just take a nap instead.
Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…What A Frugal Weekend! August 20
I’m one of those lucky fools with a metabolism like a locomotive; if my dad’s anything to go by, my midsection won’t go convex for another couple of decades. But that’s just genes rather than fitness or health. So in May I started jogging every other morning. It’s on the calendar — and I’ve told people, so (like FIRE) there are expectations both from myself and from others that I’ll keep it up. Three straight months of not missing a day (even during vacations in Amsterdam and Maasbracht and Portland and Seattle) now has an inertia of its own.
It’s also led to healthier choices. If I know I’m going to be hitting pavement at 6:30am sharp, I’m far less likely to drink that third beer or polish off a sundae after a huge dinner.
Metabolism like a locomotive! Science should isolate that gene! Sell it when gene splicing becomes a thing.
It’s 6AM. Do you know where the Wows are? Getting ready to work out! I guess it’s on now, I was enjoying that head start. But no more beer (or less beer) and more healthy eating it is.
I think those donuts look amazing. Eat More!!!
Shit. Shit. Shit.
MrWow recently posted…FIRE is a Marathon
try this again…
MrWow recently posted…FIRE is a Marathon
I’m not a gym person at all, so when I got into running a few years back, it was a nice way to stay more fit. But, it gets SO friggin’ boring at times that I found it hard to stay motivated and actually run. Then I discovered if I signed up for a race I had “a reason” to run/exercise. My first real race was a half marathon and that led to 3 or more solid months of “training.” Then I found sprint triathlons – swim 500 m (20 pool laps), bike 14 miles, then run 3 miles. These were awesome because it broke up the monotony of “just running.”
This weekend I ran an impromptu 10k on Saturday, and on Sunday my thighs were a bit sore/tight.
Instead of my usual long distance swim workout (1650 m), I just did kickboard sets for 25 min. to loosen up the legs and then just arms for 25 min. I wasn’t motivated to do anything at all, but knowing it wll help come Oct.’s race makes me keep at it more often than not.
Good luck!
Mr. SSC recently posted…One More Year Syndrome is Legit
^ This.
Sign up for something that requires training in whatever activity you prefer. Running, riding, swimming, all of the above? Or even a Spartan race (or the numerous other versions out there).
For me personally, having a marathon on the calendar keeps me eager to lace up the shoes. Or alternately set a goal for yourself. Run X miles in 6 months. Figure out what a reasonable goal should be that also pushes you.
Good luck and get after it!
Thanks nadir!
One thing I am training for is an informal pull-up competition. And it is incredibly motivating.
I love using the slow carb diet. Great way to easily adjust, then deflate one day a week.
I like the deflation day. It makes the other 6 easier to tolerate…
How is Shaun T treating you?
Mrs.Wow recently posted…FIRE is a Marathon
I’m still working with Tony (P90x). Insanity scares me a bit, but I’m definitely going go give it a try when I’m in better shape. It may come sooner than later if Mr. WoW keeps kicking my ass!
Trying to trim fat as well-looking for a 6-pack of the non-alcoholic variety.
Why are you tracking body weight and not body fat%?
Weight is is like your net worth, BF% is yearly withdraw rate.
The former is easier to track, but it’s the latter that actually matters.
Mr. PoP recently posted…How Much Did I REALLY Save Building Our Cabinets?
Why are you tracking body weight and not body fat%?
Agreed, but how do you track it accurately? I’ve read that the only real accurate way to do it is water displacement. I intend on doing this, but it’s like $50 a session, so I’ll probably do 2 sessions; one soon and another in a couple months.
I think there is a difference between accuracy and precision. Calipers are precise, and are good for tracking progress, but they are not accurate b/c of different body types, etc. In other words, you can see if you are losing fat by using calipers, but the overall body fat % could be inaccurate. I should read more about this later…
Mr. PoP recently posted…How Much Did I REALLY Save Building Our Cabinets?
I should say, “The former is easier to track, but it’s the latter that is more interesting to me.” YMMV!
Mr. PoP recently posted…How Much Did I REALLY Save Building Our Cabinets?
