The Health Trail ebook sample

150 “But forcing yourself to break habits could also be taken to extreme levels. You could ask a friend to drop you off in a remote area of the woods, or on a remote island with limited food. Maybe you have no way out until your friend comes back a few days later. It’s nearly a 100% certainty you’ll lose weight and won’t overeat. Think of it as the Gilligan’s Island or Castaway weight loss plan,” Sam laughed. “Yeah, some friend that would be. Some wives might want to just leave their husbands there forever,” Zak said with a big smile. “Ha, that’s right! Be careful whom you ask. What I’m trying to do is show you the tools to live your life more strategically. Call them life hacks if you will. You have more control over your life than you might think. If you truly want something, you have an arsenal of tools you can use to help accomplish it. There’s a lot we can’t control, but there’s a lot we can. Why not use the gifts you’ve already been given, be a good steward, and take charge of that part of your life? Keep things simple, but be aware, intentional, and strategic.” As the two hiked up the switchbacks they passed a grove of maples then heard the sound of a waterfall but couldn’t identify where it was. It seemed hidden somewhere behind the dense forest. Zak wasn’t sure what the weather was going to do. He assumed if a storm began they would need to turn around and go back, right? Maybe we should have discussed this beforehand. Something suddenly darted across the trail 20 feet in front of them and crashed through the bushes. “What was that?!” Zak said. “I couldn’t tell. A big rodent or maybe a bobcat?” They heard some loud rustling in the bushes, but the sound became more and more distant and faint until it was silent. Zak scratched the side of his head and thought he’d clarify what Sam just said.

151 “Sam, if I wanted to apply these 5 points of leverage to my weight loss goal, would that mean that for social leverage I could post my goal to friends on Facebook or Twitter? Maybe share that I plan to be hiking to Tunnel Falls and ask them to wish me luck?” “Yes, you got it! That’s a good example. You don’t necessarily need to broadcast it to the world, but mainly to those you trust.” “Ok, then for financial leverage does that mean I could spend money to register for a 5k that I’m not able to do yet? Or buy a small outfit I can’t fit into yet?” “Yes, that’s right on.” “Great, so for visual leverage maybe I could put background wallpaper on my phone showing someone fit on top of a mountain? Or maybe put a post-it note of my goal progress on my car dashboard?” “Yep, that’s it!” “And for promise leverage, I can send a motivational email or letter to myself to read in emergencies?” “Yes! One more…” “Physical distance leverage— literally remove snack temptations far away out of the kitchen, out of the house and out of my life, right?” “Exactly right, great job!” “Can you now see how adding motivational leverage can radically increase your odds of achieving your goal?” “Yeah, I do. If I didn’t do this it would now seem like a half-hearted effort.” It has been a while since Zak had added to his notes so he whipped out his iPhone and entered the following…

152 TO INCREASE THE ODDS OF REACHING A GOAL USE THE OINTS OF ,5 PMOTIVATIONAL EVERAGELAs they continued climbing the hill, a light breeze turned into full-on wind. Clouds continued swirling overhead. Zak realized he didn’t bring a rain jacket and was only wearing a cotton shirt. It had better not rain now or I might be in trouble! 7 Steps to Setting Goals “Zak, what do you think about goal setting?” “Goals? I guess they’re good, but I don’t think about it much.” “When you saved money for your video game, you worked towards a goal of buying it, right?” “Yeah, I guess so.” “Consider being deliberate about goal setting because the more thought and detail you put into your goal, the more likely you are to reach it. Goals should be a big deal. You are making a promise to yourself to face a new challenge and accomplish something. Naturally, you want to stack the odds in your favor. There are seven things you can do to drastically increase your chance of success. Would you like to know what they are?” “Sure, I’d like to hear them,” Zak said. Maybe the first one is always bring a waterproof jacket when hiking in Oregon! Zak didn’t realize he carried a negative association toward setting goals. I’m tired of feeling bad about not reaching them so I’d rather

