“That was good, but now I really want some Ice Cream” Joe said with a big smile on his face.  We had just finished eating a 12 ounce ribeye with green beans and baked potato.  Matt and I both agreed that we would have no problem having some ice cream. The problem we faced is that there was no ice cream in the freezer.  This isn’t rare, because we don’t keep ice cream, brownies, or really any sweets at all at our house.

The dilemma was – how bad do you want ice cream.  At 9:00 on Saturday night we decided that it was worth going to town to get some ice cream.  We loaded up and headed to a local bistro that serves homemade gelato.  I enjoy living in a small town, but one of the problems is that most places close around 9, even on the weekend.  When we pulled up at 9:12, they informed us that they were closed and couldn’t give us a dip or two of their house specialty.  As we climbed back into the truck we discussed our options, the 2 other possible options that would be open.

As we pulled into the gas station with their sign boasting of having 31 delicious flavors inside, we talked of the flavors that we were gonna get.  But once again we were a few minutes too late them to give us a scoop or three, as the manager said the ice cream was closed at 9.

Frozen Delights

So we loaded back up and headed to our last chance at frozen delights.  We pulled into Sonic a little before 10, beating closing time by just a few minutes.  We each ordered a large cup of ice cream with our choice of cookies or candy bar blended in.  We enjoyed the tasty treats as we hung out the rest of the night talking about baseball, girls, and zombies.

One of the best ways to avoid certain foods is to not have them in your house.  If it’s not in your house, it is much more difficult to get a quick cheat of that sweet you like so much. Like most folks, if I had candy bars or ice cream in the house, I would gobble them up on a daily basis.  But not bringing them into the house means that if I get a hankering for a sweet, I’ll have to make a special trip to the store, or if its late in a small town an hour long trek to find someplace still open to fill my sweet tooth.

Leave the treats as exactly that, special treats.  Eat them when you are out on a date or go get them with friends.  Don’t bring it in the house and you wont be susceptible to mindlessly munching on sweets.  Stock your cabinets with more nutrient dense snacks like fruits, nuts, and beef jerky.  Leave the cookies, candy bars, twinkies, and ice cream at the store and only get them when you are going to eat them.  If you bring them into the house, they will be eaten.

Make it difficult to eat junk that isn’t conducive to you achieving your goals and you will succeed.

Be Better,
Brooks

For many, New Years Resolutions have already gone by the wayside, but you can still achieve your goals. The key is to get better. It doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect, just better. Just follow these 5 simple steps to reach your goals

SET GOALS
Make your goals specific and realistic. Then set a due date for your goals. Ask yourself, “Where do I want to be and when do I want to be there?” With new years resolutions not far removed lets look at a weight loss goal – I will weigh _______ pounds by _______ or, I will weigh _________ in ______ weeks.
Black and white. Specific and a due date.

GET A PLAN
Now that you have determined your goal, you need a plan. The plan is like a map, your guide from where you are to where you want to be. Sometimes the biggest challenge is finding the right plan. Ask those who have achieved what you wan to achieve or find a coach that can get you there.
Keeping with the weight loss theme here, you could hire someone (like yours truly) to design a plan specifically for you, or at the very least you could pick up the latest Men’s Health magazine and follow one of their plans for a month. The key to getting to your goal is to pick up your pack and get hiking.

SCHEDULE IT
Schedule time to execute the plan. Actually put it in your schedule for the day. Set aside a block of time to exercise, go to the store, and cook healthy food. Make it a priority and schedule it into your day.

WRITE IT DOWN
It may be the exercises you’re going to do at the gym or food to cook for tomorrow, but write it down and your odds of being successful increase drastically. Clients that keep a food log see better and faster results than those that don’t write down everything they eat. Write your plan down and it will be much easier to stick to it.

SHOUT IT OUT
Let others know about your goals and deadlines. Tell your family or roommates about your weight loss goals. Your network provides support and encouragement along the way. They may join in with you but at least they’ll know not to offer you a big bowl of ice cream.
Post it on facebook or twitter. Let everyone know of your goals and tell of your progression and accomplishments. Its not bragging, but will be encouraging to others.
In the gym, find a good training partner that will hold you responsible and be there waiting to workout on those days when you’re not motivated to go to the gym.
At home, plan a healthy sit down meal a few times a week with the family or roommates. Tough to beat sharing a healthy meal while spending quality time with those close to you.

- Goals set.
- Plans made.
- Time appointed.
- Written down.
- Told others.
Now, DO IT! Just follow the path to your goal.

Be Better
- Brooks