My most important weight loss tool

🧠 3-2-1: A mindset to help you say no, the power of video selfies, & avoiding misery.

Jan 22, 2023

Welcome to the 124th consecutive edition of the PWL newsletter.

Here are this week’s thoughts, tactics and tools to consider stealing on your journey to losing weight and building your version of a highly successful body and life.

1. What’s your problem???

“Every problem, at its root, is a question that hasn’t been answered yet.”
— Noah St. John —

A counter-intuitive way to solve our most pressing problems is to work backwards to determine the best question we should be asking ourselves.

And the better the questions, the better the results.

— To Ponder —

Don’t ask, “How can I lose weight?”

A better question is, “What mindsets, habits and false beliefs do I presently possess that prevent me from successfully losing weight?”

Discuss amongst yourself.

2. Mentors trump DNA.

“The apple doesn’t fall from the tree, but that doesn’t mean it can’t roll to a new location.”
— Dr. Joe Dispenza —

Here’s my take.

We don’t get to choose our parents or the DNA we inherit, but we can choose mentors who can help us succeed on our weight loss journey regardless of the genetic hand we’ve been dealt.

— To ponder —

Find someone who has defied their DNA to lose weight and keep it off. Then immerse yourself in everything they have to offer so you can do the same.

3. Maximize your ROE.

ROE = Return on Effort

The question you should always be pondering is how to do as little as possible to get the greatest return on your effort.

—For Example —

Return on Effort is why I only have to train 10 minutes a day.

I’m constantly on the lookout for difficult movements that offer a greater return on the effort I exert.

For instance, I could do 5-minutes of ab crunches or I can get the same or better results doing 30 seconds of L-sits.

I get a 10X ROE on the L-sits and get to use the remaining 4.5 minutes to do other high leverage exercises that also deliver a great ROE.

— To Ponder —

To maximize your ROE decrease your time commitment while simultaneously increasing your level of intensity.

ROE = Decreased Time x Increased Level of Intensity.

1. How to know when to say no.

“If it’s not a ‘Hell yeah!” then it’s ‘No.’”

I stole this simple, yet beautiful mindset from Derek Sivers.

But I put my own twist on it.

I don’t just use this when it comes to making decisions about future commitments, I also use it to decide if a habit is worth adopting, a food is worth eating or an item is worth purchasing.

If the habit, food or purchase doesn’t spark a “HELL YEAH!” then I don’t adopt it, eat it or buy it.

— For Example —

I was reminded of this after a purchase I made last week to improve my sleep quality by upgrading my bedding.

The comforter I purchased has sparked tremendous joy and has actually helped me increase my sleep opportunity by getting into bed much earlier than I usually do.

— To Ponder —

A “Hell yeah!” means that thing sparks joy. And joy scales long-term.

Everything else is some measure of misery. And misery, no matter how small, doesn’t scale.

2. How to improve faster.

Take selfie videos then take a screenshot that you can mark up and learn from.

The best athletes study lots of film of their past performances so they can maximize their improvement.

This skill is critical to adopt on the weight loss journey as well.

— For Example —

Here are the notes I made for myself on my L-sit.

The screenshot allows me to see where I am presently at, gives me a sense of where I could be by the end of the year and how I can improve my form in the meantime.

— To Ponder —

Video selfies and the screenshots you scrap from them are a powerful tool for expediting self improvement and success.

1. The power of a body weight scale.

I have a stack of apps and tools I use to sustain my 43.8 lb weight loss for the past 1282 days.

But the most important is my body weight scale.

Why?

Because, by weighing myself every morning, it allows me to catch eating mistakes instantly and take small corrective actions today to get back on track tomorrow.

This way I ensure I never become overweight again because I catch my mistakes within 24 hours.

— To Ponder —

Consider getting yourself a scale so you can begin catching and correcting your eating mistakes immediately.

I would also suggest you get one that is thin enough so it can travel with you. Mine cost $32, is about the size of my laptop and easily fits in my backpack.