153 not make them in the first place, he thought. Zak didn’t realize that he made his previous goals too big and unrealistic, however. He would later learn that if he simply made his goals smaller and easier to achieve that after accomplishing them he would feel energized and empowered again. Goals just aren’t for me, he thought. “These are 7 steps to setting goals…” Sam said. “First,” Sam said, “…is to decide and declare what your goal is clearly and succinctly. Write it down or type it into your phone or computer. Eliminate the clutter and go for the heart of what you really want. Save it in a visible and easily available location. Also, make sure it’s truly your goal and not someone else’s.” “Your goal should also be realistic. Not too hard to achieve or lofty, but at least a slight challenge so you’re not selling yourself short. It needs to be big enough to have a nice reward, but easy enough to achieve so that you aren’t overwhelmed or tempted to compromise or break your commitment. Once someone breaks his commitment it’s not the end of the world, but it can feel disempowering and is best to avoid. When in doubt, it’s better to start small and lean toward easy-to-achieve goals than hard-to-achieve goals. If the goal is too complex, break it down and choose one of its smaller components instead as your goal.” “Second is to list the rewards for accomplishing the goal. You should list exactly how achieving the goal will improve your life.” “Third is to determine what kind of preparation you’ll need to reach the goal. This may involve listing people, partnerships, resources, skills, classes, tutoring, training, and knowledge you may need to accomplish the goal. This will aid as your support system to help reach your goal.” “Fourth is to list the challenges and potential roadblocks you may need to overcome to achieve the goal. It’s smart to prepare in advance for what obstacles you may run up against and how to navigate through them.”

154 “Fifth is to set a deadline on the overall goal and commit to it. It should be a very specific date and time that you will add to your calendar or schedule. You should estimate realistically and build-in extra time for any unforeseen obstacles. Goals may include milestones— dates that you seek to accomplish each point of your action plan, but if it’s too complex consider just focusing on one at a time. To fully commit to your goal, consider using tools such as the 5 points of motivational leverage.” “Sixth is to make a detailed step-by-step plan to accomplish the goal. Number each step and describe each action in detail. Each step should be a manageable task. If not, then it should be broken down into more specific component parts. Set an estimated timeframe to accomplish each task by and schedule it on your calendar and declare your task in a visible place, such as on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator. Declare specifically what you plan to do. For example, ‘On March 3 at 8 a.m., I will eat a single banana for breakfast and nothing else until lunch.’ Or, ‘On March 7 at 3 p.m., I will go for a 0.5 mile walk at Mt. Tabor park.’” “Seventh is to visualize yourself attaining the goal through regular thoughts, prayer, and meditation. Deeply ‘see’ yourself doing each step of your plan. Think of what it will feel like when you accomplish it. Feel your emotions, your joy, and increased confidence when you attain your prize. Through this practice, you will start believing you will achieve it and you can greatly increase your motivation. By thinking of it regularly throughout your day, it can lead to a healthy obsession, where you may develop an insatiable desire to achieve it. You may start wanting this goal so badly you can practically feel it, touch it, taste it, or even salivate at the thought of it.” “Stop, you’re making me hungry!” Zak said with a smile. “It’s good to be ‘hungry’ for your goals.” Zak laughed. That’s so cheesy!

155 “Zak, you want to be so prepared and confident in achieving your goal that you feel like you’ve practically already accomplished it. When you have already planned in detail, already thought through the obstacles, already committed to it, already visualized it in detail, you may realize much of the heavy lifting is already done. You’ve already cleared the way and paved the path to success. Then, when you do the work toward your goal, you’re simply implementing what you already knew would happen.” “That sounds intense,” Zak said. “Intensity isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Think of Olympic athletes— do you think they achieved their top levels of excellence and mastery by one day just casually thinking about it? No, they decided clearly what they wanted, set an exact deadline, had laser focus, made a full commitment, got support, and executed a specifically targeted training routine for achieving that exact goal.” “Yep, probably so.” Zak realized he hadn’t taken any notes in a while. He noticed his iPhone was low on its battery but managed to get enough power to type the following: TO ACHIEVE GOALS EASIER PLAN ,THEM THOROUGHLY IN ADVANCE ; USE THE STEPS 7. Then his phone died. Rats!

