Dinner: Empty the refrigerator

Left, going clockwise:

Mix of leftover vegetables: roasted pepper, boiled broccoli, roasted potatoes with cheese and bacon jowl, roasted chickpeas.

Wild cod marinated in olive oil, butter, salt, chili pepper, chipotle pepper, coated with coconut flour, and pan fried. Topped with homemade tomato sauce: chopped red and white onion that we’re going bad, chopped garlic, leftover tomato paste from soup, chopped fresh tomato, olive oil, salt, parsley, water.

Spinach and arugula salad with olive oil, salt, fig balsamic vinegar, lemon squeeze.

The Behavior of Change

Things I’m thinking about

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On being happy

I think part of being happy is realizing that you can be happy even if you don’t have everything you want yet. I thought that once I did X, that would make me happy, and I could relax, and stop looking so far forward. But I realized tonight, that for the first time in my life, I’m happy, and there’s so many things I want, and rather than cause anxiety, it excites me.

Coincidentally or not, I read this quote this morning which nails it:

“Desire is the contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.” - Naval Ravikant

For some reason, I no longer feel the pressure of making sure X will happen. Instead I know it will happen. It might not happen how I thought it would. It might end up looking different than what I envisioned. But I have finally realized that, regardless of when, how, what, I can still enjoy the present moment. 

I read this quote as well which also came at an opportune moment:

“‘Success’ sells this kind of ultimate destination when - even though I’ve accomplished something, and you [Tim] have accomplished something - I told you I was crying last night. It’s not like, ‘I’m done, I’ve arrived’ or anything like that.” — Sophia Amoruso as told to Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans

Riding my bike the other day I realized that this whole time I’ve been afraid to start on my path because I was expecting some finished version of myself, and that once I reached that point, I would be ready to begin the work. But it struck me riding around the lake outside my house, that that will never be the case. Who I am, what my beliefs, routines, habits, likes and dislikes, are today, are not the same as yesterday, and will not be the same as tomorrow. As long as I’m continuing to learn, seek knowledge, grow, and evolve, I’m never going to have a “finished product” to present to anyone, so the work needs to start now. And the work is the journey.

It was a powerful realization for me, to know that I can be happy now, and beginning working now, knowing that there more to come.

Opportunities

There is no such thing as a missed opportunity. There are only false starts, delays, and detours.

I’ve really been thinking deeper about this idea that everyone has a path laid out for them, buried within their intuition, and the key to reaching your full potential and achieving happiness lies in your ability to dial into it.

When I think about this theory, it makes me realize that there are no such things as missed opportunities. Your path is your path and nothing will change that. Every “missed” chance presents an equal opportunity to make it right somewhere else down the line. You just need to be open to seeing it, and willing to act when the time is right. I’ve noticed it countless times in my own life, where it’s felt like an opportunity to feel better, to make up with someone, to invest, to learn something new, has passed by, only to see each one of those things resolve themselves in some other, sometimes unexpected, manner.

The point is, don’t regret or stress missed opportunities. Instead, seek the next opportunity you see.

Shifting views

If you believe that the way you were raised has had an impact on your view of the world, then you must also believe that it is possible to change your view of the world. If, you grew up in a balanced home, then you would likely approach situations from a balanced perspective. If, you grew up in a home that valued fruits and vegetables, then you would likely enjoy eating fruits and vegetables. And if you grew up in a house full of books, then you would likely love to read.

Our view is what shapes our world, and it is possible to change our view with just a little work. First, understand that you can. Second, understand that you will. Maybe not today, tomorrow, the next day, or the day after that. But if you keep at it, then at some point, it will change. And if you pay close enough attention, you’ll find that small things around you will begin to change before anyone else even notices it.

Accounting for phone usage

It’s really not possible to spend less time on your phone than you currently are right now. The problem is what you’re doing during that time. If you have social media, an inbox full of newsletters and promotional emails, notifications for “breaking news,” then, to be blunt, you’re really just wasting your time.

There is so much you can do with a phone, and we only use 10% of its capabilities (I made that stat up but I bet it’s close). It’s much like our brains. We only use a small portion, the rest is left untapped (although I read somewhere recently that that’s being challenged). What could you be doing with your time?

Researching that idea you had. Starting an online blog. Using your notes for journaling. Looking up a fun workout, or recipe. 

There are so many other things you could be doing. But you’re not, so none of what you want is happening.

A few months ago I made a decision to exit the world of click-bait news, and social media, which marked a turning point in my life.

I was inspired by a quote I heard on an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show. It was something like, “I decided I wanted to stop being on top of things, and start getting to the bottom of things.” In that moment something clicked, and my whole approach to news and social media was flipped.

I thought that by reading news articles I was being smart, and I was figuring things out. But all I ever felt after reading articles was angry and frustrated. Angry that the “journalists” did a bullshit job of reporting, and frustrated that what they were “reporting” on was never going to be resolved. And the information I was learning, wasn’t new, and it was of little value. I learned talking points, instead of the truth.

Social media on the other hand, was a no-brainer for me. I’m fortunate to be blessed with an allergy to social media. The mere sight of it, or mention of it, gives me anxiety. It’s always felt dirty to me and so by this point social media and I were already on the outs. I had deleted it all once before, and it lured me back. But I knew it was time to break free for good.

Now when I’m on my phone I’m spending the time on myself. I’m researching an idea. Writing down a thought. Looking up a good restaurant. Planning for an upcoming trip. Recording videos for my YouTube Channel. Texting my friends and loved ones.

Very often I’ll still pick up my phone just looking for something to distract, but there’s nothing there. No social media to open. No news to read. No inbox full of emails to scroll through and delete. So I’ll sit staring at my phone forcing myself to remember what I wanted to work on. “ahhh, I wanted to look up that hike my dentist told me about. Let me do that now.”

Worst Case Scenario

In any situation I try to imagine the worst case scenario, and then decide if I can live with it, and/or how to mitigate the chances of it happening. 

Two recent examples.

We bought a plastic skeleton to sit on the basketball hoop above our driveway. I don’t have a ladder tall enough to reach it. So, my thought was to back in my girlfriend’s pickup, and put the ladder I do have, in the bed of the truck to reach it. 

Immediately it sounded dangerous, and I thought, what’s the worst that could happen? I could fall and get seriously injured. Can I live with that? I could, but I’d prefer not to. So, how to mitigate it?

