Master the Day: Eat, Move and Live Better With The Power of Daily Habits

Hello everyone. I need to tell you a story about the power of this book right here. It's marketed as a weight-loss book, cause that was probably the easiest way to get it out there, but it is SO much more than that.This story begins with me withdrawing myself from everyone in my early teen years. I spent a great deal of time by myself - so much so that my hypochondriac self was convinced, before I had turned fifteen, that I might be on the autism spectrum. I tried to take this to my parents so that they could settle the issue somehow, but instead of helping me, they told me to stop thinking about it and then tried to cut off my connection to some of my friends. So all I could do was speculate, and speculate I did. About nine months later, I started talking to my guidance counselors at school about it, who eventually sat down with my parents and had a little chat. My mom was alright with it. My dad proceeded to venture on physical abuse, treating me like crap and telling me that I couldn't defend myself against him. He was kicked out of our house two months later.I thought things were gonna be alright after that... but they weren't. My mom started going on about the end of the world about six months later, and being in her religion, she scared me into throwing away most of my belongings and my personality. I lost most of my friends as well - I spoke to only one for at least a year. Eventually, that friend brought me out of the conspiracy crap. I was still alone though, and having little understanding of how the world or friendships worked, I was nauseous for two months straight. It was hell... and the worst part about it was that it wasn't the worst of it.Not long after I recovered from the nausea, my friend connected me to someone online who I ended up moving in with three months later after my mom wanted me to sign something saying I'd give her half my paychecks for a year. She was trying to save our house, which she put into foreclosure because she hadn't worked for two years. It wasn't in "God's plan" or something. So I booked a flight to Wisconsin, from Connecticut, and left.Unfortunately, I still had virtually no understanding about how adult life worked. I was eighteen at the time. This led to all kinds of problems, and after spending way too much time speculating about why I was who I was, by last December I was utterly terrified that I might become schizophrenic. That was when I found this book. I started reading it, and then I escaped from the downward spiral I was on. Fast forward five months (to now), and I've already recovered everything that my mom convinced me to throw away. I'm back on the road again, I'm so much happier and proactive than I have EVER been; it's been a constant upward trend for several months now. Though Alex can't recommend this book for psychological issues, this book saved me from so much hell. Though I am not out of the woods yet completely, I highly recommend that you guys give it a read too - even if you're just feeling lost in life. Aside from deciding to escape my parents, buying and reading this book was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.

When I started reading Master The Day, I was admittedly hesitant. I started dieting at 8 and have read quite a few health books and my fair share of the self-improvement/productivity genre in general over the years. I’m at a point in my life at 30 where I’m fed up with a lot of it. Most of it doesn’t work, and not for the reasons we think. I have heard it all: Low-fat, low carb, six small meals a day, one big meal after intermittent fasting, eat first thing in the morning, exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, juicing is good, juicing is bad, eat for your blood type/shape/hormone levels.... it goes on and on and on. There is SO MUCH conflicting information out there, it can get confusing.This book stands out from all the rest. It’s simple. We already know it. We just have a hard time seeing what’s there. There are no meal plans, workout routines, or complicated strategies you’ll have to set aside a whole afternoon every week for. This book isn’t even just about your health, but about how to change the way you view your goals and approach life.I have just started to implement some of the principles from Master the Day and, while I don’t need help losing weight at the moment, I have definitely been in a place where I need to make some changes and get back on track. I’ve already started approaching my days over the past week with more intentionality and better choices. After reading this book, I’m confident that I can take the right path to keep it up. After months of trying to push myself to get stuff done during a rough on again/off again breakup, trying to add more and more and reach arbitrary unrealistic self-appointed deadlines only to struggle to get out of bed on the second or third day in... it’s helpful to remember why that doesn’t work.In a book market full of sharks and shysters trying to sell you on some new elaborate or restrictive plan, Alex is refreshingly sincere, honest, and to the point. He takes you through the psychology of why and how we sabotage ourselves like an understanding friend who has been there and done that, reminding the reader to approach themselves and their dreams with more kindness and steadfast patience. If you’re stuck and can’t seem to get yourself moving in the right direction, whatever that is for you, read this book!!!

So late one night I was searching the internet for help with weight loss. I've been all around and through every diet and advice you can imagine. I've lost weight and gained it back whenever I've been under a lot of stress. So this one night I was desperate to find something that would show me the way out of my misery. I came across Alexander's videos and downloaded his free stuff. This was back in March of this year. I put the free downloads in a folder and promptly forgot about it. Then a few weeks ago, searching once again for some insight on how to get a handle on weight loss I came across Alexander's videos on YouTube. I thought they looked a little familiar and realized that I had come across him earlier. So I watched a few videos and had that feeling like this was it, just what I needed. I felt so motivated by the few videos I watched that I went right away and ordered the book Master The Day. The lesson here is that I had to be ready to listen. So as I started to read the book I got so motivated to make some changes that I wrote several things down. As I read, I highlighted the things that really rung true to me. I copied all the highlighted stuff over to these little flash cards that are bound together by a ring like students use for test prep. As I go through my day I refresh my memory of these amazing truths that are in this book. I only paid a small amount for the Kindle version of this book but I can say that the truths in this book are golden! I'm on my third week of practicing a few habits. I have been to the gym more times in the last three weeks that I've ever been. This book is just the right advice at just the right time for me and I can see that it will be for the rest of my life. And by the way, the habits and advice in this book are applicable to just about everything in your life that you might need help with.

