Authors: Yuri Elkaim
Keep Learning
Knowledge is power, but only if put into action. However, that action is less likely to happen if you are not first motivated by learning new and exciting ideas and strategies. You’re either feeding your mind with new knowledge that helps you grow and motivates you to eat healthier and live a more active life or you’re not. If you don’t continue to plant new seeds in the garden of your mind, the weeds will automatically grow out of control. The mind is a precious and amazing asset, but it needs to be directed. Turn off the radio and listen to inspiring audio-books and podcasts instead. Toss (or even burn) the newspaper and read books on health. Stop watching fake “reality” shows and go to educational seminars or watch eye-opening documentaries. You don’t necessarily have to cut all these activities out of your life, but just make sure that you’re engaging in behaviors that will inspire you to live your healthiest life possible. You’re already off to a positive start by picking up this book.
Be Grateful and Happy
This final commandment is a simple one, and it’s truly the secret to life. Whether your goal is to become a millionaire or simply lose 20 pounds of fat and feel great about yourself, being grateful and happy is the path. No matter where you are right now, no matter what you’re struggling with, you have so much to be grateful for.
It’s easy to forget this when you’re bombarded on a daily basis with so many worries. It takes a little work on your part, but you have to routinely tune your frequency a bit so you’re more aware of the blessings in your life. When you focus on gratitude, you cannot feel sad or
stressed.
It’s impossible. You can only feel joy, happiness, and a deep sense of appreciation for the amazing gift that is your life. When you vibrate at this higher level of awesomeness, you become an unstoppable force in the world. You feel great about yourself and thus engage in activities—like eating well and exercising—that perpetuate that feeling.
There is no right or wrong way to show gratitude. You can keep a gratitude journal, write thank-you cards to friends and family, or do anything else that keeps you in touch with the good things in your life. Here’s my personal morning gratitude ritual: As soon as I open my eyes at 5:00 a.m. every morning, I scan my body and give thanks for the fact that I have all four limbs, a heart that keeps beating, an airway that brings oxygen into my body, and a body that simply works. Many people aren’t so lucky.
Next, I look beside me and give thanks for my wife, Amy, the most beautiful and amazing woman in my world. Why focus on what annoys you about your loved ones? You should feel so lucky that they’re still in your life.
As I get out of bed, I take a look around my bedroom, expressing gratitude for the roof and walls that keep us sheltered from the elements (especially these crazy cold Canadian winters), the blinds that darken the room so I can sleep properly, and on and on. At the end of the day, I look back over everything that has transpired since I woke up and write down all of my successes. If I’m too tired to write, I simply take a moment to play them back in my mind. I give myself a big high five for getting amazing work done, for playing with my kids, for making that green juice, for taking care of my body, and for having the opportunity to touch the lives of millions of people all around the world.
There will always be something to groan about, but I choose not to focus on those things, and I attribute whatever success I’ve had to this outlook. There are two sides to every coin, and which side you choose to focus on is up to you. It’s always a choice. Always! You just need to be aware of your thoughts and shift them if they’ve veered off course. It’s a universal law that you get more of what you focus on, so focus on what you’re grateful for and you’re likely to get more of it in your life.
Focus
on problems and,
presto
, you’ll get more of those as well. It’s always up to you.
Are you starting to see a pattern yet? Although your weight issues are largely no fault of your own, you—and no one else—are now 100 percent responsible for turning things around. As I was finishing up this book, I drew inspiration from someone who started out just like you. His name is Patrick, and his dedication was truly inspiring.
Maybe
you won’t commit to waking up at 3:00 a.m. every morning, but it’s my hope that over your 21 days on this program, you have a breakthrough that inspires you to make a significant, lasting change in your life as well. What started as just another diet for Patrick ended up changing his life. I know that’s what you want for yourself.
I don’t want you to just lose the fat that’s clinging to your body, but also the stress, worries, and lack of confidence that have plagued you for so long. I want you to shed the doubt that you’re capable of looking, feeling, and moving like those slender people you admire, be they at your office or on your television. It’s not about comparing yourself to others, but knowing that you deserve more—you just have to reach for it. You’re now armed with the know-how to not only burn fat all day, every day, but to also make each day better than the one that came before. You’re already on your way.
Patrick’s Story
Patrick is constantly on the move, quite literally. Between traveling for work and looking after his 2-year-old son with his wife, he rarely has time to himself. Over the years, he’s packed on the pounds, and his attempts at several very popular diet programs have yielded no lasting results. And yet, he found it in himself to commit to this plan and make it work.
I honestly don’t know how he did it, but Patrick would wake up at 3:00 a.m. to get his workouts done before carpooling to work with his wife to get into the office by 6:30 a.m. At lunchtime, before taking lunch at his desk, he’d take a quick stroll around the block. It actually energized him. In fact, after a few weeks of doing this, he found that he had more energy by the time he got home each afternoon, allowing him more time to play with his son and also take an evening walk with his wife.
After just 2 months on the All-Day Fat-Burning Diet, Patrick lost a whopping 30 pounds and 12 inches from his waist. It sounds like a lot, but it looks like even more. The only downside, says Patrick, is that none of his clothes fit him anymore. As you can see in his before and after pictures, he’s a totally new man.
And he’s not finished.
Resources
F
or all of the resources mentioned throughout the book, please visit
alldayfatburningdiet.com/resources.
Here’s a recap of what you’ll find on that page.
Workouts
Access all of the beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts for the All-Day Fat-Burning Diet.
Recipes
Download all of the recipes for the 21-day plan, along with beautiful photos of each.
Facebook Group
Access the link to our readers-only All-Day Fat-Burning Diet community on Facebook.
Extra Fat-Loss Boosters
Get all the links and recommendations for the supplements and fat-loss boosters mentioned in this book.
Going Deeper
Want more of the nitty-gritty science behind many of the topics covered in this book? You can download that information as well on the book’s resources page.
Endnotes
Chapter 1
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15
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18
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19
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20
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21
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22
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23
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24
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25
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26
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27
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28
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