Laws of the Lean

Law # 4 - Plan Meals in Advance

No one plans on failing on a new eating program. If they fail, it is because of poor planning. Plan and prepare most foods at least one day in advance. Failure to adhere to a plan occurs when food preparation becomes inconvenient or changes in our daily routine make eating difficult. Learn to cook foods in volume, and store them in freezer bags. Develop the habit of portioning foods that are cooked in advance, instead of cooking each meal one at a time. Plan ahead what you will eat when changes to your normal lifestyle occur. On those crazy days keep your meals simple. For instance: a sandwich and a piece of fruit. It is easy to make, transport and can be eaten multiple times throughout the day. Move your easiest meals to the least convenient times of your day. In social gatherings avoid drinking all liquid calories (juice, soda and alcohol). One of the major stimulants to the metabolism is the process of ingesting, digesting and assimilating foods. Liquid calories are digested rapidly and provide little increases to the metabolism. Due to rapid entry into the blood system, the management of these calories creates a problem. This usually results in erratic blood sugar levels and spills excess sugar into the fat cells.

Law # 5 - A Lean Spirit - Mind - Body

The secret to achieving your ideal weight, your lifestyle change must be holistic. We are complex in our design, we are a spirit, that has a mind and lives in a physical body. Each of the three has a voice. The voice of the spirit is the conscience which communicates our beliefs and points out right from wrong. The voice of the mind is our intellect which governs our thoughts, emotions and will. The voice of the body responds to our physical senses, which can be put into two categories pleasure and pain. A battle can begin between what the spirit desires and what the body desires, with the mind caught in the middle. The spirit wants to do what's right, the body desires what will bring pleasure and now the mind has to choose between the two. Real change comes when all three agree. The spirit says this is what I believe is right, the mind says, I desire to do what I believe and the body agrees I will receive pleasure from what I desire. A common mistake among new clients is to say, "What pleasures do I have to give up to reach my ideal weight." My response is always the same, "Look for higher pleasure, pleasure that will not come and go, but pleasure that will stay all day long." Having great energy, never being hungry, no more food craving and living in the body I want to be in all day long are wonderful pleasures that your body will desire if you train it to.

Law # 6 - The Power of Discipline

Over the years when I ask my clients when did their parents discipline them, nine out of ten times, their answer is, "When I did something wrong." The timing of discipline is important, it can train us to do what we believe is right or punish us after we have done wrong. Discipline is not something you do to yourself, but for yourself. Properly used, discipline trains us to be consistent in seeing something the same way. Discipline must be enforced early in the day, before anything has gone wrong. In the beginning stages of forming new eating habits, discipline's greatest asset is willpower. When you impose willpower, you are saying I have a desire to do this, but I choose to do something better. For example, you might say I desire chocolate, but I choose something better that won't raise my blood sugar, store fat, cause hunger and goes against what I believe. Through discipline you will train yourself to see there's always something good about something that is bad.

Law # 7 - The Truth Versus the Facts

The truth is, humans represent the most complex form of life. There is a natural order to our design, which involves growth, respiration, digestion and excretion. No part of the body from the smallest cell to the largest organ works in isolation, they work together in balance for the well being of the individual and to sustain life. The facts are, as social beings we live in an equally complex environment. The differences are the facts of our lives are constantly changing, where the truth of our design never changes. To manage our weight and overall health we must develop eating habits that focus on the truth of our design, not the facts of our situations. For example, if my eating habits change when I vacation, celebrate holidays, entertain or emotionally respond to situations, they will be in a state of constant change. The problem, our bodies still process what we eat the same. Because the facts can change and the truth cannot, we must let the truth supersede the facts. Walk in the truth and it will set you free from the facts.

Laws 1, 2, & 3 | Laws 4, 5, 6, & 7 | Laws 8, 9, & 10