Most people are attracted to the “latest and greatest” strategies instead of focusing on what actually works.

Why? Well, because when it comes down to it, most people rather hope and wish then take action. Besides, they can’t fail if they don’t take action, right?

They don’t have to face any discomfort if they’re constantly trying something new. Before they’re even able to roll their sleeves up, they’re already onto the next one.

There’s a reason why 10% of all bestselling books are diet books. I study these lists religiously. I also read all of these books!

Here’s a post I wrote about why I’ll never write a bestselling diet book.

In life, I’ve learned that everyone has two businesses. They have their own business and your business! Everyone thinks they know exactly how you should live or exactly the type of diet you should be following or exactly the type of person you should be dating or exactly the thing you should do or how you should be raising your kids and on and on.

Remember this, though. As one of my mentors always tells me: “If you give 1000 monkeys each a piano, one of them is bound to play the first 4 notes of Beethoven’s symphony.”

When choosing who to listen to a track record of consistent success is far important than a big score.

Nothing beats the tried and true rules of consistency. Nothing!

Deprivation is a popular word when it comes to losing weight. No one wants to feel deprived but everyone wants to lose weight. Something has to give…

Let’s explore. Shall we?

We feel deprived when we’re giving up something we (think) we want. But in the moment we feel deprived we’re only thinking with our short term, rational mind.

Don’t forget: We also want to feel energized and healthy and reach our health and fitness goals.

Here’s what I try to remind myself: If I give in to the discomfort (instead of embracing it) and listen to my short term, rational mind, I’m also depriving myself of getting to feel awesome.

We don’t (usually) think about this in the moment, though.

Tonight and this weekend remember that if you choose to indulge your irrational mind because you don’t want to feel deprived, you’re actually depriving yourself of long term goals and desires that’ll ultimately bring you far more happiness than 5 minutes of pleasure.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend that was hurricane free!

Sometimes when it rains a lot, I have the desire to stay in and relax and snuggle up with a good murder mystery and junk food.

However, every time I eat junk food, I feel the same way I did last time I ate it: Not good.

Like the lactose intolerant who loves pizza and ice cream or the diabetic who keeps eating sugar – we tend to forget the bad times when we’re craving something.

For example, do you remember how you felt after you ate a bunch of junk? Like really remember? Chances are you might think you do but if you completely did – you’d never binge again. It wouldn’t be an option.

During an intense urge/craving – we start talking to ourselves. We start rationalizing with ourselves. “I want this candy! I deserve this candy!” “No I really don’t want this! It’s not going to make me feel good. I shouldn’t!”

We go back and forth and we have this inner conflict with ourselves. When there’s inner conflict this causes there to be a feeling of discomfort.

It’s the discomfort that we become a slave to. The discomfort is caused by us not being completely sure if we want to resist the candy or not. We still think we might deserve it. We think about how it tastes too.

But then we think about how it’ll make us feel and how it’s not in alignment with our goals.

And we go back and forth…

Until, eventually, the discomfort is so uncomfortable – that we wind up giving in to ease the pain of the discomfort. We’re not even eating it because we want it so badly. We’re eating it to shut our mind up already!

And once you do – our mind fixates on something else and we move on.

Think about that for a second. The pain or discomfort of a craving is what might cause us to actually go over the edge and give in. Not even the food itself. And when it’s so intense – we give in – to ease that pain.

So here are some things I want us to remember for this week:

1. With fear – there is nothing to fear but fear itself. The first step to overcoming our fears is to acknowledge them. What are you actually afraid of? Why? But why? If you really probe and ask yourself questions like this you can learn a lot about yourself. All fear is self-induced. Fine…99% of it is.

The point being is that pain or discomfort is only pain and discomfort. Next time you feel uncomfortable acknowledge it. Think “Wow, I feel really uncomfortable right now. Recognize the inner conflict. Hear the battle between the devil on your shoulder and your Body Tutor on the other.

Be a spectator. But don’t participate. Just observe. Pretend you’re a fly on the wall. Because whatever the devil says will make sense. He knows how to get to you. And of course whatever your Body Tutor says on your shoulder will make sense too.

2. Remember that all pain and discomfort passes. <— This is worth reading again. Because in the moment we tend to forget this.

3. Don’t let yourself have the conflict in the first place! Conflict only occurs when two parties don’t agree. Instead of opening yourself up for negotiations walk around with a master plan. “I WILL not eat junk food or greasy foods because they don’t make me feel good. They never made me feel good!” “This isn’t a part of my plan. Thanks anyway!”

It’s not an option. The less we negotiate with our selves the better. Maybe admitting to yourself that you’re just junk food intolerant is the way to go. It removes an option. The option of even eating it.

Like a vegetarian or lactose intolerant person meat and milk just isn’t an option.

Think about that and be on the look out for the pain and discomfort!

But make sure you get first row seats…

Happy Saturday!

You worked hard to get to this point – why give in now? Let’s keep pushing forward!

Easier said than done, of course, for many reasons. One of them being that we might find our selves with a persistent craving.

Here in lies the question we all face: Who do we listen to? Our short term self or our long term self.

Our short term self relentlessly tries to convince our long term self that we want those cookies or ice cream or chips or fries. That same short term self would try to convince a drug addict that just one more hit is okay.

Our long term self is what motivates us to exercise. To get up and go to work. To eat healthfully. To evolve. And improve. To resist. To achieve. To read this daily inspiration.

So who do we listen to?

Well, I believe when we listen to our short term self – not only are we being impulsive – which usually leads to self-destructive things happening – but we’re indulging in pleasure.

(Big difference between being impulsive and spontaneity, in my opinion.)

A life filled with short term pleasures is very different from a life time of happiness.

I don’t think pleasure and happiness are one in the same, at all.

A drug addict probably feels better than all of us when they are high. (I have no idea. I’m just assuming – why would people do the things they do for drugs?) Yet, what happens after they experience that intense pleasure?

Same for the person who refuses to give up the pleasure of indulging in fatty and fried and sugary food day after day. Sure it tastes good on the way down. But, of course, it doesn’t feel so good when our clothes no longer fit us. Or when we hate how we look and feel later on.

Pleasure is fleeting. Happiness isn’t.

I think the problem with cravings is that we entertain them to much. We think about them too much.

You know why? We’re stuck in our own damn head.

This weekend I’d like for us to all try something when we face a craving. It’s simple, unselfish and will benefit others (and you too).

Ready? When a craving hits simply:

Think away from yourself.