Okay, I’m down to the wire. If anyone tells you that writing a book is a breeze, they’re off their rocker.

So Easter is Sunday and my boys’ birthday is Monday. My minimalist-hairy man wants nothing at all, my the-more-the-better kid wants a birthday hoedown that I produced when they were kids. Sheesh. ♥
 

Pearl One

It’s 1923 in New Mexico, and money is tight. Your mother asks you to clean the dirt-floor. You sweep, then pick up leftover clutter by hand.

Fast forward to 2023: you’re tackling your floors again. If you’re lucky, a cleaning crew comes tomorrow. If not, maybe you have a Roomba to do the work. Or, armed with a powerful vacuum, you roar through each room, leaving clean floors behind.

The right tools matter.

Attempting to lose weight – and protect your loss – after age 50 requires the right tools. You’re not part of a poor family living in a dirt house.You have the money to buy a cold-tote, amazing book-desserts, smart food that you love, beautiful measuring cups and spoons, gorgeous tableware (found for a song at a thrift store), new muffin pans if you need them and so on and so forth.

This is not the time to be stingy with yourself. Get the tools you need for this rigorous trek we’re making up the Matterhorn. ♥

Pearl Two  

It’s my belief that we live in the loneliest time in history. Not so long ago, we lived in groups. Human beings weren’t built to be loners living in cabins deep in the woods.

Today’s version of “a cabin deep in the woods”, is not leaving the house, Netflixing for hours, and making constant trips to the kitchen. I mean, we have friends. On Facebook. We stay engaged with life. On Instagram. We get amazing advice from others. Podcasts.

They’re calling it the Loneliness Pandemic and it was alive and well in our world long before Covid. Here’s my take: it wasn’t so long ago that we lived in tight knit groups like villages, and before villages, we lived within a band of cave people working together to stay safe and find food.

For all of the downsides of caveman-life, the upside was belonging.

The phenomenon of “it takes a village” came so clearly to me when my parents were first moving into their assisted living home.

As they were moving my dad in text said to me, “We come from a generation that try our best not to rely or depend on our kids or interfere with their lives as we grow older.”

I responded, “yeah, but think about it. All ages once lived together: grandparents, moms, dad, kids, babies. And everyone worked together. Maybe not your generation but the gazillions that came before your group.”

At the time my sister and aunt were working hard to help my parents and I was trying to point out that family helps family without saying, “Stop being so proud and take the help!”

But – per usual – I agree with me. Our culture is lonely. That elderly man on Monday who wanted to chat about cantaloupe at the grocery store? He lives alone and hadn’t spoken with anyone all weekend.

The 50-something year old woman who shows up at the dog park every day like clockwork? The outing with her dog is the one time she sits down and has long chats with anyone IRL.

And from long ago, I remember Lucille Ball talking about being on a plane and looking down at the zillion of tiny homes below thinking, “Any one of those houses would welcome me in with a red carpet, and yet – I’m paraphrasing – “I don’t have one person who really knows me to go home to.”

So, you know how I recently wrote about the Perfect Storm of Weight Gain being the result of a food-porn culture, the powerful diet-cartel, along with our own wobbly self-esteem? Well, we can add a fourth storm to the mix: the age of loneliness in which we currently find ourselves.

This is my point: we buy the coolest looking car, purchase a gorgeous home that sits on a hill, pack our wardrobes in the prettiest of clothes and we still know exactly what Lucille Ball was talking about.

I’m not suggesting that if you take your therapy dog into the children’s home every week your eating and weight problems will dissolve. You’ll never hear this sort of thing from me.

That said, if we’re feeling crushed under the tonnage of loneliness the brownie fudge ice cream in the freezer will continue to call our name every evening.

Consciously write in your journal about how you’ll begin — in detail — to make it a habit to increase how deeply and often you engage with others. ♥

Pearl Three

In April we’ll take a deep dive into Atomic Habits by Mr. James Clear. Today we’re looking at – one of my favorites because duh — The Law of Least Effort.