While exercise may be important, changing your diet will probably have the biggest impact if you want to lose weight.
Fasting is also important to getting your body to burn fat. I’ve had good results with it myself…. but you know, consult your doctor first before doing so (standard disclaimers apply)
Mr. Tako recently posted…It’s OK To Be A Little Underemployed
Hey Mr. Tako, any guidelines for fasting?
And yeah, my diet has to (and is already) changing.
I like to keep in mind that skipping one days workout is the start of skipping them all. I also work on the reward system. If I don’t get enough done in a day, I don’t get any beer. Somehow I always manage to get my beer 🙂
Mr. BITA recently (a couple of months ago) started intermittent fasting with good results. He fasts for 24 hours twice a week (Monday lunch – Tuesday lunch and Wednesday lunch – Thursday lunch). And since I know you are a Ferris fan, have you considered implementing the diet he recommends (TL;DR: no carbs for 6 days of the week, eat anything you want on day 7)? I have had 2 friends try it with spectacular results.
Note my careful lack of mention of my own fitness routine. The omission, I assure you, is quite deliberate.
Mrs. BITA recently posted…An Update On Our Churning Portfolio
Fasting. I must say that I’ve thought a lot about it, but never tried it.
I am doing the slow carb thing. Funny you mention it because I just downed a cup of cottage cheese alongside some hatch chiles.
On getting to the gym:
Perhaps I’m an outlier here, but I find group exercise extremely motivating. Miss QCI teaches Bodypump (low weight high rep class) as a side gig. I go to support her and also to get my weekly dose of realizing how inferior I am to a group of mostly older folks. I like that it has a set start and end time (60 mins) and focuses on all of the main muscle groups. No one ever leaves the gym regretting the decision to go 🙂
It’s not about motivation. It’s about making good habits and good choices second nature – like brushing your teeth. Make it easy to make good choices ~90% of the time.
Luckily, this was a vacation aberration, so your body will want to get back to its prior leaner set point. Help it.
+Put the block of time for your workout on your calendar each day. Keep that appointment. Do something. Anything is better than the “perfect” workout. Strength training is better than cardio for fat loss. But anything is better than nothing.
+Remove trigger foods (no donuts) from your pantry. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it. Replace with better choices. Your body will thank you.
+Similarly. Lock down the beer. You don’t want MrWow to win. Your body can metabolism fat or alcohol but not both. If you drink the beer, the fat is staying.
+If you fall down, don’t let the one donut (or beer) turn into a baker’s dozen.
+You’ve found an accountability system – that’s a great long term strategy for sustained success for any goal. Be sure to report back!
+meal prep – I think someone mentioned this already, but it helps to have good choices ready to go for when you are hungry.
+sleep – not sure how your sleep quality is but more/better sleep will promote fat loss over muscle loss during a calorie deficit. You want to lose fat not muscle if you want to succeed at that pull-up goal!
Good luck!
Catherine recently posted…A Year of Precision Nutrition (PN) Coaching
Catherine!
Thanks so much for the thoughtful response. A couple comments:
Sleep: Holy hell, it took me 40+ years to realize just how detrimental lack of sleep is to all parts of my life. Now, I strive to sleep well. Not easy, but somehow, just knowing how important it is makes it easier to fall asleep.
“Strength training is better than cardio for fat loss.” I’ve heard others say the same thing, but admit to being slightly skeptical. If I run for an hour, doesn’t my body switch over to burning fat at some point? If I put on more muscle, my body will need more calories to sustain itself, but don’t you need to eat a ton to put on weight in the first place?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Strength training builds muscle mass which burns more calories long past working out. While yes, cardio burns more initial calories, your body becomes a “fat burning machine” when you strength train which is better in the long run. But be sure and increase weights as you progress in the weight training regimen (and be careful of injury and do change up the routine when you plateau). Also, strength training keeps your bones strong–this is why astronauts who spend a lot of time in space actually can have serious bone loss.
Thanks for the input. I do have another question though: Doesn’t cardio still have value though? Strength training increases certain muscle mass, but isn’t cardio still valuable for keeping your heart in good condition?