156 Zak was starting to feel cold. With the higher altitude and increased wind, he was starting to feel vulnerable. I hope this doesn’t get any worse. “Zak, something to be aware of is the threat of procrastination. Setting a goal that is too big can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed, then you’ll be tempted to procrastinate and avoid taking any action toward it. The remedy for this is to first make your goals smaller, make them tiny initially if needed, to build confidence in your success. But even if you have a small goal, the key to making progress is to just start, if for only 5 minutes, or even 1 minute.” Just start… I can remember that. Maybe I should start lifting weights at home for 1 minute, or even better, 1 second! I don’t want to set the bar too high! Zak joked to himself.“It can help to schedule a small block time on your calendar in advance to work toward your goal, and working on your goal daily is ideal to develop a habit. At least start and do something for 5 minutes. Often just starting is the hardest part of working toward a goal, and the rest can flow more naturally. Once you start developing a habit, it will take less and less willpower to start and it might even start becoming fun.” Zak tried to shake out his legs. They felt tight like a cramp was about to come on. The feeling then passed, but his heart was beating unusually fast. Am I having a heart issue? I don’t feel out of breath or too tired yet, so maybe I’ll be ok?The morning dew still remained on the tips of the fir trees and their brown cones. The two continued a medium pace leading up the switchbacks up the hill through some rocky talus slopes. I wonder what the summit is like? Soon the two made a final switchback and reached a large, open plateau with an expansive view of the gorge. Wow!

157 Zak noticed the clouds seemed less angry than they did before, which eased his concern about lightning… for now. But he was starting to get quite cold. His shirt was damp from his sweat and the wind was chilling him faster than his body could keep up with. He folded his arms and bounced around to warm himself up. Zak and Sam walked closer to the edge of the precipice overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. The sunlight glistened off the ripples of the water nearly 1,500’ below. The wind ushered in cool, moist air that chilled their bodies from the arduous climb. “This is beautiful!” Zak said. “Yes, it really is!” The two took a brief break to enjoy the view and eat their packed lunches. Zak felt better about his food choices today; he ate his apple first, then the muffin, then the Reese’s for dessert. Start with the good, end with the bad, he thought. After fifteen minutes they gathered their belongings and began the hike back down the mountain. By now, Zak was shivering with his teeth chattering. He looked forward to reaching the forest to protect against the wind. Applying the 7 Steps Formula “Zak, on the way down, how about we talk about applying the goal-setting formula?” “Okay, sure.” “Did you realize you have already taken some of these 7 goal-setting steps in the last few days? Reaching Tunnel Falls is a goal, losing 40 pounds is a goal, and trying the Window diet for 30 days is a goal.”

158 “Right, that’s good then,” Zak said. But I still haven’t fully tried the Window diet, oops!“Would you like to try applying the 7 goal steps formula to the goals you’ve already set?” “Let me get this straight, I would first identify the specific goal, which I already did, right?” “Yes.” “Hiking to Tunnel Falls and back is my main goal, I guess.” “What else after identifying it?” “Write it down or type it into my phone?” “Just put it where it is highly visible and you can see it regularly.” Zak squinted his eyes as he tapped his fingers to enter his goal within his calendar phone app called “events.” Sam smiled with excitement in seeing Zak start to apply the formula. “For step two, I identify the rewards, right? I would say it can help me get in better shape. I’ve been wanting to see the falls, so I might feel a certain sense of accomplishment seeing it. Maybe I would feel better physically. God forbid, I might even look better.” “True, when you reach Tunnel Falls you may feel empowered. You would get excellent exercise, see incredible beauty, enjoy time in nature, and enjoy nice conversation.” “What’s step three again?” “Preparation and support system.” “That’s right— for step three I’d say you’re key to help me get there, because you’re motivating me and you know the trails. I don’t have a GPS or any trail maps or anything. I suppose family and friends could be a support too, because if they tempt me to eat junk food

