Everything Counts!

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” – Tony Robbins

When it comes to your exercise and eating habits – everything counts. Research in the area of human behavior indicates that over 90% of our daily actions are habitual. Everything that you decide to do (or not do) on a regular basis adds up to shape your level of health, fitness, and well-being.

In his book, “The Compound Effect,” Darren Hardy uses the example of a person who chooses to eliminate just 125 calories per day from his or her diet and in 31 months loses thirty-three pounds. The math works like this:

31 months = 940 days

940 days x 125 calories/day = 117,500 calories

117,500 divided by 3,500 calories per pound = 33.5 pounds!

Is this a bit of an over simplification? Perhaps, but the principle is sound. The calories that you consume (and burn) according to your daily habits will compound over time.

By the way, a 12 oz. can of cola has 150 calories. By simply substituting one bottle of water for one can of soda each day, you would instantly eliminate 150 calories from your diet. Do you work in a place where co-workers take turns brining in doughnuts or doughnut holes each morning? Two of those little doughnut holes contain between 120 and 140 calories. Half of a glazed doughnut contains about 125 calories. Caloric values of almost anything you eat can be found by doing a quick internet search.

You can now see how making a very small improvement in your diet could easily lead to cutting 125 calories. Now just imagine if you combined that change with a regular exercise routine – your results would increase exponentially.

“The things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.” – Jim Rohn

The best way to make this simple, healthy change is to track what you eat every day for a week. Keep a small pad and a pen with you and jot down everything that you eat or drink. This is not fun or easy, but it is educational. You will uncover hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of empty calories in your diet that are the result of mindless snacking and poor food choices. Armed with this information you can then take a step towards making small (or even large) changes in your daily eating habits and start your own positive compound effect.

If you choose to go on this journey, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear about your results!