We continue to learn even after two years of filming, that often the things we don’t think should really matter much at all, matter more than we can imagine.  As with so many things in the film, there is so much common sense that goes along with these things, that many people will think that we haven’t really uncovered much at all.

I’d disagree.

Often, because of a bit of laziness, we forego a few things that we know are beneficial to what we are trying to do, unaware that these subtle things can make all the difference.  I will try to give a few examples of this:

Food containers: There are so many levels to “eating good” - most of which is relative to the way we each “used to” eat.  A couple years ago, my wife and I met Jenn Hendershott at a seminar she held in Atlanta.  I remember sitting in on one of her talks where she discussed how she ate.  Now for most average people, these talks are the ones that define what we may feel is on the “extreme” end of eating.  I guess that is because this was a discussion on how to eat if you are trying to become Ms. Fitness Olympia (another topic).  The interesting thing I picked up from her habits was the size of her food containers.  They were pretty small as I recall. 

Up until this point, we never really paid much attention to this.  We had a few different shapes and sizes of plastic containers, most of them medium to large size, and we didn’t always use them (because we just ate what we prepared).  We decided that we were going to “stock up” on a smaller size and try to use them more often.  We purchased a lot of 9 oz. containers.  When we show these to most people, they gasp at how little it is…mostly because people in general are so used to eating too much!

It wasn’t long before we’d make food for work or for the day, and we would put our portions in these small containers.  We’d keep some in the fridge, and Mariah would take them to work with her.  Although we were already in pretty decent shape, we always try to improve each year (a mindset I’d suggest everyone adopt because it keeps you going in the right direction).  We found that our eating and portions were more consistent, and we noticed how much easier it was to make progress or maintain.

While it may sound a bit extreme to some, by using these smaller containers to control our portions, we were no longer storing large amounts of chili, mashed sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, etc. into larger containers, where each meal we’d serve ourselves into another bowl or plate.  We were separating our portions out in advance.  We still do this - and it ultimately becomes someone natural to us to do this.  We do not think about when will stop this habit — because this habit is aligned with our goals…it is part of our current lifestyle.  This may change someday, but for now, it fits.

Purchasing the right size, and enough of the right food containers can change your life? Subtle, I know.  It wasn’t until a year later when we met Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, and we realized what we had learned was scientifically studied in a research lab.  Pretty cool!

So we have learned that, a simple action that seems insignificant, can make all the difference.  This is something I remind myself each day and it always applies to some aspect of what I’m trying to do.  Other actions that can impact our health more than we think…

Music: If we are not listening to our favorite music that is fast paced, we are missing out on the incredible difference it makes when we are exercising.  You do not need an iPod - any 20 dollar mp3 player will make us walk or run faster than normal, and make it seem easy with the right music.  I once watched Rocky IV on my portable DVD player and the visual stimulus even made the workout more intense.  The right music affects exercise profoundly.  I know common sense.  Do you follow it?

Food journals: I hate doing it too…but it always boils down to how badly we want something.  If we can try a new habit, such as writing down what we plan to eat, and what we eat each day, it can soon become habit, and not so annoying.  Most of us (me included), believe that we can keep all of this in our heads, and that it is not really necessary.  However, the subtle difference of knowing we have to write it down when we have 10 french fries, will change what we do.  Don’t forget those 2 pieces of candy you ate…and the handful of nuts…if it’s really possible to understand how such small changes in our daily routine can affect our focus and consistency, then we can use these “tools” to get us where we dream of going.

Training logs:  What speed did you walk at yesterday?  Was it challenging?  How fast can you run a mile?  Are you improving over time, or just doing the same thing everyday?  A training log, just as a food journal, impacts what you do in the gym, or wherever you exercise.  It allows you to see more clearly what you are doing, and most of the time, this is telling you to stop doing the same thing every day!

Proper shoes: Prevent injury, right?  Most of us procrastinate to buy the right ones until we’ve already felt some pain.

Heart rate monitors, enough exercise clothes, pre-planning meals, the list goes on…the point is, when you come across a tip that you feel you do not need to succeed…first try it for a couple of weeks to be sure.  You may be overlooking the subtle, yet profound impact it will have on your life.

None of this is groundbreaking, I know.  Or is it? 

Have a great week, and try something new!