Take my time. Don’t rush. Don’t get frustrated. Ask my girlfriend to stand in the truck with me and hold the ladder. ✅ 

A friend of mine is buying a building and he reached out asking if I was interested in investing. I’ve invested in properties with him a number of times in the past with good returns. 

He offered three options. Straight equity, equity plus preferred interest, and straight interest. I decided to go with straight equity. I thought it’d be nice to have a long term investment in my portfolio. 

But the amount I was committing to was less than he wanted for an equity partner, and he asked if I’d be okay with doubling it. 

I immediately thought what’s the worst case scenario. I’m not concerned with losing the investment, although that is always a possibility, even if a far out one. My concern in this case, the worst case scenario, is not having the funds when I go to buy my own property. So, I started thinking about what I could do to mitigate that happening. 

I could opt instead for straight interest with the initial amount I offered, which wouldn’t be as exciting, but would still be double the interest earned in a high yield savings account. I could sell some stocks if I needed to buy my own property, which I’d likely have to do anyway. I could start earning income in the next 6-12 months, around the timeline for buying a property. ✅ 

I always find that thinking “worst case scenario” is a good mental exercise. I think by picturing the worst possible outcome we can mitigate risk, help set expectations, and hopefully come out better on the other side.

Principles for life

I think there are four keys to life that we’re not really ever made aware of. I think these four keys are paramount to experiencing success in your life, however you choose to define it. I think these four principles are necessary to achieving your goals and making dreams a reality.

Permission to do it - I’ve been suffering from a nagging injury for 5 years. I went to a new physical therapist/masseuse when I got to Colorado. He told me not to become a recurring client. He told me I need to do the work every day. He gave me permission to heal myself, instead of relying on someone like him to do it for me.

Understanding of how to do it - He, along with another therapist, gave me a lot of exercises that helped me get better. The exercises they gave me led to an understanding of how the body moves, which I was able to use to continue finding new exercises to help me heal.

Knowledge that it’s possible - I’ve watched countless professional athletes get over terrible injuries. My injury was not a career ending one, but it was an acute injury turned chronic. I knew that with enough time, I would heal. I knew it was possible if I could just figure out the puzzle.

Confidence to do it - Confidence or determination, I’m not sure which one. Perhaps both. But over the last 5 years never once did I believe I couldn’t figure out the missing link that would get me back to 100 percent. I’d say I’m at about 80 percent, and closing in quick.

Five things you can do right now to immediately gain an edge over 99% of the population, and join the new 1%:

1. Giver yourself space to think. Delete all of your social media, including LinkedIn.

2. Find time to exercise. Do push ups immediately upon waking up every morning. Do 1 repetition short of failure.

3. Clear your bed by writing. Something, anything, into a notebook or journal before going to bed. “I don’t know what to write so I’m just writing I don’t know what to write,” counts.

4. Fix your diet, feed your cells. Eliminate all added sugar from your life. All added sugar. Eat as much fruit as you want. 

5. Exercise your brain by reading. Commit to one page per day. 

On the benefits of being selfish

Most of what I do is for selfish reasons. I try to get as much done as possible in the house before my girlfriend comes homes from work, so this way she has nothing to do when she gets home.

I don’t do it for her though. I mean I do, but the real reason I do it is because when she gets home all I want to do is spend time with her and unwind. And if she has to run around getting things done, then we never get to really connect. By the time we’re both decompressed, it’s bed time.

So, I do my best to make sure everything is in order. Plants watered ✅. Kitchen clean ✅. Trash and recycling ✅. Dog walked ✅. Dinner ready ✅. And now we get to spend time together.

Most of what I do is for reasons such as this. Self-ish ones that really have my interests at heart but look outwardly real, nice, and genuine.

My intentions are good. But they’re just intended for me.

Which maybe says something about where I’m at in my life right now. Where my self-ish reasons seem to align with everything that’s good, fun, and enjoyable in my life. And even if not for the same reasons as one might assume, good stuff is getting done.

Financial Advice: Step 1

A friend of mine reached out to me recently. They received an inheritance from a family member, and didn’t know what to do with the money, and asked me for advice.

Right away my brain went to “well you have to diversify,” “you should look into ETFs,” “if the market returns 8% on average per year then, over the course of 10 years, you’ll have X more dollars,” and lastly, “well, we don’t know what the fed is going to do, but if they start cutting interest rates this year…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

But I stopped myself, because I realized for the first time in my adult life that information wasn’t going to be helpful in getting him to act. It was only going to fill his brain with information he didn’t know what to do with (for now), and likely cause paralysis by analysis.

So, instead I asked, “Where is your money right now, and do you know what percent interest you’re receiving? Is it close to 5%?”

He replied, “more like less than 1%.”

So, I told him to open a Wealthfront account, which is where I keep a rainy day fund, and that he’d get 5.5% interest for 3 months (promotional boost), and then 5% after that, as long as interest rates hold. I said transfer your money there, and once that’s done, let me know and we’ll talk about other ideas.

With his account open I suggested the following steps: 

1. As long as you’re getting 4-5% in the Wealthfront high yield savings account, keep as much money there as you want. Free interest money. 

2. Open a Fidelity account, so when you’re ready to start investing in the stock market, you can easily do it. Link your Wealthfront account to your Fidelity account so you can easily transfer money. 

3. Open a Fundrise account. Fundrise is a crowd sourced real estate investment platform. You can pick a real estate portfolio that spreads your money out across a wide range of properties to spread your exposure and reduce your risk. It’s one way to diverse into real estate. Open an account here and link it to your Wealthfront and your Fidelity account so you can easily move money between all of them. 

After that, it gets a little personal.

It was kind of an eye opening experience for me. Because in that moment I realized the way I usually give advice is not helpful. It doesn’t help facilitate action. It’s really just the passing of information, which, for a first timer of any discipline, is overwhelming.

It’s reminiscent of two things that have recently popped up in my life.

At a recent Advancing Food is Medicine event, hosted by ThinkRegeneration, Dr. Nasha Winters had just finished presenting and was taking questions. She was asked, “how do you get patients who don’t like to eat whole foods to start to change their habits?”

Her reply to those patients is, “Let’s talk about what you do eat, not what you don’t, and build on that.”

