Body positive, free tips, 66.1?

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Good afternoon, 66.1ers.

Coming to you live from the airport.
Flight’s delayed, good opportunity to write a newsletter!

Free tips?

Friend from college asked me for “ a few free tips for a friend” to help him lose weight this week. I had a hard time not jumping in and trying to fix what he’s got going on. But I didn’t. And if you’re saying, “Dang, Marcus, why so stingy?”, you’re asking a fair question. Here’s why:

With clients who want to lose weight, fix stress, or something else, what we’re doing is rewiring their brain. And no, I’m not a surgeon! But if you’ve ever changed how you operate, permanently and over a relatively short period of time (less than a year), you know that it’s not easy. Or, as another friend said in an email this week, “change is HARD”. 

And if you want to change, for real, to never go back to your old ways, you’ve got to be truly committed. Ok with losing some “friends” who don’t have your best interest in mind. Ok with making a financial commitment to get the help you need. Ok looking physically different. And the trouble with free tips is that they allow the person receiving them to avoid commitment. And when you avoid commitment, do you really change? 

Some related questions that might help explain where I’m coming from and help as you contemplate your New Year’s Resolution (79% are health-related, and don’t all require change that’s HARD?):

1. Lots of people tell me they listen to Huberman and/or Attia religiously. Good, if acquiring information is your goal. Don’t they have all the tips you could possibly need? If for some reason they don’t, can’t ChatGPT fill in the blanks?
   

2. If you’re consulting Dr. Huberman, Dr. Attia, and Dr. GPT on the regular, but you’re still not where you want to be, what’s missing? Is it just a matter of catching the next episode? 

66.1?

A 66.1 subscriber asked me this week why 66.1 is called 66.1. 2 reasons: 

1. 66.1 is the average healthspan (years lived without a chronic disease) of an adult in the US. Just me, or does that seem kinda short? Is that the best we can do?

2. 66 is the average number of days required to build a new habit. Aren’t unhealthy habits are the reason 66.1 is the average healthspan and healthy habits the key to extending it?

Fat?

Some other stuff I’ve been thinking about recently (curious to hear your thoughts if you want to reply here?)

When I lived in Zambia, I was called “fat” plenty of times. Usually after a vacation when I had enjoyed a few extra beers, snacks, and desserts. It wasn’t an insult and I wasn’t obese. But there was more Marcus than when I had last seen my host family a few weeks earlier and they didn’t mind pointing it out. It was just an observation of fact, as simple as if I had dyed my hair a new color. Is this wrong? Insensitive? Rude? Harmful? Honest? 

Why is there such a stigma around health stuff, specifically weight loss? Can being “body positive” go too far? Sure, you can (and should!) love yourself as you are, but does that mean you shouldn’t try to change?

If someone you cared about never wore their seatbelt, would you let them get in your car and not say anything about their seatbelt? Or might you find a bit of courage and candor and say something like, “Hey. I care about you. What in the world are you doing?”

How to reconcile all these thoughts with what I wrote in this piece a couple weeks ago? 

Below the fold: Preparing for your New Year’s Resolution

A few questions to get your wheels turning before the calendar turns over to 2026:

1. Is it new?

Doesn’t have to be. If it’s new, does this mean you knocked it out of the park last year? If not, why not? If you don’t know the answer, do you have someone who can help you figure out why and make sure you’re going to get it done this year?

2. Why does it matter?

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