24-hour Weight Loss Program (eBook)

Chapter 1:
Using The 24-Hour Weight Loss Planner:
Your Key to Success

The 24-Hour Weight Loss Planner is part two of this book. The term 24-Hour weight loss is used for two reasons. One, because of the need to do the right things at the right time during a given 24-Hour period. Secondly, you will need to stop thinking about weight loss as a single secret you have not yet found for success. Instead, you will need to think of weight loss as a product of your daily decision-making. Thus, a key to your success is planning out your daily activities. Stephen R. Covey, the author of the widely known book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, gives insight into this concept that I have adapted to relate to weight loss. If you have not read this book, I suggest you do it. I will now review some of these principles.

The first principle is to be “proactive.” Covey states that what distinguishes humans from animals is humans’ ability to examine our own character, actions, etc., and make appropriate changes. A dog may be an ill-tempered dog, and that is just the way it is. This is not the case for us. We, as humans, do have the ability to change our mindsets. I used to serve in a church leadership position where people would talk to me about their transgressions. Too often, they would justify their sins by telling me, “that’s just the way I am.” In essence, these people have just raised the white flag in defeat. The notion that we cannot change is entirely inaccurate. We CAN change! Too many weight loss attempts have been thwarted because of this unproductive negative mindset. For instance, I have talked to many people who say, “I’m a carbohydrate addict.” Besides the fact that being addicted to carbs is a farse, what has this person just done when taking this mindset? They have given up their ability to change.

Additionally, people will say, “I just don’t have the time to exercise,” well, then you never will. We make time for things that matter. I teach an exercise physiology course, and there is a section that involves a few math concepts. Before we even get started, students will say, “I am just not good at math.” When they say that, they close the door to learning and changing. Covey suggests that when we change our language and thoughts away from reactive to proactive, we turn our mindset towards success. I list below a few of the common reactive comments I have come across. I then list a proactive way to think about these barriers to weight loss.

The 24-Hour Weight Loss Planner has a spot and prompts you to write out personalized, proactive statements every day, so they are at the forefront of your mind.

The second principle Covey covers is to “begin with the end in mind.” We can busy ourselves with daily weighing, never-ending exercise, calorie counting, etc. But if we do not stop and state why we are doing these things, we will lose interest and fizzle out. So, what is your end goal? What is it that you are trying to achieve by losing weight? You cannot forget these things; they need to be at the forefront of your mind.

To aid in this, Covey says we need to identify our center. There are many different centers people develop. For instance, you may be spouse-centered if your feelings of security are based on how your spouse treats you. Or you may be money-centered if your personal worth is determined by your net worth. In addition, we could be home-centered, work-centered, pleasure-centered, church-centered, or self-centered. Identifying our center is critical because it determines our daily decision, actions, and motivations. However, according to Covey, all these labels are wrong; we need to be principle-centered.

We need to identify timeless, unchanging principles by which we must live our lives. This will give us guidance to align our behaviors with our beliefs. For example, a faith-based principle I live by is self-control of the flesh. Because this is a principle that is near and dear to me, it shapes my decisions. I no longer want to eat an entire sleeve of Oreos because this contrasts with the principle I live by. Other principles that impact weight loss may be:

• Keeping commitments to oneself.
• Treating the body as a temple.
• Avoiding everything in excess.
• Choosing joy, regardless of the scale.

You will need to come up with the principles you live by. Relate these principles to your actions and their impact on weight loss. The 24-Hour Weight Loss Planner has space for you to record these.

The last principle I will borrow from Covey is to “put first things first.” I gave a faculty training at Grand Canyon University before the start of the academic year. The title of the training was “How to get more done.” Don’t we all want this? My presentation’s objective was not merely to share tips on placing more checks on our checklist but also to prioritize and get done the things that matter most. To steal a quote from Dallin H. Oaks, a leader of my church, “Good, Better, Best.” So many good things in life can fill our time, but we have fewer better things and even fewer best things. Successful people identify the best things in life and prioritize them.

Lack of time is often cited as a significant hindrance to exercise. Yet everyone I know who is an avid exerciser is also highly productive in work, family, church, or the community. They simply don’t produce excuses, and they make health a priority. It has been said, “if you don’t take time to exercise now, you will surely take time to be sick later.” Sometimes, we need to do things we don’t want to do, like wake up at 4 am every day. I have exercised every day, besides Sunday, ever since I was 14 years old. Co-workers will ask me how I still have time to exercise. Simple, I am awake while you are asleep and am asleep while you are awake. I don’t burn the candle at both ends. I am sleeping at 9:30 pm every evening, but I am also up by 4:30 am. This again takes planning. Covey states,

“In order to maintain the discipline and the focus to stay on track toward our goals, we need to have the willpower to do something when we don’t want to do it. We need to act according to our values rather than our desires or impulses at any given moment. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

The 24-Hour Weight Loss Planner’s primary purpose is to help you plan out when you will do what is needed to achieve your goals. At the same time, this tool is not just a day planner. This is a place to set goals, monitor progress, journal personal thoughts, and pave the way to success. One key aspect of this planner is that it IS NOT an app. Yes, I am asking you to trust me, jump back into time, and use a pen and paper.

Why Use an “Old Fashioned” Method for Planning?

During my first year in graduate school, I was sitting in a meeting with senior faculty at Arizona State University to discuss a research project I was a collaborator on. When it came time to schedule the next meeting, I pulled out my paper planner and proceeded to jot down the dates for upcoming sessions. I looked up and noticed one of the faculty members was staring at me with a smirk on his face and said, “you still use a paper day planner?” Somewhat embarrassed, I ended up switching to a simple google calendar for future meetings. However, the electronic apps, google calendars, etc., were just not as useful for me. In addition to my anecdotal evidence, Science backs this up for a myriad of reasons.

First, using a paper planner will help you remember things. Research is compelling in that when words are written compared to typed, the memory of what was written is enhanced.1 Too often, when we type, we don’t think about what we are typing. We simply place ourselves in robot mode and type away. Research out of Washington University showed that when students wrote versus typed notes, memory was higher 24 hours later.2 Additionally, a study of 650 university students from 10 countries reported that they see higher memory and comprehension when writing versus typing.3 Don’t you want to internalize what you need to do during the day to lose weight?

Secondly, writing has been shown to activate three brain areas, while typing does not have the same effect.4 The scientific literature is just beginning to catch up with the increased screen time we are witnessing in developed countries. However, multiple studies show a shrinking in the brain’s gray matter in those addicted to the internet or gaming.5,6,7,8 This is important because the brain areas affected are those that govern planning, prioritizing, organizing, and impulse control. Think about trying to lose weight without those functions. The last thing you need is a tool that increases screen time.

Thirdly, you’re less distracted. Our phones have become beeping, dinging, buzzing machines. One might think, “oh, but my phone can send me a reminder or notification.” However, the reality is that when you get a notification every 10 minutes, you start to ignore them. Trust me, I have had a message on my phone for the last three months telling me to schedule a dentist appointment! When you write down what you want to...