In The Lion Trackers Guide to Life, by Boyd Varty says, “In the hour and a half it took us to find the lion, I couldn’t make out one clear track. Where else in my life was there a path that I was missing? The implications felt profound.”

This experience made me question where else in my life I might be missing the real question, the right answer, and therefore, failing to help people.

The Cost of Food

My neighbor just told me the supermarket is selling pork shoulders for $.99 per pound. He was, understandably, excited about this. 

I checked the prices for pork shoulder at some of the regenerative and pastured farms I could recall off the top of my head.

Sisu Farms - $11.00 per lb (where I order most of my meat and chicken from)

White Oak Pastures - $10.00 per lb (the farm of Will Harris)

Acabaonc Farms - >$10.00 per lb (a local farm on Long Island, NY where I’ve ordered meat for my family)

That’s what we’re up against. The cost to raise pigs the right way, is at least 10x more expensive than raising pigs conventionally (based on selling price). 

The reason regeneratively raised animals are more expensive isn’t just because they are receiving higher quality food, and have access to land to roam, while conventionally raised animals are stuck in small pens, cages, or overcrowded chicken coops, where they are fed a low quality diet of grains and corn.

It’s because, on top of that difference in the way they are raised, the grain and corn they are fed is highly subsidized by the U.S. government with your tax dollars. 

So, it’s not that pastured animals and regenerative farms are more expensive. Their price, is the right price. The problem is that conventionally raised animals, most of what you see on sale in the grocery store, has been made artificially cheap. At least, that’s how it appears.

Coincidentally, or not, the owner of Sisu Farms (mentioned above) sent out a newsletter this week talking about just that and more. She said that during a long drive to Kansa (700 miles) to have her turkeys processed at the closest USDA approved processing center, she listened to the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (I haven’t read it but it’s on my list now).

Here are some of the stats she rattled off from the book:

• Direct Farm Bill subsidies for corn and wheat - $3 billion

• Tax funded agriculture fuel - $22 billion

• Treatment of food related illnesses - $10 billion

• Collateral cost of pesticide use  - $8 billion

• Cost of nutrients lost to erosion $20 billion

Even though we know that feeding pigs, chickens, and cows, grains and corn isn’t what’s best for the animals or the humans that eat those animals, that’s what the government continues to subsidize. They subsidize it on the front end, and we all pay for it on the back end with all of the expenses listed above, and a $3 trillion healthcare spend.

In her email she also provided a link to reserve one of her turkeys for the holidays, which prompted me to look and compare the cost across three farming practices.

Sisu Farms Pasture Raised Turkeys - $11 - $13 per lb

Bowman Landes Free Range Turkeys - $4.59 per lb

Kroger Conventional Turkey - $1.89 per lb

I was at an Advancing Food is Medicine conference two weeks ago. The goal of the food is medicine movement is to promote regenerative agriculture and increase the availability and accessibility of food to treat diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, fatty liver disease, and more. 

A number of regenerative farmers and ranchers who used to farm conventionally spoke. They said one of the biggest obstacle they face is financial support. Both in the ability to secure loans that grant them the capital they need to transition from conventional to regenerative practices. And crop insurance, protection against lost of crops due to disease, weather, etc., which requires that they practice conventionally (i.e. using pesticides, herbicides, using feedlots, grain, corn) to maintain coverage. 

Financial support and investment seems like the easiest and lowest hanging fruit we could solve for. Shift the dollars that are subsidizing grain and corn, and use it to support the transition away from conventional agriculture. Give farmers a 3 - 5 year runway to make the move. Then take the savings realized from reducing fuel costs, food related illnesses, pesticide use, nutrient erosion, and healthcare costs (every 1% reducing in a diabetic patients A1C results in annual savings of $1,000) and invest it back into the food system.

Now that I’ve been in the room with these farmers and ranchers I can tell you my suspicions about the work ethic and character of these individuals has been confirmed. 

Give them a fighting chance, and they won’t disappoint. Right now they are receiving very minimal support, and they are still making enormous progress. Imagine the possibilities if we invested in them, which would be an investment in our food, an investment in our planet, and an investment in our health.

One of the speakers at the conference, a representative of the Savory Institute said it best, “Personal health is planetary health.”

Beets, it’s what’s for dinner.

My girlfriend has been maintaining an abundant garden. We’re growing tomatoes, basil (purple and green), arugula, kale, mixed lettuces, carrots, squash, and I’m sure there is something I’m missing. But the thing I’ve been waiting all summer for is the beets. Yesterday we began harvesting some, and today I got to cook them in the slower cooker.

I started out with 4 beets, and cut the tops and bottoms off, and then peeled the skin. The scraps from this step got put in a gallon freezer bag, where all our veggie cooking scraps go. Once the bags is full, I like to make a nice vegetable broth. If I have a chicken carcass on hand, I’ll add it to the broth for a bone veggie broth. God it’s good.

Once peeled, I cut each one into quarters and then added them to the crock pot, with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp of kosher sea salt, 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and a few chopped sprigs of parsley (another thing we’re growing that I forgot about).

I tossed it all with a spoon, and then covered and sealed it. 3 hours on low, and I ended up with some of the most tender and tasty beets around.

Give it a try.

One thing I forgot to mention. A few years ago, when my grandfather was alive, he caught me throwing out some beet leaves. This was around 2019, before I had ever considered food waste, agriculture, or even food insecurity.

He stopped me and said, “that’s where all the power is.” From that moment on, whenever I have beet leaves, they go right into my smoothie. They are such a delicious and nutritious addition.

Workout Journal: I don’t want to workout.

I never really want to workout. Which is probably surprising to most people. Even when I say it to myself I sometimes don’t believe it, but it’s true.

I DO always want the feeling and the results, but I don’t want to do it. And after over 20 years of chasing results and the high exercise can bring, I’m fortunate in some ways to know when it’s lacking. So, I’m able to push through on a daily basis despite being fatigued, or in pain, or lacking time. After all these years I can’t survive without physical movement.

But most times, once the workout has started, I’m just ticking down the time until I can be done. Usually, especially lately, there’s about a 10-15 minute long window during my workout in which I feel really good and I push it. The rest of it is really just warm up and cool down. Going through the motions, knowing it’ll be over soon and I can get on with my day.

But I do it because I know it’s good for me, and I know it’s the only way to get that feeling and see results I’m after. In all my years of training, there remains only one way to achieve results. And that’s putting in the work every day.