James Clear writes, “Energy is precious, and the brain is wired to conserve it whenever possible. It is human nature to follow the Law of Least Effort, which states that when deciding between two similar options, people will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.*  Out of all the possible actions we could take, the one that is realized is the one that delivers the most value for the least effort. We are motivated to do what is easy.

*James says in the asterisk, “This is a foundational principle in physics, where it is known as the Principle of Least Action. It states that the path followed between any two points will always be the path requiring the least energy. This simple principle underpins the laws of the universe.”

My point: if you bring home the Ho-Hos and place them in an easy-to-reach cupboard, the principle of Least Action tells us that no doubt what you’ll do next.

However, when the Ho-Hos first hop into your grocery cart, just throw them like a major league pitcher back onto the shelf, and then the Ho-Hos won’t make it into your home.

Because you have no intention of driving to the store to hunt down the Ho-Hos, you end up having the cut strawberries — already in the fridge — with a whipped cream hat for dessert,

You see, the Law of Least Effort loves us and wants us to be happy. ♥

Pearl Four

They say that this woman was a badass, but the word barely touches who Virginia Hill was to the world.

Her story, A Woman of No Importance the Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell left me absolutely floored.

This book falls into the historical non-fiction genre and the author knocks it out of the park having researched and written the book in such a way that you can almost feel the Gestapo just steps behind Virginia as she flees France.

Due to this book I will never again say, “but I caaaaaan’t, my foot hurts” or “I’m too tired to do such-and-such.” Yes, we need to honor the challenges in our own lives, but the woman didn’t even receive certain medals once the war was won. Her opinion was, to paraphrase, “none of us did any of it for medals.”

This book will make you proud to be a woman and bonus: you’ll look at your own problems in a new light. ♥

Pearl Five

“We must remember. There is no easy way.” – Ryan Holiday ♥

Have a wonderful weekend, All!

♥, Wendy

P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

This breathtaking wreath is from the 5-star Etsy shop called TwoInpsireYou.

Hello Thrivers,

First, have you read the Aunt Bea booklet? You’ll find her to your right in the box under my circle bio. She should land in your email, but sometimes she prefers spam. If you lost her, just say: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll shoot her right over!

I hope these pearls find you immersed in beautiful spring weather.

Pearl One

May I talk you down from the Easter candy?

Only if it makes good sense?

Got it.

One of the ways those of us addicted to chocolate cake con ourselves into overeating is by claiming the holiday presents a “once a year” experience.

Thing is, we have access to Easter candy year-round. Here’s what I mean.

This is new in our lifetime, but the candy giants mold grocery store candy into adorable shapes at every holiday. For example, Reese’s Pieces (Easter Eggs Mini Carton), Twizzlers (small red bunnies), Butterfingers (Nesteggs), Starburst (jelly beans), Tootsie Roll (eggs), and so forth. Nothing new.

Same flavor all year long but now Easter-shaped (soon to be Halloween-, December-, and Valentine-shaped too).

So, don’t let you deceive you!! Throughout the holiday weekend continue to ask yourself: do I want to be a size 10 or do I want to inhale calories all weekend? Keep this question handy; it will always have your back.

A tip for this beautiful holiday. There’s more to Easter than eating. There are stunning floral displays (both nature and woman-created) to behold; there’s squealing children to squeal with (not to mention too-cool-for-school teens who stash their attitudes for the day to hunt Easter eggs; some maybe filled with cash); and there are church services to attend. However you celebrate the holiday, stuffing ourselves has nothing to do with honoring this special weekend.

One more tip for the next three days: ask yourself how you want to feel come Monday morning. Do you want Monday-you to bound out of bed having eaten well and worked out? Or. . . do you want Monday-you slightly peeved?

It’s our choice. Join me in doing the former. ♥

Pearl Two

I hear you. This pearl has nothing to do with weight loss. And yet, it sooo does, here’s why.

