Is this the Modern version of Camping? No, but it's close.

A few weeks ago, I went camping at Sam Houston State Park - it was a really great experience. I didn't bring any sure fire (something that pretty much guarantees you'll get fire), or sure flame (something that can produce a flame without fail...like a lighter), but I still found a way to survive (I made sparks, and started a fire that way...it took me a while...but I did it). That was such a great reward - it made me feel like Paul freaking Bunyan - and the bench I built with a knife, some wood, and some rope made me feel like Davy Crockett.

The point I'm trying to make is that I jumped into the wilderness with a few supplies, and discovered that I could survive (and by the end of the trip...I learned I could thrive, even). Fast forward to today. I'm taking off on a trip - I am writing this as I sit outside of the United Club at Houston International Airport (IAH), leaching their free internet. I am going on a trip, but I bet it's unlike any trip you've ever taken. My destination is Houston - and I'll connect here at my home airport during the way. That's right - I'll leave houston, return, leave again, and finally return for a second time. In between, I'll fly over 10,000 miles, sit in first class for at least 6 out of 8 flights (and likely all 8!), and will have two nights spent on a plane.

This is called a Mileage Run, and there is a small, dedicated group of travelers who love these things. We are the few who thrive in the air - the ones who feel more at home in a hotel room than at home. We do our best work on planes, we can sleep on planes (I feel so sorry for anyone who can't!) and we will actually fly for fun. We choose to do mileage runs to basically get cheap miles. I paid  $300 for 10,000 miles of flights which will earn me 20,000 miles (worth up to $600), and it helps me earn status.

For most of the population, flying is something to be tolerated on the way to a destination - but what if the flight was your destination? How would you feel if you spent the next 45 hours in airports, and on airplanes? How would you feel sleeping over night why hurtling through the sky at 500 miles per hour? Could you handle it? I bet you could - because we are all remarkably resilient. Once you become content with flying, you start to get comfortable flying. You start to crave it.

I'll lay out why I love flying so much. Because to most people, I appear totally crazy.
I flew nearly every single week last year, covering around 100,000 miles. When you fly that much, you can't help but get comfortable flying. Another great thing happens when you fly that much, though - the airlines notice. You earn status - I'm a Platinum Medallion on Delta. What does that get me? Some nice perks like free checked bags (no frequent flier really ever uses that perk, though), bonus miles when I fly, free sky club (lounge) passes, and, most importantly, unlimited free upgrades on every domestic flight.

You see, flying becomes worlds easier when you fly in first class. Unless there is a Diamond Medallion (to get there, you must fly more than 125,000 miles), I am pretty much first in line for any first class seats which don't get purchased outright. I fly in first class on most of my flights. That's what makes this worth it for me - I am mentally and emotionally comfortable flying - First Class makes me physically comfortable as well.

But beyond that, I do my absolute best thinking in two places - in the air, and in the car. If I have a particularly difficult problem I'm trying to work through, I will go for a leisurely drive (unfortunately there are precious few leisurely drives in Houston), and my brain goes to work. The same thing happens when I fly - the key is that there are zero distractions. I can get true work done, because I don't have a kitchen, or fridge, or TV, or video game system, or stack of books, or cleaning or anything else you may use to distract your self, there to pull me away from real work. A co-worker of mine recently told me that in the two years since his daughter was born, the only time he has been able to watch a movie all the way through was when he was flying. If you've ever seen Up In the Air, you know what I'm talking about (so going to watch that during these flights)

So what in the hell does this have to do with camping? That's the title of the post, after all, isn't it? The comparison comes from the lack of distractions - when you camp (or at least when I camp) - I set myself up to have zero distractions. I can focus completely, and entirely on what I am doing. And you know what happens? The days last FOREVER. In one full day of camping, I felt I had completed about 5 days worth of work - it's an incredible phenomenon. Flying is the same thing - sure, you get some creature comforts - Wi-Fi, Power Plugs, In flight entertainment systems, freshly prepared meals, but you still stay away from distractions.

I completed a video log when I was wilderness camping - I plan on doing the same thing now that I'm modern camping. I guess I'll go into the bathrooms to film it - everyone is pretty much going to believe I have diahrhea or something. One of the revelations I had while camping, though, was this lack of distractions leading to time distortion - I actually got more real time than you did, because I removed distractions from the equations. (by the way, I get the same effect, but to a lesser extent, in hotel rooms). I will post a better write-up of how this translates into the real world later (this is an all text post because I'm writing it on my tablet), but let's take three quick takeaways.

1. Removing distractions is paramount to acquiring more time for your real work - these are both physical and mental distractions
2. Take 3 minutes and pretend you have to pack a backpack, and leave home forever - what would you bring with you?
3. Consider how comfortable you are at home. Now how about away from home? - not physically (being physically comfortable is easy), but mentally and emotionally comfortable - until you can bring this comfort with you anywhere you go, you cannot be truly free.

fyi, here's my schedule for the next 2 days
1. Friday Afternoon: Houston (IAH) to Minneapolis (MSP)
2. Friday Evening: Minneapolis to San Jose (SJC)
3. Overnight: San Jose to Atlanta (ATL)
4. Saturday Morning: ATL to IAH
5. Saturday Afternoon: IAH to MSP
6. Saturday Evening: MSP to SJC
7. Overnight: SJC to ATL
8. Sunday Morning: ATL to IAH

I will be flying (and in Airports) for longer than I was camping two weeks ago. I'll post more details on Mileage Runs for anyone who wants to try one themselves!