And so I remind myself that sacrificing my comfort in the short term will pays for itself in the benefits I receive long term. Checking out from whatever else it is that I think I’d rather be doing for that hour, is worth it. It’s always worth it. Never isn’t.

In over 20 years of fighting the battle to workout or not, choosing to work out has never disappointed. Likewise, not working out, skipping a workout, ignoring that internal push to workout, always results in negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences. It never pays.

I did a shift in the kitchen at my local food bank.

Here’s what I learned in 3 hours.

I was lucky enough to have the executive chef, Jon, orient me and bring me back to the kitchen. Along the way, and during my 3 hour session, he gave me a lot of really interesting information, and taught me a couple of cooking tips.

• Food Bank of the Rockies -

  • The Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest food bank in the country. It serves most of Colorado, including the Denver Metropolitan area and surrounding counties, as well as the Western Slope, and all of Wyoming.

  • For every $1 they spend, they are able to provide 3 meals or 4 lbs of food.

  • They are the only food bank with a food dehydrator, located in their Western Slop warehouse. They’re able to secure food from farms in the area, dehydrate it, and store it to serve later.

  • Their after-school food program, the one I was volunteering to work on, feeds 2,700 children per day through a partnership with Denver Public Schools.

• Food is Medicine -

  • In 2023 Food Bank of the Rockies partnered with local primary cary offices, as well as Project Angel Heart, to provide meals at no cost to 300 patients. In 2024 they have increased to 1,000 patients.

  • They’re able to provide one box of food per person, per week, delivered to their door via Doordash, for $28, at no cost to the patient. I’m excited to be volunteering with Project Angel Heart soon.

• Cooking tip -

  • To ferment anything, add fruit or vegetable to a container. Add enough water to cover the produce. And add 2% by weight of salt.

    • i.e. - If you’re fermenting 2 lbs of cabbage, add .04 lbs, or 18 grams, of salt. Keep the cabbage submerged for 6 - 7 days.

Dominant and Non-Dominant Movement

Do you ever use your non-dominant hand for a regular activity? I once heard that some insanely high percentage of the population (90%?) only use one hand to brush their teeth.

When I heard that I immediately saw an opportunity to gain an edge. If most of the population is only brushing their teeth with one hand, then if I can use both, I’ve got an edge.

Soon after applying this idea to brushing, I started applying it to all aspects of my life. Whenever I’m involved in a dominant side activity, like, say, shoveling dirt, which has become a regular activity in my life recently, I try to use both hands. I switch sides enough to give each a 50 percent share. I don’t know how many other people think about this or do this, but I think it makes sense.

I do it while brushing my teeth, gardening, walking up steps, or picking something off the ground. I’ll catch myself reaching with my right (dominant hand), and I’ll immediately pull it back and go for my left. Got to keep it balanced.

But more balance and an edge, what I’ve noticed is that every time I assign a difficult task to my non-dominant side, I end up learning something new about the technique that improves my movement. It’s like, my dominant side has become so strong, that it’s able to cover up little deficiencies in my form by use of pure strength. The muscle memory and movement pattern on my dominant side is etched in stone, making it difficult to notice inefficiencies or to correct for incorrect movement.

But when I use my non-dominant side, I’m forced to take it slower, and in moving slower I notice things. Like how I need to grip the bucket handle tighter. Or an easier way to dig a hole. My non-dominant side doesn’t have the strength to just power through, so instead it relies on proper technique. Forcing slower (and awkward) movements, to make sure that there are no breaks in the chain. Otherwise my work will be ineffective and I could get hurt.

The movement pattern on my non-dominant side is also in it’s infancy, so it’s more malleable. I’m able to make changes on the fly without resistance. I’m then able to mimic those movements with my dominant side, and add technique to strength.

If you don’t ever switch sides, I encourage you to do it. Start with brushing your teeth, and see where else in your life it starts to pop up. I know it might seem silly, but progress in life is made up of small changes that most people would never notice.

Why it’s important to have food ready to go

I got back from a bike ride at 11:05 am. I saw I had an email from a Craigslist seller I was trying to buy dumbbells from. He said he’d be available until noon.

His house was 35 mins away, and I still needed to stop for cash. But I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten yet, and I had just finished my longest bike ride in months.

So I opened the fridge and through this tupperware together.

Ground beef burger. Roasted pepper. Chopped asparagus. Sliced tomatoes. Olives. Olive oil, salt, red wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar.

It’s moments like these that show why preparing food ahead of time, having leftovers, is so important. If I didn’t have anything to eat I’d either skipped the meal, or grabbed something like a bar. Both not great choices when you’re hungry after a workout.

How many email newsletters do you get per week?

When I’m out I have a bad habit of looking over people’s shoulders to see what they’re doing on their phones. There are the obvious and common things, like scrolling through social media. There are maybe the not so obvious things, like frantically switching between apps looking for a way to distract themselves. But the thing that I notice most often, and the thing that surprises me the most, is how many unnecessary emails fill up peoples inboxes.

I’ve seen it over and over again, people scrolling through their personal email, deleting 10, 30, 40, 50 unread emails. Psychologically and physiologically I assume receiving an email is akin to the feeling you get when someone likes your post, or follows you, or comments something nice on your picture. But, like social media, it is such a waste of time. It’s noise to your brain.

The number of emails you get, like the amount of sleep you don’t get, has become a badge of honor. I have so many friends and family members say, “I didn’t see that email. I’ve just got too many to sort through.”

When I started working in 2009 as a financial analyst, the only work I had came from my boss, our CFO. If he was busy, or out, and I finished my project, I would sit and wish I had something to do. I would wish to have an inbox full of emails from people requesting information. I wished that for a long time until I finally got it. Towards the end of my career I would receive 100 - 200 emails per day. There was just no way to keep up. Being unable to answer everyone instilled a feeling of chaos, inadequacy, and failure into my days, and I grew to hate it.

Now that I don’t have a 9 - 5 job, and my personal email is all I have to manage, I do my best to keep my inbox clean. I always keep my inbox below 10 emails, ideally less than 5. After 3 - 5 days of an email sitting in my inbox there are only three options:

• Respond

• File it

• Delete it

When it comes to newsletters, promotional emails, and other “email subscriptions,” I make it a regular habit to unsubscribe right away to anything I know is not going to be of any value to me. I’m not using the promotions, so why am I giving these companies access to my conscious? I no longer enjoy that newsletter, so why am I allowing it to continue to hit my inbox?

