Here is an example drawn from my own personal experience:

​

1. Acknowledge where you are now

   • At the beginning of my EYH journey:

     • I was 250 lbs

     • On dialysis due to kidney failure (still am - awaiting transplant)

     • ​​Had/have psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout

     • Had/have a blood clotting condition​

     • Had history of multiple diverticulitis episodes

2. Envision success

   • I'm fit and healthy, have a ton of energy, and feel in charge of my life

   • I'm laughing while outside in the sunshine with my kids, trees rustling in the wind, leaves in fall colors

   • I feel good about how I look in a bathing suit - sure, I have scars and skin issues that stand out, but we all have some of those.  I'm done hiding them

3. ​Set one or two long-term goals in line with your vision

   • Weigh 200 lbs at around 10% body fat, with a lean, muscular build (50 lbs to lose while building and maintaining muscle)

   • Be active with my family, able to hike and fish and play outdoors

4. ​Set two or three realistic short-term goals in line with your vision

   • Lose 10 lbs of FAT while building strength and a moderate amount of lean muscle mass in two months

   • Drop two pant sizes in two months​

   • Be able to hike and fast-walk two miles in 30 minutes

5. Write down one or more tasks that are immediately actionable for each goal and work to achieve them without worrying about all the remaining tasks or challenges that the future may hold

   • The following became my baseline for the first two weeks:

     • Develop a weight routine and schedule time throughout the week for exercise

     • Walk outside or on elliptical for 20 minutes as part of my workout routine three days per week

     • Purge fridge and pantry of all foods and beverages that didn't fit the plan (or create a separate section in my pantry and fridge for staple foods and beverages if my family wasn't going on this journey with me)

     • Go shopping for foods that fit the plan

6. ​​Rinse and repeat - reassess weekly, adding new goals as you achieve old ones while continuing to reinforce your vision​

​​

​

nutrition and sleep

​

​

From a fitness standpoint, any reasonable program involving thoughtful and consistent strategies designed to make dietary improvements and get you moving will inevitably lead to some level of success.  That's the honest truth.  Unless you're doing some off-the-wall nutrition program where you do not take in enough essential nutrients, or the amount of calories you are taking in does not match with your goals, or you are severely over or under training, or performing exercises that exacerbate one or more conditions, you will make progress. 

​

But appearing fit and looking good in a bathing suit does not mean you are healthy, energetic, and feel fantastic in your body.

​​

Most fitness and weight loss programs are deprivation-based and promote excessive exercise.  Because of this, these programs often result in unfavorable body composition changes after "taking a break" or "falling off the wagon" for a period of time.  The recommendations provided within these programs often do not align with our natural bodily mechanisms and processes, resulting in a conflicted struggle between body and mind.  From a nutrition standpoint, this is why they call it "going on a diet" vs. simply consuming what our bodies are designed to eat and drink.  By consuming only foods and beverages our bodies were designed to consume while adding some regular, moderate exercise, our bodies take care of themselves. No struggle.  No deprivation.

​​​

Let's be honest about something first: you've probably already tried the diet that makes you weigh your rice. Counted points. Swiped through macro apps. White-knuckled your way through a "cheat day" that turned into a cheat week. And here you are. Still hungry. Still confused.

Here's the dirty secret: that wasn't you failing. That was the plan fighting your hunger instead of using it.

So here's what actually works: moderate protein, high fat, low-to-moderate carbs — under 100 grams a day — whole foods, always. Not zero-carb. Not a bodybuilder's mega-dose of protein. Just enough of each to keep you full on purpose instead of by accident.

Mornings: fast if you can — black coffee or tea, cream's fine, no sugar. If fasting isn't your thing, don't force it. Keep your morning low-carb with one high-fat, moderate-protein snack instead. A couple of hard-boiled eggs does the job.

Two real meals a day. Vegetables, fat, protein — same formula every time. No recipes to memorize.

Hungry in between? One item. A hard-boiled egg, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a chunk of cheese. Not a plate of things. Want a second item? That's your body telling you it's meal time, not snack time.

Trained today? Glass of whole milk after. Not skim.

Otherwise: water, coffee or tea, no sugar. That's the whole list. No secrets, no supplement to buy — just a plan that works because it doesn't ask you to be a different person to follow it.