T-Minus 10 days. Haven't Started Your Taxes? No Problem

Who doesn't love Taxes?

A lot of folks think that taxes are this big, scary monster. They aren't.

Here's why: Unless you have a lot of complex investments and run your own small holding company which holds businesses that you also own shares of, but not 100% of...then there are many easy to use tools.

You could do this all by hand, and technically it would be cheaper, but for the amount of time it would take (seriously, have you ever actually tried to do taxes by hand? It sucks), I'd rather just pay the $55 to use a tool to make it easier for me.

My personal recommendation is: TurboTax

There are really just two major players in the market that is tax software: TurboTax, and H&R Block.

TurboTax is proven, and it is easy. You import your documents (you do still have your W-2, don't you?) and then answer some simple questions. If you transact online, you can actually provide your login information, and TurboTax will import all of your documents. If you use Mint.com, you can link up and they will import from all of your accounts. Most W-2's can be imported as well. It's very smooth.

With my fairly complex Taxes, it took me just one hour from start to finish to complete my taxes.

How much does it cost? Well, if you are in a no-income tax state, like Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota (do people live there?), Texas, Washington, or Wyoming, then you are looking at a $0.00 cost to file your taxes, if they are simple.

If you have to file state taxes, then you are looking at a cost of $39.99 if you use the online version. Ouch!

However, if you use SnapTax (the TurboTax App) then you'll pay just $24.99.

Okay, is your head spinning yet?

How to finish your taxes, in 168 words

State Taxes:

If you made under $57,000 this year, then use http://www.myfreetaxes.com/. Not quite as simple as TurboTax, though, so if you value simplicity, see the next option.

If you made over $57,000 this year, or you value simplicity, use TurboTax. It'll be $24.99 if you had simple taxes, or $39.99 if you have complex taxes. If you made over $57,000, you can afford $40.

Federal Taxes:

If you had super basic taxes - a W-2, maybe a 1099-INT (Interest Form) - Then download Snap Tax

Cost: $24.99

If you are active duty military, are in the military reserves, own a home, have lots of deductions, or have education expenses, use TurboTax Deluxe

Cost: $34.99

If you sold stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, or you own a rental property, use TurboTax Premier

Cost: $74.99

If you own a small business, or have a lot of business deductions, you'll want to use TurboTax Home & Business, (or, more realistically, it may be time to get an accountant)

Cost: $99.99

Save Money on your Taxes

Now, you don't honestly think I'd have you paying full price to do your taxes, do you? That would be silly.

For example, this year, I need to use TurboTax Premier, since I had investments (though as a Texas Resident, I have no Income Taxes - yippee!). I marked it as $74.99 above, but since I went through fidelity, I got $20 off. As near as I can tell, you don't need to be an actual fidelity customer to use this coupon.

$20 off of TurboTax

If you are unable to use that coupon for some reason, however, try this Discount Code for TurboTax

Last, but not least. If both of those fail you, then just try searching RetailMeNot for some coupon codes (in fact, that's a good idea any time you're going to spend money online.

Should you wait until October 15th to pay your taxes?

If you are getting a refund, you should have already filed and gotten that money back (and saved it, right?) 

If, however, you have to pay taxes, why not wait until October? "Tax Deadline is April 15th, Paul. Duh, Everybody knows that"

There is a little known tool that you can use to give yourself extra time. It's called an Extension. The IRS will let you file a form 4868 (where do you think these numbers come from, anyway?) which basically says "Hey, IRS...I'm not ready - but I swear I'll have the money to you by October 15th"

Pretty much anyone can file an extension and get until October 15th to file. Here's why you shouldn't:

According to the IRS:

An extension will give you extra time to get your paperwork to the IRS, but it does not extend the time you have to pay any tax due. You will owe interest on any amount not paid by the April [15] deadline, plus you may owe penalties. 

There you go - I wanted to keep this one short, since you don't have enough time to think through all of your options. It's time to go ahead and file your taxes.

And of course, if you get a refund, you should invest it wisely...perhaps in a retirement fund? Yes, yes you should invest it in your retirement fund.

Disclosure: I don't get a single penny if you buy anything through any of the links I provided. Fidelity may get a cut if you go through their link, however.

Don't Let Yourself Lose $125,000

Studies show that subscribers to Padorec are happier than non-subscribers. Subscribe, and you'll get updates to help you take control of your life.

Word to the wise: This post is long, and details how to set up an IRA to help you be rich when you are old. If that does not interest you, I would recommend not bothering to read this post.

My Old Roommate

Recently, I got a text from my old College Roommate. He was looking for some investment advice (no doubt he came to me based on my awesome previous post: How to Get Free Money and Retire a Millionnaire)

Kris: "Who do you have/who would you recommend for an IRA? I'm finally gonna start one"

Me: "Congratulations! That's a good move. I use fidelity because they are so easy to use. They are 100% online except for a few physical stores. The other one I've heard good things about is Charles Schwab"

Then, he dropped the bombshell that made me realize I don't know as much about opening retirement accounts as I should. I can tell you what to do once you have one open, but I'm a bit clueless beforehand, apparently.

Kris: "Any thoughts on Ameritrade? It looks like fidelity and Schwab both have a minimum investment that I'd rather not spare right now"

That's fair, right? After all, you absolutely, positively should not wait until you have $2500 to invest in your future, which is what we thought Fidelity required. Hell, you shouldn't even wait until you have the $1,000 that Charles Schwab requires. How much should you start investing with?