Once I realize that the email has no utility in my life, I remove it.

Time is our most precious commodity. And our time is becoming more and more hijacked the further technology advances. Cleaning out your inbox is a simple and effective way to take time back, and de-clutter your brain.

Quick Survey - Please post responses in the comments:

How many email newsletters do you get per week?

0 - 5?

6 - 10?

10 - 15?

15 - 20?

>20?

How many do you read, in full, before deleting?

0 - 5?

6 - 10?

10 - 15?

15 - 20?

>20?

How many promotional emails do you get per week?

0 - 5?

6 - 10?

10 - 15?

15 - 20?

>20?

How many promotions have you take advantage of in the past month?

0 - 5?

6 - 10?

10 - 15?

15 - 20?

>20?

How many promotions have you take advantage of in the past year?

0 - 5?

6 - 10?

10 - 15?

15 - 20?

>20?

How many emails do you get to your personal email each day?

0 - 10?

11 - 20?

21 - 50?

51 - 100?

>100?

What’s the one thing you’re ignoring that you know you need to do?

And what are you doing to change that?

What is the one thing that you have been putting off doing for a long time? Say, greater than or equal to 3 months. What is that one thing on your mind that you keep brushing off as unnecessary, but always comes back? It doesn’t matter why you’re not doing it. It could be because you’re afraid. Because it might be expensive. Because you’re scared of the outcome. It could be you don’t know how to do it. No one ever showed you how. You don’t know what the first step looks like. It could be something that puts you out of your way. Or conjures up feelings of anxiety. Or you think is going to be a hassle to do. It doesn’t matter how big or small, and it doesn’t matter what’s stopping you. What is that one thing? And what are you doing to change that?

Something small: We’ve been talking about buying a freezer for the basement since we moved into our house in June. Jen and I both want more room to store stuff throughout the winter. I also would like to buy certain foods, like meat and frozen fruit, in bulk to save money. But, I’ve been procrastinating for a few reasons. First, since moving our monthly expenses have doubled as we buy stuff we need to get settled. And I thought this was an expense we could at least push off, and help spread out our spend. Second, I’m not sure which size to get, where I want to buy it, or what brand. Should I buy it new, or find a used one on a marketplace like Craigslist, and save some money? More of an excuse that could be decided with a little research. But, I’ve nevertheless just been stalling.

Something big: In 2020 while sitting home like everyone else I got my personal training certification. Fitness is the thing I know and love, so it made sense to pursue some type of career in this industry. Becoming a personal trainer also made sense because there are such low barriers to entry. And as I approach year 6 of being “unemployed” it’s felt like a good entry point. But it is now 2024, and I have yet to train one person. I go back and forth in my head of whether or not I actually want to train people one on one. On the one hand, I envision this great little business where I have a bunch of awesome clients who I get to help and share all of my knowledge of health and fitness with. And they in turn share their experiences with me and help me grow. On the other hand, I envision being drained of my energy by needy clients who don’t follow what I tell them to do. Feeling like a constant nag. In one vision I love it, and in the other I hate it. And the result is zero progress.

I’ve made two small commitments to try and turn inaction into action.

The freezer: Two weeks ago I took a drive to a small town in the mountains near our home. I didn’t have anything to do and there was a small food coop, so I popped in to see what they have (I can’t resist a good hippie owned food store). They had these frozen sockeye salmon filets that were the most beautiful things I’d seen when it comes to frozen fish. I bought one and cooked it for the first time the other day, and I immediately knew I wanted to have these all the time. So, I went onto the distributors website and found that the only option was a 25 lb case of frozen fillets. I ordered them. I now NEED a freezer before they arrive.

Personal training: A couple of months ago Jen and I got the idea that we should start a small gardening company. So, I immediately when onto Canva to design and order business cards. They arrived quickly and Jen posted a handful on the bulletin board at the garden center where she works. Two weeks ago we got our first job, and subsequently handed out more cards. I realized that without something tangible, this was just an idea. But once we got the business cards it felt real and like we were committed to making it happen. So, last week I went back onto Canva to design and order business cards for my personal training practice. They arrived two days ago. Now it feels real. Now it feels like I’m committed. If I don’t follow through and hand them out, it will only be because I’m afraid to. And I have a rule in life. When something feels scary, it’s usually the thing I should be doing.

I have this theory that I feel like cant just be a theory. It’s that most of us have one or two things on our mind that we need to do and we’re not doing. One or two things that are in our way, and preventing us from reaching our full potential. They could be really small, like say going to the DMV to get your license or car registration renewed. Or they could be really big, like staying at your job that you hate. But, I want to focus on the small stuff because I think that’s the stuff that clogs up our lives the most.

There’s two things that I always think about. First, until I do that “thing” (i.e. go to the DMV), I won’t have room for the next thing to enter my conscious. So, I’ll be stuck on “DMV.” The second is more conscious. If you can’t take yourself to get to the DMV, then what are the chances you’re going to leave your job. On a sub-conscious level, if you can’t do the small thing, there’s no way you’ll have the confidence to do the big one.

I believe that within all of us a path has been laid that will lead us to our greatest potential. And I think it’s guided by our intuition. There’s a quote I heard for the first time recently, but now keeps showing up in my life.

“What you seek is seeking you” - Rumi. I believe that to be true.

Our intuition is that nagging voice that keeps reminding us of the things we need to do. Our resistance is the second voice we hear, filling our head with excuses and reasons not to listen to our intuition. And every time we get hung up on a task, it prevents us from moving forward on our path.

Our intuition isn’t always right. The path isn’t straight. But it’s the best guide we have to living our best life and reaching our full potential.

Building a Sustainable Workout Routine - 30 Day Challenge

On August 8, 2024 I kicked off a self-imposed challenge, to wake up and perform as many push ups as I could - 1, for 30 straight days. I had a few reasons for doing this.

1. Not long before this day I started to get serious about trying to grow my YouTube page, and I wanted something I could share daily.

2. I wanted an easy way to show people, specifically anyone who is just starting out or struggling to get motivated, the dramatic progress you can realize with just a small amount of consistent exercise.

3. Piggybacking on #2, I wanted a way to engage people in the process, and I thought what better way than to challenge them to a challenge.

