Just like bodies in motion stay in motion, when we get into a rut, it becomes easier to stay in a rut.

When we fall into the habit of overeating or eating junk when we’re stressed, it gets easier to repeat that behavior.

One episode of late night emotional eating can lead to a whole week of late night emotional eating.

When our brain is under stress there is a vicious cycle that gets created. In a study of chronically stressed rats the brains atrophied in the areas of decision making, while becoming overly developed in the area of habit formation.

Scientists note that behaviors can stick more quickly in stressed animals than in the controls, and worse, the stressed animals can’t shift back to long term thinking, rational behaviors when that would be the better approach, of course. <--- A.K.A. a vicious cycle.

This might explain why when we're under stress we abandon all that we know - and all that we consciously want to do, and fall back into old habits. Or, maybe we can't break the bad habits to begin with.

Scientists note that we're lousy at recognizing when our normal coping mechanisms aren't working.

Our response is usually to do it five times more, instead of thinking, maybe it's time to try something new. <--- A.K.A. the definition of insanity --> Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.

So, even though eating junk doesn’t really help us feel better, we can’t stop ourselves from continuing to do it because we’re used to doing that when we’re stressed. It’s simply how our brains are wired to act when we’re under stress.

Although stress is a huge killer and leads to many diseases it’s also necessary for us to survive.

Fortunately, we no longer stress about what our ancestors did.

Our bodies have the most complex systems on Earth. What’s the benefit of our brain being prone to habit formation anyway?

Perhaps to help shift as many behaviors as possible over to automatic pilot so we can better focus on the crisis at hand.

And even if the crisis at hand is our boss yelling at us or our kids being disrespectful – if we feel stressed, we’re stressed. Perception IS reality!

What do we do??

Besides, taking a vacation and changing up our routine for a bit which can rewire our brain there is also a big opportunity for us to change…

If we can plan ahead what we’ll do before we’re stressed.

If we do that, it’ll increase the likelihood that we’ll actually start doing it when we’re stressed. Lucky for us our new behaviors will become a habit more quickly as well.

Our biggest opportunities for growth are always when we’re most uncomfortable.

Here are 5 ideas for you to use next time you’re stressed:

1. Listen to music.

2. Gather a few favorite emails or youtube videos that make you smile and read and watch the videos when you’re stressed. Be sure to save them all in one place so they’re easy to get to.

3. Get up. Take a big deep breath and go for a 10 minute walk.

4. Read a juicy gossip blog that might make you feel otherwise guilty for doing so. (We’ll feel way less guilty reading than eating!)

5. Call your favorite person.

Pick one and try it next time you feel stressed.

Though it might be feel uncomfortable at first (doing anything different, especially when we’re stressed will feel uncomfortable), if we do it the next time we’re stressed, it’ll be a tad easier to do it again and again.

If we look at each stressful situation as an opportunity to create new habits (and it is), it makes it less daunting.

And if you don’t like the ideas above (totally fine by me) it’s worth thinking of other ways you can calm yourself down. The key, of course, is to think about what we’re going to do…before we get stressed.

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As some of you know when Jack Lalanne passed away this January, I dedicated an inspiration to him. I mean it’s the least I could do. But I’m a little upset that a very important person almost went unnoticed this month…

Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote the “Hokey Pokey,” died peacefully at age 84 – fifteen years ago this April. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in…and then the trouble started.

In all seriousness, I think a little (or A LOT of) goofiness is important. A little (or A LOT) of fun is important too. After all, that’s what this is all about.

As much fun as eating junk and lounging around is, it’s way more fun to eat healthfully and to be active. It really and truly is, and I know we all agree.

So that’s my assignment for us this weekend.

Let’s aim for fun!

What do you love to do? If you don’t know what you love to do, it’s worth thinking about it. (And no, eating doesn’t count.)

When our mind isn’t occupied, usually our mouth is, or at least, it wants to be.

So tell me, what do you do for fun? And when will you do it this weekend?

Talk to me.

P.S. My nephew, Landon, turns 2 today! So, I’ll be hanging out with him all weekend. That’s what I’m doing for fun.

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Here was the inspiration I wrote for Jack Lalanne…

I’ll never forget watching Jack Lalanne on TV when I was little kid. Whether it was his juicer infomercials, his exercise segments on talk shows or his insane feats of strength like towing boats while shackled, I was always so inspired by him.

I vividly remember watching him on talk shows and TV thinking how unbelievable he was. I remember getting so inspired after watching him, I’d exercise right then and there.

I mean if HE could do a gazillion push ups (a 70+ year young man at the time), how can’t I at least do some?

