Day: November 3, 2023

Estimated read time: 5 minutes This issue of the ​Peak Performance Insider is brought to you by ​MH Health Coaching.​ We help entrepreneurs and busy professionals get lean, boost energy, and build healthy bodies. We have 4 private coaching spots left for November, so if you’re a high-performer with a busy schedule looking to get in the best shape of your life click the link below to get started. Click here to sign up for a Free Discovery Session I lost $500 in January last year and it’s 100% my fault. One of my goals was to post a video to ​my YouTube channel​ every week on Tuesday for a year. I recruited a friend as an accountability partner and agreed to pay him $500 if I didn’t post a video by midnight every Tuesday. And as much as it pains me to admit it I sent him $500 the very first week—only a few days after creating the agreement—because I missed my deadline by 3 hours “perfecting” the video. Sending my friend $500 a few days after making the agreement was infuriating—I mean I was really, really angry at myself—but it was also an important reminder that showing up is everything. If your goal is to exercise five times each week, what you do is far less important than just showing up. How you choose to create accountability is up to you. I choose money because losing it is painful and a sharp deadline so it’s nonnegotiable. But the key is to create compelling consequences so that you don’t ignore your commitments. Here are some questions to ask yourself: Do I want to be held accountable for something? What does accountability mean to me? What is the best way for me to be held accountable? (Hint: this last one must involve a consequence) Now without any further ado… 1. The law of chocolate chip cookies The Law of Chocolate Chip Cookies is as follows: If the cookies don’t go in the grocery basket, they don’t go home. And if the cookies don’t go home, they don’t go in your mouth. And if the cookies don’t go in your mouth, they can’t turn into belly fat. The end. So does that mean the end of cookies? Of course not. Chocolate chip cookies are one of life’s greatest treasures. But there’s a difference between enjoying a freshly baked cookie and snacking on cookies every day. And that little difference makes all the difference when it comes to getting in shape. What This Means For You: All things in moderation. 2. How to build habits that last I recently came across a powerful technique for developing new, better habits while breaking old, bad behavior patterns. The big idea is that changing your behavior is most effective when you change your identity. And I don’t mean facial reconstruction or changing your name (this isn’t Mission Impossible). I mean focusing on identity-based habits instead of outcome-based habits. Identity-based habits focus on who you want to become, so the process of building habits really just becomes the process of becoming your new self. All you have to do is decide the type of person you want to be, then prove it to yourself with small wins. In time you’ll start winning so much as that new person that you’ll start to look and feel like the new you, too. Some examples related to food are religious adherents or vegetarians whose eating habits are determined by their identities. What You Can Do: Start small with easily achievable milestones. Try setting small milestones like, “I don’t eat snacks before 10am.” Then a few weeks later “I don’t eat snacks before lunch.” Then maybe “I don’t eat snacks before dinner.” Keep track of your wins and celebrate your milestones in ways that align with your goal. That kind of slow, easy progression can make picking up new habits (or breaking bad ones) not only doable but actually easy. And if you’d like to learn more about identity-based habits, check out “Atomic Habits” from ​my recommended reading list​. 3. Everything you need to know about weight loss It’s estimated that 45 million Americans—nearly 15% of the population—go on a diet each year and spend nearly $50 billion dollars on weight loss products and services, according to research conducted at the Boston Medical Center for Nutrition & Weight Management. That is a massive number of people spending a fortune on fitness every single year. So what’s all the hype about? Why do so many people spend so much time and money trying to lose weight? And, most importantly, what exactly is intentional weight loss? In the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness: Weight loss refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue). Now let’s put that all into perspective. What is Body Fluid? Using a lean, healthy male as our example, body fluid is divided in a two-to-one ratio between two compartments: Intracellular Fluid is all of the fluid that exists within the cells in our bodies. This amounts to 60-67% of the fluid in the body and is about 42% of one’s total body weight. Extracellular Fluid is all of the fluid that exists outside the cells in our bodies. This amounts to 33-40% of the fluid in our bodies and is about 21% of one’s total body weight. This means that in total, your body fluid amounts to anywhere from 60-67% of your total body weight. What is Body Fat? Body fat is connective tissue found all over the body that is mainly responsible for storing energy, cushioning, and insulating the body. The main types of fat cells are white, brown, and beige cells. White Fat cells are the body’s primary energy storage units and are located under the skin, namely around our belly, arms, buttocks, and thighs. These fat cells cushion…
Read more