Starting at ground zero

Scott Schwab:
Each challenge, we start by recommending the same things. This is a repeat for many of the readers, but we must also post for readers who are new to the site. Each month we have a couple hundred new readers and that is why you may see the same things coming back around.

Ground Zero
I will use this term to mean the purity of the body or the "nucleus" of our health. Ground zero to me, is a place free of sugars, preservatives, and unhealthy garbage that leaves our body unable to respond to diets and healthy habits. Believe it or not, ground zero is also a place mentally. If we are stressed out, our body will not respond in ways that we would like. Most of the time, as people find themselves stressed, they are unable to lose weight. In fact stress will destroy your sleep patterns, eating habits, and exercise routines. That is why it is so important to form "habits".

Healthy Habits
We are creatures of habit so make sure that you form valuable ones. Lifestyle changes hinge on the ability to have habits and stick to them. It may be easier mentally to say yes to living healthy, rather than saying no to junk food. What I mean by this, is that there are several authors that would teach that we need to eliminate all negativity including the word no itself. It is interesting, but there is truth behind this idea. Try it for yourself and see the differences. Rather than saying no to a soda or a donut, say yes to water and fruit. It is a paradigm shift and you will notice small changes in your attitude and life in general.

Furthermore, changing your attitude will take you a long way in life. We form certain attitudes to the food we eat, exercise that we do, and truly everything that we do. To take control of that, we need to know ourselves very well. The deeper the better! When you know yourself and how you will respond to life in general, you can start controlling the outcomes. For example, I know that if there is junk food at my house, I will eventually break down and eat it. For that reason I give myself a reward once a week for eating healthy. As time goes on with good choices, a habit forms and I desire better food to reflect how it makes me feel. I avoid getting that sick feeling or gut bomb because I just had to have a tub of ice cream.

Facts:
The fact is that we need to gain control over our mind and let that flow into our body or our actions. If we can consciously make the decisions to choose healthy, the challenge becomes easier and easier. Control is the key term here. We are not focusing on weight loss alone. We are focusing on weight control. There is not a perfect fit or form to a healthy person. A healthy person comes in all sizes, but we can all make strides to tighten up some of the areas around our stomach and backside. The key is that we balance the intake to outtake formula. We need to burn more calories than we take in. Many times people will count calories and become obsessed with this formula. The better thing to do is to create a consistent habit of exercise. Do more than you have to or want to because the dividends are longevity for life and happiness.

Action Plan:
The action plan starts with cutting out a few things from your routine and adding a couple of things to your routine. None of us are perfect or do things exactly right. The good news is that you don't have to be perfect to be happy or healthy. One of the best books that we refer to is Body for Life. The author recommends having a free day where you can eat what you like. This is of course in moderation and with balance. You can ruin a good week of exercise by one night of freedom. Writing down your goals is one of the most essential things that you can do for a lifestyle change. If you want to have the results that you have always had, keep doing what you are doing. Less then 3% of people live their lives by writing down goals and holding ourselves to those goals.

Step #1
Set goals, write them down, and hold yourself accountable to those goals. Start today by keeping yours.
Hints: put the goals where you can see them often. Tell others about your goals so that it creates a support group and accountability.
Step #2
Choose a cleanse for your body. Most of us carry additional waste and toxins in our body. The best cleanse will clear your mind, purify your body, and release your soul. Truly this is what is meant by starting at ground zero.
Hints: Choose a cleanse that you avoid food and water consumption for a period of time. It is also good to get a massage, and read something that will allow you to mentally relax.
Step #3
Take your body weight and divide that number by two. That number is the number of ounces that one should drink during a day. At a bare minimum drink 8 glasses of water per day. Drinking half your body weight in ounces is difficult to do, but will ensure that you flush your toxins daily.
Hints: At times drinking water can be quite the task and personally I can get sick of water. However, I love to drink cold water and space it through the day. Often times I will add lemon to help with flavor. You also want to be done drinking by dinner so you are not up all night going to the bathroom.
Step #4
Eat 6 small meals per day. Our bodies go into starvation mode after about 2 hours. There are many people who do not eat breakfast and this is one of the quickest ways to gain unhealthy weight. Start with fist full meals and space them about every 2 hours. This is so much better than 3 meals per day. You may think that you are eating more, but you will actually notice that your consumption will decrease.
Hints: This step takes a little planning, but is most essential. Our bodies are engines and they need food. It is good to have a meal replacement smoothie for protein consumption as well as a quick and convenient meal. The meals are small and will help your metabolism be consistent.
Step #5
Avoid sugar and processed foods as much as possible. If you only cut out soda, (especially diet), from your normal routine, and replace it with water, you will lose 10 pounds over 6 weeks by doing nothing else. We are a fast-food society. Cut this aspect out as well. The food we get at restaurants is huge in size and unhealthy in form.