Power Tips For Eating Smarter

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Welcome to the LenDentonThrive Letter, my weekly newsletter focused on helping 50+ Guys lose weight, get fit, and stay fit for life. We do that by building our ThriveLives!

The ThriveLife is my science-based, food-first, gym-optional approach to building a sustainable, enjoyable, and healthy lifestyle - without relying on crazy diets or grueling workouts.  

This week, we’re talking about my favorite topic - FOOD!

The Secret Weapon For Fitness

Food is the secret to your life-long fitness. Most 50+ Guys don’t know how to put food to work for them, so their food choices are constantly working against them.

It’s different for Guys who are building their ThriveLives. For us ThriveLife Guys, food becomes our secret weapon! Food is the catalyst that drives and fuels our fitness, instead of being the weight that constantly holds us back! 

ThriveLife Guys know that the weight loss battle is won in the kitchen, not the gym!

This is a principle we call Eating Smarter. By making smart food choices, we can create conditions that allow our bodies to get rid of excess weight quickly and keep it off for life! 

I’ve written extensively about Eating Smarter; you can read about it here and here and here. I’ve also included the ThriveLife Guide to Eating Smarter in Figure 1 below.

Power Tips for Eating Smarter

Eating smarter is the key to sustainable weight loss. But eating smarter isn’t about fad diets or starving yourself. Those are short-term strategies that yield short-term results. 

Eating smarter is about developing smart daily habits and making better choices. To help you do both, I’ll share seven power tips to help you become a Smart Eater.

Tip #1 - Avoid the Red Zone - Red Zone foods are those that have a high Glycemic Index (70 or greater). These foods spike your glucose levels causing your body to store excess energy as fat. Eliminating these high-GI foods can significantly reduce your body fat. Red Zone Foods include: sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes, corn, and high fructose corn syrup. See Figure 2 below for more details.

Tip #2 - Daily Meal Planning - It’s easier to avoid calories than it is to work them off through exercise. When it comes to reducing or eliminating calories, five minutes of daily meal planning in the morning is better than an hour at the gym! By planning ahead, you can avoid situations where you’ll be trapped into making bad food choices (eating in the Red Zone). 

Tip #3 - Don’t Drink Your Calories - Some of our favorite drinks are surprisingly high in calories. This includes sugary soft drinks, craft beers, and our favorite lattes. Make better drink choices to avoid excess calories.

Tip #4 - Reduce Stress - Food cravings are often triggered by stress. Lowering our stress levels also lowers Cortisol (our fight or flight hormone). Avoid stressful situations and people whenever you can. Walking is an excellent way to reduce stress.

Tip #5 - Stay Hydrated - Sometimes, we think we are hungry when we are actually thirsty. Plus, our bodies metabolize (burn) fat more effectively when we are well-hydrated.

Tip #6 - Get Better Sleep - Sleep helps to reduce our levels of Cortisol. Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, also decreases with better sleep. Establishing better night-time practices can help you improve your sleep. Read more about getting better sleep here.

Tip #7 - Optional - Reward Yourself With A Treat Meal - Did you make good food choices this week? Then feel empowered to reward yourself with a treat meal. A treat meal allows you to eat whatever you want for one meal each week. This allows you to enjoy a food you may have been craving throughout the week. It also helps you avoid the diet-deprivation sensation you get when you are on a restrictive diet. (Remember, we’re not dieting. We’re eating smarter!) It can be a great tool to motivate you to stay focused and on task throughout the week. However, don’t allow your treat meal to expand into a cheat day. (Note: I often treat myself to my favorite Tex-Mex lunch on Saturdays!)

Take Action

Here are three actions you can take starting today to improve your food choices and to put food to work for your health and fitness:

1 - Decide to Eat Smarter - it all begins with your decision. Start building your new smart daily habits now.

2 - Check your diet for Red Zone Foods - systematically begin removing Red Zone Foods from your daily diet. This may take a few days or weeks to complete, so start today! (Note: If you aren’t the cook, you might need to discuss and coordinate this new daily habit with whoever cooks your meals.)

3 - Plan ahead daily - begin a morning practice of reviewing the day’s events and ensuring that you’ll have access to healthy food choices as needed. Read more on daily meal planning here.

Use these tips to help you eat smarter and turn food into your secret weapon for health and fitness. When you do, you’ll be able to eat your way to a healthier and fitter future!

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. It might change their life!

(Or, give them a free copy of my 6 Smart Moves ebook!)

Thanks for reading this week.

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