The Secret To Taming the Giant of Keeping Goals

Want something big or even small in your life and just can't make it happen?

There's powerful biology behind change and why change is hard.

Brains strive to keep everything safe and predictable. When propelled by something big like money, health, and relationship issues, brains accept change. But lacking serious urgency, our brains see change as a behemoth of threat. There are ways to calm the beast! 

Like so many others...

I have changes I want to make:

#1 Covid Pounds

When I switched from looser summer clothes to fall's fitted clothes, pants were tighter! Ack! A serious muffin top popped over the waistband. Ack! Ack!

 

I gained the most in the middle - a sign of imbalanced blood sugar and the slippery downward slope it means. Ack! Ack! Ack!!! A muffin top counters my LOVE of feeling and being really healthy!

#2 Stress 

I juggled many family obligations while rebranding my business Constant low-level stress hormones lead to weight gain. 

Knowing these problems will not change anything. 

What will it take to change? Magic???

Okay, maybe not magic, but there are solid steps to increase the success rate of sticking with our goals.

If you like to read, scroll down and focus on the dark print. My goals and action plan to lose the muffin, as an example, are in grey.

If you'd rather watch? 

My business mentor, Darren Hardy has a great video!

Magic Key #1 - Choose a goal that means something

• When you think about the result of that goal, you should feel really good. 
• Revisit that thought / vision daily or more.
• Post it in places you'll see and remind yourself of that goodness. (Notice any resistance to posting the vision of the goal? Do it anyway!)

Back to the muffin top:

I LOVE seeing the muffin top shrink and back to being healthy and strong!

Magic Key #2: Write out the goal and show others.

• Make the goal SMART: Smart goals work for any goal.
• Write down the goal!  (Notice any resistance? Do it anyway!)
• Show the goal to 2-3 others. Telling people raises your success rate.

Back to the muffin top:

I started this goal in October: lose 2 inches off my waist and abs during 4th quarter.

The Magic Key #3 - Make a plan of action 

Choose three small things you can do each week to move forward just a bit. Start slow and build. Too much, too fast feels like a chore and that pesky resistance giant will get nasty. But small steps build over time. Today, choose 1% better. 

Back to the muffin top: 

Here are my specific actions that are consistent with my LOVE of feeling healthy and strong.

• Take my measurements monthly- I don't like scales.
• Go to the gym 3x/week plus weekly “tree therapy” session.  and exercise is stress therapy for me. I know I can do this plan. 
• I love dessert and limit the calories with a portion-controlled piece of really good, satisfying dark chocolate. 
• New in 2022: Do a gentle cleanse in January to kill my sweet tooth.
• New in 2022: Our diet is very good. I eat extra calories by "picking" while we sit around and chat. I asked my hubby to help me and keep the dinner serving dishes in the kitchen.

Magic Key #4: Get 2-3 people to help. 

• This is "secret sauce"! We need other people to keep us going. Ask the people you told about your goal to be your accountability partners. Arrange how you will check in and how you can help them help you. 

Back to the muffin top:

• I asked a neighbor to meet me at 6:15 am to go to the gym twice a week. 
• I have 2 other buddies who expect me to be at the gym.
• I asked a friend to cleanse with me after the holidays to bust my sweet tooth. It worked!
• I review my actions weekly with my business accountability partners. 

Results?

I started in October. I've lost 7 cm (2.75 in) off my waist (my blood sugar is down!!!) and 3 cm (1.2 inch) off my abs. The success is building the actions set in October action are now easy to maintain. 

New goal: I'm ready for the next step - reduce another 2 cm by March 31.

What small changes have you been making? Please comment below.

 

Thanks for reading!

OMg! Gotta love Magnesium!

Magnesium deficiency is a big deal. Like vitamin D3, most of us are deficient.

Magnesium deficiency is linked with many health problems: diabetes, 

digestion issues, stroke, sudden cardiac death,

migraines, stress, asthma, depression, bone density, muscle cramps, kidney function, weakness, preeclampsia, eclampsia, fibromyalgia, possibly high blood and yes, there's more.

A 2018 study suggests that the role of magnesium for cardiovascular health is so important that subclinical magnesium deficiency should be declared a public health crisis. 

The NIH reports in their Aug 11, 2021 Factsheet for Medical Professionals that nearly 50% of the US population, "ingest less magnesium from food and beverages than their respective EARs" or estimated recommended allowances. Translating: 50% of Americans do not eat the minimum amount of magnesium required for even 50% of the of the requirements for healthy individuals. 

 Keep tuned for my upcoming blog: 

The FDA Has Made it Harder to Know our Nutritional Needs!" 

Enzymes, Muscles, Bones and Magnesium.

Our bodies have a check and balance system for minerals like magnesium. Eating insufficient magnesium rich foods causes a "negative magnesium imbalance. " Our bodies, therefore, pull magnesium out of our bones to satisfy our magnesium needs. Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3 and more work together to build our bone matrix and keep it strong. When we're perpetually leaching magnesium, we're left with osteoporosis in our golden years. In a small, but important study, 84% of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were found deficient in magnesium when their bone mineral content was analyzed. I'm perplexed why our doctors aren't recommending bone building mineral complexes like this one I often recommend.

Why the deficiency?

Dietary magnesium is found in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, and dark chocolate, among other sources. Many people don’t eat enough of these foods regularly. Even with a perfect diet, magnesium is difficult to absorb. We only absorb between 20-75% of the magnesium we eat.

Other factors influencing magnesium absorption.

• We absorb less magnesium as we age.
• The type of magnesium in food may affect our absorption. For example, spinach contains magnesium oxalate, a form better absorbed cooked then raw.
•  People with digestive issues like IBD and Crohn’s disease absorb nutrients less effectively.
• Medicines used for blood pressure management and proton pump inhibitors interfere with magnesium absorption. 
• Mineral depletion in the soil from commercial farming practices reduced minerals in food.
• Other factors include: chronic stress, excess alcohol, salt, coffee, sugar, phosphoric acid (in soda), antibiotics, high levels of zinc, and diuretics (water pills). 

  An extensive list can be found in box 2 of this 2019 publication.

What to do?

• Eat more magnesium rich foods.
• Promote your digestive health. Health always starts in the gut. Connect with me for suggestions to improve digestive health at ExploringBNP@gmail.com.
• When eating magnesium rich foods, avoid excess alcohol, sodas, and coffee.
•  Bathe and relax with Epsom salts. If someone has a digestive system disease that affects nutrient absorption, magnesium can absorb through skin.
• ·Supplement your magnesium intake. Supplements are very helpful if made well. If you are just looking for a magnesium supplement, here's my usual recommendation. 

Can we get too much magnesium? Current research says, not really, but you’ll get diarrhea if you take too much. Magnesium is a laxative and the diarrhea can cause other problems. 200 mg at one sitting is enough.

Keep an eye out for my up-coming blog, Choosing a Bone Supplement That Works and learn how to choose a bone support supplement. It's more complicated than you might expect.

Thanks for reading!

Questions? ExploringBNP@gmail.com

© Susan Buta, BNP 2017, 2021