Blaming Desire

Uh oh, what on earth could I possibly be talking about? Emotions drive our actions, ranging from desire to anger, and vanity to angst. These emotions are responsible for our want to workout or sit on the couch, they influence the way we eat, they are even the reason we choose indulgence over satisfaction.

You're stuck when one emotion controls multiple actions. For example, most of us want to look good in a bathing suit, yet that same group of people will also on occassion (some more than others) give in to food cravings and the comfort of the couch. So how do you train your brain to put down the bonbon and pick up the kettlebells (or dumbbells, barbells, you get my point)?

I'm sure there are a ton of answers out there, just as there is for everything, but the one answer we're all looking for is the one that helps us out. Fair enough. The problem lies in motivation and accountability. I know I shouldn't eat that dark chocolate truffle with that smooth, melt in your mouth buttercream filling, but let's be honest, I sometimes indulge (ah, back to an emotion).

The question is, how do I train myself to believe that I'm better off without the bonbon? Simple answer is, when you eat too many you feel like crap. Another questions is, do I really want to get up off the couch and hit the gym? Simple answer is, you may not want to, but the only way to fit into the one size too small bikini you bought for vacation is to go. It also helps to tease yourself. Tell yourself that you can have a not-so-good-for-you-dessert after dinner because you went to the gym and got in a good workout. Chances are you'll feel really good about/from the workout, you won't want to ruin it with the dessert. And reality is after a few weeks of questioning emotions and actions together the good choices will start to just happen without having to think about it all the time because it's about making a lifestlye change not about going on a diet.