10 Simple steps to permanent weight loss. Welcome to L.E.A.D.-ville

I am about to give you the magic key to the kingdom. Happier than Disneyland, this kingdom is the promised land of robust LEAN health. I call this Kingdom LEAD-ville. That's Lean – Energetic – Active – Drug-free = LEAD. It’s awesome there. People live amazing lives that are long and fruitful with endless smiles as life has a rhythm and flow that just keeps expanding. Do you want to go? Great! Then allow me to show you what these folks do on a regular basis that allows them a passport into LEAD-Ville.

The 10 Steps to LEAD-ville

1. Time Restricted Feeding. People in Lead-ville limit their eating window to just 8 hours. Plenty of time to eat but it has a very distinct start and stop time. They fast all morning until 11am and then eat as they please until 7pm. No food is consumed after 7pm so when they go to bed at 10pm, their bellies are empty allowing for a deeper more restful sleep in a fasted state. The curious thing is that regardless of what food is eaten between 11am and 7pm, as long as the residents limit their intake to these hours, they stay lean. It’s really quite simple actually.
   •  Time Restricted Feeding article – Part 1 & Part 2.
      
2. Reduce carb intake. Eating less than 80 grams of carbohydrate per day is the going rate in LEAD-ville. They tend to eat ample vegetables but even those that eat 8 servings of vegetable per day are only getting 30 grams of carb from their vegetables. The rest come from nuts, seeds and some fruit. They don’t sell bread or pasta in LEAD-ville as no one will buy it, it’s too toxic. Grains cause them to feel sluggish and bloated so they refuse to eat them. They are a very stubborn people but very lean and happy.
   • LINKS to Carbohydrate Chart & Carbohydrate 101.
      
3. Avoid all forms of Fructose.  Fructose as a fuel stimulates the body to “store fat” and since all the folks in LEAD-ville are exceedingly active they don't want to lug extra fat around with them, so they avoid all fructose. Fructose is found in high amounts in fruit juice, soda pop and fruit which isn’t sold in stores there. Berries have a lower level of fructose so some residents occasionally enjoy a few berries as a snack but as a rule of thumb you won’t find bananas, watermelon, pears, oranges or other fruit in the grocery store there. Who needs it?
   •  Fructose and its relationship to diabetes and weight gain.
      
4. Hydrate. Drink WATER. The most popular beverage in LEAD-ville is water. They drink 60 to 80 ounces of the stuff every day as this amount is needed to burn fat. They love burning fat as it is an efficient fuel that never runs out, thus the never-ending energetic nature of these people. Water dilutes the salt in their system so they can’t generate fructose in their body out of glucose, they can’t form kidney stones, and they don’t eat excess calories confusing thirst for hunger. Quite elegant and very easy.
    
5. Zone 2 Exercise. It’s like crack cocaine in LEAD-ville. People love their low intensity, fat burning Zone 2 time. They socialize around workouts, bike rides and group runs. They go to dance class, Pilates and all sorts of Yoga and feel the high that comes from getting their heart moving. They often walk to their workouts but never confuse the walk with an actual workout. The gentle nature and ease of Zone 2 is a lower intensity, so it doesn't stress them out and certainly doesn't wear them out. It energizes them.
   •  Zone 2 Exercise information.
      
6. Sleep. Deep, restorative, delicious, restful, cozy comfy sleep is the norm. Folks of LEAD-ville treasure their sleep and cultivate it like you might cultivate a garden. They protect it and make sure to always get 7.5 to 8 hours each night as it feels amazing, allows them to repair from their previous day and stores up energy to burst into their next day. They smile and reflect joy and happiness as they go through the day because they don’t have to wrestle with fatigue. Energy abounds and with this comes better decisions.     
            Sleep Hygiene article.
    
7. Endocrine. The doctors in LEAD-ville are keen to deeply assess the status of important bodily systems that help generate consistent energy. These systems include the thyroid and hormones such as testosterone and DHEA. Without the proper balance in these systems the folks of LEAD-ville would gain weight, slow down to a sluggish pace and feel sad and lifeless. Yuk. A simple blood test helps them know that they are on track and firing on all cylinders.
          Thyroid Lab Interpretation video and to Testosterone Benefits.
    
8. Stress. When you are Lean, Active, Energetic and Drug-free, stress is little more than a transient breeze that quickly passes. Folks know to stay in the present moment and enjoy the day, recognizing that stress is a mind-made trap that is self-imposed. They practice “Stillness” exercises and return to a state of gratitude frequently to keep their mind out of dangerous “past and future worries” that are pointless. They have learned the beautiful balance that exists between Mind & Body, and follow their true mission statement to create a life worth living. They refuse to endure “suffering”.
   • Creating My Own Stress & Confessions of an Excuse Maker.
      
9. 10% weight loss. Folks in LEAD-ville often moved here from other places and past lives where they didn't understand this magic kingdom existed. They often arrived heavier, tired, anxious, and overwhelmed. But they soon learned that change doesn’t need to happen overnight, it simply needs to be consistent. No heroics necessary. Simple application of persistent consistency. They learn not to fret over trying to lose 100 pounds. Just focus on losing 10% of your current weight and the body will magically morph into a fat burning machine. Just 10%. Keep it simple. Small gradual steps. Once that 10% falls off the body will literally become a new machine.
    
10. Don't count calories. People of LEAD-ville are far too smart and too busy having fun to count stupid calories. What a waste of time. They chat at coffee shops about how the folks 2 counties over in LUMP-berg practice this insane habit over and over and cycle with chronic weight gain and loss, up and down in silly fashion. If only they knew. People in LUMP-berg pile into Weight Watcher meetings and buy the “eat less and exercise more” rhetoric, shelling out tons of money for a strategy that simply sends Weight Watchers executive on fancy vacations but doesn’t move the health dial. Shame.

So, there you have it. Pack a bag, dust off your passport, hail a cab and get moving to LEAD-ville. The folks there are so warm and welcoming. You will love it. Every day there is like a vacation from a life you once knew but happily left behind.

For more information on how to execute all of the simple and easy strategies listed above go to HippEvo.com and read the articles in the LEARN section. If you are hell-bent on arriving at LEAD-ville sooner, then take the express train by becoming a Virtuoso member and Chelsea Dorsett, outstanding dietitian and integrative practitioner, will buckle you in for the ride of your life. It’s your life and it is happening right now. Enjoy the journey.