Sleep is magic for recovery, and so many other things.
Re: cardio vs. strength training.
Tara covered it well below. But it depends on your goals and your enjoyment. For me, if I want to change body composition, I must strength train. Left to my own devices I’d much prefer to run sprint intervals & go to hot yoga. For the body I want, I need to lift heavy things. I still do the other stuff because I enjoy it, but it might actually be slowing my body composition changes.
One risk of using cardio to specifically create a calorie deficit (or as you put to “burn fat”) is that for some people the longer steady state exertion creates a much larger appetite than what was burned during activity. So you might “burn” 500 calories on a 5 mile run but then you’ll want to feed your body with a bacon double cheeseburger, some fries, & a beer since you earned it, etc. Better go run 5 more miles. So, unless you are very disciplined and good at living with hunger, this can be a harder (in my opinion) path.
The other benefit of strength training, in a calorie deficit, since your stated goal is weight loss, isn’t so much to grow your lean mass but to not lose it as part of the overall weight loss, which might happen if you just do cardio.
Of course – more important that the exercise will always be the nutrition. Lots of great resources out there, it depends what motivates you. Three examples.
trains a lot of pros: https://renaissanceperiodization.com/lessons-recent-fat-loss-experience/
snarky but accurate: http://physiqonomics.com/fat-loss/
one of my favorites about trade-offs:
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean-infographic
Catherine recently posted…A Year of Precision Nutrition (PN) Coaching
I decided to get off the couch last year. I was in shape, but round was not the shape I wanted to be in. Go big or go home is my motto so I decided what is bigger than an Ironman Triathlon. At first it was overwhelming but the secret I found is to make realistic goals and stick to it. It is that simple. You will miss a day and have some Oreo’s. It happens. I run bike and swim 6 days a week. I am no where near where I need to be but I keep my eye on the prize. Eat well, stick to your plan, find a good group to train with,get a good nights sleep and you should do it.
Whoah Mr. Free. Go big or to home!
You could try a Paleo (or Keto) diet. It really works and you can eat until you are full, but all the cooking/prepping is quite time-consuming (at least if you still work). I do it for the health benefits – the weight loss is a nice side effect for me.
Tim Ferriss’ Slow Carb Diet (that you are doing) is a step in this direction – and if done properly should also get you to your goal.
EurFI recently posted…July 2017 – Net Worth and Expenses
Right now, I’m farting around with Soylent. When I’m not doing that, I’m eating most vegetables and cottage cheese…
My motivation is not being called a beached whale when I go to the beach (which is why I haven’t been to the beach in a while). Seriously though I think about all of the things I want to do. Just yesterday I decided to do the couch to 5k. I have never ran a 5k, but it is about time I get my butt in gear.
Also, I started weight lifting again. My weight hasn’t gone down, but my strength is definitely returning.
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Nice work on planning for the 5k. I did my first one a couple years ago and it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Just running with a large group of people makes it way more fun.
Stairs, lots and lots of stairs. I’m talking the full on machine where the stairs continue to appear no matter how many you take. Start low, think five minutes, and add a minute each day. I’m in your age group, am 6’1″ and weigh about 180 pounds, but am under 10% body fat. 90 minutes a day and you’ll be smoking WOW. Build it into a routine where you go at the same time everyday and it becomes easier. I go directly from work and then head home. Makes adherence way easier. Good luck!
Oh man, my old gym had one of these and I loved it: https://www.fitnessfactory.com/home/item/5450/jlstair/jacobs_ladder_stairway/#sthash.HLG3dKXV.dpbs
If I could get one for a reasonable price and I had the room, I’d probably pick one up.
And my old work had a 15 story tall building. For exercise, we’d walk up and take the elevator down. Repeat, repeat, repeat. My record was 25 climbs which tool about 3 hours. After I was done, I puked my brains out. Fun! Really! Well, mostly.
