Chris Powell's Choose More, Lose More for Life Read Online Free PDF Page B

step.” The way we see it, every transformation begins with a single promise. That’s why the very first transformation promise you make to yourself must be so small that it’s actually attainable, even when life gets in the way. It has to be so doable that you know you can
fulfill it
. Then you can add another little promise and master that one. Each tiny promise is a step on your journey of transformation.
    Here’s an example: When people ask us how much cardio they should do to burn fat, our answer is “Gimme five minutes.” Doesn’t matter what it is—a jog around the block, walking in place while watching TV—just do it for five minutes. It’s a five-minute promise that you can fulfill every day. If five minutes make you feel so good you want to do five more, that’s great: You’ll just reach your goal faster. But the promise is for only five minutes of cardio. Hit those five and you win. Period. Do four minutes and fifty-nine seconds and you lose. It’s not about the cardio—it’s about
you
and the
promise
you made! Get it yet?
    Because it’s so important to keep the promises you make to yourself,don’t go overboard. Start slowly, by making
just one small promise
—“I will eat one serving of vegetables today,” “I will take the stairs today.” Every single promise puts your self-love on the line, so only make promises that you can keep—and keep them! I see the payoff for our clients: When they keep their promises, they learn how to love themselves, and they can do almost anything. Loving yourself is the
most valuable gift
you can give yourself. When you love yourself, you can realize your dreams.
THE POWER PROMISE
    I want to give you every possible advantage in making your physical and emotional transformation, so I’ve written 101 basic, realistic promises that you can use (one at a time!) along the way. I call these the
Power Promises
. Each of these is a great place to start your transformation.
    Take a look through the Power Promises. See how easy they are? If you make just one Power Promise to yourself, your chances of keeping it are incredibly good. So pick a promise and focus on keeping it. When you master it, add a second promise, make it happen, then a third… and so on. Give yourself as long as you need to fulfill each promise to yourself. By succeeding, you’ll come to
believe
that you can transform your body and your life. Keeping your first promises to yourself will psych you up to
do this
!
    The Power Promises fall into three categories that are central to transformation.
    Food Promises—I Will:
    1. Choose skim milk over whole milk.
    2. Eat at least one serving of veggies every day.
    3. Avoid drinks with refined sugar.
    4. Cut out the beer and alcohol.
    5. Drink half as many ounces of water daily as I weigh in pounds.
    6. Drink water before each meal.
    7. Use a smaller coffee cup.
    8. Leave cream and sugar out of my coffee.
    9. Eat breakfast every morning.
    10. Eat low-sugar, high-fiber breakfast cereal.
    11. Eat three meals and two snacks a day.
    12. Set an alarm so I remember to eat every three hours.
    13. Eat protein at every meal.
    14. Quit grazing on junk food in the afternoon.
    15. Keep healthy snacks on hand at home, work, and anywhere else I eat.
    16. Stop eating my kids’ food.
    17. Brush my teeth after dinner so I don’t eat later.
    18. Stop eating after my fifth meal.
    19. Pack each day’s snacks and lunch in the morning, when I’m fresh and motivated.
    20. Stop eating in the car.
    21. Say no to fast food.
    22. Put half of every restaurant meal in a take-out container before I start eating.
    23. Eat from a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
    24. Eat slowly.
    25. Occasionally enjoy my favorite foods in moderation so I don’t feel deprived.
    26. Stop eating off my friends’ or spouse’s plates.
    27. Skip seconds.
    28. Eat half my dinner portion and half my dessert, and save the leftovers for tomorrow.
    29. Get rid of my microwave and all the processed food