You don't have to overhaul your whole life Monday morning. Please don't — the people who blow up their entire routine overnight are usually the same people who quit by Thursday.

Change one piece at a time:

Week one: Fix your snacks (single whole-food items) and your drinks (water, coffee/tea, milk after training).
Week two: Rebuild your two main meals around vegetables, fat, and protein.
Week three: Dial in your mornings — fasting, or a low-carb start with one fat-and-protein snack.
Week four: Add the four-day workout split.

That's iterative improvement: small changes that stick, instead of one heroic effort that burns out by Thursday.

​​​

One heads-up: cutting carbs is going to make you feel a little worse before it makes you feel better. Headache, lightheadedness, low energy, some GI weirdness — that's your body switching over to burning fat instead of sugar, and it's normal. If you're eating a lot more than 100 grams of carbs a day right now, don't try to drop straight to target overnight. Spend 2-4 weeks tapering down instead, shifting toward meat, dairy, fat, and vegetables as you go. Once you're consistently under 100 grams a day, you're fully on the plan.​

​

As far as sleep is concerned - get enough (at least 8 hours per night).  Sleep recommendations vary widely based on age, gender, and various other factors.  My recommendation is to get as much as you have time for and wake up when well rested.  Obviously, you may have to make some decisions for this approach to work, such as going to bed earlier.  Most of us have to get up by a certain time to get the kids off to school, or go to school, or go to work, or go to the gym before work.

​

exercise and movement

​​

How active are you? If you are on your feet all day, are a construction worker, and play sports on the weekend, you may be all set.  If you are a modern desk jockey like many of us, working long hours in front of a computer screen with little activity in your life outside of work, we need to get you moving.

​

You don't need seven days a week in the gym, a dozen accessory lifts, or an app tracking forty different exercises. You need five movements, done consistently, with the weight going up over time.

Four training days: two chest & shoulders days, two back & legs days. Rest one day after workout 2, and one day after workout 4.

Day 1 — Chest & Shoulders: Incline Press 5×5, Lateral Raises 3×15 (slight forward lean)
Day 2 — Back & Legs: Bulgarian Split Squat 3×5 per leg, Chin-Ups 3×F, Deadlift 1×5
Day 3 — Rest
Day 4 — Chest & Shoulders: Bench Press 3×5, Overhead Press 3×5
Day 5 — Back & Legs: Squat 3×5, Pull-Ups 3×F, Barbell Rows 3×5
Day 6 — Rest, then start again at Day 1

That's it. Five lifts, four days, real recovery built in on purpose — because the actual gains happen during the rest, not the workout.

 

​​

Routine and schedule management

​​

The challenge for most people is putting everything together into a cohesive whole that simplifies your life and clarifies your goals while helping you make consistent progress toward them.  So while it may seem strange to some, I suggest a fourth pillar: routine and schedule management.

​​

The key is to create a schedule and set of routines that support the three other pillars.  The daily schedule is a map of your day and helps you make sure you hit all stops relevant to achieving your goals.  Routines are a subset of activities executed in an ordered, almost ritualistic manner that are performed in the same (or highly similar) way every time.  Routines are critical to pattern forming and habit building, the foundational elements to help you achieve your goals.  The only way to get better at something is to practice.  That's where routines come in handy.  EYH is an approach to self-transformation and actualization that helps to remove noise and focus on the things that matter to you most.  Its magic is in its simplicity and hands-on approach.  Practice, practice, practice.

​

The methods and approach here are not new by any means.  Don't get caught up in comparing elements of this program with other programs, books, theories, etc.  Nothing is new.  The ideas for this program have come from years of research and experimentation based on ancient and modern approaches to health, fitness, productivity, happiness, and success,  Don't get caught up in the information game.  If any aspect of this program appeals to you, take a chance and give it a try.  Assuming you give it your all, you won't regret it.

​

​​

need help getting going? want more?

​​

The outline provided above details the "what" and "why" of the program.  If you are interested in the "how" of the program, including a detailed, step-by-step, phased approach, please check out our courses. Training is tiered, reinforcing and deepening your EYH skills and experience within each pillar as you make your way up the mountain.

​​

Welcome to Eat Your Hunger!