Dai Manuel's Whole Life Fitness Manifesto. Dai Manuel

      The Good

      1. Increased Energy

      You can expect a huge rise in your overall energy on a daily basis.

      2. Enhanced Dexterity

      You will find your strength and physical coordination improve—navigate the busiest crowds like the ninja you are!

      3. REGULATED Appetite

      You might actually feel less hungry, or start to prefer healthy foods that help you fuel the machine.

      4. Improved Sleep

      Increased levels of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin, will help you relax more easily at the end of the day and get a proper night’s rest.

      5. Improved Mood

      If you’ve ever experienced the “runner’s high” then you know how great you can feel at the end of a workout.

      6. Greater Self-Esteem

      Self-esteem and confidence stem not just from looking better. You will experience pride as you set fitness goals and reach them.

      The Bad

      7. Peer Pressure

      One downside of adopting a healthy lifestyle is you will have to learn to say no on a regular basis. Party invitations and co-workers’ birthdays can often derail even the most determined of fitness fiends. Try alternatives—like being the group of friends who crunch rather than lunch together.

      8. Increased Appetite

      While some people report a decreased appetite, others find that lifting weights and doing more cardio work can make them feel hungrier, as a result of burning up more calories. That’s fine, as long as you’re eating healthy (see our good nutrition guide in Chapter 6).

      9. Budgeting

      Unfortunately, we live in an age of highly processed convenience foods, while their healthier counterparts are often more expensive. Be sure to look out for specials on meats and clearance discounts on fresh produce; this should help your grocery budget stretch a little further.

      …and the Ugly!

      10. Frequent Washroom Trips

      No truly honest exercise article would be complete without mentioning this dirty little secret of fitness enthusiasts. When you’re drinking more water, you’re likely to need more trips to the washroom.

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      discover your personal why

      is about feeling good, being able to function and move about freely, to play with my kids, and feeling able to try a new sport or activity without worrying that I’ll injure myself. I like the idea of being able to say yes to anything physical, knowing that I’m not limited by my state of health or fitness.

      If you’re really struggling to find your why, try to embrace the process of discovery. Start by analysing your current fitness habits and your general approach to your health. Where can you make a small but sustainable shift? How much water are you drinking per day? Are you getting enough sleep at night? How much time do you spend moving your body each day? Do you exercise at all? Do you play any sports? What do you typically eat? It’s all about making little, everyday choices that will improve your health.

      If you’re feeling beaten down by your current lifestyle, start to feed your brain with positive messages, wherever you find them. It’s amazing how often someone else’s idea, passion or vision can trigger a feeling or impulse inside you. If you’re inspired by an event or activity that you read or hear about, go try it! You might surprise yourself, finding that what was once unfamiliar and difficult becomes something that you really love! Start walking a little. It doesn’t have to be very much, just something. Get off the couch, walk around the block. Do it today, not tomorrow!

      I know that when it comes to health and fitness, it can be scary to try something new. I’ve seen many people become so used to being overweight or out of shape that they can’t imagine any other way of being. Some folks have lived longer in an unhealthy state than they ever did in a healthy one, so they forget what it’s like to feel good. But you have to remember: Just because this is how it is now, doesn’t mean it has to stay this way. Change is possible. In fact, when you connect with your why and commit to following through, I can promise you that change is inevitable.

      This applies to all your goals, not just around physical fitness. Whatever is spur-ring you on, dream big! When I talk to new clients, I always ask them two questions:

      What do you want to do?

      Is that all?

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      It All Adds Up!

      Remember that seemingly harm-less choices can have a nega-tive impact. Just think of your morning coffee. One teaspoon of sugar and cream repre-sents about 75 calories; in the course of a year, you’re looking at an additional 27,375 calo-ries. That’s the equivalent of 8 pounds of body weight! And one daily glass of wine—around 150 empty calories—trans-lates to anywhere between 8 to 14 pounds of weight.

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      Dai Manuel’s Whole Life Fitness Manifesto