159 that can undermine my efforts to accomplish this. Maybe I can ask them to help me?” “Yes, good. Keep going…” “Four was the potential roadblocks, right? I’d say I need to keep hiking and increasing my stamina to be able to accomplish this and if I don’t that could be an obstacle. Also, if I eat a lot of bad food or do a lot of drinking that would probably be an obstacle.” “Can you think of more?” “Maybe if my car dies? Or maybe I get sick or have a family emergency? Bad weather? Maybe I twist my ankle?” “What about something like stubbing your toe on the coffee table? Getting a cramp in your leg? Can you think of anything you can do to reduce the risk of having obstacles?” “I could just be careful? Maybe stretching and warming up could help prevent cramping or injuring myself.” I haven’t been doing this. “What about getting proper sleep? Maybe not staying up late and unwinding early to ensure you have the maximum energy. Also, staying hydrated the night before and morning of the hike.” I’ve been doing almost none of these things. “Yes, that too.” “What about Olympic athletes when they’re preparing to compete for the Olympic games? Do they just eat whatever they feel like or are they careful to only eat food that maximizes their performance?” “Yes, they would eat the healthiest food that will give them the most energy, of course.” “That’s right. It’s good to identify the potential roadblocks so you’re prepared and less surprised when they come up later. Feel free to proceed with your goal plan…”

160 “Ok, for the fifth step— the deadline— I really want to go to my Senior Prom— a formal dinner and dance. I’d like to invite someone, but I’m afraid of looking like a dork trying to ask a girl out and being rejected. I have one prospect in art class, but I’m not sure she’s noticed me.” “That sounds like a great goal— so when is your prom?” “It’s sometime in May— about six weeks away.” “Great, when you find out the specific day, enter it on your calendar or schedule as the deadline for your goal. But ideally, you can accomplish your Tunnel Falls hike before the Senior Prom. These are two separate goals: training for the hike, and secondly, preparing for your prom.” Zak opened up the calendar app on his iPhone and entered a tentative appointment on May 16 for 8 a.m., called “Tunnel Falls hike.” “Sixth was to make an action plan. This might take time, so maybe I can do this later,” Zak said. “Postponing things for later can be an obstacle in itself. Sometimes, people forget and never complete the 7 steps of planning their goal, so it might be better to do it now. We’re not in any hurry and can do it now, right?” “Sure, I can do it. Just give me a few minutes to think.” Zak scratched his goatee and made a few grunting noises as he mentally processed his goal. He knew that to reach Tunnel Falls it would take physical preparation, but what exactly? He thought. Longer hikes than I’m doing now, but shorter and less intense than Tunnel Falls, right? He then wondered how many miles it was to Tunnel Falls and approximately how much effort it might take to get there. If I know that, maybe I can backtrack and figure out easier hikes I can do to build up endurance for it.

