Unfortunately the advice we often receive when facing adversity is "don't do anything too drastic!" Does that sound familiar? Here are the brutal facts - if you have not been living the lifestyle of a 3%'er, more like a 50% lifestyle (overweight, out of shape, stressed out....) - you need to make some extreme changes now to get you motivated by quick results.

Starting to work out twice a week if you have been doing nothing is a start, but will not yield the quick results you are looking for. Download the Winner's Workout Schedule on this site and commit to 4 days a week, ideally in the morning, and hire a personal trainer for 6 months. You are worth it!

The leading cause of death in America is not heart disease, cancer, stroke or diabetes. It is the unhealthy lifestyle that most Americans are addicted to which is the true cause. A study by Mathew Reeves, a Michigan State University epidemiologist finds that only 3% of Americans maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is a situation that is causing dire consequences for millions of Americans. “I was really quite surprised at how low that number was,” said Reeves.“

Congratulations on making a commitment to be a 3%'er. We are proud to have you as part of the community. Please keep us updated with your progress, success stories, lessons, struggles, ideas, recipes... in the Forums area. We need you to grow, so please do not keep the 3PercentChoice.com a secret.

"The doctors are giving less medicine and doing more in the way of suggesting diet, exercise rules and preventive practices. Most people end up digging their grave with their teeth." Both of these quotes sound very contemporary, yet they were written in 1918 by Col. Wm. C. Hunter. In his classic book THINK he optimistically predicts that we will focus more in the future on prevention of disease. We have never gotten there. We have a disease care system not a health care system. A health care system should focus on keeping us from getting diseases and being healthy.

For the people over 50 it is even more crucial to make the 3 Percent Choice now. A study of nearly 4000 Chicago residents age 65 and older found that people who ate 2.8 or more servings of vegetables a day slowed a person’s mental decline by 40% - “equivalent to about five years of younger age.” It is never too late to start. “Older people who started eating over two servings a day still showed a significant delay in mental decline.” When they increased beyond that, the results were even more dramatic!

To make the 3 Percent Choice you may have to quit smoking. I honestly can not believe people still smoke. All the information out there about how bad it is for you, how expensive it is and you ponder it and come up with – “Yea – it's still a good choice for me!”

Where else does that brilliant decision making impact your life?

I would bet in many places. Not sure how much it is really costing you to smoke. Go to CostofSmoking.com and really get the whole picture. It is not just that one pack a day for 50 years will cost you $78,840 and take on average almost 8 years off your life. It is the higher cost of life insurance, health insurance, home owners insurance, car insurance, more money spent on health care and medications.

A little bit of research will show you that the 3 Percent Choice can make a huge impact for people who battle depression. In America we are often very willing to go for the quick fix. Going for the quick fix - the meds - can keep you from addressing the real cause for your problems. A recent story in the UK talks about a different strategy when you visit a doctor and tell them you are mildly to moderately depressed (not suicical). Instead of a quick prescription for an antidepressant, you will be prescribed a self-help book and follow-up visits with a mental health professional. They were concerned that after the average 7 minute visit, that so many patients were being prescribed meds.

1 Corinthians 6:19
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

It clearly says temple - not outhouse! Take a look at your temple. How does it look? Are you proud of it? You are better than that….aren’t you? It is never too late to make this commitment to get your temple back into shape for the Holy Spirit. We should cherish and nurture the body that God has given us. We all should develop the discipline to nurture our mind, body, and spirit without ignoring any part. May God give us all the strength to be stewards of the gifts given us.

Did you see all the research on this? It does make a lot of sense. How often to you see a married couple with the same body type - either both in shape or both overweight.Here is the link to the story about your friends making you fat in case you missed it.
The research clearly says yes. How about these questions?

Are your friends making you depressed?
Are your friends making you a couch potato?
Are your friends making you smoke pot, take coke, drink excessively, visit prostitutes?
Are your friends making you stay in your dead end job?
Are your friends making you eat like crap?
Are your friends making you not go to the gym?
Are your friends ruining your marriage?
We could go on all day. Your friends have a dramatic impact on you.