YOUR EASIEST PATH- 56 WAYS TO WEIGH LESS

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All the books in the world won’t help you lose weight until you put what you have learned into practice. . You can design your own optimized weight loss path in about five minutes, then take your first steps to being naturally thin.

As Simple as One, Two, Three

You are unique, with your own habits, abilities, and preferences, and your own

reasons for your extra weight. Your easiest path to a naturally thin body is

unique also. Follow the steps below to find it.

Step One

Read through the list of naturally thin habits later in the chapter. If you already

have a habit, convert the circle next to it into a smiley face. Having a habit doesn’t

mean you are perfect at it. If you do something with 80 percent consistency,

consider it a habit.

Step Two

There is a blank space after each circle. Use this space to rate the remaining habits according to how easily you could develop them. Write “1” next to the habit that would be easiest to develop, “2” next to the habit that would be the next easiest, and so on. You can find a printable version of the list at

fatlossscience.org/book/path.

Step Three

Now, choose two habits that you rated as the easiest to develop, and spend a few minutes deciding exactly how you will make them your own.  Spend a couple of weeks focusing your efforts on these habits. When you feel that you have mastered a habit (with 80 percent consistency), convert the circle next to it into a smiley face, and choose the next easiest one to work on. As you travel along this path from habit “1” to habit “2” to habit “3” and so forth, you will gradually stop gaining weight and start losing it. The farther along the path

you travel, the more weight you will lose as each new habit brings you closer to

your naturally thin potential. You don’t have to develop all of these habits, but

each one will help you lose weight, and as long as you keep your new habits, the

weight won’t come back. By starting with the habits that are easiest to develop, you will experience the rewards of success right away, and those early rewards will give you extra motivation to tackle habits that require more effort. After two or three weeks with a new habit, it will begin to feel natural, and you will be a naturally thinner person.

Naturally Thin Habits

___ Practice focusing on the present most days.

 ___ Practice relaxation for twelve minutes most days.

 ___ Practice healthy thinking most days.

 ___ Interact socially on a regular basis.

 ___ Develop a skill, create art, or help others regularly.

 ___ Keep your home mostly junk food free.

 ___ Keep your work space mostly junk food free.  Decide in advance what to do in tempting situations.

 ___ Master one method for calming cravings.

 ___ Master three methods for calming cravings.

 ___ Use a binge-prevention technique as needed.

 ___ Use self-therapy for cravings as needed.

 ___ Eat a handful of nuts with breakfast most days.

 ___ Eat a handful of nuts with lunch or dinner most days.

 ___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit with breakfast most days.

 ___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for a third of lunch most days.

 ___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for half of lunch most days.

 ___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for a third of dinner most days.

 ___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for half of dinner most days.

 ___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with breakfast most days.

 ___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with lunch most days.

 ___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with dinner most days.

___ Eat low-fat yogurt with breakfast most days.

 ___ Eat low-fat yogurt with lunch or dinner most days.

 ___ Eat no more than three refined-floury or sugary foods a day.

 ___ Eat no more than two refined-floury or sugary foods a day.

 ___ Eat refined-floury or sugary foods only in small portions.

 ___ Eat potato-based foods no more than once a week.

 ___ Eat potato-based foods only in small portions.

 ___ Eat white rice no more than once a week.Eat white rice only in small portions

 ___ Eat high-calorie dressings and toppings sparingly.

 ___ Drink no more than one sugary or alcoholic drink a day.

 ___ Drink sugary drinks no more than once a week.

 ___ Drink sugary or alcoholic drinks only in small amounts.

 ___ Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.

 ___ Eat a solid, balanced breakfast every day.

 ___ Eat junk food only with meals.

 ___ Eat breakfast mindfully.

 ___ Eat lunch mindfully.

 ___ Eat dinner mindfully.

 ___ Eat snacks mindfully, if at all.

 ___ Eat restaurant food no more than six times a week.

 ___ Eat restaurant food no more than three times a week.

 ___ When eating out, eat a small meal.

 ___ Get enough sleep.

 ___ Watch television no more than one hour most days.

 ___ Watch television no more than thirty minutes most days.

 ___ Don’t watch television most days.

 ___ Limit total leisure screen time to one hour most days.

 ___ Exercise at least ten minutes most days.

 ___ Exercise at least thirty minutes most days.

 ___ Exercise at least forty-five minutes most days.

 ___ Exercise at least sixty minutes most days.

 ___ Do three or more strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

 ___ Do six or more strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

If you already have some of these habits, congratulations! You are already

part way down the path to naturally thin. Now keep moving forward by developing the next easiest habit. If you lose your footing and slide back a step or two, don’t give up. Consider it a learning experience, find creative solutions to your challenges, and try again. Slow, persistent improvement in your habits will bring lasting rewards. Having a companion on your journey can help you stay on track and work through difficulties. Consider inviting your spouse or a friend to read this book and take some of these life-changing steps with you

Measuring Success

Don’t expect to lose weight quickly. This isn’t a diet, after all. Your goal should be permanent, not rapid, weight loss. Losing even a half pound a week that doesn’t come back is better than losing four pounds that do. Permanent weight loss is best accomplished by gradually losing weight based on long-term changes in habits. When you first gained the extra weight, you probably gained it gradually, one habit at a time. Let yourself lose it the same way. Your weight loss may also be slowed a bit, in a good way, if you are gaining muscle with strengthening exercises. Muscle is heavy, but it promotes a shapely figure. If you are gaining muscle at the same time you are losing fat, you will look thinner even if you can’t see a difference on the scale. Instead of trying to track your weight

loss by getting on the scale every morning, try this. Once a week, stand in front of the mirror, smile, and ask yourself, “Do I look better than I did a week ago? Do I feel healthier? Do my clothes feel a little looser?” If the answer to any of these

questions is yes, you are making real progress. The best of success on your weight loss adventure! 

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Copyright ©Stan Spencer, PhD –Originally appeared in The Diet Dropout's Guide to Natural Weight Loss by Stan Spencer, PhD