161 “How many miles is Tunnel Falls and what is the elevation?” Zak asked. “It’s 12 miles round trip and I don’t know the exact elevation, but it’s approximately 1060’ elevation gain from the start of the hike to the falls.” “Ok, so I would need to do some hikes that are shorter and less intense before that.” But how many miles? And how steep? I wouldn’t want to underestimate or overestimate. Also, how many hikes in-between today and Tunnel Falls? Zak wondered. “How many miles is the hike we’re doing now?” Zak asked. “Angel’s Rest is 4.8 miles round trip with 1450’ gain.” “Ok, maybe we’ll need to do a few hikes between 4.8 miles and 12 miles round trip, and the gain shouldn’t matter since we’re already doing 1,450’ today and Tunnel Falls is only 2/3 this steep, right?” “That’s right.” “I think we have only added 1 mile at a time, so we might want to do a hike that is 6 miles round trip, 7 miles, 8 miles, 9 miles, 10 miles, 11 miles, and finally Tunnel Falls— so 6 more hikes? And which hikes have those lengths?” “I like how you are now focusing on specifics of your goal’s action plan. This is where the rubber meets the road— greatly increasing the odds of success. Since I’m a hiking guide and have already done lots of hiking research, how about if I share some hikes that are both scenic and can provide the right mileage for training purposes?” Zak nodded with anticipation of what Sam was going to say next. “I suggest four more hikes to prepare for Tunnel Falls. The next hike I recommend is Lava Canyon (5.9 miles), then Cape Horn (7.1 miles), Eagle Creek to the High Bridge + Wahclella Falls (8.4 miles), Trail of Ten Falls/Silver Falls State Park loop + Maple Ridge Loop

162 (9.8 miles). Then, you should be ready for Tunnel Falls (12 miles). These hikes have a fairly aggressive rate of increase and wouldn’t be gradual enough for most people, but since you’re young and working on healthy eating habits in-between I think you will see your stamina and fitness rapidly increase. Each is in the 800’ — 1,400’ gain range, but some have some extra challenges. What do you think of these?” “Wow, I’m nervous, but excited. This would definitely be a challenge, but would be something to look forward to.” “Yes, indeed. These are some of the most beautiful places on earth. God spent a little extra time designing these places.” Sam smiled. I’m guessing he doesn’t believe in evolution then, Zak thought. But maybe I’m not so sure myself.Zak lifted his iPhone and entered each of the five hikes into his calendar app— one each Saturday for the next five weeks to lead up to his final Tunnel Falls hike. “I noticed you suggested more than one hike on some of them— is that to get up the mileage?” Zak asked. “Yes, some are nearby and short, so why not combine with another hike more challenging to get the mileage you want.” “Right. I wouldn’t have thought of that.” “Zak, have you noticed that this is the first time we have actually planned hikes ahead of time?” “No, I haven’t thought about that. I just focused on one at a time, I guess.” “Initially we took baby steps— like mini-goals— just one activity or hike at a time, or even one section of a hike at a time, even 5 minutes at a time. This is so the change isn’t overwhelming. Sometimes it’s beneficial to just try something or take a little step, even if you aren’t totally sure what the outcome will be.”

163 “I see, but why plan them now if we didn’t need to before?” “You are far enough along toward your goal and have gained enough momentum that seeing farther ahead likely won’t discourage you at this point. I believe in you and at this point I don’t think you will quit after all you’ve invested. Since we just talked about goal setting, this is an important skill to develop— to plan your own growth at your own pace so it’s challenging, but be realistic. What do you think?” “Sure. So, when I’m starting something new I shouldn’t try to bite off more than I can chew and be extra sensitive to my motivation and rate of change I’m comfortable with?” Bite and hew…clever, cZak. “Exactly. When aiming for a new goal many people try to do too much too soon and end up disempowering themselves. We don’t want that.” “The last step is visualizing, right? That sounds like something I need to do later by myself, right?” “Yes, you can certainly visualize accomplishing it now as you’re hiking, but it’s most effective when you have a quiet room to yourself to relax, close your eyes and deeply imagine yourself accomplishing this goal— to feel the sensations of it. However, even if you can’t think as deeply as other times, you will still benefit thinking and visualizing throughout the day.” “Ok, I’ll do this before I go to bed tonight.” “Perfect. Zak, you did a great job applying the 7 step goal formula. Make sure you write this down or enter it into your phone for a stronger motivating effect. When you put your goal in writing it crystalizes your intention and formalizes your goal. Seeing your goal in writing is one step closer to becoming reality and it is a clear reminder of what you plan to do. Are you willing to put your plan in writing?”

