When discussing "discipline" as a process, I mentioned the fact that I have limited my food selection during the week so that it is more convenient for me to eat healthfully. The main reason that I have failed at changing my eating habits in the past is because junk food is generally more convenient to grab when you're on the run. I mean, who has the time to come up with creative breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day?
But I don't like it when health and fitness gurus make general statements like that (i.e. limit the variety of your meals) and then force you to buy their $40 ebook in order to get the details... so below you'll find my current meal plan. It's loosely based on the Paleolithic Diet, though I do indulge in black coffee and green tea in addition to drinking water with every meal and snack.
Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 banana, and a 20 oz. cup of black coffee
Mid-morning Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple
Lunch: Tuna or chicken breast w/mustard wrapped in leaf lettuce and 12 baby carrots
Afternoon Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted almonds (or mixed nuts) and 1 apple (or banana)
Dinner: Stir Fry. I sauté about 2 cups of whatever fresh veggies I have handy (peppers, onions, squash, broccoli, carrots, etc.) in extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, and throw in some lean protein (chicken breast, pork, lean beef, fish), and add whatever spices strike my fancy that evening (except salt).
I don't get bored with breakfast, lunch and snacks because I'm too busy to care. These foods are both convenient and healthy, which fuels the temple and reduces my stress level because I don't have to worry about it. I've also found that by eating about every 3 hours, I've gotten to the point where I can't eat as much as I did just a couple weeks ago and I'm never, ever truly hungry. I eat for fuel, not because I'm feeling famished!
As for dinners, by changing up the mix of veggies, the length of time I cook them (crispy or softer), the spices I use, and the type of meat, I can make dinner taste differently each night. The biggest change has been keeping stocked up on enough veggies because I'm not using potatoes, pasta or white rice (though I've mixed in some wild rice a couple times).
That's my Monday through Friday meal plan. On the weekends I'm a little more lax, but not much. I still focus on large amounts of fruits and veggies, with ample lean protein.
Perhaps you have a different food selection that you prefer, and Lord knows there are plenty of diet programs out there from which to choose. So choose one, select a few meals and snacks that you can easily prepare and eat every weekday, and try this for a few weeks. Building the discipline is the key.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Discipline: Process & Outcome
In a recent post, I stated that I believe that discipline is the key to success. Of course, how you interpret "discipline" may be different than how I interpret it. When I say the word, I envision the internalization of rules of conduct that help to achieve and improve a higher level of self-control. In other words, discipline is both process and outcome.
For example, as I try to become more disciplined regarding the way I fuel my "temple," I have both process and outcome in mind. The outcome is that I achieve a state where I have balanced my body through proper nutrition to the point where I have virtually eliminated cravings, and everything I consume is through conscious choice rather than in response to some uncontrollable desire.
The process portion of the discipline is a bit different. I've found that I tend to be undisciplined when I am inconvenienced. When I'm in a rush, it always seems easier to grab something unhealthy than to try to come up with something healthy to eat. And let's face it: most convenience foods are highly processed nutritional nightmares! So the discipline I use to overcome that is to eat a lot of the same things. By limiting the variety of foods I eat during the week, it becomes much easier (i.e. convenient) to eat healthfully.
Do I get "bored" with my limited selection? Eventually, yes. But I've made it convenient to eat those healthy foods, so "convenience" is not an issue and "boredom" is far too lame an excuse. What the occasional food boredom has led me to do is get creative with various seasonings, and to venture out and try new fruits and vegetables that add to the variety.
Over time, the strict discipline of my limited food selection will grow into a much more varied selection of healthful foods that are enjoyable to eat. At that point, I will hopefully have developed the (unconscious) habit of eating right; and the meaning of "discipline" will focus more on the (conscious) choice of whether or not I indulge in an occasional rich and fattening meal, a dessert, or a cocktail.
Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the word "discipline". Don't see discipline as a punishment or some severe and austere plan to make you unhappy (unless that's what you desire, I suppose). When training the temple, an effective way to view discipline is as both process and outcome. Further definition is up to you!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
For example, as I try to become more disciplined regarding the way I fuel my "temple," I have both process and outcome in mind. The outcome is that I achieve a state where I have balanced my body through proper nutrition to the point where I have virtually eliminated cravings, and everything I consume is through conscious choice rather than in response to some uncontrollable desire.
The process portion of the discipline is a bit different. I've found that I tend to be undisciplined when I am inconvenienced. When I'm in a rush, it always seems easier to grab something unhealthy than to try to come up with something healthy to eat. And let's face it: most convenience foods are highly processed nutritional nightmares! So the discipline I use to overcome that is to eat a lot of the same things. By limiting the variety of foods I eat during the week, it becomes much easier (i.e. convenient) to eat healthfully.
Do I get "bored" with my limited selection? Eventually, yes. But I've made it convenient to eat those healthy foods, so "convenience" is not an issue and "boredom" is far too lame an excuse. What the occasional food boredom has led me to do is get creative with various seasonings, and to venture out and try new fruits and vegetables that add to the variety.