I've spoken in the past about the power of the 401(k), but now I'm going to talk about the IRA (Individual Retirement Account). Kris works in a profession where he might not be with the same company for 5 years, or even 1 year. It makes sense for him to start an IRA - 401(k)'s are only useful if you get an employer match. So, if your employer doesn't match (give you free money) your investments in a 401(k), your best bet is an IRA.

You should start your retirement account with any amount of money you can spare. Shoot for $50.

That's right. Start your account with $50. That's it. Seriously.

• Next time you want to drive 300 miles. Don't. (You will save $50 in gas)
• Next time you want a video game, rent one instead. (You will save $50 on a game)
• Next time your friends want to go out for the night, decline, or suggest a party at home (Your savings will vary based on your typical consumption of Alcohol and Food)
• Ask your parents for $50 to open a retirement account. Seriously. They will appreciate your forethought. 

You get the point.

Who Do You Send your Money To?

Got your $50? Good. Now we're going to send it to someone. This person will safeguard it, and watch it grow, every year, until you are a rich old man, then they'll give it back to you. 

This person is known as a "broker". You've probably heard of a lot of them: Charles Schwab, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, Scottrade, E-Trade, and about a zillion others.

To save you some time, I did the research for you and broke it down. If you don't want to read through the details: The Winner is Scottrade, with Fidelity in a close second place.

I looked at 5 factors for each brokerage house.

1. Minimum Amount to Open a Roth IRA - this is very important
2. NTF Mutual Funds
3. NTF ETF's
4. Stock Trade Commission
5. SmartMoney Customer Service Rating

Vocabulary

• IRA: Individual Retirement Account. This is an account you open that lets you save towards retirement. There are two types of IRA Account: Traditional, and Roth
• Traditional: You put money in your account. You don't have to pay taxes on this money. However, when you pull money out (when you're an old rich guy), you pay taxes on it then.
• Roth: You put money in your account. You pay taxes on the money before you put it in. However, when you pull money out (...old rich guy), you don't pay any tax. This is what we'll focus on.
• Mutual Fund: Your best friend. Mutual funds (and their cousins the Index Fund) invest in a whole bunch of stocks, bonds, currencies, and sometimes other investments. You buy into the fund, and you get a share of the gains, losses, and dividends. This is a great way to "diversify" your portfolio without buying 50+ individual stocks
• ETF: Exchange Traded Fund - this is like a mutual fund, but they made a stock out of a bunch of stocks. You may by one share of an ETF, but it's kind of like investing in 2,000+ stocks at the same time. They do the work for you.
• NTF: stands for No Transaction Fee. Usually, there is a fee to invest in a mutual fund or ETF. NTF funds don't charge this fee up front (which can be $75 or more!)

How do they Stack Up?

Scottrade

Minimum to Open an Account: $0

NTF Mutual Funds: >3,100

NTF ETF's: None

Stock Trades: $7

SmartMoney Customer Service Rating: 4/5

E-Trade

Minimum to Open an Account: $0

NTF Mutual Funds: 1,300

NTF ETF's: 80

Stock Trades: $9.99

SmartMoney Customer Service Rating: 4/5

TD Ameritrade

Minimum to Open an Account: $0

NTF Mutual Funds: <1,000 

NTF ETF's: >100

Stock Trades: $9.99

SmartMoney Customer Service Rating: 3/5

Fidelity

Minimum to Open an Account: $0

NTF Mutual Funds: 2847 (as of 3/19/2013)

NTF ETF's: 65

Stock Trades: 7.95

SmartMoney Customer Service Rating: 3/5

Charles Schwab

Minimum to Open an Account: $1,000

NTF Mutual Funds: >1,000

NTF ETF's: >100

Stock Trades: $8.95

SmartMoney Customer Service Rating: 3/5

Those are the big brokerage houses - in some cases, your bank may offer a Roth IRA. I do not recommend this, as you can usually only invest in a very limited number of places. You want flexibility here.

The Winner is: Scottrade

Though Fidelity comes in a close second

Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with one of these brokers. Go to their websites, see which one feels best for you (personally, I found Schwab's website to be painfully difficult to navigate) and go with it. If you hate it later on, you can switch it up (though for simplicity's sake, you shouldn't)

How to Start the Investment

Open an Account

Go to the website of your preferred broker.

Click on "Roth IRA" - usually tucked under a section called "retirement"

Click on "Open an Account"

They'll take it from there.

I know I I'm holding your hand through that process, but I want to make sure you have EVERYTHING you need.

Choose a "funding source"

When they ask for a source of funds-this just means where will your money come from - you should enter your bank account information - account number and routing number. You should have your account number...and your routing number can usually be obtained from your bank website, or from the bottom of your checks if you have check writing available.

Choose your base investment

I want to make this easy for you, so the simple option is what I'll present first. If you want to make more complex investments, then I'll provide some resources for you, but you'll have to do your own homework. E-mail and let me know if you'd like a more in depth view of complex investments done here.

The Simple Option: Buy into a Target Date Fund. You take 65 minus your age, then add that number to this year. So, for me, I would say:
65-24=41
41+2,013=2054

Now, a quiz. If you were presented with the following options for funds, which is correct for me:

1. Target Date Fund 2035
2. Target Date Fund 2040
3. Target Date Fund 2045
4. Target Date Fund 2050
5. Target Date Fund 2055

Correct Answer: Target Date Fund 2050. You could say 2055, but 2050 (earlier) is more conservative.