I’m the last to say that being happy is the magical elixir that sees the weight falling off. Forever, I’ve had ecstatic experiences in life, but have never lost weight because of it.hat said, it’s somewhat easier to lose if we’re, in fact, feeling pretty good about life.

Here’s one way that more than fills my happy cup: TrustedHouseSitters.com.

Want to travel but the hotel prices are – cough-cough-choke – way outside your survival zone (hmmm, healthcare for the year or a night at the Hyatt?), then take a look at this beautiful deal.

(Note: I’ve written about these guys before, but I’ll always put the word out before summer especially.)

Here’s how it works.

1 – To begin, this is not a “swap houses deal.” You don’t swap anything.

2 – Go to the TrustedHouseSitters.com site and click “find a house sit.” When it asks “where do you want to go?” just type in the city, state or country you want to visit. The site is headquartered in England, but has housesitting opportunities – mainly pet sitting opportunities – all over the world.

Take Paris, France. Let’s say that a Paris apartment-dweller needs someone to care for her kitty for a month when she goes to Italy, so you send her your House Sitter profile detailing how wonderful you are, and our Paris apartment dweller and you connect through email, the phone, maybe a Zoom call and so forth.

She needs to assure herself you’re wonderful, and you have to make sure that when she says “cats” she doesn’t mean 17.

The Paris apartment dweller gets free babysitting for her kitties, and you get to stay for free in the dweller’s apartment for as long as she’s gone.

Isn’t that brilliant?! As I type there are five active opportunities in Hawaii. Several in Honolulu. One on Hilo and so forth. There are several more housesitting opportunities in Hawaii without hard dates because the various home owners want to get to know you before they commit to travel.

3 – I pet sat for a family in Virginia going through TrustedHouseSitters and it was one of the best experiences of my life. So, so, fun. I stayed in a gorgeous five bedroom/four bath home for free and I had two darling dogs and two kitties to keep me company. I loved it.

So, if you want to travel without demolishing your bank account, you might give Trusted House Sitters a go! ♥

Pearl Three

In April we’re talking: “Let’s live differently!” And of course nothing good or great can happen until we first learn to think differently.

Have you heard about skinny-fat people? Welp, I’m pretty sure that’s me. I definitely have the losing weight and maintenance part down.

But I’m not exactly fit, I’m thin. To look at me, you’d think oh, she’s healthy. But inside you’d find that I’m a like a marshmallow that’s been roasted over the fire for s’mores. All mushy and dripping goo.

So here’s my latest fitness attempt: I’m trying HIIT. If I understand the HIIT program correctly – and that’s up for debate – I’m supposed to work out three days a week on my indoor bike. The idea is that I should ride about a minute to warm-up and then ride moderately (level five) for 20 to 30 minutes only interrupted by “riding up a hill” when I push the levels up to a nine for 20 seconds.

I’m supposed to “ride uphill” three different times.

Here’s why my attention was grabbed. By the time my twins were three-years-old I had the best arm muscles of my life. I’m not kidding, Thrivers, they were something.

And it’s not like I lifted the babies as you would a dumbbell. I never pumped the babies up and down and up and down for thirty reps.

Do you see my point? I’d pick one baby up and put him in his highchair, bath, crib, or whatever. All day long.

So the idea of moderate, moderate, HARD!! moderate, moderate, HARD!! speaks to me. Read more about HIIT here.

And if you’re sold on the HIIT program, I hope you’ll share in the comment section below. I believe so strongly in supporting each other as we trek losing after 50. ♥

Pearl Four

Our food slot! Over the last few years I’ve learned to talk to myself rather than listen to the perpetually frightened cave woman inside me.

Which brings me to “fuel-food.” It took time – everything of value does – but I slowly embedded into my thinking that 95 percent of the time the food I eat needs to be real food and not s’mores, Easter candy, or ice cream. (Or even wacko amounts of real food like lasagna, pizza, or enchiladas.)