Jack LaLanne was known as “The Godfather of Fitness.” He believed that our health account is our wealth account.

He often said, “I can’t die, it would ruin my image.”

Ernest Becker’s classic, The Denial of Death reminds us that when it comes to our mortality, there is no uncertainty principle. We will die, he reminded us. We cannot not die.

Yet, it is what we do in a doomed attempt to refute the irrefutable first principle that defines us and gives our lives meaning.

Becker believed that each of us makes sense of our existence through an “immortality project” – a personal mission that allows us to cheat death. Whether it is by turning out babies or books or blog posts or students, creating companies or helping to build them, or collecting model trains or Facebook friends – whatever they might be – we all have our immorality project(s).

If anyone wanted to be immortal and believed they actually could be; it was him. Jack was doing things in his late 80’s that many of us can only dream of.

But because, sadly, even Jack isn’t immortal – the only thing we can do to keep him living on is to spread his work.

In honor of Jack, and from what I know about him (having read his last book), he’d be thrilled if we all exercised today.

However, not just exercise because Jack wasn’t about just exercising. He was about going above and beyond. I mean, his feats of strength are amazing!

So, if you were planning on exercising, I’d like you to do a little extra for Jack. And if you weren’t, let’s make time – even if it’s for 5 minutes. On your feedback tonight, write, “And in honor of Jack, I did…”

I bet Jack would get a kick out of it. After all, if we want to honor those we loved and admired and were impacted by, we have to keep their memory alive.

Jack, no one pulled off a track suit quite like you. Your enthusiasm and belief in what you do will always inspire me. Thank you!

If we can learn to master our emotions then we’ll be less inclined to eat junk.

If we can figure out ways to make ourselves happier, we’ll be setting ourselves up for success.

All we ever hear as a kid is “stop crying,” or “relax,” or “calm down,” or “everything will be alright!” when we’re upset. But no one has ever really told us how to deal with complex emotions.

When our mind floods with emotions we might feel panicky or upset or anxious or angry. How about feelings like rage, loneliness, abandonment, shame? These feelings can be horrifying!

The challenge with feelings and thoughts is that we can’t control them. There are a lot of books that suggest that we ‘let go of our ego’ so we can stop thinking.

That is very, very difficult to do.

The reality is I can’t control my thoughts. They just pop into my head. As do my feelings.

Howeva! I can, you can, we all can!, control how we react to our thoughts and our feelings, if we choose to.

Let’s say we’re all going to a gorgeous island together. How would we prepare?

Ah, there’s the key. We’d all prepare, right?

And that’s all we can do in our case. We can prepare ourselves for when we’re sad, anxious, unhappy, etc. What if we had a secret stash of things to do, or look at, or read or listen to, or people to call when certain feelings arise?

The idea here is to figure out ways to deal with our emotions – besides, using food.

Is this possible? Of course it is!

Why? Because the monster is never as scary as it seems.

Like clouds, and weather, and so many other things in our lives, feelings and emotions pass. We must remember this.

But we must prepare ourselves.

Some of us feel so in control during the day but when it gets dark out, our rational and long term mind go to sleep, and it’s very hard for us to control our eating.

Night time is when many of us emotionally eat (eating to change the way we feel) because it’s the first chance we actually have all day to feel. But, many of us, rather not feel.

So we eat.

However, the only way to overcome emotional eating is to let ourselves actually feel.

It’s helpful if we ask ourselves some questions at night (or whenever) so we can figure out exactly what it is we’re feeling.

Here are some to get us started:

What does the nighttime represent to you?

Are you lonely?

Do you wish you were with a lover?

Are you dreading another day of work?

Are you overwhelmed by the stuff all around you?

Are you extremely bored?

Are you not intellectually challenged?

Do you have a significant other/spouse that makes you feel even more lonely
because you don’t connect with them in a way that you want to be?

If we want to crack the code on why we overeat at night, let’s start asking
ourselves these questions.

Here’s the deal though: deep down we may know (even though we might not want to) the real reason. And if we don’t know why, asking these questions will help.

Making big life changes is terrifying. Change is absolutely scary.

But if we’re going to ’stick it out’ whatever it is, and choose (because it is a choice) unhappiness over uncertainty here’s my advice:

Make the best of your situation and accept it.

But don’t fight reality. A reality that’s in our control to change.

Because we can change it. Or we can make the best of it. But complaining is just useless.

It’s as useless as crapping in one hand and hoping in the other, and seeing which one fills up first.

My mantra (who doesn’t love a good mantra?): Change what is, or love what is.

Let’s start thinking about these and, as always, I’m here for you.