164 “Yes, I will. But I have a question…” Zak fidgeted and scratched his arm while thinking how to word his question. These goals seem really involved! I know myself well enough to know I can’t do this every time, I’d go crazy! “Do you use these 7 steps for everything you want to accomplish or just important things?” “Good question. The 7 steps are most useful for achieving new goals, changing your habits, or starting new ones. Once you adopt a new behavior and continue it for 30 days you likely have already formed a habit. Once a habit is well-established it can become routine and automatic, so you won’t need to be as deliberate or thorough in setting a goal for it each time.” That’s a relief to hear, Zak thought. “Remember that the first 30 days of trying to form a habit is especially difficult and using extra strategies can help.” “Such as?” “Piggybacking a new habit onto an existing habit you have. For example, if your goal is to start walking regularly and if you already have a habit of getting coffee at 7 a.m., consider walking for 15 minutes just before you get your 7 a.m. coffee. Merge the two activities together to make it easier to adopt the new habit.” “Huh, I wouldn’t have thought of that.” “As another example, if you want to adopt a habit of weighing yourself, you can piggyback it onto an existing habit like brushing your teeth. If you already brush your teeth before you go to bed, then you can simply start grouping the two activities together to remember to weigh more consistently. If you’re combining habits, but think you might forget to weigh yourself, you can tape a reminder to your toothbrush to weigh yourself. You could also set your toothbrush on your scale, but it might not be too sanitary.” Zak grinned. I’d probably be the one to try that.

165 The two arrived back at the original parking lot, completed their hike and said goodbye. Zak felt that he burned a lot of calories on this hike from all the elevation gain. What a relief that I made it! His legs were sore and his stomach felt empty. Driving Home Zak felt like stopping at the pizza buffet on the way home. His craving was intense, but this time he realized his conflict of interest. The idea of feeding his hunger sounded amazing, but he figured the pleasure would end almost immediately after the meal. He would regret it. He remembered a semi-crude question he was supposed to ask himself before feeding his desire: “If I do this would I be sabotaging my future self?” Zak viewed this conundrum more clearly now than previous times of temptation. This time he realized the answer to that question was obvious: Yes, I would be sabotaging my future self, but I’m hungry now!He then remembered his goal of being more nurturing and gentle with himself— especially his future self. He realized it would be wrong to betray his future self— to deliberately derail his goals just for a few minutes of pleasure. No, I can’t do it, he thought. I refuse to do this to myself any longer— it’s not fair to my future self or my present self. Oh great, now my future self is Mr. Rogers… boring! Zak’s irrational voice interjected. He made his decision and deliberately missed the exit to the pizza buffet at the last moment. His swerve triggered a nearby motorcyclist to honk and glare at him as he passed by. He noticed the black leather-clad rider had a holster with a pistol on his belt. Whoa, boy, please move along— I don’t need any road rage today, he thought.

