Everything we do, all the choices that we make, are all based on whether or not something causes us pain or pleasure. Tony Robbins talks a lot about this in his book, “Awaken the Giant Within.” For example, those who procrastinate put things off because the doing of them registers as more painful than the not doing of them. It is only when putting things off becomes more painful than taking action, that a procrastinator finally decides to take care of business. This is the same for everyone and everything.
When it comes to diet, some people associate pushing desert away with pain, while others feel complete pleasure by saying no to dessert. The person who gets more pleasure out of eating the cookie, is choosing short term pleasure, and will most likely suffer later when they are over weight and frustrated with their health, where the one who resists dessert is choosing long term pleasure, even though they must pass on the delicious cookie in the moment. This is not to say that eating a cookie is always long-term pain, but if you are wanting to lose body fat, most likely it is not the best choice, unless it’s your cheat for the week.
What I am saying is that all it takes is a simple shift in our thinking about what causes us pain or pleasure. Being aware of this can act as a guide to making healthier, wiser decisions. If I want to maintain a lean, healthy body, then I understand there are certain things I just shouldn’t eat most of the time or ever. Therefore, if I find myself reaching for a brownie or a piece of pizza, I ask myself, “Will this cause me long-term pleasure or long-term pain?” My goal is to always choose long-term pleasure over short-term pleasure the majority of the time because I prefer long-term happiness. Ultimately, for me, no food tastes as good as thin feels. Even if something tastes amazing in the moment, after it’s gone, or when I wake up the next morning, I will not feel as good if I ate junk than I will if I ate clean. I know this as a fact now, so I have been able to link bad eating habits with pain instead of pleasure. This is a very helpful tool I suggest trying. First of all, set your goals and your intentions for what you want to achieve. Then, based on those goals and intentions ask yourself before each decision you make if what you are about to do is going to cause you long-term pleasure or long-term pain and you’ll then know what to do. Usually if it leads to short-term pleasure or instant gratification, that typically means you will pay for it later!!! Keep me posted on how this works for you in your life! Please post all questions and comments here for me on the blog. Here’s To Your Health!!!
See this video below to help make new pain/pleasure associations. It’s gross though, so beware!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAKDU99yBOs]