Try it for yourself, now!
65-YOUR AGE=YEARS UNTIL RETIREMENT
YUR + 2013 = Target Date Fund for You

Got your date? Good. Now go find the fund that is just for you.

Investing like a Pro (Not Recommended for most)

For a more detailed primer on how to invest your money, I have 4 sources for you:

• How to Get Free Money and Retire a Millionaire at Padorec
• Rebalancing & asset allocation: critical for investing. So why don’t you do it? by Ramit Sethi
• Retire earlier by rebalancing your 401k with the Swensen asset model by Steve Mz
• Which Investments Are Best for a Roth IRA? at Get Rich Slowly

Growing Your Investment

You've done the hard part! Yay!

Now comes the easy part. Figure out how to automatically deposit more money into your account. This can be via direct deposit from your employer, or via a monthly draw from your bank account. Find a way to make it automatic, though. That way, the computers will keep investing for you, and you won't have to rely on yourself to remember. 

$50, $25, $10, whatever you can afford - you should invest it.

You'll set up two moves, actually:

1. $50 automatically transferred (or, ideally, direct deposited) into your account at the start of every month (right after pay day)
2. $50 automatically invested into your fund of choice

A Word of Caution about Automatic Investing

You need to ensure that your fund allows automatic investing (most target date funds should), and confirm a second time that there is no fee for investing. It's pointless to invest $50 in your fund if it will charge $75 to do so. A little homework here goes a long way.

When you look at your fund, look for a section called "fees", and ensure there are no transaction fees. There will also usually be a section marked "automatic investment allowed?" and "automatic investment minimum". Confirm that automatic investing is allowed, and that the minimum is not too high (again, it will usually be $0)

My Favorite Fidelity Fund has a $0 minimum
for the "Automatic Account Builder"

What are you Waiting For?

If you truly don't have the $50 to spare right now, then find a way to save it. But if you do (and don't try to fool me, most of you have way more than $50 to spare right now), then now is the time to start your IRA. 

You don't want to be Poor When You Get Old, so now is the time to start investing.

Being poor as an old man sucks

 If you wait 5 years (based on investing $50/month for 10 years, $6,000 total), then you are missing out on $50,000

$50,000 can buy a lot of Viagra and prune juice!

Health + Wealth + Love = Happiness

I've spoken briefly in the past about Health, Wealth, and Love. I'd like to expound upon this concept now.

A lot of you have heard this phrase, or a variation thereof at some point, but it is one of those phrases that we tend to let roll off our backs. We hear it, but it doesn't sink in. Kind of like...

• Fall 7 times, get up 8
• Dance like there's nobody watching
• Experience is the best teacher
• Work smarter, not harder
• Think outside the box
• Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today

These are phrases that, if you were hearing them for the first time, would probably provide some inspiration, guidance, or at least simple advice. Many were profound when they were first said, but they have since reached ubiquity, and are part of that dreaded class of phrases called "cliche"

Here's why Health, Wealth, and Love should not become a cliche. We can guide our lives by this simple principle:

You need health, wealth, and love, to be happy. Any can pull the others up, but any can also pull the others down. 

Before we get into how we can use this principle, I'd like to give a brief definition of each - at least, this is how I define them for myself.

Health

Arguably the most important, and the most often ignored feature of this triad of happiness. Health refers to physical health, of course, but also mental health. 

Physical Health

We all have physical ailments which are detrimental to our happiness. Perhaps we are overweight, have a chronic disease or acute disorder. You may have diabetes, scoliosis, halitosis, tuberculosis, or any of the other dreaded "-osis"'s. You may be 10 pounds overweight, or 300 pounds overweight. These are all detrimental to health, and detrimental to happiness.

or...

You may be in peak physical condition. You may run a marathon every month, eat a healthful diet, be at your body's optimal weight, have lower than normal cholesteral, an athlete's blood pressure, a strong ticker, huge lung capacity, a sharp mind, and be in the top 0.01% of physical specimens in this human race. These are all pro-happiness, and provide a great platform to develop even more happiness.

Odds are, you fall somewhere in between. We want to be closer to the second example than the first, and the closer we get to the first, the harder it becomes to be happy.

Mental Health

When most people hear mental health, they think that as long as they are not hearing voices which tell them to burn things, that they are healthy mentally. I'm afraid we all have improvements to make to strive toward peak mental health.

I define mental health as our ability to cope with, and be comfortable with, our situation. This ties in self-esteem, self image, confidence, positive vs. negative self talk, adaptability, and a host of other concepts. Additionally  some will suffer from depression, schizophrenia, delusions, voices, etc.

I will tend to focus on the non-clinically diagnosed disorders.

Wealth

This one seems pretty simple, right? More money = more happiness.

Well, not quite. There is pretty much a similar belief among those at any level of wealth that "If I just had more money, I'd be happy". The truth is, more money rarely equals more happiness. What really matters is the perception of wealth. 

There are hundreds...maybe thousands of travel hackers out there who don't have a particularly large amount of money, but they can game the system to live like they are wealthy. They can travel the world and stay in luxury accommodations without having the wealth we imagine is necessary to do so. To me, wealth means flexibility - by having enough money saved, I have the options to do what I want, when I want.

I can't go buy a lamborghini, but you know what? I could probably go rent one. 

