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LenDentonThrive Letter #16

From Fitness Zero to ThriveLife Hero

If you’re over-50, overweight, and are looking for a change, then this edition of the LenDentonThrive Letter is just for you. I’m going to show you a step-by-step framework for how to go from being a Fitness Zero to a ThriveLife Hero.

But first, here’s a quick preview of what’s in the LenDentonThrive Letter #16:

• The Big Idea - This week, we’re building a pathway to your own, custom-tuned ThriveLife.

• Tip of the Week - A quick tip or strategy to help you improve your health, fitness, and life.

• News You Can Use - I’ll share some useful items from my research stack for you to check out later.

I’m glad that you’re here! We have a lot to cover in eight minutes or less, so let’s get started!

1. The Big Idea - From Fitness Zero to ThriveLife Hero

In past editions of this newsletter, I’ve written about the ThriveLife (read more here), and the 7 Elements of Fitness (read more here). In today’s newsletter, I’ll bring these elements together to help my fictional friend, Ben, to build his own, custom-tuned ThriveLife. By doing so, it will also show you a potential path toward your own ThriveLife as well.

But, first, let’s meet Ben.

Ben is a hard-working, 55-year-old tech executive with a high-pressure job where he works 45-50 hours a week and travels 6-10 days a month. He’s married and has two teenage daughters who keep him constantly on the move with their various sports and school activities.

Ben’s wife is concerned about his health. He’s 50 pounds overweight, with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. He’s avoiding seeing the doctor for an annual checkup because he’s “too busy,” and he’s worried about what the doctor will tell him. He’s also not very consistent in taking his medications.

Ben was athletic in high school and college but is no longer active due to the time pressures from work and family commitments. He has avoided going to the gym because he’s so busy, plus he’s not into the gym culture very much.

Ben knows that he needs to make some changes. His older brother, Ken, had a heart attack last year. And, his family has a history of heart disease.

On a fitness scale of 1 to 10, Ben rates himself as a Fitness Zero!

Does Ben sound like somebody you know? He sounds an awful lot like somebody I know. Actually, it sounds a lot like me 10 years ago!

Now, let’s see how we can help Ben make some necessary changes using the ThriveLife framework to create a sustainable ThriveLife of his own.

Start with Goals

What does Ben want to accomplish? He has 4 primary goals:

1. Weight loss - Ben wants to lose those 50 pounds.

2. Medical conditions - He knows he needs to do a better job of managing his high blood pressure and cholesterol. He wants to avoid experiencing a heart attack like his brother did.

3. Fitter, with more energy - Ben has been feeling more and more sluggish as he ages. He’s noticed that he isn’t sleeping as well as he used to. He’d also like to tighten up his muscles that have sagged over the last few years.

4. Make it sustainable - Ben has started and stopped several programs over the years. He tried Crossfit but injured his leg after three weeks. He doesn’t have the time or energy to do the gym/professional trainer thing. He needs an approach that fits his everyday life and can go with him when he travels, which is frequent.

Build a Plan

Using Ben’s goals, let’s build a plan using the ThriveLife Framework, which is based on 4 Simple Rules.

Here’s the month-to-month plan we created for Ben to use:

Month #1 - Do the following things for the next 30 days, focusing on 4 main areas:

• Schedule an exam with the doctor (Rule #1) - to begin to manage the blood pressure and cholesterol better. And, also to ensure that Ben’s healthy enough to do the plan. (The doctor actually liked Ben’s approach.)

• Begin to eat smarter (Rule #2) - boost his FoodIQ by identifying and removing six Red Zone foods from his daily diet (sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, white flour, white rice, white potatoes, and corn). He won’t worry about reducing calories for now, but just “stay out of the Red Zone!” Instead, eat more lean proteins and veggies. Also, take 5 minutes every morning to plan for meals, eating out, etc. to ensure that Ben has access to healthy food options.

• Start moving (Rule #3) - begin walking every day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from the entrance. Take fitness breaks to walk at work. Take walking meetings where feasible. Consider buying a fitness tracker to measure all of the steps you accumulate throughout the day. Walk as many steps as you are able to, but don’t be concerned about step goals yet.

• Create a daily weigh-in ritual (Rule #4) - Ben will standardize how he weighs in every day at the same time and the same way, before consuming any food or drink. He’ll also start recording his daily weigh-ins using an app or a journal.

That’s it for our first month.

As Ben starts to do this every day, he’ll notice that his sugar cravings are rising because he is reducing his sugar intake. He’ll need to combat that by eating more protein. He can also eat a piece of fruit whenever he feels he needs a sugar fix. These cravings start to dissipate after a few days.