Longtime listener, first-time caller…
I’ll begin with a vulnerable admission: I used to never floss, and it wasn’t because I didn’t know any better. I just wasn’t going to do it after a long shift or a tiring day. Then I started to think about how to life hack flossing. I love taking a hot shower before bed each night, and standing 3 extra minutes under steaming water is something I’d consider a luxury, not a hassle. Upshot: Since deciding to floss in the shower, I’ve had 100% compliance for several years.
My best adherence to an exercise regimen is when the gym becomes a place I love: the outdoors. I can manage weights once a week 9listening to a podcast to enjoy it more), but the remainder of the time I take a two hour vigorous hike (again listening to a downloaded podcast), go kayaking or kayak surfing, or take the kids bodyboarding at the beach.
Because I was lazy in getting to the gym, I bought a used weight set on craigslist and canceled the gym membership. Use them a lot more now that I don’t have to drive to them, and no recurring costs! This strategy was shamelessly stolen from MMM’s playbook.
With Colorado as your home, perhaps mountain biking or hiking would work?
This has been said, but increase the barriers to unhealthy eating: we don’t stock crap in the house. Want an ice cream? I don’t keep it in the freezer. Want a burger? Only veggie burgers in the home. Want fruits or vegetables? Good, that’s all we stock. I ration my beer (I know, it hurts) so I get an allotment per month in the home, and once it’s gone, I’m done. Everything unhealthy I usually need to leave home to consume – small but effective barriers.
Figure out a systems approach to doing the right thing by making the crap food a hassle and the workouts (or flossing) enjoyable.
You mean too much to people in the FI universe to become a Homer Simpson cliche – do it for us, your loyal fans. Do it for the children.
Wishing you success,
CD
Hey Crispy Doc!
Love this: “My best adherence to an exercise regimen is when the gym becomes a place I love: the outdoors.”
While I don’t have any trails within walking distance, I do have some that I could bike to in half an hour or drive to in 10 minutes. Hiking up a good trail with the smell of the pines is infinitely better than a treadmill at the gym.
We’ve started getting rid of the bad food and I have 2 more Stone Enjoy Bys left to go. After that, no more beer in the house. If I want one, I’ll walk to a microbrewery. This may cost me a little more, but I know I’ll drink a lot less.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I’m very inspired to get rid of my bulbous gut.
My best advice is to track calories aiming for clean, unprocessed foods. I also try to move everyday – the preference being on weight lifting, running, spinning, HIITS – basically high energy activities; but if I can’t make one of those happen, at least go for a walk.
The other thing I do are dietbets. You say you hate losing money, enter one of those and that’ll motivate you! Generally, you bet around $35 that you will lose 4% of your weight in 4 weeks. If you lose you forfeit the money, if you meet the goal then you split the pot with the winners. The winnings generally aren’t huge, I’ve won between $10 and $20 more than my initial bet, but what motivates me more is not losing my money. They also have 6 month games where you bet $125 – $150 that you’ll lose 10% in six months – those games are more profitable and I generally win around $150 on top of my initial bet. You should check it out. Very motivational.
Read “Bigger, Leaner, Stronger” by Michael Matthews. It covers not just nutrition and exercise (Cliff Notes: Lift heavy and in fewer sets, emphasizing compound exercises), but the science of willpower. Pretty simple (and motivating) when it’s laid out for you.
That said, the Pull-up is KING. Such a great exercise. I just welded myself a new PU bar for the garage and am pushing to get back to 20 reps. 10 is still an excellent goal!
Mack! Thanks for the tip. My library system doesn’t have it, so I just ordered a copy.
My short term goal for pull ups is 10, but I have a competition coming up in January, so would like to be able to do at least 25 by then. This may be ambitious, but if I can get my body fat down, that alone will probably double what I can do right now alone.
Also – though I know your competition with Mr. WoW is centered around weight, body composition is the more important (in my opinion) metric. Muscle is heavy, so I don’t really concern myself with a specific weight, but body fat. Reasonably light cardio paired with the BLS philosophy of lifting should reveal your abdominal muscles in short order.
25 Pull-ups in a set is stone-cold-badass. You’ve motivated me: I’ll shoot for the same!
Dude, maybe we can setup a little competition for the pullups? I love the competition as motivation.
