There has been great debate about the best way to lose weight. Everyone agrees that overconsumption of high-calorie food is the problem, so not shoving it in your mouth is the solution.
However, the real problem is operating in an environment that’s not conducive to health and fitness. Negative scenarios force you to use willpower to overcome temptations and cravings, which is not effective for most people. They then break down, fall off track, and all hell breaks loose.
The better way is to enhance your environment to produce the effect you want. It’s simply a process of taking negative elements out of the picture and replacing them with positive elements. That said, remove high-calorie junk food from your line of vision or, even better, from your presence. For instance, sometimes I like wine with my dinner (what I call the devil’s elixir). If I keep a bottle of wine on my kitchen counter where I can easily see it, I begin to crave it. But, when I store it in my cabinet where I can’t see it, 99% of the time, I have no desire for it. Most times, I even forget it’s there.
Also, after I eat dinner, sometimes I enjoy a few chocolate cupcakes. However, I refuse to store them in the house because I know I’d eat them every day. That said, if I really wanted them, all I would have to do is take a five-minute ride to the store to pick some up. But, 99% of the time, I won’t make that trip to the store because it disrupts my flow.
In those scenarios, I put up hindrances to stop me from doing what I know I need to do less of or cut out completely. Once those hindrances are put up, the key is to put something in place that you know you need more of, which you also enjoy. For me, I always have a large fruit bowl as my go-to as a replacement for refined carbohydrates and sweets. When I put the bad stuff outta sight, then keep the good stuff right in front of me, within arm’s reach, temptations and cravings are easily overcome. Setting yourself up for success will be your key to a successful year.
Your environment affects every part of your life. If you manage it properly, there will be nothing to hold you back from the health and fitness levels you desire.
Stay focused.
