Maria Brilaki - Surprisingly...Unstuck: The Power of Small Healthy Habits, In a World Addicted to Instant Results

Surprisingly

Unstuck

The Power Of Small Healthy Habits,

In A World Addicted To Instant Results

By Maria Brilaki

Copyright @2012 -2014 Maria Brilaki, Fitness Reloaded

All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrievable system, or transmitted, in any form or by a means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except by the inclusion of brief quotations in a review or an article, without prior permission in writing by the author or the publisher.

The advice contained within this book may be too strenuous for some people, and the reader should consult their health practitioner before engaging in them. The information in this book is for educational purposes only. Neither the publisher nor author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. All matters regarding physical and mental health should be supervised by a health practitioner knowledgeable in treating that particular condition. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss, injury, or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

To my dear love who takes care of me and has helped me stick to numerous healthy habits

I guess I don't so much mind being old, as I mind being fat and old.
- Benjamin Franklin

What would be the costs if I let this trend continue? I asked myself.

I answered honestly. I would keep worsening my diet, exercise less and less, and eventually end up very unhealthy and fat.

It was 2010 when I realized that in the previous 2 years, while I was a graduate student at Stanford University, I had put on 1 5 pounds (6.8 kg). This increase did not just happen without a reason: I was gradually worsening my diet, eating more and more in restaurants rather than cooking at home, while at the same time my exercise habits were yo-yoing. Some weeks I would go to the gym twice, others I wouldnt go at all. Sometimes I would even go three times. But with eating out and increasing my portions gym or no gym, my body had no choice but to start storing fat.

Now I wasnt fat. I was average. Thanks to years of exercising in the past, my body was not flabby yet. However, I had definitely spotted a trend. I knew that if I let it continue then it would only be a matter of time until I

woke up fat, and saw myself in the mirror and could only think: Is that really me? How did that happen?

Well, this is how it happens. Insidiously. Year after year, pounds creep in, one by one, sometimes retreating for a while, but always building up. Until at some point we wake up and decide to do something about it.

Which is what I did. I asked myself:

What do I want in my life?

The only answer that came to me was: I want to live a long and vital life. I want to evolve into a grandma who does not get knocked down by her grandkids.

And to achieve that, I decided to change my lifestyle, to improve it. No, I didnt want to lose weight. I felt ok being 1 5 pounds heavier than I had been. I looked fine. I was still average. But I did want to stop the bad trend that I had ignited. I wanted to step off the path before I ended up somewhere I couldnt turn back from. I wanted to live healthier. If becoming a vital grandma was important to me, then I had to align my values with my actions.

I just didnt know where to start or how to do it.

Two years later, I am eating vegetables daily, cooking at home, and consistently exercising 5 days a week. Oh, and I am 15 pounds lighter without having gone through a diet. Losing weight was a natural side-effect of living a healthier lifestyle.

And its not just that. Yes, I lost 1 5 pounds, but Im now actually slimmer than I was the last time I weighed this little. I never took measurements, but my tightest jeans tell the tale. I could hardly fit into them before I put on weight; I could not even dream of fitting into them after I put on the weight; but now that I am back to my original weight I fit into them just great. Yes, thats exactly what happens when you exercise.

No, the change did not happen overnig ht. However, once I got started with one step, it was only a matter of time. Another step would follow, sooner or later.

My desire to act in a way that reflected what I believed sprouted a new desire: to learn more about exercise and healthy eating. Soon enough I found myself holding a certification as a personal trainer something that as an engineer struck me as really weird. Engineers dont tend to become personal trainers. Yet, I was doing it for myself. I had to learn how to take better care of myself. But the journey did not stop there. I started observing people more. I thought about my past actions more. Questions rose up in my mind:

Why do people feel guilty when they eat a candy? Why do even thin people feel guilty?

Why do people yo-yo and seem to be unable to stick to exercise or living healthier?

Why do people lose weight, only to get it back afterwards?

Why is changing our habits so hard?

Of course, I was one of those people. In 2007 I was in the best shape of my life, strong enough to do a number of pull-ups without help. In 2010, after 2 years of yo-yoing, I couldnt even do one. It took me months of consistent exercising to manage the same number of pull-ups once again.

What would have happened if I did not yo-yo, but had instead just maintained my previous physical shape? Where would I be now? I asked myself.

I dont know the answer.

What I knew was that Confucius was right: It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop.

I do like learning. A lot. I have a 5-year engineering diploma (which is like a bachelors degree and a masters combined), another masters degree in engineering, and an MBA. Call me a nerd if you will, but I do like learning.

So when I have questions, I investigate.

Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing, e.g., eat better and exercise more?

The easy answer would be that people are lazy. Maybe some of them are. But maybe not. Looking deeper, I discovered a whole new world that is around us and that affects us, and yet of which we have no idea.

No, people are not lazy. Well, perhaps a small percentage are, but most people who want to eat better or exercise more and dont do so are not lazy. And yes, they do want it badly enough. They just dont know how to make it happen.

Conventional wisdom talks about doing your best, giving it all youve got, no pain no gain, or just do it. It sounds so simple. Yet people dont do it. Or they do it once, or twice, but this is pretty much it. Then they feel guilty for not following through. Is that all there is?

Do people have to suffer to get results, and then suffer some more if they dont want to lose them? So, lack of suffering = no results?

Is this the only way?

My research suggests that there is another way, thankfully. No, you dont have to suffer to make healthier living happen and to stick with it. You just need to be strategic. Stay with me and youll soon learn how.

This book is about transformation. You will be transforming yourself into a more confident, energetic you. I wont tell you what diet to follow or what exercise program is best for you. I wont talk about the fastest way to lose weight, or what exercises are safe for your injured knees. What I am going to talk about is how to create healthy habits that stick.

You see, way too many people make New Years Resolutions the y ll have forgotten by the first week of February. Way too many people have problems with their weight going upand downupand down. And most importantlyway too many people think of eating right or of exercising as a chore, as something they need to do that limits their choices, and is very, very restrictive.