You and I both know the difference between “fun-food” and “fuel-food” Ask yourself this question two or three time a day: am I pursuing fuel for my body or fun for my mouth? ♥

Pearl Five

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” 17th century French author François de Rochefoucald ♥

The challenge for the holiday weekend: stick to your Smart Eating Path and get in a solid thirty minute walk, bike ride, run or whatever most calls to you.

Here’s my fitness plan:

• Today, 4-15 – I’m riding my indoor bike using the HIIT plan. Total: Twenty minutes.

• Saturday, 4-16 – I’m riding outside on my recumbent trike. Total: Likely about an hour.

• Sunday, 4-15 – I’m taking a long walk. (Thirty to forty minutes.)

Like most of us, I get bored easily so doing different work outs each day really makes a difference. Also, if you’re wondering, I lift arm weights and do stomach work each day on my bedroom floor.

Have a wonderful weekend, Thrivers!!

Make it a sweaty one!!

♥, Wendy

P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥

My friends often inform me that I’m naturally thin.

“Oh, no, no, no,” I respond. “I was a round kid, teen, and young adult. I’ve always been well-insulated. I lost slowly and didn’t lose the final pounds until my boys turned two and blah . . . blah. . .

blah.”

And I’m talking to myself.

Again.

Whenever friends ask “how I did it,” I’m happy to explain. But just as I’d start to share, they smile politely, and flee for higher ground.

Nobody wants to hear about my uphill trek (both ways, deep snow, and so forth).

Quick back story: For 14 years prior to Covid, I was a family travel writer. As we know, 2020 meant long days at home, so I created this blog — the Inspired Eater — to share the methods I used to to lose the 55 lbs. in the first place and still use today to keep those pounds off for 15 years (at this writing) without meds, surgery or creepy diets.

A suggestion: before reading this post, I hope you’ll first read Begin Here. Then this post will make more sense. 🙂

Tool One — Studies Say This Habit Is Vital.

This tool is one I can’t live without: I keep a notebook next to the fridge and I journal daily about everything I eat. I’ve written down my food intake for 24 years now and it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done (after having kids and fur-kids).

Some of us track WW points (me), some track carbs, and others calories. Tracking is key to knowing how much we’re eating every day. Tracking my food has become such a habit that something feels wrong — like forgetting to brush my teeth — if I forgot to write down my food-intake that day.

Your journal needs to be easy and pretty. No keeping track on old envelopes or the like. You want to feel good about keeping track.

Give yourself time to embed the journaling habit into your daily life (a great ’09 study out of England concluded that we need to repeat an activity for sixty-six days for the habit to truly to become part of us).

Come On, Does it Really Matter?

“Who keeps track of their food every single day? That’s crazy,” a family member once said. But here’s the thing: developing and sustaining a smart eating lifestyle in our food-on-steroids world means playing a strong defense.

Track. It does a body good.

Tool Two: Best books ever for developing solid habits.

These two books are the best I’ve ever read on habits: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life by Charles Duhigg. And Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Ones & Break Bad Ones by James Clear.

I live at the library, but I recommend buying these two books. (A friend raves about the audio of Atomic Habits.)

Tool Three: Intermittent Fasting is the New Black.

Six years past menopause — I’m 56 today — this is one of my best invention hacks ever: combine several smart eating methods at once. It’s what I do to keep my weight where I want it.

I’ve found that combining the “Royal Food Plan” — breakfast like a king, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a pauper — with intermittent fasting produces incredible results.

Do you see how I’ve combined three Smart Eating plans?

• I track WW’s points like I have since ’97.
• I use the Royal Food Plan.
• I restrain my eating window from nine to six.

I don’t remember needing to combine weight loss methods in my 40’s, but in my 50’s: using two or three methods at once is a game changer.

Tool Four: Precision Eating.

Welcome to my most favorite tool ever. I call it “Precision Eating.” I rely on Precision Eating to clean up my weight — and how I think about food — relatively quickly if I’ve gained three or four pounds.

Precision eating goes like this: I eagle-eye what I eat every two hours from breakfast to late afternoon. Say I have a cup of chili at noon, I then check in with myself at two o’clock and if I’m even a tiny bit hungry, I eat ½ an apple or a teaspoon of peanut butter on a banana.

