Change Your Mindset, Change Your Health

by Steve Dunn

here we end up in life largely depends on the actions we take. Action, or lack of action, is motivated by having the right mindset. And a proper mindset can mean the difference between a long life and an early death.

The average life expectancy for an American male is 72, but the average life expectancy for a male police officer is just 59! I have been in law enforcement for more than 24 years and came across this alarming statistic about 10 years ago. My first thought was that it wouldn’t be me; I was still taking names and putting criminals in jail. Little did I know, I was walking a perfect path toward becoming that exact statistic.

I had every excuse in the book for not exercising: too much work, too many family obligations, not enough time, not enough sleep. You name it, I had it, and this was my lifestyle.

Back then, my favorite restaurant was Olive Garden and my favorite dish was the seafood Portofino, a whopping 2,500 calories. Most people plan their vacation destination, then find hotel accommodations. Not me. When I planned a vacation, I found accommodations near an Olive Garden because we didn’t have one back home. Sad but true, and I saw nothing wrong with this mindset. Over time both my weight and my cholesterol increased. I had every excuse in the book for not exercising: too much work, too many family obligations, not enough time, not enough sleep. You name it, I had it, and this was my lifestyle.

One day on my way to court, I decided I would take the six flights of stairs to the third floor instead of the usual elevator. The first two flights were tolerable, but by the third flight my legs were burning and I was gasping for air. Once at the top, I couldn’t catch my breath and stood in the stairwell for several minutes until I could breathe normally. I wanted to dismiss my distress as just being “out of shape,” with the remedy sticking to elevators. But as I stood in that stairwell breathless, wondering why this was so difficult, I realized that my job truly was sedentary, I had become inactive and my eating habits were extremely poor. I knew changes had to be made or 59 would be my number.

Enthusiastically, I grabbed my willpower by the horns and went to work, determined to change my health and fitness. I joined a gym and researched all the fad diets. What I want to tell you is that the story ends there with me riding off into the sunset with health on my right shoulder and fitness on the other. Not so much! I had no idea that willpower was like a muscle, and if I exercised it too often during the day, I might not have anything left at the end of the day. Muscles indeed fatigued quickly and the struggle was real. The weight came back on as quickly as it went off and this time it brought friends.

I couldn’t understand how I ended up on the same path. I had the tools: gym, weights, treadmill. I had the knowledge. So why was I not successful? I didn’t have the mindset.

Steve Dunn in competition.

Change your mindset and change your health. I adopted this philosophy years ago, and what came with it was success. In addition to my day job, I’ve been a fitness professional for the past seven years, with certifications in exercise and nutrition. I have competed in many competitions and have won more than 11 fitness titles. I’ve gone from being de-conditioned to being in the best shape of my life, and it happened because I changed my mindset.

Here are Some Tips to Change Your Mindset:

Find your WHY power

I once attended a seminar by Darren Hardy, who gave an excellent illustration of WHY power. He asked, “If I told you that I would give you $10 to walk across a four-inch beam that’s six inches from the ground, would you do it?” My reply: “Uh, that’s an easy $10!” Suppose this same beam was strung between two skyscrapers. Would you still walk across it for $10 dollars? “Uh, you must be crazy. Heck no!” Suppose your loved one, child, spouse or parent was on the other side and the building was on fire. Would you walk across it then?” I didn’t even think twice. My answer was not just yes but “Heck yes, and you can keep your $10.” This is your WHY power.

Change your subtraction mindset to an addition mindset

“I’m on a diet and can’t eat that!” How many times have you heard or said that? Instead of thinking “I can’t eat that,” starting thinking “Yes, I can eat that, but I’m going to be smart about it.”

Pizza is in my blood, it’s in my veins, and it’s on my face. I know I shouldn’t eat a large meat lovers pizza with a cheese-filled crust and extra cheese, but I’m certainly not going to subtract pizza from my diet. Instead, I’ll order a thin crust with light meat and light cheese. The same mindset can be applied toward fitness. I truly dislike running, but I know I need that cardiovascular component in my exercise plan. So I do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which are shorter in duration but give me the same benefit. Find an alternative you can and like to do. If you don’t enjoy doing it, you won’t stick with it.

“When there’s disruption, change will follow.” Take a step back, look at what you need to change and find a way to interrupt your current pattern.

Interrupt the pattern

Many of our day-to-day actions are automatic, like getting out of bed, walking into the bathroom and grabbing our toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s automatic because the task is programmed so we don’t have to think about it. One day, I decided to put my toothbrush in the drawer and the next morning it threw my whole routine out of whack. Why? I interrupted the pattern, the programming, the habit. I say, “When there’s disruption, change will follow.” Take a step back, look at what you need to change and find a way to interrupt your current pattern.

Have a plan, plan to fail, and have a back-up plan

My wife and I love cruising, and typically the moment I gain my sea legs it’s game on. The welcoming buffet, yes! The snack an hour later, yes! The drinks, the dinner, the nightcap, then room service, yes! It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Have a plan and don’t jump overboard if you can’t stick to it. Plan to fail but have that back-up plan in place. You’ll still see me at that welcoming buffet, but I don’t need to gorge. I’ll still have that snack, but it doesn’t need to be an hour later. I will drink and order room service, but I’m smarter with my selections. As long as I plan for setbacks and have a back-up plan in place, I’ve succeeded.

Steve Dunn, fitness video participant

Choices become habits, and habits become lifestyle. I know firsthand that lifestyles are not easy to change. Having the right mindset will truly help you make better choices to create better habits and develop a healthy lifestyle.

Steve Dunn is a 24-year veteran of the Anchorage Police Department and an extreme athlete thriving on high intensity workouts. He is an advocate of physical fitness and wellness for first responders, which led to the creation of his Life On The Line presentation. He is passionate about motivating and encouraging people to make fitness and nutrition a part of their daily routine.

In addition to his law enforcement credentials, Dunn is an A.F.A.A. certified personal trainer and A.F.A.A. and A.C.E. certified group fitness instructor. He holds a level 1 certification from Precision Nutrition, and as a Master Trainer for Beachbody he has certified hundreds of instructors across the country. He has won more than 11 bodybuilding competitions and is the cadre leader for the Anchorage Police Department Wellness Program.

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