166 He then stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up a $2.98 cranberry walnut chicken salad which he ate at home guilt-free while applying the 7 ways...or was it 8 ways? This time he remembered and applied at least 7 of them. He dished only 90%, drank lots of water, used a small fork, paused to smell and savor his food, chewed longer. He would have tried to talk with his mom, but she went to bed already. He instead watched TV and listened while eating then discarded the leftovers. Though his sweet tooth longed for more, his stomach was satisfied enough and he felt good knowing he didn’t compromise on his goals. I’m starting to win again, he thought. I’m tired of letting these evil corporations rob me of my freedom and tell me what to eat— I’m taking back control of my life! Zak wasn’t used to eating less than normal and became aware of his lingering hunger. It wasn’t that strong, but enough to annoy him. The more he thought about it, the more intense the hunger became. He longed for some Sour Cream Pringles. What if I just eat a snack now and just push off the diet stuff to tomorrow? This is harder than I thought! Suddenly Zak felt the bangle on his wrist. Oh no! Why am I wearing this stupid guilt-machine? It will only make me hate myself more when I eat. Wait a minute. Didn’t Sam say something about this? Was I supposed to plan ahead of time what to do or something? I don’t remember! Ahhhh, I can’t do this! But I don’t want to mess up my whole plan though. What will Sam think if I tell him that, once again, I failed at the eating 90% thing? Not sure I can bear to tell him, but I don’t want to lie and feel guilty about it either! Wait a minute, why do I even have Pringles in the house? Isn’t that exactly what Sam said could derail my plan? That’s it, I’m tired of this nonsense! Zak grabbed the half-full can of Pringles from the kitchen cupboard, took it outside and dumped it in the trash can. Wait a minute! Zak then took the gallon of milk from the fridge that just expired and

167 took it outside and dumped it in the Pringles can, spoiling the chips. There! Now, there’s no chance I’m eating that grossness! I’m gonna move on, forget about it, chew some gum, and watch some YouTube! After watching a few videos, he saw a commercial of someone snacking on popcorn. Hey, we have popcorn and it’s healthy, right? Maybe I’ll just have a bowl of that and be easy on the salt… Then he realized that would violate the 90% ‘thing.’ He realized that snacking between meals wasn’t allowed, because it would defeat the purpose; it would no longer be eating ‘less.’ Aaahhhh! How am I going to get through this? Zak started watching the news and he soon forgot about his craving. He reflected on the conversation he had with Sam during the hike and got an idea. What if I take a selfie and use an app to make me look slimmer? Maybe that could serve as a motivational reminder? Zak downloaded a photo editing app from the Play Store called ‘Body Editor’ and proceeded to slim his face and waist. Sweet, that just knocked off 40-50 pounds! He stared at the new image. Could that be me? Could I look like that? Do I even want to look like that?He tried to remember the 7 goal steps Sam mentioned earlier. What were they again? He realized that finding a date to his upcoming prom was a goal. What’s something I can do now to get the ball rolling? Zak had an idea. What if I try a dating app? He searched the Google Play store and found one called ‘Hinge’ which he downloaded and installed. As it came time to add a photo he clicked then noticed it took him to a directory where he had a choice of which photo to use. Then he saw it. The edited photo. Should he use it?

168 After scratching his goatee for a minute he chose to upload his ‘enhanced’ photo. How would anyone know that’s not my real size? he rationalized. He added a photo of his cat too and completed his profile. He then browsed through profiles and sent brief messages to ten different girls before closing the app. Zak intended to enter his 7 goal steps into his phone, but forgot and instead watched ‘cat fail’ videos on YouTube. He needed a goal for writing down goals. Before going to bed, Zak remembered to weigh himself and was surprised at what he saw: 286 pounds! He lost 14 pounds in the last few weeks since doing hikes with Sam and trying to eat slightly better. He felt different already. Zak had a flurry of information spinning in his mind like an old popcorn machine spinning kernels before they pop. I sure hope my brain doesn’t pop, Zak thought. Following Days Zak was anxious to check Hinge for updates. No messages. What a downer. But wait, there’s a ‘like.’ Who is it? A girl with the name ‘Hoarse Luvr’ liked his cat photo. Does that mean she likes horses or hoarse voices? Her profile said she was 16 and into photography. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, looked healthy and cute. Zak tried to think of something clever or witty to write to her but drew a blank. He just wrote “Hey, how’s your day?” To Zak’s surprise, he got a friendly reply from her and they continued text-chatting over the next few days. They discussed movies, music, school, and photography. He learned her real name was Heidi and she was a junior at a different high school. It was unexpected how quickly it progressed.

