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February 15, 2023

Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you

Perhaps, we should take a different look at changing our behaviors.  What if we look at it like a designer?  What if we think in design iterations? 

Let’s take the telephone as an example.  The first telephone didn’t look at all like the telephones we carry around today.  You sat at it.  It had a huge drum like thing, a needle & wires.  What if, after that first iteration, designers gave up.  What if they said ‘it’s been a month, that’s the best we’ll get’ or ‘I can’t do any better, this is how the telephone will always be’.   

If that’s too much to imagine, imagine still only having the first generation iphone from 2007.  What if Apple said ‘that’s it, we’ve done enough.  That’s the best it’ll be.  Enjoy your iphone.’  

That would be CRAZY! 

We wouldn’t have wireless phones capable of running businesses, taking pictures, playing music, making phone calls, keeping schedules, assisting with tasks, translating, providing directions, reviews, social contact, ….   The list goes on and on and the capabilities are increasing with every iteration. 

I hope there’s an aha moment here for you….  What if you start thinking of your life and your behavior change as something to be designed?  Something to be worked on, tested, improved upon?  If something doesn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board to make a tweak versus throwing up your hands and completely giving up!  

When you start to think in baby step iterations, guess what?  Your thoughts of failing fade away because it is no longer black and white (success or failure).  Now you’re thinking like a designer…  ‘we want this, what steps can we take to do it?…  ‘we’re here & we want this better.  what can we do to get this better?’   ‘Ah, that didn’t work….  What else can we do to get this better?….’   There are no failures unless we stop trying.  There are just iteration improvements; like going from one iphone version to the next!

I encourage you to start thinking of your health journey like a designer!  Our coaches here at Hybrid are ready with many tools to help you design your way to your health goals!

February 9, 2023

The Math Lesson You Never Knew You Needed: 2 Proven Weight Loss Hacks

There are two lessons we learned in math class years ago that can help us achieve our weight loss goals with less stress. I use these everyday with my clients to help them not only make progress in their weight loss goals, but to do it in a way that is sustainable for them! Here are the two rules we follow:

Rule #1: Faster Weight Loss Results with The Order of Operations

The “order of operations” rule in math tells us how to prioritize exponents, parentheses, multiplication, and addition when solving a problem. Unfortunately, most people with weight loss goals don’t use this concept in their lives, causing them unnecessary stress and guilt.

Applying this to our daily routines, we learn to prioritize tasks. For example, in the morning, I might make breakfast and dirty some dishes. But instead of cleaning them right away, I leave them for later in the day when my willpower is lower, so I can focus on more important tasks, whether it’s for health or work. This is because my willpower is strongest at the beginning of the day, and I want to conserve that energy for tasks that really matter.

To determine what tasks are truly important, ask yourself, “will I regret not doing this five years from now?” For example, I might not regret not doing the dishes, but I could regret not working out or not putting more effort into a business idea. Just keep in mind, while this can be great for your goals, your wife MIGHT not like dishes sitting around all day! You have been warned!

Rule #2: Say Goodbye to Scale Worries with the Power of Averaging

Stepping on the scale every day can be overwhelming. When you want to see the weight go down, but it goes up instead, it can be discouraging. Try to avoid daily judgment by using weekly averages instead. Add up each daily weight entry and compare week to week. This helps avoid fluctuations from lack of sleep, water retention, or sickness. Use the numbers to determine if you need to adjust your calorie intake.

Example: Two Week Weight Log

Week 1:
Monday: 150 lbs
Tuesday: 149 lbs
Wednesday: 151 lbs
Thursday: 153 lbs
Friday: 152 lbs
Saturday: 151 lbs
Sunday: 153 lbs

Weekly Average: 151.7 lbs

Week 2:
Monday: 153 lbs
Tuesday: 151 lbs
Wednesday: 150 lbs
Thursday: 152 lbs
Friday: 151 lbs
Saturday: 150 lbs
Sunday: 149 lbs

Weekly Average: 151.1 lbs

Comparing the weekly averages, we can see that there has been a slight decrease in weight from week 1 to week 2. This can give a clearer picture of progress, rather than being discouraged by daily fluctuations. Based on this information, the you can determine if you need to adjust your calorie intake or keep it the same!

These are the two rules we learned in math class that can help us achieve our weight loss goals with less stress! If you need further guidance, or need some accountability and coaching to help you reach your health goals, check out hybridfitnessgym.com and apply to learn more!