Over time, the strict discipline of my limited food selection will grow into a much more varied selection of healthful foods that are enjoyable to eat. At that point, I will hopefully have developed the (unconscious) habit of eating right; and the meaning of "discipline" will focus more on the (conscious) choice of whether or not I indulge in an occasional rich and fattening meal, a dessert, or a cocktail.
Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the word "discipline". Don't see discipline as a punishment or some severe and austere plan to make you unhappy (unless that's what you desire, I suppose). When training the temple, an effective way to view discipline is as both process and outcome. Further definition is up to you!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Breadless Sandwich Wraps
I'm not carbophobic, but I do try to stay away from foods that contain refined white flour, which includes things like donuts, bagels, pasta, and (you guessed it) breads. Of course, this means I have to be a bit creative when it comes to lunchtime because a sandwich is certainly out of the question!
What I've been doing for a couple of weeks now is to make myself a sandwich wrap. But instead of using some sort of tortilla, I use a couple pieces of leaf lettuce. I lay them side-by-side, overlapping each other about halfway, spread on a bunch of tuna or chicken salad (both made with jalapeno mustard and NO mayo), and then roll it up.
It's an excellent, healthy "sandwich wrap", but without all of bread.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
What I've been doing for a couple of weeks now is to make myself a sandwich wrap. But instead of using some sort of tortilla, I use a couple pieces of leaf lettuce. I lay them side-by-side, overlapping each other about halfway, spread on a bunch of tuna or chicken salad (both made with jalapeno mustard and NO mayo), and then roll it up.
It's an excellent, healthy "sandwich wrap", but without all of bread.
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
Monday, February 1, 2010
Discipline is the Key
If simply reading about something would make it happen in your life, I'd be the CEO of my own media company, sporting 6-pack abs while running the company from my yacht. But unfortunately, all the knowledge in the world won't help you if you don't take action. And all the action in the world won't help you if you don't have discipline.
I don't even know how many fitness books I've read over the years. I've learned so much about diet and exercise that you'd think I was studying to be a personal trainer and certified dietician! Yet with all that knowledge, I still find myself struggling to lose weight and stay in shape.
The typical pattern is that I'll read a book (or ebook) and then immediately take action. I start making changes to my diet. I create my exercise charts and start on the new workout routine. And generally speaking, I start seeing results within the first week. Awesome!
But than life happens. Something comes up and I miss a workout. Then I go out to dinner and splurge on something not on the program. Then I miss another workout, eat another bad meal... then I'm back to my old habits and on to reading the next book.
What I've been lacking is discipline. The discipline to stick with the new lifestyle I design for myself. The discipline to keep focusing on the new behaviors, even after I've messed up a bit. The discipline to understand the information, create a realistic plan that will work for me, and then focus on the goals I've set and the path I've chosen regardless of what life throws at me.
I do believe that you need a plan; but I also believe that your plan needs to include occasional indulgences (some call them "cheat meals", though it's not really cheating if it's in your plan). Likewise, your plan should include contingencies for unplanned transgressions, which would then make those deviations just another step on the journey towards a fit and fulfilling life.
I encourage you to come up with a plan that is as flexible as you need it to be, but strict enough to actually get you to your goals. But in the end, it matters little what your specific plan looks like -- provided it's based on solid information -- as long as you're disciplined about following it.
Discipline is the key!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
I don't even know how many fitness books I've read over the years. I've learned so much about diet and exercise that you'd think I was studying to be a personal trainer and certified dietician! Yet with all that knowledge, I still find myself struggling to lose weight and stay in shape.
The typical pattern is that I'll read a book (or ebook) and then immediately take action. I start making changes to my diet. I create my exercise charts and start on the new workout routine. And generally speaking, I start seeing results within the first week. Awesome!
But than life happens. Something comes up and I miss a workout. Then I go out to dinner and splurge on something not on the program. Then I miss another workout, eat another bad meal... then I'm back to my old habits and on to reading the next book.
What I've been lacking is discipline. The discipline to stick with the new lifestyle I design for myself. The discipline to keep focusing on the new behaviors, even after I've messed up a bit. The discipline to understand the information, create a realistic plan that will work for me, and then focus on the goals I've set and the path I've chosen regardless of what life throws at me.
I do believe that you need a plan; but I also believe that your plan needs to include occasional indulgences (some call them "cheat meals", though it's not really cheating if it's in your plan). Likewise, your plan should include contingencies for unplanned transgressions, which would then make those deviations just another step on the journey towards a fit and fulfilling life.
I encourage you to come up with a plan that is as flexible as you need it to be, but strict enough to actually get you to your goals. But in the end, it matters little what your specific plan looks like -- provided it's based on solid information -- as long as you're disciplined about following it.
Discipline is the key!
Train hard and pray harder,
~Brandon
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