Jedi Mind Tricks for Effective Weight Loss

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

If you’re a real 50+ Guy like me, you’ll likely recognize this iconic phrase as the first  sentence of the opening crawl of the original Star Wars movie. It’s hard to believe that I was a teenager when this movie was released in the Summer of 1977. If you don’t remember that now-famous crawl sequence, you can check it out here.

Hey Brothers!

Welcome to the LenDentonThrive Letter!

I write this newsletter to help busy 50+ Guys create lasting health and fitness transformations without crazy diets or grueling workouts. It's the smarter, not harder way to lose weight, get fit, and stay fit for life.

This week I’m sharing a technique that’s so effective it’s like having your own Jedi mind trick for weight loss. That’s because it combines a simple, smart daily habit with real neuroscience. And, after a slight bit of set-up, you’ll be able to do this in less than 2 minutes a day! 

Ready? Let’s jump in!

The Set Up 

Hey… What did you weigh this morning?

Is that a strange question?

Most of us 50+ Guys can’t answer that question. A lot of us don’t want to even think about that question! 

When I started my ThriveLife journey more than 11 years ago, my doctor told me that I needed to lose at least 40 pounds. (He was being kind!) 

Up until that time, I hardly ever weighed myself. I think that was mostly because I knew that the results would be bad news and I didn’t really want to know how overweight I was. 

But, my “scale avoidance” ended when I started my ThriveLife. That’s because I had learned through my business experiences that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it (W. Edward Demming).” 

I knew this was true in the business world, so I just assumed that it might also be true for me on my fitness journey. And, fortunately for me, it did turn out to be true.  I actually lost 70 pounds in 7 months, and daily weigh-ins became a key element of that success!

The Daily Weigh-In Ritual

When you’re trying to lose weight and build a healthy lifestyle, your weight should be one of your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Your healthy future is built on smart daily practices (habits). And, the daily weigh-in ritual is one of the most important habits you can develop.

 So, why call it a ritual? For two specific reasons:

1. It's a daily practice

2. To work effectively, it needs to be done in a consistent way every day.

For a daily weigh-in to be most effective, you need to do it the same way, every day. That means using the same scale, at around the same time of day, under the same conditions. The easiest way to do that is to turn it into a ritual.

As an example, here’s a quick summary of my daily weigh-in ritual:

• Weigh first thing every morning

• On the same digital scale

• Before consuming any food or drink

• Wearing skivvies or less (oops, there goes my PG rating!)

• Record the results in my fitness app (more on that in a minute…)

(Note: Your weigh-in ritual might look different, based on your specific needs and schedule. Make it fit your specific needs. The key is to do it with consistency.)

 The Mind Trick

I have found that there’s a lot of power in my daily weigh-in ritual. That’s because this mechanical practice of tracking weight offers several psychological benefits for weight loss. 

This is where the mind tricks begin. Let’s see how they work.

Let’s consider that the process of becoming more fit and healthy is a deliberate act of behavior change. We replace bad habits with healthy habits that allow us to become healthier over time.   

We know that repetition is an important part of forming new habits. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, says: “every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

With that in mind, here are three key benefits that a daily weigh-in ritual can create for you:

Accountability 

Doing daily weigh-ins is a simple way to hold yourself accountable for your fitness commitments. Each weigh-in is a vote for the healthier you! Think like this: “This new, fitter me checks my weight daily.” 

Connects Behaviors to Outcomes

 “Today’s plate is tomorrow’s weight.” 

While this is a bit of a generalization, it's still an effective accountability tool that you can use to shape your new, healthier behaviors. From my personal experience, I am more mindful of what I eat today knowing that I will be stepping on the scale tomorrow morning. 

Shapes Your Behavior (Visual) 

Recording and reviewing your weigh-in results visually has real power in helping you to become the fitter version of yourself. I’ve put that visualization power to work in my own experience, and you can do the same. Here’s how:

• Record every weigh-in in your chosen fitness app. (Note: I’ve used Fitbit for the last 11 years. Other apps like MyFitnessPal have similar capabilities.)

• Review the Weight Graph every day. An example Fitbit Weight Graph (not mine) is shown below.

This graph shows two important things. First, the actual weigh-in numbers are shown in white. As you’d expect, the weigh-in numbers vary from day-to-day. The weight trend-line is shown in blue. 

Focus your attention on the trend line. You want that trend line going DOWN!

Here’s the trick - Focusing on this trend line every day tells your brain that this is important!

Your brain takes over from there to “solve the equation” to make that trend line move in your desired direction. You’ll start thinking about the trend line when making decisions about food and exercise. So, the trend line starts to affect your decisions to move the trend down. 

It’s not magic. It’s neuroscience. 

This daily visual connection to my weight trend line has been a critical part of my daily weigh-in ritual over the years. And, it's the most powerful of the three Jedi mind tricks I’ve shared with you. 

Smarter, Not Harder

I hope that I’ve convinced you that using these Jedi mind tricks to build your own daily weigh-in ritual is a simple, yet powerful daily practice that can help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals. Using the visual element of reviewing your weight trend line will engage your brain and amplify the effect and your results. 

 I recommend the daily weigh-in ritual to every 50+ Guy who’s interested in building his ThriveLife and a healthier future.

May The Force Be With You!

When you’re ready for a real and sustainable fitness transformation, here are three ways I can help you:

#1 - Sign up for this newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive tested, actionable tips and strategies to help you build your own customized version of the ThriveLife that fits your needs, preferences, and personal style. And, it’s free!

#2 - For a Do-It-Yourself approach to the ThriveLife, download your free copy of my new ebook: 6 Smart Moves To Your ThriveLife. Just click the button below.

#3 - When you’re ready to join a community of other busy 50+ Guys building their ThriveLives together, check out my new ThriveLife Transformation course. The ThriveLife Transformation guides you through a 30-day transformation process which includes online video training and daily support and assistance through our online community. Join alone or bring your friends. To learn more about the ThriveLife Transformation, click the button below.

Do You Know Somebody?

Do you know a 50+ Guy who’s struggling with their weight and fitness?

Please consider sharing this information with them. Just forward your copy of this email to them. Or, give them a free copy of my 6 Smart Moves ebook!

It might change their life!

(And remember, this works for Under-50 Guys, too!)

Thanks for reading this week.

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