Habits from your inner caveman
In my research I am finding lots of material about the mental health aspect of obesity. I never gave it much thought but it is true that people generally are creatures of habit. It is hard wired in us from cave man days. Cave men would repeat behavior that rewarded them with food, water, shelter, and other pleasurable outcomes. The reverse side of the coin was avoidance of negative consequences. If there were bad results then it became taboo and avoided. Now cave man could not walk to the corner grocery store so their metabolism was hardwired for feast or famine; in times of irregular food availability the body would store what little was consumed as fat to aid in survival. So now us modern humans have survival hardwired into us in the form of habits and our metabolic rate.
The sub conscience does not realize that a habit is good or bad it just avoids what it perceives as bad results. Truthfully to most people working out in a gym or other strenuous activity is unpleasant; you become sweaty,tired, sore, and use energy. On the other hand sitting in a recliner kicked back relaxing watching the television is entertaining, comfortable, restful, and uses no energy. If you repeat behavior often enough then your sub conscience catalogs it as good or neutral and it becomes a habit. A habit is "hard wired" into your brain and becomes almost automatic. This survival skill let cave man do a task without using his full mental facilities; enabling cave man to be more alert to the saber-tooth tiger stalking him.
This is not necessarily a bad thing if we are aware of it and take advantage of it.
1st You need to sit and think about your typical day and how you respond to events. If you are aware of a habit it is easier to break it.
2nd Think of a GOOD habit to replace the bad one. For instance if you eat a unhealthy sugar-laden high fat breakfast replace it with a healthy meal.
3rd Be patient and repeatedly reinforce the good behavior. It will take time and effort to break the bad habits and lose weight. It took time to create the bad habit and gain weight.
4th Take baby-steps it is easier to work on a few changes at a time.
5th Do not tease yourself. if you have a problem with a certain food that you over indulge in then avoid it. An alcoholic can be on the wagon for years and 1 drink can put them right back into drinking.
6th Keep on keeping on. It requires a constant effort but sooner or later the good habit takes root.
So remember you are not a bad person it is centuries of reinforcement in your genetics that is your inner caveman.
The sub conscience does not realize that a habit is good or bad it just avoids what it perceives as bad results. Truthfully to most people working out in a gym or other strenuous activity is unpleasant; you become sweaty,tired, sore, and use energy. On the other hand sitting in a recliner kicked back relaxing watching the television is entertaining, comfortable, restful, and uses no energy. If you repeat behavior often enough then your sub conscience catalogs it as good or neutral and it becomes a habit. A habit is "hard wired" into your brain and becomes almost automatic. This survival skill let cave man do a task without using his full mental facilities; enabling cave man to be more alert to the saber-tooth tiger stalking him.
This is not necessarily a bad thing if we are aware of it and take advantage of it.
1st You need to sit and think about your typical day and how you respond to events. If you are aware of a habit it is easier to break it.
2nd Think of a GOOD habit to replace the bad one. For instance if you eat a unhealthy sugar-laden high fat breakfast replace it with a healthy meal.
3rd Be patient and repeatedly reinforce the good behavior. It will take time and effort to break the bad habits and lose weight. It took time to create the bad habit and gain weight.
4th Take baby-steps it is easier to work on a few changes at a time.
5th Do not tease yourself. if you have a problem with a certain food that you over indulge in then avoid it. An alcoholic can be on the wagon for years and 1 drink can put them right back into drinking.
6th Keep on keeping on. It requires a constant effort but sooner or later the good habit takes root.
So remember you are not a bad person it is centuries of reinforcement in your genetics that is your inner caveman.
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