4. I hate talking into the camera. I feel like I always fumble and mumble my words, lose my train of thought, and freeze. I knew the only way to get better at it and become comfortable doing it was if, like exercise, I did it every day. The challenge gave me something to talk about, and a commitment I couldn’t back out of.

Fast forward to 47 days later and I’m still waking up and doing my push ups, and I’ve started a new 30 day challenge. The Campfire Squat Test.

I realized after I finished my first 30 days of push ups that this might actually be, working in 30 days intervals, a brilliant way for someone who’s never exercised before in their life, to build a workout routine that works for them. As I’ve thought more and more about this, I’ve begun to play with the parameters of what this might look like, played out over a 6-month period.

The structure presented below, is a preliminary thought on how this could work, and is subject to change. As the months lead on, as I close out the Campfire Squat Test in 13 days, this could change, but for now I believe this structure will make it possible for anyone to start from nothing and build something real for themselves.

Month 1: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. I chose push ups for my first exercise because I thought push ups were pretty universal, most people could join in with me, and because you don’t need much space or any equipment to perform them. Everyday for the first 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day.

Month 2: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. I chose squats because I wanted to have a lower body exercise for my next 30 days. I specifically chose campfire squats because I knew I couldn’t perform even one correctly, and I wanted to see how much progress my form could make over 30 days. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your first exercise. By way of example, over the last 7 days of my push ups, I average 52 per day. Therefore, I’ve been doing 26 push ups every morning after my campfire squats.

Month 3: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Cut your first month number in half again. For me that would be 13 push ups. This is the final number for your first exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your second exercise. For me, I’d calculate the average of my last 7 days of campfire squats.

Month 4: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Cut your second month number in half again. This is the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your third exercise.

Month 5: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Perform the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Cut your third month number in half again. This is the final number of your third exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your fourth exercise.

Month 6: Pick an exercise, any exercise that you’re capable of doing. Everyday for 30 days, wake up and do 1 repetition short of failure of your chosen exercise. Record the number performed each day. Plus;

Perform the final number of your first exercise. For me, 13 push ups. Plus;

Perform the final number of your second exercise. For me, campfire squats. Plus;

Perform the final number of your third exercise. Plus;

Cut your fourth month number in half again. This is the final number of your fourth exercise. Plus;

Perform 50 percent of your trailing 7 day average of your fifth exercise.

Months 7 and beyond: Calculate the 7 day trailing average of your sixth exercise (month six). Multiply it by 25%, and add it to your circuit. Cut your fifth exercise in half again, and add it to your circuit.

So, what could this actually look like?

*Not real figures, for example only

By the end of the 6 months, I would have developed the following morning routine:

• 13 push ups

• 5 campfire squats

• 8 sit ups

• 5 pull ups

• 8 lunges

• 5 hanging knee raises

A very sustainable morning routine, born out of 6 months of commitment. A morning routine that if you did nothing else the rest of the day, would at least get you off on the right foot. As I said, I’m only into day 47, of building this out, and so I expect more changes as time goes on. But, I think this is a very easy and doable way to get started.

I’m here to help if you have any questions about the structure, which exercises to choose, or anything else.

Here is a sample excel workbook you can copy and use to record your daily exercises.

Mt. Neva Loop Via 4th of July Trail

I finally got out for a nice hike the other day. Mt. Neva Loop via 4th of July Trail.

It had been over a year, probably since Switzerland in September 2023, since I’d really hiked. Last winter I skied, and this summer all I did was trail run. We moved into our house June 1, and with so much work to do, I didn’t feel like I had the time to spend out on long hikes. Trail running by contrast was a way to get outdoors and get a workout.

But last week my girlfriend gave me the all clear that it’s time to get out and explore.

Saturday she spent the night camped out in her truck at a dirk bike park 90 minutes from our house. She was volunteering to help man a checkpoint for a race on Sunday, and all 40+ volunteers got together the night before, to get to know each other over a pasta dinner and a fire. She left work early Saturday and spent all day Sunday working at the park. Seeing her do that was the sign I needed to make some time for myself in the mountains.

This trail was recommended to me by my physical therapist. He used this trail to get to Lake Caribou, where he spent a couple of nights camped out with friends.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to camp, or even make it up to Mt. Neva and finish the loop. By the time I got to the scramble to Mt. Neva, the weather had taken a turn. Huge gusts of wind and sleet started falling, so I made the decision to turn back. I didn’t have the gear or food to take a chance on a route I was unfamiliar with. And I was worried that if I got lost (like I already had 2x before that day), I’d run out of daylight. So, I did the smart thing and turned back.

I told my girlfriend I stopped and asked myself, “did I get what I needed out this hike?” The answer was yes, and so I turned around to head home.

But I enjoyed every minute of the 4+ hours I spent out here. Everywhere I turned were beautiful views. Mountains, forests, valleys, and peaks were all around. And the leaves had already started to turn. On the way back I ran into a group of four moose. It was raining heavy by this point and we stood and stared at each other for a while. The trail felt magical, and I can’t wait to be out there again.

Here are some pictures (in chronological order) so you can see what to expect.

Hiking and Climbing Tip and Tricks

These are the real basic things to know to keep your experience enjoyable. Like my diet tips and tricks, this is also a living document that will be updated from time to time.

My first ever real backpacking type trip was in Patagonia. A 7-day trek around Torres del Paine National Park. We had two amazing guides, as well as a handful of porters (yes this was a very bougie experience) who taught us so much. I’m remain so grateful to this day that we ended up in their care.

That one trip set me on a path to exploring the outdoors, and since 2019 I’ve been to over 20 national parks in the U.S., as well as a number of other parks and mountains around the world. Every time I’ve gone out into the wilderness I’ve learned something new. That is particularly true of experiences with guides. They are guides for a reason and they know how to make your time outside as enjoyable as possible.

These are the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up, and have stuck with me. Many time I run through this checklist in my head before, and during any hikes, trail runs, climbs, or camping trips. For sure there are more complicated things to know depending on what you’re doing. But these basic guidelines to follow will help make your time a little bit better.

1. When you begin your hike, always start out a little cold. Once you start moving you’ll be surprised how fast you warm up. Especially if you’re starting with elevation gain. Start cool. Put your hands in your pockets. You can stop do add a layer if you need it. 