And yeah, totally agree on composition. I’m going for a body composition submersion test on Sunday and then another one in October to see how my body changes.
And is that a bottle of Westy 12 I see? A fine reward for a session of pull-ups, I’d say!
I’m going to do some right now. Race ya!
For me, losing weight is 95% healthy food and 5% exercise. I’ve never been one for counting calories/points/etc. My husband and I both have the best results from the Whole30. It’s strict, but to me that’s more efficient because I don’t have to make decisions or “justify” eating certain things. I just find recipes that are easy-ish and nutrient dense and repeat every 2 weeks or so. Losing weight is honestly the least important benefit I feel when I get to the end of the 30 days, I always feel awesome. Good luck to you!
Thank you Meagan! How much is a reasonable amount to expect to lose in a month?
I’ve lost 16 lbs before, but I’ve done several rounds and the least amount I lost was 9 lbs. Obviously it depends on how much you have to lose. They say men drop weight more easily than women but with this plan it’s been pretty even, for my husband and me as well as when my parents did it. It also helps my sleep, energy levels, minor aches and pains, digestion, skin issues, etc. Can’t wait to hear your follow up, no matter which route you take!
I highly recommend the book “Living with Seal”, by Jesse Itzler. Not only is it a truly ‘laugh out loud’ read, but it delves into so much more than diet and fitness… including finances, entrepreneurship, minimalism, etc…
The author actually runs ultra marathons, but he felt that he was in too much of a routine and too comfortable, so he had a Navy Seal come live with him for a month. And he had to do everything this guy told him to do. It is inspirational, but also very heartfelt also.
I got it from the library and almost finished it in one day. It was really hard to put down. Since then, I’ve set a long term goal to do 1,000 pushups in one day. I know it will take awhile to build up to, but I will keep chipping away. 🙂
Primal Prosperity recently posted…Thank you Mother Nature. You saved 2017.
Oh my, that book looks great. I’m gonna try to get it from the library this weekend. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
And 1,000 pushups in a day? Intense. I’m going for 100 at once.
You said to let you have it, so here goes.
You want to know the secret to losing weight? DONT EAT SHIT! Stop eating things with high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, sugar, (any kind), processed meats, canned foods, fast food, white bread, cheeses. I can go on and on. Stop snacking on chips pretzels doughnuts. Trust me, once you get out of the habit on munching on crap and snacking, you will no longer desire it. In fact, it will make you sick to eat it. You don’t need and gimmick diets. You don’t need to weigh your food, count calories or give yourself a treat. (Your not a dog or a six year old). You are a grown adult, acted like it!
You spent all this time to save money and retire early, (which is fricking awesome!), but you are too lazy to take care of your one biggest asset. You!
My background, I was a jockey. (Race horses, not jumpers true T-Breds at major race tracks). I weighed 107 ponds. I tacked 109. (That’s saddle girth, stirups, boots and me. My saddle weighed a pound and a quarter). I was in my twenties. My diet? I flipped ( puked, through up, whatever you want to call it). everything I ate. I ate like shit when I rode races. I am know close to 50 and I weigh 121 and I drink two beers a night ( and not shitty ass coors light crap). I quit riding races and bloated up to 145 when I turned 30. I don’t eat any of the above that I mentioned any more. I have a garden and my wife and I grow a lot of our own food. We typically know where are food originated from. You don’t need to go to that extreme. Just stop eating like shit. I promise you, if you cut out all of the above, you will win the contest hands done.
Motivation? Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, what the fuck am I doing? Just remember, the fatter you are, the harder your heart has to pump blood through your fat body.
Good luck in the contest, I’m pulling for you.
Steve-
Good luck with your goals! But take solace, now that you’re financially free: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYM_dehlzh6/
That pic is AWESOME! No comment on what I’m wearing (or not wearing) at the moment.
Do a cycleholiday. We are cycling the green Velo route through south east Poland. Beautiful cycling route. Very nice Polish food. Cycling burnes al lot of calories, I’ve just ordered my third pancake. And I’m still losing weight. I just can’t eat enough to compensate the cycling.