The 1 Thing in 2026

Hey Brothers,

If you’re a busy guy looking to lose 20+ pounds in 2026 (and keep it off for good), then this week’s letter is written especially for you.

I’m Len. Welcome back to the LenDentonThrive Letter, where the focus is on helping men build thriving lives across all the key zones of their lives: Body, Soul (mind), Spirit and Treasure.

Fitness can be a noisy, complicated topic for lots of guys. There are so many options, so many voices, and so many failures!  

Failures?

Yep… it’s true. 

We are living in what should be the Golden Age of Fitness in America. There is a gym or fitness center in every strip mall. Universities graduate record numbers of nutritionists every year. The Internet contains millions of videos and reels on how to become fit. We have access to endless numbers of gadgets, supplements and injections.

Yet, American men are more overweight and obese than ever (today’s obesity rates are 3 times higher than in 1960)! And, because of rising obesity, we are becoming more and more unhealthy as the rates of heart disease, cancer and dementia rise.  And, Americans are spending more every year on fitness-related expenses (memberships, equipment, etc.)

Something’s not working!

We know more about fitness every year. We spend more. Yet American men are more overweight and less healthy than ever before! This is a recipe for failure. And, a formula for living shorter, less healthy lives.

This isn’t THRIVING!

But…what if the problem isn’t you?

And, what should you do instead?

One Thing for 2026

The New Year is approaching fast. And with it comes that annual exercise in futility - the New Year’s resolution. Every year guys commit to themselves that they’re going to lose weight and get into better shape this year.

And, every year, most guys experience the same set-backs that prevent success, including things like a lack of time or focus, burn-out and being overwhelmed with other priorities. 

(That has happened to me, too!)

So, what if there was just one thing that guys could do that would significantly improve their odds of losing weight and keeping it off in 2026?

It wouldn’t be a new gym membership.

Or, a new treadmill to clutter up your garage or basement.

Or, a new exotic supplement you saw on the Internet.

Or, that new injection your doctor suggested. (He likely gets a commission on that, btw!)

Nope…none of that!

The single most-impactful thing you can do in 2026 to lose weight and keep it off is:

Change the way you eat!

Note that I didn’t say, “Go on a diet” or “eat less!”

What I am saying is “Eat differently!”

It’s The Food

The biggest difference between men’s obesity rates in 1960 and today is the food we are eating. In 1960, most calories we ate came from whole (unprocessed) foods like meats and vegetables. Today in America, around 70% of the calories consumed are from highly-processed foods. The most-consumed foods in America today all have their own brands and labels and marketing teams! 

Think about what you eat on a regular basis. These aren’t the farm foods our grand-dads grew up eating. They are factory-food products with a box, with a brand and an ingredient list at least 10-12 items long (most of which you can’t pronounce).  

Highly processed foods are highly-engineered foods. They are created with ingredients that not only enhance their taste, but also increase your cravings for them. 

This is where food science meets neuroscience! We’re eating more calories but actually getting less nutrition. And, it’s this change in our diets that has resulted in the obesity explosion we’re experiencing today!

The antidote to this dilemma is to eat more like our granddads and less like our kids! I call this Eating Smarter, and it is the foundation of my personal operating system for fitness that I call my ThriveLife.

In 2014, I started Eating Smarter by eliminating bad foods and replacing them with better food choices. I didn’t reduce the amount of food I was eating. I simply stopped eating six different bad foods. And when I did, the results were amazing and long-lasting.

In just 7 months, I lost 70 pounds. I went from 248 pounds on New Years Day to 178 pounds on the 4th of July. 

I didn’t starve myself. I didn’t diet. There were no kale smoothies. Just plenty of real, un-processed foods like my granddads ate. My daily calorie consumption went down, and so did my weight! Now, 12 years later, I’m still eating smarter and I’m still at my goal weight. 

It’s not magic. It’s smarter eating. It works for me and many of my friends. And, it can work for you, too.

I’ve written extensively about Eating Smarter here, here and here. Check it out for yourself. 

Don’t be fooled by the Muscle Industry. Your weight loss battle will be won in the kitchen - not the gym!

So, if you want to lose weight in 2026, and keep it off, Eat Smarter and build your ThriveLife! Subscribe to this newsletter to learn how. (It’s free!)

And remember…God loves you. He wants you to thrive. So, let’s go!

Thanks for reading…Merry Christmas! 

Len

Thanks for reading this week.

I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of Over-50 Guys and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week.

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