Diet

Intermittent Fasting is Easy When You Call it Skipping Breakfast

September 30, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks 3 Comments

Intermittent fasting is easy.

This blog is all about finding easy ways to improve your life. And I wrote a book about making permanent weight loss easy.

Intermittent Fasting is Easy – It Only Sounds Hard

Intermittent Fasting sounds extremely hard. The sort of thing that only nutrition nuts and “biohackers” would do.

If you’re struggling to find the willpower to get your eating under control, jumping straight to “emulate Gandhi” isn’t realistic.

But it turns out that “Intermittent Fasting” is just a fancy name used to make a rather simple and easy practice sound more impressive, and doesn’t involve any actual fasting at all. At least, not the way normal people think of fasting.

To clarify, some less commonly practiced forms of intermittent fasting involve actual fasting for a full day or longer. But according to John Hopkins University, that kind of intermittent fasting is unhealthy.… Read more

Why I Don’t Believe in Cheat Days (Weight Loss Wednesday)

September 16, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment

Cheat days - Dessert buffet — ^{_{Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pexels}}

I don’t believe in cheat days.

Cheat days still “count”

There’s the obvious problem with them:

No matter how much you want to believe otherwise, calories still “count” no matter what day of the week it is. Your body and metabolism won’t agree with any arbitrary pronouncements you make about when it’s okay to overeat.

Cheat days disrupt habit-building

There’s also the issue of building habits. You want eating right to be something you do automatically. Spending one day a week where you eat tons of garbage disrupts the habit-building process.

You wouldn’t skip brushing your teeth or taking your heart medication. A diabetic isn’t going to say, “I’m not going to take my insulin because it’s Tuesday.”

Eating right should be like that.

Cheat days are a symptom of a flawed strategy

But also, the fact that you feel like you need a cheat day is a clear sign that you’re doing something wrong.… Read more

Everything You’ve Heard About Dieting is Wrong (Weight Loss Wednesday)

August 26, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks 2 Comments

Everything you’ve heard about dieting is wrong.

Diets don’t work.

Most people who attempt to lose weight fail.

Of the few who succeed, 95% gain it right back.

I’m different.

I lost 30% of my body weight, and have kept it off 20 years.

What did I do right?

Welcome to Weight Loss Wednesday

Welcome to Weight Loss Wednesday, a new feature where I give quick tips on weight loss, healthy eating, and easy exercise.

This is based on my experience as one of the few people who spent half my life obese, then figured out how to lose weight, and keep it off forever.

Why everything you’ve heard about dieting is wrong

Why do I say that everything you’ve heard about dieting is wrong?

Because I was only able to lose weight by ignoring all the standard advice.

Here’s the biggest reason why what they tell you to do doesn’t work:

IT’S TOO HARD

Gurus who look like underwear models manipulate you to sell a fantasy.… Read more

Why Diets Fail (From The Weight Loss Habit)

June 3, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks 5 Comments

“Why Diets Fail” is the introduction to my book The Weight Loss Habit: The No BS, No Gimmick, (Sort of) Easy Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever, which is being released in less than a week. (Tuesday, June 9.)

The book tells the story of how after growing up obese and many failed diets, I figured out strategies to make weight loss easier.

I built these strategies into habits, lost the weight, and have kept the weight off for two decades, without relying on willpower.

I’m posting the introduction here so you can see what the book is about.

Why Diets Fail – The Best Health Advice Isn’t The Best Health Advice For You

This book isn’t going to give you the best health advice.

If your goal is to appear on the cover of fitness magazines or win bodybuilding competitions, stop reading right now. This book isn’t for you.… Read more

The Weight Loss Habit – Coming June 9

May 13, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks Leave a Comment

I’m thrilled to announce that my book The Weight Loss Habit: The No BS, No Gimmick, (Sort of) Easy Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off Forever will be released on June 9, and is available for Pre-Order.

I’ve been teasing this book for quite some time, and am excited that this is finally happening. I do hope you’ll check it out.

Losing weight doesn’t have to be hard

Have you always struggled with your weight? Have you tried countless diets you couldn’t stick to? Do you gain the weight back as soon as you stop? Have you resigned yourself to a life of being heavier than you’d like?

I used to be like you. I grew up fat and had many failed diet attempts. Then I stumbled onto the right way to lose weight. I’ve kept the weight off for twenty years now, and it wasn’t even that difficult.… Read more

The Miracle of Frozen Meals

March 26, 2020 by Steven Ray Marks 3 Comments

This is an excerpt from my upcoming book The Weight Loss Habit. Since we’re all stuck at home, can’t go to restaurants, and it’s a time of habit change, it’s a good time to start eating healthier. Here I explain how frozen meals are one of the easiest ways to do that.

Edit:

The book is now available.

There was a period of time where my wife decided to go vegan. It made her feel generally better and healthier, but she ultimately gave it up because it was just too much of a time commitment.

Every day I’d come home from work and she’d be in the kitchen blending smoothies, making pastes, sorting seeds and grains, and doing god knows what to prepare all her meals. She’d stay in the kitchen the entire evening until it was time to go to bed. Eventually she decided, “Screw this. I want my life back,” and switched back to a normal diet just because it was easier.… Read more