PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY

Now that you have decided what your goal is and why you will achieve it you are ready for the next step.

If you haven't done your goal setting, please refer to the 'Goal Setting' page and complete the suggested activities before attempting this next phase. I will be blunt with you here - if you try to go forward and create long term change without doing this you will not succeed.

Preparing for any journey is crucial. You need to equip yourself physically, practically but most of all mentally. Your attitude at this point, and throughout, will be the determining factor as to the success of this six week program and beyond.

 You need to prepare yourself:

1. Make some changes in the way you think about nutrition and exercise. Your current thinking has got you to where you are today - is it working? If yes, ignore the rest! 
2. Start to create awareness of your current habits by accurately and honestly filling out the daily journal (download this form now) for at least the next 7 days.
3. Purchase yourself a pedometer. This is a great tool for measuring your steps taken. It is readily available from sports shops and chemists and will cost anywhere from $5 to $50 (you get what you pay for!). 
4. Start wearing your pedometer to get a feel for how many steps you are doing on a daily basis.
5. Adopt the attitude that "I will dance until it rains" (see below)
6. Decide on one to six very basic dance steps, that you will commit to do everyday/week until you get the results you want (see below)

I will re-tell the story, if you didn't see it on the home page:

There is a story about the Red Indians living off the land in the prairies and plains of the United States of America. This was a very challenging time. The land had suffered from drought for a long period and the tribes were suffering  as a result of the lack of water, lack of vegetation and lack of  food.

Across the land and in this time of desperation the legend grew of the tribe that would dance and make it rain.

The other tribes set the goal to make it rain and would try, but would fail. Some would dance for several minutes but stop with no success, others would dance for hours and some tribes would even dance for days on end with the same result. They would all give up disheartened and just as dry as when they started.

A decison was made to track down this legendary tribe and find the secret to their success. So the chiefs from all the tribes took off in search of this one tribe. When they found the tribe, they sat at the feet of its chief and pleaded; "Oh great chief, we have tried to make it rain, we are suffering, we need your help. How can you make it rain? What is your secret?"

"There is no secret. Our method is simple - WE DANCE UNTIL IT RAINS" 

The moral to this story is simple. Once you start dancing, keep dancing and keep dancing and keep dancing and keep dancing and keep dancing until it rains.

Keep going until you have given up smoking. Keep going until you have achieved your desired weight. Keep going until you can run 5km in under 20 minutes. Or whatever the goal may be.

If you set your attitude and make the decision that " I WILL UNTIL", you cannot fail.

Now that you have made that decision, the next important realisation is that what ever action you adopt it must be maintainable. There is no point taking on something that you do not enjoy, and cannot manageably fit into your lifestyle.

Understand that you need to make some changes and commit to them, but make sure they are doable.

I have listed six simple dance steps that you can easily fit into your lifestyle. Choose one, choose several or choose all it is up to you. But whichever you choose, commit to do it or them consistently until it/they become(s) a habit.

If you ever have difficulty with this concept of consistency and discipline refer back to your goal and your reasons and look at your pictures and remind your self why you are doing this.

 The Dance Steps:

1. The Breakfast Bump
2. The Water Waddle
3. The Fruit Flamenco
4. The Fish Flop
5. The Walking Waltz
6. The Muscle Mambo
7. The Final Dance Card

1. THE BREAKFAST BUMP

Eat breakfast everyday and, in addition to increasing energy levels, increasing nuitrients to the body and reducing risk of bowel cancer, you will increase your metabolism so that by the end of the day you will burn an additional 100 calories.

Big Deal - what is 100 calories? However do it everyday and over a year you will have burned an additional 36,500 calories.

This is equivalent to 100 chocolate thickshakes!!

 
2. THE WATER WADDLE

Drink and additional 500ml of purified water each day and, in addition to all the other incredible health benefits of water, you will increase your metabolism and burn an additional 90 calories per day. 

Big Deal - what is 90 calories? However do it everyday and over a year you will have burned an additional 32,850 calories.

This is equivalent to 27 supreme pizzas!!

 
3. THE FRUIT FLAMENCO

Eat one extra piece of fruit as a snack per day and, in addition to increased nutrients, decresaed risk of disease and greater vitality, you will increase your metabolism and burn an extra 50 calories per day.

Big Deal - 50 calories is nothing! However do it everyday and over a year you will have burned an additional 18,250 calories.

This is equivalent to 127 subbies/cans of beer!

4. THE FISH FLOP

Eat one additional serve of deep sea fresh fresh (or equivalent omega 3 supplement) per week and, in addition to increasing your heart health, cellular health, reducing inflammation, and reducing risk of diabetes you will increase your metabolism and burn an additional 65 calories per day.

Big Deal - 65 calories is a waste of time! However do it everyday and over a year you will have burned an additional 23,725 calories.

This is equivalent to 32 cups of camembert cheese!!

5. THE WALKING WALTZ

Walk an extra 1000 steps per day with someone special (about 10 minutes) and, in addition to increasing the health of your heart and lungs, spending time with loved ones, you will burn an additional 45 calories per day.

So What! - 45 calories is tiny! However do it everyday and over a year you will have burned an additional 16,425 calories.

This is equivalent to 38 Mars Bars!!

6. THE MUSCLE MAMBO

Add an extra 1kg of muscle through 15-20 minutes of strength training once or twice per week and, in addition to being stronger, functioning better and improving posture, you will increase your metabolism and burn an additional 100 calories per day.

Big Deal - 100 calories, 100 schmalories! However do it every day for a year and you will burn an additional 36,500 calories.

This is equivalent to 52 Big Macs!!

THE FINAL DANCE CARD

Breakfast Bump = 36,500 calories per year
Water Waddle = 32,850 calories per year
Fruit Flamenco = 18,250 calories per year
Fish Flop = 23,725 calories per year
Walking Waltz = 16,425 calories per year
Muscle Mambo = 36,500 calories per year

That is a grand total of 164,250 calories per year

This is equivalent to 2250 glasses of wine!!

SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS:

IS IT WORTH THE DANCE?

Please send Andrew some of the great benefits you have experienced by taking one or more of these simple actions and applying them consistently in your life

What has been the positive effect of your simple daily dance steps?
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