Since so many people don’t like their physical condition, don’t find reward or joy in exercising, and regard these aspects of their life as punishments, I imagine many of them want to change their beliefs and behaviors, perhaps using my example as inspiration. Many people may not care too, I guess.

I’ve written a lot on the topics — enough that it might seem overwhelming.

Can anyone do what I do?

I didn’t do anything anyone else couldn’t. Maybe they don’t want to or haven’t figured out how to, but they could.

I don’t read many diet or exercise books, but I have a feeling they don’t make a point of focusing on your emotions, which I consider the foundation for successful change. I focus on rewarding emotions and the environments, beliefs, and behaviors that create them. Healthy foods I teach myself to like. Healthy habits I teach myself to enjoy. Then I live a life of things I like and enjoy. Next thing I know, I have a healthy lifestyle I enjoy, created one belief and behavior at a time.

Most of the changes I started by using the Method, which anyone can do. I implemented them over the course of years — some over decades. I’ll keep changing more, probably as long as I live.

Once I change something I change it forever, but I only change it after I learn to like it.

I never stop myself from eating something I like or eat something I don’t. I never do an exercise I don’t want to. Fighting my emotional responses would work against improving my life, so I never do it. I take my time, understand how I respond to things, and change things when I am confident the change will create rewarding emotions. Taking my time is important because I plan to change forever. I don’t diet, I live a lifestyle.

It’s as simple as this:

If a change creates reward, I will want to continue it. If it doesn’t, I won’t. That’s why I start with emotional awareness, not something like willpower.

When I stopped eating meat I had wanted to for a while, maybe years, needlessly concerned about protein. When I stopped eating hydrogenated oil and corn syrup I was so disgusted by the decisions of the people at the companies manufacturing the “food” products to choose profits over the health of their customers by lying to them, I couldn’t do business with them. Each time I increment the number of burpees in my sets, I expect I will do that burpee with each set for decades, until my body can’t do it.

Sometimes I wonder if two sets of burpees a day are enough to get anyone in shape. I consider the evidence in my life conclusive. I suspect anyone who did thirty burpees a day and ate more or less like I do would inevitably get in good shape or at least get out of bad shape.

Before and after

The reader’s original comment asked if I had any before and after pictures from starting my burpee routine. I don’t, but I look the same now as I started. Remember I had just come off rowing over 500,000 meters in the previous twelve months (hmm… can’t find the post on that — I must have only posted on Facebook about that before leaving that creepy site) and a couple years of frequent yoga and running.

I just have more free time and probably a bigger smile.

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