For me, wealth focuses on the financial stability that affords higher flexibility in living than the typical person has. For some, this will mean simply increasing the number of dollars in their bank account. For others, this means spending wiser, or saving for retirement so they can have a fun retirement. I will be focusing on all the aspects that can be necessary to increase your wealth, by increasing your income and living options, reducing costs, and growing your fortune by saving/investing.

Love

This is simple. More Sex = More Happiness.

Just kidding. Love refers specifically to relationships. There are a number of different types of relationships we can focus on:

• Sexual
• Romantic
• Friendship
• Family
• Business
• Mentors

I choose to focus on all aspects of the relationships in our lives. Each relationship we develop is important to our love (and in many ways, to mental health), and our happiness. While many strive for sexual and/or romantic relationships, this doesn't mean we should neglect our other relationships in our search for a romantic partner.

This can be dragged down by social awkwardness, shyness, and fear. We will look to conquer those negatives, and build up our ability to be a social center, a strong relationship partner (romantic and otherwise) and an outgoing, fun loving person.

Don't worry Introverts - you can be outgoing as well. As someone who tends toward introversion myself, I will not forget about you. I understand the power of introverts, so I will be speaking to you as well.

How does it all tie together?

Well, it's simple. Think of each of the three aspects of life tied together with rubber bands. It's possible for one to be higher than the others, but as one starts to skyrocket, it can pull the others up with it. Vice Versa, as one starts to plummet, it can pull the others down with it.

• If you get very ill, your earning ability and flexibility drops, and your ability to maintain relationships also drops
• If you lose your job, and spend all of your savings, it becomes difficult to maintain your relationships (they can be expensive - all types) and you might not be able to afford the proper medical care - your physical and mental health begin to decline.
• You go to school and develop a rock start network of friends. You are in constant contact with them, and they help you in your quest to find your dream job which increases your wealth, and your mental health
• You get a raise at work, and can now afford to go out on some dates, so you begin developing more relationships. You can also afford higher quality food, so your nutrition and physical health increases

And all three, taken together, make up your happiness. So, as each facet begins to increase, you actually can get a three fold increase in happiness (and vice versa). 

How do I use this information? 

Well, simply being aware of the facets of your life is a huge step toward maintaining and increasing happiness. Very often, one or two of these factors are much lower than they should be, but we don't even realize it. As a result, we are being held back from being truly happy. Identifying that you physical health is in decline, or that you have destroyed a number of your relationships will allow you to begin repairing them.

Your tasks are simple right now. Simply be aware of these facets in your life. If you are being kept from doing what you truly wish to do, then your wealth is suffering. If you are bored on a Friday or Saturday and have nothing to do, then your love might be suffering. If you are filled with self-doubt, or are out of shape, then your health is suffering.

Then, look at what is going well, and figure out how it can help pull up your other elements. If you are making a great salary, but are out of shape, then go see a nutritionist and physical trainer. If you have tons of relationships, but cannot afford what you wish to do, maybe your network can help you get a higher paying job (this is called networking). 

You get the picture. And on this blog, I'll be focusing more on how to increase each of your life elements. By focusing on only these three factors, you can take control of your life, increase your happiness, success, and turn your existence into a truly fulfilled life.

Stay Tuned.

Do You Eat to Live, or Live to Eat?

Eat to Live, don't Live to Eat!

This is a wonderfully ubiquitous phrase. So many people offer it up as diet advice - "You just have to eat to live, not live to eat"...that's akin to telling a kid "do better at math".

It's a nice sound bite, and when you understand the foundations of nutrition  and the psychology behind eating, it's a nice phrase to give you a boost when you need it. To continue our analogy, it's like telling someone who understands complex differential equations that they've gotten lazy and need to do better next time - the phrase is more helpful in that context.

So why am I spewing out these wildly entertaining analogies? Because I have begun eating to live. For the longest time, I lived to eat. I was a cook - often I say I am a chef, but technically that would be incorrect - since the age of 13. Many would say I was destined to be a chef, though.

• I was accepted to culinary school with a scholarship
• I cooked for all of my parents special occasions
• I mastered truly difficult concepts and cuisines with little more than the food network to guide me (we're talking chocolate truffles, smoked barbecue, homemade pastas, homemade breads/pizzas, Mexican  Indian  Italian, French, English, German, pastries. I nailed it all!)
• I was even featured on a 30 minute episode on the Food Network

To say that my life revolved around food would be an understatement. When I was in college (not for culinary school), I used to cook my own food in the cafeteria with the crude instruments they made available for us instead of eating the pre-made stuff, and I even had friends asking me to make their food as well, because what I made was so much tastier.

Eating to Live - Enter the Nutritarian

I kind of understand what it means to Eat to Live now, though I'm not going to spoil it for you - you'll all have epiphany's at some point and realize what it really means to Eat to Live (hint: first, you must understand what it really means to live)

I have begun a new way of eating in the past couple of weeks. I've been trying to keep my enthusiasm tempered, but it is difficult to do so. I have more energy than I have had in a long time. I'm able to focus as well as I could in High School - I was one of the kids who could actually focus in high school. In 13 days since I started eating this way, I have lost 29 pounds of weight. It just seems to melt off.

I have been doing this by following a nutritarian style of eating. 

What does that mean? It means that I choose the foods I eat based on their nutrient density. I have not limited myself, and I am not following portion controls - those two guidelines are the tenets of *diets* which fail all the time.