Ben will also notice that he’s starting to lose weight as he removes the Red Zone foods from his diet.

Month #2 - In the second 30-day period, Ben will continue to focus on eating smarter, walking, and performing his daily weigh-in ritual. He should also be actively managing his medical issues better, and taking meds as prescribed.

In Month #2, Ben will add the following actions to what he’s been doing over the first 30 days:

• Boost his FoodIQ even further - by learning how to use the FoodIQ system’s three food categories (Green/Yellow/Red). Using this approach, Ben will fine-tune his daily diet to be 80% Green, 20% Yellow, and 0% Red. This will help him improve his calorie deficit, accelerating weight loss. (Read more about this system here.)

• Do a 4PM exercise evaluation - 4PM is an acronym that stands for:

  • Personal - do you enjoy doing the exercise?

  • Practical - does it fit your lifestyle?

  • Portable - can you take it with you?

  • Permanent - can you do it for the rest of your life?

  • Measurable - is it easy to track and measure?

• Using the 4PM method, and based on his time constraints and travel requirements, Ben chose walking as his best exercise for now. He also increased his daily step goal to 7,000 per day.

• Focus on 7+ hours of sleep - Ben developed a night-time routine to help his body and brain prepare for a good night’s sleep. Over-50 Guys need 7+ hours of sleep per night minimum. Check out this week’s Tip-of-the-Week for more insights into night-time routines.

At this point, Ben’s diet changes are starting to have an impact. Coupled with his increased daily cardio, he’ll be losing 2 to 3 pounds per week. He’s no longer experiencing sugar cravings, and he’s able to eat 3 healthy meals per day with no feelings of hunger or deprivation. Energy levels are also starting to rise as his metabolism adjusts to less sugar and he begins to get better sleep.

Month #3 - only minor adjustments to make at this point. Ben will continue to perform the actions established over the previous 60 days. This month, he’ll begin to add some bodyweight exercises for 15-20 minutes 3 or 4 times per week to help him to start building muscle.

Ben will continue with this Month #3 plan until he reaches his goal weight a few months from now. Once he reaches his goal weight, he’ll continue to follow this plan with some slight variations to manage his weight and continue to improve his fitness levels.

Ben’s now on his way to living his ThriveLife. This plan is helping him to lose weight, improve his fitness and energy levels, and get better sleep. This is a simple, food-first plan that doesn’t rely on crazy diets or killer workouts. Best of all, it’s a plan that Ben can see himself doing for the rest of his life.

This is Ben’s personal plan to go from Fitness Zero to ThriveLife Hero!

2. Tip of the Week: 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Ritual

Sleep experts tell us that Over-50 Guys need at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Anything less than 7 hours results in a sleep deficit, which is unhealthy. If you’re not getting your nightly 7 hours, consider giving this week’s tip a try.

The 10-3-2-1-0 is a simple plan to help you prepare your mind and body for a good night’s sleep. Here’s a quick summary of the plan, followed by a link to learn more:

• 10 - Stop drinking caffeine 10 hours before bed

• 3 - No food or drinks 3 hours before bed

• 2 - Stop working 2 hours before bed

• 1 - Shut off all screens 1 hour before bed

• 0 - Number of times to hit the Snooze button in the morning

Click below to learn more:

3. News You Can Use

Here is some “news you can use” from my recent research and writing:

1. 10,000 steps a day: Too low? Too high? Here’s a short article from the Mayo Clinic on the benefits of walking and how to set a manageable step goal:

   https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/10000-steps/art-20317391

2. Is Sugar Really 8 Times More Additive Than Cocaine? Check out this report from 2015 to see just how addictive sugar can be:

   https://abc13.com/sugar-addiction-cocaine-addictive-foods/533979/

Follow me on the socials for daily tips and strategies for living your ThriveLife:

I’m Writing A Book!

I’m a busy Over-50 Guy who has spent the past ten years building a practice of personal health and fitness that relies on real food and smart exercise instead of crazy diets and killer workouts. This process, called ThriveAge, helped me to lose 70 pounds and keep it off for going on ten years. Now, I want to share what I have learned with other Over-50 Guys. So, I wrote the book!

In The ThriveAge Way (The Over-50 Way To Lose Weight, Get Fit & Stay Fit For Life), I share everything I’ve learned about the principles and practices necessary to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle. I call it my ThriveLife.

New subscribers to the LenDentonThrive Letter will receive Chapter 1 of my new book for free. To get your free copy of Chapter 1, just subscribe to the LenDentonThrive Letter.

Thanks for your time and attention. Have a great weekend. See you next Saturday!

Thrive & Prosper,

Len

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See you next Saturday!