The episode starts with me making an analogy to lottery winners - how they often end up broke because they don't learn good financial habits first. The same goes for rapid weight loss without good habits in place. I explain that what you do before and after a diet is actually more important than the diet itself! I share that this will be a 3-part series on optimizing your diet approach. Today we covered the pre-diet phase. Next week will be the actual diet, and then we'll wrap up with the crucial post-diet phase.  For the pre-diet phase, I discuss the following  5 steps: 1. Build Strength - Focus on age-appropriate strength training, not crazy heavy lifting. Just 45 mins to 1 hour 3 days a week can work wonders by boosting metabolism and preventing age-related muscle and bone loss.  2. Reverse Diet - Slowly increase calories each week to reach an appropriate maintenance level before starting your diet. This supports muscle building and resets your metabolism after prior restricting.  3. Prioritize Protein - Eat 0.7-1g of protein per pound of ideal body weight to clearly signal your body to build muscle. I share good sources and tips like a protein-rich breakfast. 4. Manage Stress - Chronic stress hurts weight loss, so mindfulness, meditation, magnesium, and restorative yoga can help counterbalance a stressful lifestyle. 5. Get More Sleep - Sleep is one of the most powerful health and weight loss hacks. Support restful sleep by optimizing your sleep environment and habits.  I explain that this pre-diet phase could take a few months depending on your starting point, but leads to better weight loss AND keeping it off long-term. Next week we'll dive into the diet phase! I hope these steps help you approach weight loss from a sustainable, healthy angle. All of the free guides I mentioned in this episode can be found at:www.silveredgefree.com Want to rewrite the narrative of your life and health? Visit the link below to see if our 1:1 coaching services are a perfect fit for your long term goals: https://calendly.com/thesilveredge/coaching-inquiry Want more over 50 health and wellness goodness? Check out our private Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/silveredgefitness