You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. ~ Albert Camus
It’s been a bit since we focused primarily on health in Further. And given that we’re wrapping up the first month of 2018 today, the topic of weight loss seems appropriate given the amount of New Year’s resolutions that focus on it.
Personally, I stepped on the scale yesterday for the first time this year. What it told me was I had lost 10 pounds since December 31, 2017.
My reaction?
Wow … that’s interesting.
Don’t get me wrong, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s just that I had made no resolution to lose weight this month.
What I did resolve to do was hike every chance I got. Fortunately, the winter has been oddly mild in Boulder, so I got plenty of opportunities.
The increase in vigorous activity was paired with a healthier way of eating, which included cutting back on alcohol. I also resumed intermittent fasting by only eating between 10 am to 6 pm.
Not to lose weight, though. I knew I was consuming fewer calories, and burning an extra 750-1000 calories most days, but those were side statistics.
In other words, the hiking wasn’t to lose weight or even to get fit. I hiked to hike. And I changed what I ate and drank so I could hike better, stronger, and faster.
Funny thing is, these weren’t even 2018 resolutions. I started making changes in my activity and consumption in late November of last year, but it took a while for the habits to take hold. As they do.
It just so happens that I hit my stride right at the beginning of the year. And that’s how that 10 pounds disappeared without me realizing it.
That’s the beauty of weight loss as an ancillary benefit. Make a habit of doing exercise you love so much that you develop other healthy habits to support your performance. Keep up those habits, and the weight stays off.
The first four of this week’s articles will give you a much more scientific take on that. Plus, six other resources for living your best life. Enjoy!
Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
further: top ten
Get Your Move On
Exercise is not the best way to lose weight; cutting back on how many calories you consume is. But sane amounts of exercise lead to fitness, while also burning calories and prompting you to think more about what you’re fueling your body with.
If You Stop Thinking Of Exercise As A Way To Lose Weight, You May Actually Enjoy It
Hunger Games
Okay, so we’re not exercising to lose weight. But what if a certain type or duration of exercise is actually making you gain weight by increasing your hunger levels? Knowledge is power, even if it’s only in the back of your mind.
The Truth About How Much Exercise You Need to Lose Weight
Custom Curbing
The theme so far is that succeeding at losing weight and keeping it off are very personal to you as an individual. So why do we even consider adopting the newest mass market diet, and then blame ourselves when it doesn’t work? Thankfully, science and technology are moving us to personalized plans of attack that are uniquely custom to our exact needs.
Losing Weight in the Future will Not be One Size Fits All
Fit Fast
Intermittent fasting has a ton of benefits beyond weight loss, so it’s yet another thing you can do for reasons other than shedding the pounds. And while I eat mostly healthy choices, I also eat as much as I want — for eight hours a day, that is. And that invariably adds up to fewer calories consumed.
How to Start Intermittent Fasting in 5 Non-Intimidating Steps
Hamilton’s Rap
Alexander Hamilton learned through experience that doing anything worthwhile with your brain requires a foundation built on thousands of hours of deep work. This advice to his son — although lacking in the flow you’ll find in Hamilton the musical — is sound advice for getting real work done.
Alexander Hamilton’s Deep Advice
Work the Future
We’ve all read the headlines: the robots are coming, and they will take our jobs. However, there is a side of this story that is often overlooked: while emerging technologies will destroy many jobs, they will also create many new ones.
These Are the Most Exciting Industries and Jobs of the Future
Home Is Where the Wellness Is
Whether you view this as an investment opportunity, an ideal way to live, or both, it’s certainly interesting. Developers are increasingly investing in neighborhoods dedicated to holistic health and wellness — and the growing industry is worth $134 billion worldwide.
Utopic Wellness Communities Are A Multibillion-Dollar Real Estate Trend
Negative Creep
The no-click summary: New research finds that accepting negative emotions is the best way to deal with them in the long run. People who are more accepting of their darker moods have better psychological health.
How To Deal With Negative Thoughts And Anxiety
Slow and Low
“Slow thinking is not just wise — it’s also a revolutionary act right now. In reactionary times, slowness, responsiveness rather than reactiveness, is a radical rejection of the internet’s perpetual call to action.”
In Praise of Slow Thinking in the Internet Age
Good Morning, Dave
Obligatory HAL 9000 jokes aside, this is fairly fascinating. Does it really matter if your confidante is a human, or is it more important that you express yourself in general — with the upside of an algorithm that “gets you” better than your human friends?
Your New Best Friend: AI Chatbot
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