2. When you get to the summit, a peak, or a nice place for a snack, zipper up and/or layer up before doing anything else. Peeing, eating, drinking, should all come second. You’ll be surprised how fast your body cools. 

3. Don’t fall. The first thing we learned during our crampon training before climbing Mt. Rainier was “don’t fall.” So simple and stupid but so effective. During the whole descent of that mountain (which was around 6-7 hours if I recall), when my legs were jello and my feet were throbbing with blisters, all I repeated over and over to myself was “don’t fall.” And somehow that little phrase carried me all the way down that mountain. And I shit you not, on the few instances when I lost focus of my phrase, and engaged in conversation, or allowed my gaze to wander, were all the times I almost fell. Don’t. Fall. 

4. You can radically change temperature by zipping up or down your clothes. Before taking a layer off, or putting a layer on, adjust the zipper on your jacket or quarter zip. Open or close the zippers in rain jacket arm pits. Take your hat off. Sometimes a simple change like that is all you need, and you’ll save yourself from having to make another stop. 

5. Carry nutrient dense food, and food you like. Sweet and savory trail mix is a favorite for obvious reasons. For one two night trip we packed pizza for the first night. It was fantastic. The longer the trip, the more variation you’re going to want. Try to balance flavor and texture, with being practical (you can’t pack the whole kitchen).

6. There is no such thing as bad weather. Only wrong gear. 

7. Which leads to 7. Have the right gear. My standard hiking gear is as follows:

   1. Sturdy footwear

   2. Quick dry socks

   3. Quick dry t-shirt

   4. Quick dry baselayer

   5. A hat (baseball or winter hat)

   6. Down vest (depending on temperature I’ll either start with this on, or stuff it in my pack)

   7. Down jacket (in my pack weather permitting)

   8. Rain jacket (in my pack weather permitting)

   9. Gloves (light or heavy depending on weather, in my back)

Warming up can be anything

I know how important a good warm up is, but the problem is that warming up invokes a feeling of boredom, and, when I’m crunched for time, and just trying to squeeze in a workout between everything else going on in my day, I end up skipping it, and jumping right into my workout.

I can get away with it for a few days, but I ultimately pay the price in the form of decreased range of motion and sometimes pain from a gunked up fascia. But, I still skip it more than I should. I have however found work around that enables me to get some chores done, and get my body warm for a workout.

If you’re working out at home, a warm up can be anything. Sweep out the garage for 5 minutes. Go walk around and water the plants. Organize that room, closet, or patio space you’ve been ignoring. Vacuum the house. Do a big load of dishes. I don’t know if many prominent fitness people would agree with me or not, but I think that if the choice is nothing, or 10 - 20 minutes of house chores, that’s better than nothing.

A few recent examples:

Swept and swifered the mat in my garage. Plus a little more. Total time: 12 minutes.

Mowed and edged the lawn. Total time: 30 - 40 minutes.

Dug three holes to plant a shrub, a rose bush, and a plant. Total time: 20 - 30 minutes.

Not conventional, but better than nothing.

Spruce up your left overs

My girlfriend never finished her salad from CAVA the other day. It was getting to its last legs today so, I had it for lunch. But I didn’t eat it as is. An old wilted salad. I brought it back to life with fresh ingredients. 

Sliced apple. Raw red onion. Italian thin skin pepper. Slow cooked beets. Avocado. Cashews and walnuts. A side of chicken breast from the slow cooker. And finished it with a new dressing of salt, olive oil, and two types of balsamic vinegar. 

The result is this beautiful dish.

A few weeks ago we had left over pad Thai noodles. So I boiled broccoli. Cooked a piece of salmon. And added other fresh ingredients to use the noodles as part of my dish. 

Think about ways to transform leftovers before they hit the garbage. 

What are some ways you transform leftovers?

How often do we try to avoid the thing we need?

I wanted to go for a walk during a break at my conference, and put a granny smith apple in my car for the drive home. One path, a direct line to my car, was where the videographer was interviewing people on camera. I could’ve avoided being in the picture and went straight for my car, but I remembered from the day before that he had asked people to stay away. So, I obliged. 

The other path to my car was lined with a group of women from the conference. They were sitting in a circle under a tree, chatting it up. I didn’t have it in me to pass by them and possibly get roped into a conversation (two days of a conference will make you want some time alone), so at first I hesitated, and then I decided to go anyway. 

At the same time a good looking middle aged guy with long blonde hair, looking like real salt of the earth, walked over to them and offered them something. Not wanting to be solicited, and again wanting to be alone, I thought about changing course. 

But, I fought the urge, and I decided, better to just go and see what happens. There was no other way to my car without making it very obvious I was trying to avoid everyone.

I ended up meeting Josh. An amazing human being exuding tons of positive energy. The granny smith apple in my hand caught his attention because he had picked them the day before with a friend, along with two baskets of plums that were made available to everyone at the conference.

He immediately asked “and what’s your name?” and we struck up a conversation.

He started reading the tattoo on my right forearm that is written in classical Tibetan. A language that I would assume less than 1% of the population could read, let alone identify. It turns out Josh learned San Script and Tibetan during his time in Nepal with the Peace Corps.

Back from helping humans in foreign countries, he’s an arborist “healing trees from human problems.”

When he asked me what I did, and I didn’t have a direct answer for him (see Mismanaged Moments, lying about my job), he interpreted what I was trying to say. “You’re trying to figure out how to speak your truth.”

Our encounter only lasted a few moments, but in those few moments I felt this renewed sense of energy and confidence, because this man who I had never met before managed to make me feel loved, accepted, and put a smile on my face. 

My intuition, my energy, was pulling me down the path towards Josh. My resistance was saying “don’t go that way! You want to be alone right now.” That’s the tricky thing about the resistance. Most of the times the resistance sounds logical, and more than not it will tell you the thing you want to hear. The thing that will make your life feel easier.

Discerning between intuition and resistance I think is the battle we all face every day. I’m glad I got this one right, and I got to meet Josh.

Homemade Stock and Soup

Homemade veggie stock from frozen vegetable scraps

Veggie soup: onion, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato, Bobs Red Mill Soup Mix (lentils, red lentils, barley, pasta), broccoli, kidney beans, tomato paste

Added 1 chicken thigh for added protein

Man vs Nature, So many lessons from the garden

It’s been amazing to see how fast our garden can get decimated. It just happens so quick. 