You can read all about this lifestyle in a couple of books from Joel Fuhrman:

• Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, Revised Edition
• Eat For Health

Fair Disclosure: I get a cut if you click on one of these links and buy something, though it won't cost you any extra.

Now, I'm not a Doctor, but Dr. Fuhrman is. He's been a family physician for 20 years. He has guided thousands of patients on this journey, and he has reviewed over 20,000 medical and nutritional papers while developing this program. He knows his stuff.

Eat for Health? I Just Want to Lose Weight

Don't worry, you will absolutely lose weight. But consider that if you are old enough to read this blog, you are old enough to have the early stages of Atherosclerosis, which basically means you have heart disease, and will probably die younger than you need to. We're seeing this medical issue in 8 year olds now, and nearly everyone develops it as they get older (if you're 30, and are not a true health freak...I promise you have developed Atherosclerosis)

The good news is, you can reverse this disease. You can reverse heart disease, you can prevent cancer, you can reverse Type II Diabetes, you can fix your Rheumatoid Arthritis. These aren't crackpot claims, they are researched, and have been proven to be part of the results of a nutritarian eating plan. 

Let's take a quick poll:

If you could choose only one, which would it be?

1. Start getting sick in your 50's, with major medical issues in your 60's. Die in your 70's...maybe 80's if you are lucky, and don't die of heart disease or cancer first
2. Feel vibrant at 50, strong at 60, healthy at 70, still strong at 80, and be able to do your own yard work and work on your house in your 90's

Easy decision, right? Well guess what, the two scenarios above are based on the two diets below

1. Scenario 1 (painful, early death) is tied to the Standard American Diet (SAD) and even the diet of many Mediteranean countries now
2. Scenario 2 is related to a diet that is focused on whole, nutrient dense plant foods.

Healthy Food Tastes Like Cardboard Though!

It's true. If you eat the "diet" foods out there, the stuff that is labeled as "healthy", then it usually tastes like crap (but, ironically, is nearly as bad for you as the unhealthy stuff it is replacing)

The key is that you don't buy food that has to tell you it's healthy. You buy the actual healthy foods. I'm talking mostly fruits and vegetables. Some nuts and seeds. Legumes (that's a fancy word for beans). 

Then, you put them together in delicious ways, and voila! You have a method for eating healthy, and putting food in your body that you body will thrive on. 

But won't you get hungry? You're not eating anything substantial, right?

Wrong. You'll actually feel more full than you ever have, because you'll be properly nourished. You'll lose your toxic hunger, eventually, and you'll only feel true hunger. Let me be clear that eating what one co-worker deemed "rabbit food" has made me feel more satisfied than I ever have felt before.

Let me repeat that. Eating whole, nutrient-dense foods has made me feel more full, and more satisfied, than ever before.

Please ignore the gimmicky, Ron Popeil style. The information is good

How can YOU Eat to Live?

Well, I don't want to rush you into things. If you rush in without understanding the underlying basis behind these recommendations, then you'll likely starve yourself, and end up with another failed "diet" on your hands.

I highly recommend you read one or both of the books above. They give a fantastic background on nutrition (even if you think you know nutrition, you will learn something, I promise) and Eat to Live is only like $6.

If you want the recommendations right now, then I'll give them to you, but I'm telling you - read the book. You will be glad that you have the nutritional background. At the very least, start reading the book at the same time as you start the eating plan.

The Nutritarian lifestyle (aka the Eat to Live plan by Dr. Joel Fuhrman)

There are 3 categories of food that we look at. The foods that are Unlimited, those which are limited, and those that are off limits. After 6 weeks, you can start to introduce some of the off limits food (though everyone I have talked to who has done this has said the same thing: "I didn't even like the foods I used to eat when I tried them again")

UNLIMITED

• All raw vegetables, with an emphasis on greens (goal: 1 lb. daily)
• Cooked green vegetables and non-green nutrient dense vegetables (goal: 1 lb. daily)
• The non-green nutrient vegetables are: Eggplant, Mushroom, Peppers, Onions, Tomato, and other non-starchy vegetables
• Fresh Fruit (at least 4 daily)
• Beans, Legumes, Bean Sprouts (minimum 1 cup daily total)

LIMITED

• Cooked starchy vegetables OR whole grains - (MAX: 1 cup daily)
• This includes: butternut or acorn squash, corn, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked carrots, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals (avoid the bread and cereals as much as possible)
• Raw nuts and seeds (1 oz daily) or 2 ounces avocado
• Ground Flaxseed (1 tablespoon daily - you should strive for this)
• Soymilk, low-sugar preferred (MAX: 1 cup daily)
• I try not to eat or drink anything soy, because I feel the jury is still out on the safety of soy in large doses

OFF LIMITS (That means NONE)

• Dairy Products
• Animal Products
• Between Meal Snacks
• Fruit Juice, dried fruits
• Salt, Sugar
• Oils

It sounds intense, doesn't it? It sounds extreme, doesn't it? Well then read the book - every single suggestion here is backed up by incredible amounts of medical research. I will not list it all here - that would be superfluous.

If you want to dive in, again, read the book as you go, or, ideally, read the book first. 

I will keep you posted along the way, will continue to give tips, and would love to hear from all of you on how you are doing!

I thought Fruit was Bad - It has Sugar

It's true that fruit has sugar. It's also true that Fruit has antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and likely hundreds of other compounds we have not even discovered yet which will protect you from cancer and other diseases. Fruit is an important part of your diet, so don't let one macro nutrient keep you from eating the hundreds of other compounds that you body desperately needs.

