The Food Breakup- It's Time To Change Your Relationship With Food!

There are tons and tons of books on diets, but very few on how to stick with the plan. I've found several mental "hacks" that assist in tricking ourselves into better thinking and better healthy decisions. We all know what to do...it's the doing it when we're under pressure part that trips many of us up. Here's my short list of mind hacks. Over time I will add more details to each of these. Practice the 2 bite rule- If you want something, eat two (reasonable) bits then throw it out. Get comfortable throwing out food! 80% of the taste comes from 20% of the calories. Predecide - Before you walk into any restaurant, know what you're going to eat. You don't even need to see a menu, because you know what you want. Don't tempt yourself by opening the menu. Click here to read the full blog. You bite it, you write it- Track everything you eat BEFORE you eat it.  Celebrate 10 victories for every 1 defeat. - If you stop at McDonalds, celebrate out...

Many people have asked themselves, between diet and exercise, what's most important. I think we all know the answer here, it's diet. I've checked this out with many, many fit people and while the percentages vary most people say it's about 70% diet and 30% exercise. This is a good exercise to do in real life or at least to imagine right now. Picture a mini-snickers. I mean the really, really small one that is bite-sized and about the size of your thumb from the knuckle to the tip. That puppy has 45 calories. Take one (and only one Snickers) to the gym and get on some equipment that measures calories (or if you like use a fitness watch that measures calories). Now pop that little snickers in your mouth, chew it up and enjoy it. Yum! That took about 15 seconds. Now get to work exercising and don't stop until you hit 45 calories. You'll really appreciate what 45 calories take to burn off. Just a few examples for me a 183 lb male: 5 minutes running 4 minutes ...

Here is a dirty little secret. It's not diet or exercise that will lead you to success. You're probably thinking I'm going to trick you by saying...it's both! You're wrong. Ask yourself what every diet has program has in common. Most all diets work. You see people who have success with everything whether it's Weight Watchers, Adkins, Keto, NutriSystems or whatever plan is out there today. Here's what they all have in common...tracking! Tracking is the #1 tool for success. Here is your McGraw's Law, "If you bite it, you write it." We need to get conscious of the calories and macros in everything we eat. With that, we can make much better choices. Tracking has never been easier. Currently, I use MyFitnessPal and I love it. Something better may come out down the road but for now, it works just fine. My current streak is 478 straight days of logging everything I've eaten. Think that's impressive? There are many people over 1,000 days an...

If you were going to war, you wouldn't want to go by yourself. You'd raise an army. You would recruit people who share your cause. People who have experience. People who've been in combat before and know how to defeat an enemy. The same holds true for you. At the time of this post, I'm 49. I began to win the war at 47. At 47 I started to build my army. Here are some people to consider: Spouse or Roomate- They're around you a TON! Say no more. Fitness Trainer- These good souls not only know exercise, but diet and mindset. Nutrition Coach- You don't need to pay someone to advise you on nutrition, but you can. Keep in mind everyone has an opinion. Here is a McGraw Law, "Don't take diet or exercise advice from anyone not as fit as who you want to become." I created this rule after having dinner with a relative who scolded me for entering my food into my journal at the table. They are at least 75 pounds overweight. Hence the new rule.  ...

"I love ice cream!" "I love chocolate chip cookies!" "I love Five Guys fries." "I love ____." I had a love affair with food. All kinds really. Salty. Sweet. Savory. If you can name it, I loved it. I realize I was in a serious relationship with food- the problem was though it was a dysfunctional, abusive, someone you love who flips lit cigarettes back at you kind of relationship. 50 Pounds released later, I have a new relationship with food. I own it, it doesn't own me. I choose what goes in my body, it doesn't choose for me. If this is you, join me! Join me in the fight! This blog is intended to help share the lessons I've learned on how to conquer the "in the moment" food decisions that brought me to near diabetes, constant frustration about weight and feeling less self-confident than I could. I want to help others get control of overeating and overeating the wrong stuff. You see, we all know what we should eat. T...

I'm committed to being a positive influence in the lives of others, but it is hard to be the best person you can be if you're "owned" by something. Food owned me. I tried year after year to diet and exercise only staying on a plan for a short period of time, only to fall off the wagon yet again. I couldn't crack the code. As a sales trainer an coach I knew that 80-90% of issues people face are psychological, not technical. I've known in my heart for years that this was the case with health and nutrition. It seems as if 95% of the message out there about being healthy and fit is centered around either what to eat or how to exercise. It felt to me that that wasn't the problem. If that was the problem we'd all be skinny and proud. The problem was between our ears. The problem was between MY ears!  While I've never had any serious eating disorders, I would succumb to what I call emotional eating. Here are just three ways I could self-sabot...