Everything is Against You
It should come as no surprise how technology and innovation has made our world a better place to live.
You’re hungry? Head over to that fast food joint and in 3 minutes or less, you’ve got dinner.
You’re cold? Turn the thermostat up a wee bit and you’re comfy again.
You’re bored? Turn on some Netflix… and, well… chill.
What you might not have considered is how these innovations are working against you.
“Hey, What Do You Mean?”
Let’s Take a Look at Food…
Most of the food you find in restaurants, processed food in grocery stores, and your local fast food place is something scientists refer to as hyper-palatable: food whose components have been altered (fat, sugar, salt, and carbohydrate) to make it tastier than it would otherwise be.
Hyper-palatable foods are likely to be very calorie dense and lack any real nutritional value [fortified or not]. But due to the fact it has been engineered to keep you wanting [plus the excitement you get when driving to your favorite fast food place], you will likely keep going back for your number 3.
Excessive calories and lack of nutrition, anyone?
What About Alcohol…
While alcohol is a common substance used to help get to sleep, it does not improve your sleep. Just because you are unconscious does not mean you’re getting sleep.
Alcohol might help you “get to sleep,” but it will also interfere with the deep [REM] sleep your body needs. In fact, the more you drink, the more subdued your ability will be to actually recover and set yourself up for the next day.
Without proper sleep, you will gain body fat, lose muscle, you’ll increase your blood pressure, and will likely increase your risk of heart disease. The list goes on.
Don’t take this as an excuse to drink first thing in the morning. Your boss probably wouldn’t appreciate that.
WFH? Working from Home?
I know. What does this have to do with health?
Ask yourself this question: Do you have definitive boundaries [for yourself] for your time?
When you were at your office:
- You got up
- You got ready for work
- You got to work which initiated your “work” mindset
- You got home which initiated your “home” mindset
Now that you’re working from home:
- You get up
- Maybe you “get ready” for work. That’s a BIG maybe
- You don’t have to leave your house so you just start working
- You don’t have to drive home so you don’t have the trigger to STOP working
- Pretty soon it’s time to eat and then sleep
What the hell happened, here?!
Without those triggers telling you to start and stop work, you will FEEL as if you have no time. There’s no reason to stop working right at 5. There’s nothing helping you honor your time.
Without boundaries… where did my time go?
You Went Negative on That One…
You don’t live in the Stone Age.
A sabertooth tiger isn’t going to eat you. Yeah, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. While constantly looking to the negative likely served some survival purpose at one point in our evolution, it doesn’t anymore.
Not for most of us most of the time.
You don’t need to worry that one bad meal is going to ruin the last 3 months of your hard work. It will not.
On the same token, one good meal is not going to turn you into what you want. It will not.
You are the sum of your habits and decisions. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT take your health and fitness journey as an all or nothing thing.
It just isn’t.
“Ok. So, What Do I Do About It?”
Take inventory of your tendencies: are you someone who can attack everything at once and be successful? Are you someone who needs to do one small thing at a time?
Here’s a hint… most people CANNOT do everything all at once. You likely fall into the same boat I do, one thing at a time.
Pick One Thing
Pick the one thing you are going to change [habitually] and attack.
- Plan and prep for one meal per day each day
- Plan your bedtime and STICK TO IT
- Stop drinking alcohol before bed
- Get up and have the same routine before and after work
- Keep a log of your “wins”
I don’t care which one. Pick one and start moving in the direction you KNOW you want to move. After you’ve mastered that, pick the next one thing.
Want some help figuring out which one is going to make the most difference for you? Head to THIS LINK and set yourself up for your free No Sweat Intro.
If you’re already working with us and need to know your next step, ask us the next time you see us!
Either way, we are here to work as YOUR guide.