While we're at it, Olive Oil is not good for you either. All oil is detrimental to health. The study (notice the singular form, one single study) that showed olive oil reduced cholesterol was misguided. In follow-up studies, those with a diet high in Olive Oil did reduce cholesterol. The problem is that Cholesterol doesn't cause Heart Disease - it's a marker for heart disease, a measurement for heart disease. Those who ate the olive oil had reduced Cholesterol, but had the exact same risk of heart disease as those who ate the diet rich in saturated fat.

This is Dr. Caldwell Eccleston - one of the world leaders in preventing and reversing Heart Disease
He is in his 70's. Wouldn't you like to look that good in your 70's?

100 Calories of Broccoli has more Protein than 100 Calories of Steak

I have heard so many people tell me "You won't get enough Protein!"

Excuse my french, but bullshit. There have been countless studies that have shown that not only is a vegan diet rich in protein, but that animal protein in the quantities most people consume it is actually detrimental to your health in a big way. 

And don't feed me the "but our ancestors ate meat" argument. You know what our ancestors ate? They ate mostly greens, fruits, and other vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. Sometimes, they would get lucky and get some meat. They ate what they needed to survive, and our bodies are adapted to be adaptable, but they are not designed to be meat processing machines.

100 calories of Broccoli has more protein than 100 calories of steak.

The largest animals on the planet are vegetarian (Whales, horses, rhinoceroses, elephants, giraffes, cows...all vegetarian.)

I don't think I can do it

Yeah, you can. Trust me. When you are properly nourished, you lose your cravings and addictions to the bad food. Your body was likely living in a state of malnourishment for many years. This eating plan will enable your body to heal itself, and will enable you to live!

When I was home for the weekend, I cooked a few meals based on this lifestyle. My parents ate it, and loved it. Here's what my dad told me the next week.

"You know, I ate the vegetable heavy foods you made last weekend, and I felt really great. It's not like I even stopped eating the other stuff, but I felt so different - in a good way. I wasn't hungry after eating that veggie lasagna until the next day at lunch! 

A couple of days later, after eating the junk again, I could feel it slowing me down"

I'm hoping my parents will join me on this food journey - I'd certainly like to see them live vibrantly into their 90's. So join us on this journey. Read the book - at the very least, you'll learn something, and in the best case, you'll change your life forever.

So why not give it a shot. What do you have to lose? 29 pounds in 12 days sounds pretty sweet, right? 

Tips for Weight Loss: How to Set a Reward for Yourself!

Recently, I blogged about an $11,000 trip I am setting up as a reward for myself for getting to 200 pounds. I'd like to dive a bit deeper into why I set up this reward, and how you can do it too.

Why set a reward?

Often times, the reward set for weight loss is something small, like "I'll go to the spa", or "I'll feel better", or "The Weight loss is its own reward". That's phooey, I want something big. If I get to 200 pounds (which I haven't been at since I was like 11) I want something that means it was worth it. I will likely set up rewards along the way as well (I'm thinking a flight to New York to see Book of Mormon at, say, 300 pounds) and I may even set up some anti-rewards, ala Tim Ferriss, but this is my final, major goal, and reward.

This is a fantastic, powerful reward...most would say.

This is also going to be a bit painful. You see, if I don't hit my goal, then I will constantly see $11,000 sitting in this account, earning minimal interest. That is painful to someone who invests his money. This is a constant reminder of what I am saving, and why I am saving. The excitement of what is waiting at the end of the road is great, but when I need the motivation, I'll have the pain of seeing so much cash sitting uninvested.

Choose a Good Reward - You Deserve It

This works for any goal setting - weight loss, weight gain, starting a business, learning a language (a great reward for learning a language is a trip to that country!), etc.

I am focusing on Weight loss in this post, because it is a universal goal.

If you need help setting a realistic weight loss goal, click here first.

Okay, have you set a goal? Great. Now it's time to set a reward.

Here are your guidelines:

• Your Reward must be tangible
• Your Reward must be allowed only when your goal is met
• Your Reward must be big and expensive*
• Your Reward must be something you can brag about
• Your Reward must be something that excites you

* Expensive is a relative term. If you make $40k/year, then a $2,000 reward might be expensive. If you make $500,000 a year, then $25,000 might be expensive. $11,000 is a lot of money to me, so I chose that, but I know that is way too much for many people as well - I had to do something really big for myself to be a kick in the a**.

Some suggestions for rewards:

• A trip - Anything from a trip to a local amusement park, to a year long trip around the world
• A car - For those who are making $500k/year
• A new TV or other tech gadget (Phone, Game system, computer, etc.)
• A 2 day spa retreat
• A new pet (dog, cat, fish, mouse, snake, hamster, gerbil, alligator)
• A really delicious meal at a fancy restaurant (best for non-weight loss goals)

How to Track a Reward

My preferred method for tracking a reward (not a goal) is a four pronged approach.

