Have you ever read the book the Compound Effect by Darren Hardy? It is a GREAT book…one of my favorites! I actually have the audio version that I listen to in my car…I listened to it once about a year ago, and I’m listening to it again now. There are so many great ideas in there…I just had to share them with you!
What is the book about? Essentially, the book is about our small, seemingly insignificant choices that don’t have an immediate effect, but over time will add up and make a big difference.
How can this be applied to weight loss? Well, it’s the same principle! It’s the small, daily tasks, that are very easy to do, and easy not to do, that will change your body.
He gives a great example in the book. There are two friends. One starts making a couple of healthy changes. He cut out only 125 calories a day from his diet (like switching from mayo to mustard on a sandwich). He also started walking about a mile a day. Nothing crazy, but just a few small changes that he knew he could stick with. Meanwhile, his friend started cooking a little bit richer foods at dinner time and added a cocktail to his daily after dinner routine. Nothing crazy, but it just helped him relax. For the first year even the differences were so small they weren’t measurable. After 2 years, however, those small changes really started to add up! The first guy ended up losing just over 30lbs, while the second guy ended up GAINING just over 30lbs. Do you see how that works? So many people think that it takes some big diet and lots of exercise to lose weight and be healthy, when in fact, it’s the small, daily tasks, that if you are consistent with them, really add up in the long run. So I’m asking you…what small changes do you think you can make and stick with longterm? Can you replace a can of soda with water? Switch from white bread to whole grain? Take the stairs at work? Start making those small changes and you’ll see big results in the long term =)