169 Then they talked on the phone; he was impressed and liked how they seemed to hit it off. They then talked about meeting in person for a date. He wanted to go to the upcoming senior Prom and thought that might be an ideal first date. It seemed like the beginning of a fairy tale relationship, but there was a problem. She only saw his doctored photo and didn’t know what he really looked like. He intended to send a real picture and tell her sooner, but hesitated and didn’t know how exactly to say it. He didn’t expect the possibility of a relationship to develop, especially so soon. He now regretted using the doctored photo and felt stuck. It’s my first relationship and it’s already based on a lie; this can’t be good, he thought. Then Zak had an idea. What if I lose enough weight to where I match the photo? Maybe if I lose another 26 or so pounds I’ll look close? But the Prom is less than a couple months away, so how would I do it so quickly? Plus, that’s a long time to wait for a first date. Oh boy… Zak had inadvertently increased his motivation through social leverage. But this is too much social leverage! Now the stakes are too high. Now, he really had to lose the weight. As he prepared for bed, Zak looked forward to upcoming hike as it sounded like an unusual place. He read on Wikipedia that a 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused a massive flood which carved out a canyon and left a series of scenic waterfalls called Lava Canyon. This was where they planned to hike 5.9 miles. But Sam said some hikes like this will have extra “challenges.” What did he mean by that? Am I truly ready for this?

170 To continue your adventure, purchase the full Book or Ebook at: thehealthtrail.orgFull purchase includes bonus Appendix resources to help with your own weight loss journey, access to “Zak’s Notes,” ebook formats (Kindle KDP file, Epub, PDF, and HTML compatible for all devices), and more. Proceeds help support online Bible ministries. We hope you have enjoyed your free sample of The Health Trail. May God bless you!

171 APPENDIX: PUBLISHER & LEGAL INFO The Health Trail (Physical Book) ISBN: 978-0-9992360-4-8 The Health Trail (Ebook) ISBN: 978-0-9992360-5-5 Published By: Pure Truth Publications 7250 S Durango Dr. Suite 130-210 Spring Valley, NV 89113 USA To order copies of this book or for more Christian publications such as those above, please visit: https://puretruthpublications.com Copyright © 2020 by Pure Truth Publications All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a fictional story aimed at both entertaining and providing informative perspectives on the subjects discussed herein. If a reader intends to apply its information literally, the reader should first consult a physician or therapist. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability someone may assume exists due to one’s own interpretation or perceived application of the story from this book. If any fictional names in the book are similar to someone’s name in real life it would be merely coincidental.

172 APPENDIX: REFERENCES 1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624264/ 2 https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity and https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm and https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2018/021.pdf 3 https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html 4 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190225005455/en/72-Billion-Weight-Loss-Diet-Control-Market 5 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111081 6 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19982520/weight-loss-80-percent-diet-20-percent-exercise/ 7 Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne, Ph.D. 8 https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm 9 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322365#gaining-muscle and https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/03/22/time-restricted-eating-is-growing-in-popularity-but-is-it-healthy 10 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413114004987 and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5123758/ and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938416309179?via%3Dihub 11 https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/avoid-eating-just-your-bedtime-study-recommends/ and https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-eating-before-bed-3027.html 12 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264624 and https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-skipping-breakfast-bad 13 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/best-diet-quality-counts/#ref25 14 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156 15 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuronarrative/201709/the-link-between-sugar-and-depression-what-you-should-know 16 “Superlife” by Darin Olien, and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/ 17 https://www.livescience.com/2694-hunger-happy.html 18 http://www.how-to-lose-your-belly-fat.net/food-and-recipes/eating-fiber-rich-foods/viscous-fiber-foods.html 19 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00603.x and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17092830/ 20 https://healthfully.com/525570-what-is-viscous-fiber.html 21 Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 22 https://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html 23 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.21167 24 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-eating-slowly-may-help-you-feel-full-faster-20101019605 25 See the “8 Ways Sequence” in the Appendix 26 Atomic Habits, by James Clear