Today I want to talk about something a bit different. If you know me then you’re aware that I’m a big fan of healthy living and being in shape in general. And by healthy living I don’t actually mean being a vegetarian or any of that BS. My rules are simple, (1) exercise, (2) drink yerba mate, (3) eat a lot of dead animals, and (4) enjoy your life.
But why am I even telling you this? The thing is that being an entrepreneur is not the healthiest profession out there. Most business people are usually stressed out and think that they don’t have time to be healthy (as silly as this might sound).
That’s why today I want to take a break from the usual business-advice-driven post and focus on something that’s probably even more important than our businesses themselves – our health. Yes, I really think that way. If I had to choose between my health and my business, I would go for my health with no hesitation.
The following is a guest post by Matthew.
Enter Matthew
Entrepreneurs are known for their challenging and innovative approaches not only when they launch a business venture but also when they want to solve an everyday problem. Once they perceive an opportunity, they position themselves in a way that brings them big results from small efforts – a condition called “leverage.”
Obesity in the US has reached 30%. That means, 1 out of 3 entrepreneurs is obese. When it comes to losing unnecessary weight, knowledge is the biggest leverage. One of the biggest problems most people have with weight loss plans is that they are difficult and confusing to follow. And for this reason, many people get frustrated and give up which only leads to further weight gain.
But entrepreneurs look for simple, easy everyday things anyone can do to lose weight. They will stay way from unpractical, unproven, difficult to follow diet programs that have little leverage. Instead, they have identified methods that have been scientifically proven to work; methods that give big results for small efforts. This gives them the motivation and incentive to achieve their weight loss goal.
Here are five of the easiest ways to lose weight that appeal to the entrepreneurial mind:
1. Put The Right Images in Front of You
Images are not only for blog posts. Entrepreneurs believe in the power of images. They use images to help their mind focus on what they want to achieve because images can direct our thoughts. And since our life moves towards the direction of our predominant thoughts, entrepreneurs use the right images to get to where they want to go.
Have you ever noticed how hungry you become after looking at a picture of food or watching a food commercial on television? Well, there is a good reason for this. The blood levels of hormone ghrelin, which affects appetite and the physical process of food metabolism, increase when you look at images of food.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry observed that when people were exposed to images of food, the amount of ghrelin increased in their blood. The hormone did not increase when people were exposed to images of non-edible objects. The bottom line-turn off the television and avoid magazines or periodicals that are heavy on the food articles and advertisements if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight.
Get the right images in front of you! Put a picture of a lean, muscular guy on your refrigerator and visualize you are this person, and your life will start moving there effortlessly.
2. Start Big
If you have read Dr. David J. Schwartz’s all-time best seller book “The magic of thinking big” you know that in order to attain great success you need to start with a big thinking. Expect success. Set unrealistic goals. Realistic goals are not that motivating. When I started my online venture I set my first goal at $5,000/month. That was way more than my 9-5 job was paying me at that time. I achieved my goal and moved beyond that.
How does this relate to your diet? Should you start your day “thinking big” about food? Yes, you can eat cake, cookies or a doughnut for breakfast and still lose weight. How is this possible? Researchers from Tel Aviv University discovered that starting your day with a big breakfast, that includes dessert, a healthy serving of protein, and carbohydrates, can help people lose weight.
The study divided 193 obese people into two diet groups. Both groups were given the same amount of calories each day. However, one group was given a low-carb 300-calorie breakfast while the other group ate a big 600-calorie breakfast high in protein and carbs, which always included a dessert (cookies, cake, or chocolate). Participants who ate the big breakfast with the dessert lost on average 40 lbs more than the low-calorie breakfast group over the course of the 8-month study.
By indulging in the morning when your metabolism is most active, you have the rest of the day to work off these extra calories, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. One of the biggest problems people face when trying to lose weight is that they crave carbs and big meals. If you start your day with a big breakfast you do not have to worry about that.
3. The Chocolate Business
“There is no business like the chocolate business” says report Jeanette Hurt of SecondAct.com describing the inspiring stories of 3 chocolate-entrepreneurs. And some of you may have heard of Katrina Markoff, Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s founder, known as the most avant-garde chocolate entrepreneur, who started her company when she realized the need to innovate in chocolate.
Well, when it comes to weight loss, do you know of any diet that would allow you to eat chocolate? Probably not. Sounds outrageous huh? (Think: “Announcing The Chocolate Pie Diet“). After all, chocolate is full of sugar and fat, and will make you fat, correct? Well, quite the opposite. Scientists from the University of California at San Diego asked 1017 people how often they consume chocolate. They discovered that those who ate chocolate at least twice a week had a lower BMI (Body Mass Index, a metric that shows how overweight you are) than the non-chocolate eaters.
Interestingly, it was the frequency rather than the amount of chocolate consumed that predicted a lower BMI. Other studies have linked chocolate to lower cardiovascular mortality. Researchers believe that the antioxidant effect of a polyphenol called epicatechin contained in chocolate helps you burn fat and increase muscle mass. This is good news for chocolate lovers all over the world.
4. Lean Thinking
When it comes to building businesses, entrepreneurs understand the concept of “lean thinking“
It’s the implementation of Pareto’s Law of 80/20. Eliminate 80% of your activities, which produce only 20% of the desired results. Similarly, strengthen and multiply the 20% of your activities, which are responsible for 80% of the desired results. When it comes to losing weight, “lean” means eating more protein. You have undoubtedly heard many times how important eating protein is-especially after a workout.
But there is much scientific proof as to why eating more protein is a great way to lose weight. Several recent studies have shown that a high protein diet (one that provides up to 35% of calories from protein) leads to lower energy intake. While researchers do not have a definitive answer as to why this happens, there is evidence that replacing fat with protein has a satiating effect and therefore decreases the risk of weight gain.
5. Green Coffee – an Emerging Weight Loss Business
It’s fascinating to watch a business idea unfolding before your eyes. A few months ago (Spring 2012), Dr. Joe Vinson discovered that unroasted green coffee beans reduce body fat, an effect he attributed to a substance called chlorogenic acid.
When coffee is roasted, the acid breaks down so it has no weight loss effect. But consuming coffee beans in their natural state results in weight loss even if there is no change in one’s eating or exercise habits.
The study participants lost nearly 10% of their body weight and 16% of their body fat during the twenty-two week study period. The interesting part is that today two companies are selling green coffee capsules under their label already. And while more research on the exciting weight loss effect of green beans is still pending, the “green coffee” business idea is facing a promising future as it is perfectly positioned to offer the highly desired inexpensive, safe and easy weight loss that 30% of the population is craving for.
About the author: Matthew Denos blogs at WeightLossTriumph.com. An entrepreneur passionate for online ventures, Matthew started his affiliate marketing website promoting weight loss products in 2008. Creating a successful online business requires a set of values-the entrepreneurial values. These values and principles can also be used by an overweight person to lose weight permanently and live a healthier life.
5 Diet Methods That Appeal to the Entrepreneurial Mind | newInternetOrder.com