1. Create a savings account just for your reward (this assumes your bank can support this, otherwise, use a spreadsheet, or a simple piece of paper)
2. Set up the Goal in Mint to track how well you are moving toward your goal.
3. Calculate how much your reward will cost, and when you are targeting to finish your goal (Mint can help with this)
4. Set up an automatic draft into your reward account each month
1. The equation to use is: Cost of reward/# of months until goal attainment = Monthly amount to save

Example:

I set up a new account in ING Direct (Capital One 360) called "Around the World" and funded it with $1,000

I set up the goal in Mint for $11,000, with the goal of achieving it by April, 2015

Mint told me I need to save $385 per month to reach my goal

I set up an automatic transfer into this account of $192.50, twice per month (when I get paid)

I created a third account in ING Direct

I then created the goal in Mint

This method forces you to commit to your goal. You are automatically putting money toward this reward, and by doing so, you are taking out one of the barriers that could trip you up: Your own psyche. Computers don't tell little lies to themselves "well, it wasn't the right reward", "I could use this money elsewhere", "I don't need this, I have strong will power" - all a bunch of fear based BS. The computer will, every month, automatically transfer the cash.

This provides automatic incentive, and many, if not all of us, can absolutely use some automatic incentive.

As I set additional rewards for my journey, I will be using exactly this approach.

Final Step: Take Action Now

Isn't this a great idea?

Yes, it is, so take 10 minutes right now to define a goal and a reward. I then will grant you 48 hours to refine or change your goal/reward.

But starting right now, take 10 minutes and define your goal and reward, a starting point at least.

I bet you already have a goal - perhaps one you've been talking about for the past 2 years or so, saying "I'm going to do it". I bet it has been part of at least one broken New Years Resolution. Goals can be refined along the way, but pick an ultimate goal, and pick a reward...NOW.

When you are enjoying your trip, or car, or video game, or dinner, or whatever your reward is, I think you'll be pretty happy that you took these ten minutes to set a goal, set your reward, and commit to changing your life for the better.

Your new life begins in 10 minutes, so get to it.

Bonus!

Here's some more motivation. Visualize the goal. You have money sitting in front of you, but if you are just not motivated by money enough, then really visualize what the reward will be like!

For example: During my 'round the world trip, I will be finding this place, and staying there:

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Tips for Weight Loss: Set a Goal...AND a Reward

Of the 3 facets of taking control of your life, Health, Wealth, and Love, my main focus right now is on Health.

I have a lot of goals, a lot of interests, and a lot of hobbies. However, one of the most persistent goals throughout my life has been to be a normal weight.

There's Something about Paul

When I was a newborn baby, I was an underweight child - I was lactose intolerant but my parents didn't know it right away. I threw up every night (can you imagine how awful it must have felt to have a child who was sick constantly? I love my parents - that had to be awful). Then, when they figured out that I was intolerant of lactose, I was able to keep food down (lactaid to the rescue!). I got to a normal weight, and then I just kept going, and going and going. You see, except for a few brief months as a newborn, I've been overweight all my life.

I was on weight watchers by age 10 (maybe 8? It's hard to remember), worked with a nutritionist, and was even featured on Food Network's Cooking Thin. The host, Kathleen Daelemans worked with overweight individuals to show them they could be successful at losing weight - because she had been in the same shoes.

For a very long time, now, I have weighed over 300 pounds - when I was 16, I was nearly down below 300, and then my Birthday happened. I know it sounds crazy to let one event throw off years of work, but it happens. It's a perfect storm of cravings, low will power, and one event to push you over the edge. The bad habits come flooding back in. This often occurs with the following promises "well, it's okay to cheat for one day", "Once I get back home, then it's back to the diet", "I worked hard, I deserve a little break, then back to it!" Eventually, the promises stop, and the weight comes back.

I had a few bouts of weight loss in college, and another one earlier this year (lost like 20-30 pounds), but the weight came back. Now, I'm back to where I started - realizing I need to change.

Now, this post is not about the psychological challenges I'll face - I'm sure I'll post about those in the future. This is about the goal I am setting for myself, and the associated reward.

My Goal: To reduce my weight to 200 pounds

My Reward: A trip around the world

Now, let me walk you through the reasoning. I've recently gotten into travel hacking as a mild hobby. It's a fun one. Travel hacking is essentially finding a way to travel more than the average person, for much less than it would cost the average person, usually by acquiring frequent flier miles and hotel points, and by using those strategically to book travel for a very low cost - sometimes an international trip for hundreds of dollars.

Why Wait to Travel?

For domestic travel, I'm fine - airplanes and hotels are built for fat Americans now, so it's not that big of an issue.

However, when looking at International travel, a lot of compromises must be made. Smaller planes, middle seats, small hotel rooms, these all favor someone of a smaller stature.

Additionally, enjoying a lot of these countries requires one to be in semi-decent shape. I have bad knees, and am developing a bad back - I don't want to get to Thailand and not be able to walk around to see the country!

Furthermore, one thing almost no one thinks of - clothes. Taking clothes for someone my size takes up a lot of space - One of my shirts takes up the space of like 3 shirts someone at a normal weight would - this makes it even more difficult to travel!

So what's a guy to do? Easy, I'm putting off my trip around the world until I reach my goal weight. To make sure I work toward this, I have set up a separate account in ING Direct with $1,000 (now Capital One 360) for my 'round the world Trip. I have defined the goal in Mint, and am putting away $385 per month to reach this goal. This means that in 2 years or so, I'll have $11,000 saved up to take this around the world trip. I don't know if I'll need the whole 11 grand (I hope not!) but this will allow me to live in some luxury along the way. I am currently planning on 21 days, though that will obviously be subject to change when I start booking my travel in 2 years - I'd love to go for 2 or more months!

This is my story: in the coming days, I will provide you with the guidelines to set your own goal and reward. 2013 is the year for goals, and what goes great with Goals? Rewards!!!