(Breather) Yes this title sounds familiar to the 2019 show titled, The Fatty Popcorn Boy Saga. I’m alternatively embarrassed but also pleased to report that I have succeeded with a focused effort of fat reduction, and have some insights about mindset and practical tips to share with you. The Part 1 show wrestles with the philosophical aspects of taking on this challenge, while Part 2 covers five helpful tips to make it happen in real life. It’s very easy to slip a bit from your A-game with unbridled celebrations that become too commonplace, as well as mindless eating habits that aren’t aligned with your stated goals. It’s much more difficult to recalibrate and get rid of body fat that was unwanted in the first place. I gained a fresh perspective about the content I communicate in books, podcasts, and videos from fighting a personal battle instead of just being theoretical. The best starting point for a fat reduction effort is to get your mindset right ― do you really want this goal, or are you deep down okay being just okay? Perhaps you are giving yourself permission to celebrate life and use food as a release valve against all the pressure and expectation we face in other areas of daily life? That’s perfectly okay, but you have to have some honest self-assessment so you don’t set yourself up for disappointment. As you embark on the difficult task of dropping excess body fat, it’s important to strike a balance between harnessing the focus, discipline and competitive intensity to kick butt with not attaching your self-esteem or self-image to the outcome. Insights from shows with Mark Manson and Andrew MacNaughton apply here. You also have to recognize the strong influence of environmental factors, as revealed by Framingham Study data that identified social “clusters” for things like obesity, or happiness, that are contagious to three degrees. If one is obese, one’s friend and the friend’s friend are more likely to obese. If you are kickin’ it in Austin with thousands of people visible every morning cruising around the Town Lake trail, the fitness ethos of a community is most definitely contagious. You also need to be able to accept honest feedback from others, while remembering that it’s also a balancing act: you don’t want to let self-limiting beliefs and negative childhood associations run (and ruin) your life, but you still need to let enough constructive criticism in that you can make the necessary changes you need to make. Do your best to align yourself with a beneficial sense of self, or at the very least, a more positive one than you’ve had in the past. This is key when it comes to weight loss because your thoughts really do affect your cellular function, at all times. If this is a new concept to you, check out the book, The Biology of Belief, and the episodes (part 1 and part 2) where I discuss this concept and the power your thoughts (positive and negative) truly have on your body. Getting routine blood work done can potentially aid you immensely throughout your weight loss journey, because truthfully, even if you think you are doing well and are feeling quite healthy, a blood test might change everything. It could expose you to things you had no idea were happening in your body. Here are the top things to look out for when you get bloodwork done: Triglyceride levels: High triglycerides are not a good sign as they indicate the amount of fat circulating in your blood. Dr. Sinha says get this number under 100. HDL (aka good cholesterol): Aim for at least over 40. Triglyceride to HDL ratio: Dr. Cate Shanahan and Dr. Sinha both suggest striving for a 1:1 ratio Vitamin D: Most people are chronically deficient in Vitamin D due to our modern, indoor lifestyles, but it is more important than ever in these times that you boost your immunity by exposing large skin surface areas to sunlight. Sure you can take a supplement, but nothing will be as potent or efficient as the real thing. Inflammatory markers HBA1C If any of