Is your desire to lose weight vanishing? Read this.

How is next week Thanksgiving already? It seems as though for some, once Thanksgiving hits, our desire to eat healthfully and exercise is gone until the New Year.

And because next week IS Thanksgiving -- some of us are already saying, "Ehhh, screw it, next week is Thanksgiving anyway. What's the point?"

That's why I'm writing this so we nip it in the bud...

First off, I'm not so sure it's our lack of desire or motivation, as much as it is our environment.

Because in the face of GINORMOUS temptation, it's easy to start questioning why we're doing this. In the face of GINORMOUS temptation our motivation fades.

Hold up.

What is a temptation anyway?

My definition is very simple: A temptation is something that makes us think irrationally.

Our motivation fades because our rational and long term mind is asleep while our irrational and short term mind is W   I   D   E awake.

Why? Because we're focusing only on the discomfort of not eating the temptation RATHER than all the benefits of eating healthfully.

But even so, even after all of my rational/irrational talk, what's the point of this? Why bother?

I figure now (TEMPTATION) is as good a time (TEMPTATION) as ever to remind (TEMPTATION) you why because (TEMPTATION) there will soon be temptations everywhere (TEMPTATION).

(See what I just did there?)

But first let's start with the question, "Why?"

Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get more fit? Why do you want to accomplish your professional goals? Why do you want to accomplish your personal goals? What is your goal in life?

When I ask people these questions, I get a lot of different answers.

Whatever your goal is, think about the answer to the next question: Why?

And then keep asking yourself why.

What's so fascinating to me is that if we keep asking ourselves, "Why?" enough times, we'll arrive at the same answer that most people do.

We're all doing what we do because we believe it'll ultimately make us happier.

I think the end goal of anything we do is: happiness. However, I think happiness is a very ambiguous term. Instead, I'm very interested in how I can become happier, and how I can help other people become happier.

Not that I'm unhappy. I've always been a happy person...

But why not be as happy as I possibly can be? Life is short. We might as well be as happy as we can be.

These questions and thoughts are what led me to write all of these posts.

So, here's a question I've been noodling on and it helps me a lot:

"Will this make me happier?"

But you have to be honest with yourself when you ask that to yourself.

Let's explore a little:

I'm not saying I'm unhappy when I'm eating a burger and fries. I'm not saying I'm unhappy when I'm eating ice cream. No. Not at all. That makes me happy. At least, while I'm eating it.

I'm saying I'm happier when I eat healthfully.

I'm not saying I'm unhappy when I'm lounging around watching TV. That's fun!

I'm saying I'm happier when I'm moving around and enjoying my fitness! That's MORE fun!

I'm not saying I'm unhappy when I have a great meal and overeat because the food is just so tasty.

I'm saying I'm happier when I leave the table feeling satisfied and not stuffed.

By the way, there is a big difference between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is extremely fleeting. And while pleasure might feel happy -- it only does in the moment. Where as happiness is way more lasting. It's satisfying. It doesn't vanish as soon as the ice cream or candy or french fries do. It doesn't leave us feeling regretful.

That's precisely why junk food can be so addicting. Because the second we're done USING it, the feelings it gives us (call them happy, good, pleasurable...) go away, and we want more of it.

Question:  When are you happier, if you're really and truly honest with yourself?

And of course, our rational and long term mind knows the answer. The challenge is that in the face of temptation everywhere - we lose sight of what makes us happier because we're thinking irrationally.

By pausing, and asking ourselves this question, "Will this make me happier?" it helps us to think rationally, and that's the key.

-Adam