This was a book I was so excited to read, and so bitterly disappointed in. A couple of things that really grated on me:- Despite saying it's not a diet book, a recommendation of diet is listed at the back. This includes a day of eating "mostly (or entirely) vegetables and fruit. Avoid Coffee, alcohol, meats and grains." That is not healthy nor what I would expect from a book that touts its non-diet credentials. We could all loose weight doing that, without the need of habits.- Lack of climax. I read the book cover to cover hoping to find the big 'secret' to master my day. It is essentially to use little habits. This is not a new idea and can be found in a bunch of other books. If that's the only real advice then it could have been a much smaller book. You didn't need 187 pages to tell you that. There is also very little in the way of how people did things. There's a part about a woman who wanted to get back into her high school sized jeans. All you get told is she hung those Jeans up in a place she could see them. No mention of how she lost the 100 pounds. I could hang a pair of old jeans up but it isn't going to help me loose 100 pounds. No amount of "Powerful Daily Memento" is going to outstrip hard work (diet and exercise)-Lack of real science. The author bases the book off his own 'test' but in fairness, does include some scientific studies, Just not in great quantities.-Final niggle. This is me being pedantic but the comment about teaching only being a 8.30-3pm job (And not necessary working for all of those hours) and having the entire summer off did make me laugh. He's either never been a teacher or underplaying that. I don't know any teacher who works those hours.Overall, save your money. For the cost, it is overpriced and offers no more substance than a magazine article or blog post.

I really love this book. I stumbled upon Alex's website when I was having terrible problems with my back. Anyway, I really like the conversational tone of his writing and had several 'ah ha!' Moments throughout the book. Like most people I know exactly what I need to do to get healthier but still found myself flopping down onto the sofa after a hard day with a large bar of chocolate (auto pilot). The psychological approach is already working for me. I am having a tv detox and after only a few days I have achieved so much in the extra time I always complained I didn't have! Funny that I did have snigger time to watch reality TV! A great side effect of not sitting down every evening is a vast improvement in my back pain. I'm really looking forward to implementing some of the other ideas in the book. Highly recommend

This is a great book. I must admit I have been on occasions the sucker for the latest diet fad with the strict rules and magic formulas. The author Alex provides a simple effective narrative for you as an individual to reach the solutions.It doesn't promise a quick fix .Well does it work for me ? well, as the author states it will only work if the healthy habits I adopt are happening a 100 days from now. This is about taking tiny steps often, No bull just an honest philosophy and well worth a punt for the money.200 days down the line steady progress 18 lbs loss definite improvement through adopting small habits

This book is truthfully the best self-help diet/wellness book I have ever read, and I have read more than my fair share!I came across Alex and his website Modern Health Monk (which if you haven't come across already, then you really should check it out), through another blog I read, several years ago. I have subscribed to his emails and joined some of his courses all of which have been fantastic. In this book Alex grouped all his amazing ideas in a really succinct yet powerful way. I loved his writing style of short punchy sentences with chapter recaps at the end of each chapter. I kept imaging Alex was actually there reading it as it comes across just as he does in his videos; authentic, knowledgeable and candid. He gives insights into his own experiences and explains what led him to his conclusions. The way Alex thought through the issues he kept coming across personally or with his clients and came up with his Master the Day methods is inspired, and had me going, 'Duh, of course that's why I do x, y, z, why did I never think of that!'. Also he very realistically imagines the situations we, as readers, may find ourselves in, which helped to spur me to say OK, no excuses lets try this.As someone who was lucky enough to have have been given a preview copy of the book I read it in one sitting (a night train from Hanoi to Hue in Vietnam!) and what made me the most excited was that, even though I was on holiday and living out of a suitcase, I could start making changes there and then, that very morning, no matter how hot or tired I was. And I did, and now I'm home again I'm still following the 'little every day' philosophy, and the idea that all the small choices we make compound to cause big health problems down the line. I underlined so much of the book to go back and read again. And despite having a preview copy I bought my own Kindle copy and as soon as it comes out in print I will buy copies of that too and give it my friends and family members. The world deserves to know about this book.If you only buy one health/wellness/diet book this year, make it this one. It really will change the way you think and the way you live you life.

And this book will tell you how! Easy to digest chunks, ideas neatly explained, propositions on when to do and what not to do. The rest is up to you!