Chapter 7Be 5 Percent Healthier

Now, we all hear stories like this every day, but this is one that is worth being told. I have been going to the same gym for years, and usually see the same people day in and day out. I always see this one guy named Mike. He's small in stature, about five-foot seven, and was about 230 pounds. But I have noticed him progressively getting leaner, fitter, and dropping pounds by the dozens. What was even more remarkable is that his gym routine looked about the same throughout his transformation. He works out only at lunchtime and sticks to the same routine he has been doing since I first met him several years ago, so I asked him what he did differently to bring about this remarkable change. Now, diet and nutrition are different for everybody, and some things work for some people and not others, but I still wanted to know what his formula was. When I asked him what he changed, he said it was so simple and easy. He said he stopped drinking soda and cut out ice cream. I said, “That's it?” He said, “Well, I have also cut out bread, but not all the time, just being aware of it.”

In four months he lost 50 pounds by making a relatively small change in his habits. Now, this wasn't the first time I observed this simple phenomenon occur. I see this and hear stories like this all the time. Now step back, look at your diet and exercise program, if you have one, and make some slight minor changes. They can yield huge results. But you simply need to apply all ...

Get 5% More now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.