Minimalism Is Healthy How I Lost 70 Pounds

Minimalism Is Healthy How I Lost 70 Pounds I dont have time to exercise. Im just too busy!  Weve all told ourselves this lie before: if we had more time, we could get into shape; if we werent so damn busy, we could lose those extra 20, 40, 90 pounds; if there were more hours in the day, wed make the trek to the gym. I used to tell myself that same lie. I was 70 pounds overweight in my early- and mid-twenties. I avoided mirrors because I was embarrassed when I saw myself. I was fat and out of shape and I hated it. Then theres another lie we tell ourselves. We say, Ill start exercising next month or next week or tomorrow.  But tomorrow never comes, does it? Thats because were just as busyâ€"or even busierâ€"tomorrow or next week or whenever, and so we put it off again and again until its no longer on our radar at all. But of course tomorrow never comes. There is only today. Did you know that both of these lies are essentially the same exact lie? You see, we tend to manipulate time: We think that we dont have enough of it today, but somehow well magically have more time tomorrow, that somehowâ€"even though we dont change anything that were doingâ€"well be able to exercise and eat healthier and get into better shape tomorrow. Its funny, we dont do the same thing with food, thoughâ€"do we? If you didnt have enough food in the house to eat this week, do you think youd say, Oh, its okay, Ill just start eating again next week.  Of course not. The first stop on the road to better health is to stop lying to ourselves. Ive found that therere two things that helped me get on track quickly: Musts. Dont make change a shouldâ€"make it a must. Minimalism. Get rid of lifes excess so you can focus on whats important. It took me a couple years to lose those extra pounds of (disgusting) fat, but that was seven years ago, and Ive kept the weight off and am never turning back. Im in my thirties now, but Im in the best shape of my lifeâ€"by far. And its only going to get better from here. How did I do it? Simply. Seriously. I focused on my diet and exercise (obviously), but in a way I knew I could maintain: I began exercising eighteen minutes each day because even the busiest person in the world has 20 minutes to focus on his or her health each day. And I simplified my diet. Thats it. After about six months of consistent exercise, I started to look forward to it, I started to enjoy it, I even started to crave it. Before I knew it, I was lean, and I felt better than ever. Additional reading: Health Is a Vehicle, Not a Destination.