Bottom line, I don’t allow myself to get hungry. Period. And by avoiding hunger I maintain my Smart Eating habits.

I would love it if you’d share your favorite eating tools!

And remember health is hard (it’s not just your imagination)!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

At this point we’ve heard it a jillion times.

Diets don’t work. Exercise either (unless you’re aiming for the Navy Seals).

As I write we’re in early March and it’s a reasonable goal to lose eight pounds by early June. I play the long-game with losing. Lose quickly and we gain it right back. Been there, gained that.

As over 50s, we know that going on a strict diet only leads to an annoying loop: down ten, up fifteen; down twenty, up thirty and so on.

But there’s a better way.

First Tell Yourself the Truth.

The nitty-gritty truth is that losing weight forever is super challenging. It’s not for the on-the-fence folks. It’s only for those who’ve hit bottom and have decided that it’s time for a life-altering change.

Second Create this Vital Habit.

As the kids say: I left it all on the field in “Aunt Bea,” but I’ll revisit this truism forever:

Any diet works. Take the Pop-Tart diet, the Saltines diet, or even fasting. Extreme diets are do-able for a day or two, until you never want to see another Pop-Tart.

Better: choose a structured eating plan that you can live with for life.

Two decades ago I chose Weight Watchers (not pedaling them) and I still use their (original) points plan. Whatever structure you choose — Keto-, Paleo-, vegan-, or low-carb — you need one that you’ll commit to “in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part.”

Swinging wildly from one eating plan to another. Not a recipe for success.

That said, when you begin a serious eating plan you might want to try pre-prepped food like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. Long ago, Weight Watchers offered this type of food and I gave it a whirl for a month or so until I was ready to go it alone.

Why I Recommend Keeping a Daily Record.

Keep a pretty notebook with a pen next to your fridge, and record what and when you eat every single day. Recording food becomes second nature once you’ve established the habit.

Twenty years later, I still write down what I eat every day.

Why? Keeps us honest. And if you don’t write it down, it’s easy to eat way more than intended.

The Joy of Inexpensive — Yet Solid — Therapy.

Book-therapy is a thing!!

The two inspiring books that I’m currently in love with are The Elephant in the Room — One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America by Tommy Tomlinson and Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins.

Both will fuel you for this tough trek we’re on.

But don’t stop at these two books: search Google for instant-inspo.

Tell Your Audience What Works & Why.

This strategy sounds funky, but trust me, it works.

Victor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist/psychiatrist, survived a Nazi concentration camp. Intending to survive, Frankl trained himself to notice every detail about life in the camp so that when the Nazis were wiped from the earth, he would teach new generations everything about his experience.

And that’s exactly what he did. (Read Frankl’s amazing book: Man’s Search for Meaning.)

I used Frankl’s insight into the human psyche to lose weight. As I was slowly losing, I’d pretend in my mind that one day I would teach others how I did it.

This interesting exercise works for many tough projects. I know of a woman who told her family members, “take notes” because she was on fire to build a super successful business. And she did.

Why to Eat Before You Eat.

Omg, this is such a fabulous tool. I’ve been doing this one for years, but it’s a vlogger who named it.

Instead of beginning a meal feeling famished, instead Eat Before You Eat. Try half an apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter or a cup of soup before dinner. In the summer have a bowl or two of watermelon. This idea works with a banana, a small handful of nuts, or a snack-size smoothie.

Stopping at Five or Six.

I stop all eating by five or six o’clock. Same for my husband The Scarfer. (He might need a new name.)

Cutting out night time eating works.

I know the experts love to say, “a calorie is a calorie.” But someday they’ll figure out that a brownie in the morning with coffee isn’t the same as a brownie (or two) at night.

These day, I’m experimenting with the Royal Diet: breakfast like a king, lunch like a princess and dinner like a pauper. I also combine my WW structure with both royal eating and intermittent fasting.

