The 10 Percent Rule

Go hard or go home. All or none. No pain no gain. Restrict, cut, limit. You’ve heard these and more all too often, right? This approach might work for some people in some areas of life but when releasing weight and transforming your lifestyle is your goal this will set you up for failure over and over again.

Life is full. Time tends to be at a premium as a result. In the early part of your journey of Thriving Health changing too much too soon will overwhelm you and trip you up. Unconsciously it might be your default approach. External influence of media, marketers, and others push it upon you. Instant gratification is appealing. On top of this you hold many deep seeded beliefs about the way you’ve lived that resist any change you try. Too much at once gives them all the ammo they need to knock you off track… again.

Your solution – The 10% Rule of Change

Baby steps to change do work. Slow and steady made easy delivers results. Adding changes of 10% at a time (perhaps up to 20% only IF you find 10% is easily integrated) on the road towards your planned lifestyle will not overwhelm in terms of time and space. Adding changes of 10% will not awaken limiting beliefs you’ve begun to put to sleep permanently. Gradually these slow and steady changes made easy become habit and patterns that are the new normal of your active healthy lifestyle. Periodically you add more changes and evolve the ones you’re integrating already. Do not overwhelm and it will feel seamless and relatively easy. Gradually you’ll get to fully living all the aspects of your healthy active lifestyle that you identified in the beginning of your journey.

Here are some suggestions.

Generally

1. Increase physical activity volume by 10% per week (i.e. total minutes added up)
2. Increase physical activity intensity by 10% (i.e. speed, grade, sets, reps, load, etc.)
3. Decrease daily caloric intake by 10% until it feels normal
4. Shift going to bed time or waking time by 10% per week until desired time frame is set

More Specifically

1. Cut back fast food meals from 10 times every 2 weeks to 9 (perhaps 10 % each 2 week period)
2. Add 10% more veggies to your dinner plate while cutting 10% of something less healthy
3. Cut the equivalent of one soda pop per day (about 150 calories)
4. Sit at the dinner table for a family meal with the TV off 10% more often
5. Do an extra loop through the park walking the dog adding 10% more time each walk
6. Hold that prone plank core exercise for 10% longer each week
7. On your way home from work get off one bus stop sooner each week and walk.

The possibilities are endless. Discover what will fit easily into your schedule and your life. Aim for your high priority areas first. Consider 2-3 small changes a week only. If it feels like too much then break it down further and commence slower.

There is no end game here. It is your life. Every change you make adds positively to your active healthy lifestyle. Milestone goals will be reached and passed along the way. Your lifestyle is yours forever.

These changes are purposefully small enough so you won’t really notice them but they will deliver the results you want over time.  Slow and steady made easy as you …..

Release weight, achieve thriving health and begin living your Ideal Life TODAY!

Yours in health,

Brent