I go to bed and everything is fine. I wake up and half the broccoli flower is gone. Or I’m missing 6 out of the 8 apples on my tree. Or how this bull horn worm completely infested our tomato plant and ate half the plant in what seems like a few hours. 

As my girlfriend put it, “where do they come from?!”

The bites in the tomatoes were so big and deep that I actually thought the squirrels were eating them. Since they were the ones who got my apples (I saw them do it).

Only to find out that there’s about 10 worms on my plant eating through it. 50 percent of our tomato plants gone in the blink of an eye.

Nature happens so fast and we’re constantly battling it. What feels like hours of work for us in the garden, happens effortlessly in nature. She’s always a step ahead. 

The thing is that in nature, everything operates in scarcity mode. Always having just enough to survive. Or not. So when nature sees abundance, like in my garden, she’s always planning an attack to get what she needs. And by the time we notice it, nature has taken over.

But I had this crazy thought when thinking about this Nature vs Man idea. What if, like the people on Alone, I started capturing the squirrels that are eating my apples and ate them? 

They’re encroaching on my food source so, like the people on Alone, I think I have every right to take them out. My girlfriend and I have been watching Alone for the last couple of weeks and these are the things we think about now. 

She was at a dirt bike event last week, and she camped the night before with a big group of volunteers and riders. At one point I asked her how she was doing. She responded “I’m survive on reindeer moss and building a cabin for the winter. I feel good.”

Which completely caught me off guard and made me laugh. 

But this is the battle. Humans versus nature, and humans have too much abundance. The battle rages on.

Personal tips & tricks to stay on track with food

Let’s face it. The environment we live in makes it as close to impossible as possible to maintain a healthy and clean diet. We live in an environment filled with cheap and accessible food that’s available in abundance. So, unless you live on a homestead somewhere, you are going to be tempted at every turn of your life.

Super market. Work. Home. Parties. Friend’s houses. Everywhere you go will be the opportunity to make poor food choices. And while I don’t want to say it’s not our fault… it’s kind of not our fault.

Unfortunately to combat it, we need to always be on the offensive. We need to always be battling back the urge to eat to excess. To eat food we know is not good for us. We need to also be taking initiative to eat more of the stuff we know is good for us.

I struggle with this battle just like everyone else. Turning down more food is a daily struggle. To deal with this, I’ve unknowingly developed little habits, trick, routines, and tales I tell myself, to help me win the battle.

Since they really are things that happen almost at a subconscious level, meaning I don’t actually maintain a list of these, I’m going to begin recording them as they come to me and put them down onto this list. So, this will act as a living document to continuously be updated.

1. Let your favorite food, snack, or beverage run out before replenishing it. Watch what happens. Once it’s out of your house, you won’t miss it. Give it a day or two, or more, before replenishing.

2. If you listen to your body, it will tell you what you need. But be careful, because it can be difficult to discern between need and want. All day you tell yourself you need a nice healthy dinner. But on the way home you pass by your favorite takeout restaurant and now you need Chinese food, Taco Bell, a pub burger. The second one is actually want. Ignore it. This actually applies to anything you might be addicted to. Tobacco. Alcohol. Sugar. Caffeine. It does for me.

3. Don’t say you don’t care when you do. This one applies a lot to eating before bed. Most nights I want to grab a little bite, a little snack before bed. I know I shouldn’t and I don’t need it, and that more often than not it negatively impacts my sleep, but I tell myself “I don’t care.” Saying “I don’t care” is a trigger for me that lets me know, I do care. I’m just trying to convince myself it’s ok, when it’s not what I need. Don’t have it. It can also apply during the day. Like after a big breakfast or lunch and I want to reach for that extra bite, or something sweet. I do care. And I’ll care later when I feel it’s effects. Don’t do it.

4. Space out eating. I often think about what I’m going to eat before I even finish the meal in front of me. Maybe I’ll have a piece of fruit. Maybe a piece of dark chocolate. Maybe a whole additional meal because I’m hungry (as I stare at half a plate of food). Instead, I try to space my meals out with some distractions. Clean all the dishes first. Take out the garbage. Check on the garden. Take the dog for a walk. Anything that gets me away from the kitchen. I’d say 50% of the time I end up not eating anything additional. 40% of the time I eat something but way smaller than I initially thought. And 10% of the time I go for what I was thinking about. But 100% of the time it’s effective in slowing me down and spreading things out. 

5. Get your spouse to change their habits. It’s amazing to me how I can be perfectly content after dinner, then my girlfriend plops down on the couch with a snack, and all of a sudden I feel like I need to eat. It’s almost like a survival instinct that kicks in. She’s eating, I should be eating. Conversely when she doesn’t snack, I feel a lot less temptation to dig in. In part because I feel glutenous if I’m the only one stuffing myself. 

6. I can always go back for more. The downside of living in an environment of food abundance is that stopping yourself from eating more is very, very difficult. The upside is that you can always go back for more. Two things to avoid. 1) Don’t overload your plate. Chances are whatever you put on your plate you’re going to finish. Start with less than you want, then, embracing tip #4 above, wait a little, then go back for seconds. Give yourself the opportunity to stop before indulging. 2) Don’t re-fill your plate before you’re done eating. I’ve done this so many times. I tell myself I’m going to want more chicken, more veggie, more rice, before I’ve even finished what’s in front of me. So, I go get more while there is still food on my plate. Finish it all, because it’s now on my plate, and I never leave food behind. And wish I didn’t. Clear what you have first. Then go back.

7. Eating whole foods is the best way to combat over-eating. I don’t struggle with making poor food choices, meaning, I don’t eat fried foods, processed foods, foods laden with sugar or a bunch of unhealthy ingredients. 99% of what I eat is whole food ingredients. I struggle with eating too much. I love to eat. But the best way to off-set the effects of over-eating are to eat foods that are healthy for you. It’s hard to get into too much trouble chomping down on watermelon. Or overindulging in chicken breast. Or even a homemade burger from locally sourced regeneratively raised ground meat. Or potatoes. Or quinoa. Or almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Yes, if you overeat calories, you will put on weight. But it not all weight is created equal. If you stick to whole foods, the effects of overeating will be far less, and it will be easier to change your habits. Processed food is addicting and leads to unconscious overconsumption. Real food does not.