Now, if you’re ready to be down ten down by early June, let’s recap:

• Really understand the challenge that’s before you.
• Pick an eating plan that you can live with forever.
• Journal daily (even two or three times a week will deliver the wisdom).
• Read the Elephant In the Room (and other inspiring books).
• Notice everything to share with your audience.
• Eat Before You Eat.
• Stop eating by 6 p.m.

Embed these deeply — as in, you have red hair, green eyes, and you journal your food every single day — and remember that it takes 66 days to create a true lasting habit.

As always, I’d love questions! Email me at: Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.

And remember, it’s not your imagination. Health is hard.

Happy March everyone!

♥, Wendy

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

My sister lives in Tucson with her family and they hike the Grand Canyon “for fun.”

Enthusiasts call hiking the Grand Canyon, “a bucket list adventure.” But who bucket lists in triple degree heat?

But when my sister, Shelley, began detailing how she and her husband, Brian, prep for a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike, my ears perked and here’s why.

Shelley and Brians’ strategy speaks volumes about how you and I can create a can’t-fail plan when losing weight and maintaining after 50.

Hear me out and this’ll make sense.

First, What is Rim-to-Rim?

Hiking the GC rim2rim means die-hards descend from one side of the GC, hike 10-miles in the basin, cross the raging Colorado River on a suspension bridge, and then trek up the other GC side.

Six months prior Shelley and Brian take prepping for the Ultimate Day super seriously. They live six hours from the GC, so they plan the hotel, break-in new shoes, practice hike a lot, and even practice what type of food they’ll eat when hot and tired.

Sister and hub practice hiking in the (blistering) Tucson heat because the bottom of the GC is like 105 to 107. (Thunk. That’s me falling over.)

So Why Do You And I Care About GC Strategy?

We’re not planning to hike the GC in six months or — like — ever. I get it. 

But how different would losing and maintaining after 50 be if we strategized to such an extent that success is practically assured?

Stealing Strategy From the Rim2Rimers.

Think about it, how can you and I possibly do something incredibly rigorous — losing and maintaining after 50 — if we don’t first acknowledge what we’re up against?

How different would losing and maintaining after 50 be if we strategized to such an extent that success is practically assured?

How to Prep for Ultra-Success:

In setting yourself up for your success, here are some examples of what I have in mind:

• In the beginning cleaning up your external world is key. Can you firmly ask your scarfer-partner to hide and/or keep his junk food at work? (One day — only not now — he can crunch Oreos on the couch and it won’t really bother you.) A cousin to this request: also ask that your partner not give you fancy treats on big holidays so no cake on Mother’s Day, no amazing chocolates at Christmas etc.
• Can you drive a different route to work so you don’t pass your favorite junk food stop?
• Can you study the nutrition count on every food item you put into your mouth pretty much forever? (Scott Adams – the Dilbert cartoonist – says he’s in the best shape of his life at age 64 because he educates himself on nutrition. I agree with him 100-percent. Pizza doesn’t look so awesome when you learn that a slice of Mellow Mushroom’s meat pizza is 530 calories, 27 g fat, 1,370 mg sodium, and 48 g carbs. And who stops at one slice?)
• Can you ask that amazing computer sitting behind your eyes for advice on making an enormous salad taste awesome vs. boring? For solid health eat a giant dinner plate-sized salad every single day. I’m not overstating. I eat a giant salad or veggie stir fry every day of the week.
• Can you write down everything you put into your mouth. . . forever? I’ve been doing this since 1997. It’s not hard or time consuming. It’s one of the pillars of losing and maintaining.

I’ve just suggested a few ways to set yourself up for lifelong success. Now it’s your turn: journal-write about your ideas that will work for your life.

The unvarnished truth.

Losing & maintaining after 50 is like hiking the Grand Canyon. Strategize like your life depends on it.

Because it does.

I’m always looking for new ideas — I’d love to hear the strategies you rely on!

And remember it’s not just your imagination. Health is hard!

♥, Wendy