Living Simply: No Punishment

I heard someone on a podcast today say that January is "Punishment time in the female kingdom." I think it's not just the female kingdom, I think it often crosses into the male one as well. Think about it. We have 2 major food holidays (or more) at the end of the year, December is when gyms advertise their lowest prices and waive the enrollment fee, then all workout gear goes on sale from Christmas until mid-way through January. Ever go to a gym in January? It's packed, no matter what time you go. Ever see the same gym around March/April? It's much more dead, no matter what time of day you go. This is the time people punish their bodies with wheatgrass shakes, gritty, chalky, protein powders, and restrict themselves to ridiculously low calorie counts. They punish their bodies with extreme measures and the end results:  They made it so hard, so restrictive, that it can't be maintained. What follows is guilt, shame, poor self-esteem, feelings of being a quitter, metabolism gets broken a little more - which is the TRUE culprit of our weight issues. This is NOT a way to live a simple life.
So what would THAT look like?

We talk a lot on here about making daily decisions, intentionally. We recommend baby steps until you're ready to walk, then you can work up to running. What are some "living simply" baby steps?

1.  Stop mixing your carbs & fats, and always center on good protein. America is the worst on this. Our restaurants and typical menus involve mixing fats and carbs, often with little or no protein. Think Macaroni & Cheese. We add a bun to our burgers. We add breading or breadcrumbs to our meatloaf, chicken (before we fry lean chicken breast in heavy oils). French fries are carb loaded and we add them to fatty oil to fry them. Instead of "dieting" where you hate every meal after one or two days, do something you can do forever. Eat what you like, but don't mix carbs & fats. You can have curry chicken in coconut milk with non-starchy veggies, a steak but add salad with a creamy dressing and riced broccoli instead of having a potato or fries with it. Have your meat & cheese sandwiches with mayo on low-carb tortillas or bread instead of regular bread or a big roll. The body can only burn in one direction at a time - carbs for energy or fats for cell growth and stored energy (but too much turns into fatty adipose tissue). You can't exercise enough to overcome poor eating habits.

2.  Add exercise naturally. Take the stairs, park further away, walk your neighborhood (unless you're buried in snow or flooded like parts of New England right now). Once you get into the habit of being active, then add a workout - whether it's at home or in a gym, but don't waste money on a gym if you can do most of the same type of exercises at home. Check online for ideas. Maybe instead of sitting at the movies with your friends eating candy, you could suggest the next outing to be bowling, a nature trail hike, playing sports, or something more active. Exercise is more fun in a group.

3.  Eat out less. There's so many options today even for those who don't know how to cook. There's companies that send you a box full of food already prepped, small sauce and seasoning packets, and step by step instructions. You save time, don't have to make a grocery list, or shop. You could teach yourself to make a few of your favorite dishes, or buy a cookbook that suits your lifestyle and tastes. There's even lots of cookbooks with titles like "10 minutes or less", "3 ingredients", or "one pot meals". Entree aside, think what you'll save in the cost of just drinks, tax, and tipping. You also won't be tempted by suggested selling and photos of desserts everywhere.

4.  Find an accountability partner. This could be a spouse, significant other, family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor. Find someone else who's willing to do things a little simpler, save money, be a little more active, and ask you how you're doing (and what you could improve) on a daily basis. If they live with or near you, that's a bonus. You'll have someone to exercise with sometimes too.

I hope you're inspired to simplify your life, stop the punishment of your body and mind, and don't get caught up in what it seems like everyone around you is doing. They'll most likely not be doing those things 90 days from now, but you will be doing something enjoyable and sustainable for a lifetime. Good luck!