Open your parachute! (plus tips to cut your cravings)

Hey there! John here and I’m back with a sweet Monday Motivator and kick butt blog post on cutting those cravings!  But first, how was your

Thanksgiving?  I hope you had a great time connecting with family and friends and giving thanks for things you are grateful for in your life.  I also hope you were able to make it to the SV Turkey Trot (I can’t get enough of our awesome pic!) or at least 1 workout over the weekend for some kick butt san jose bootcamp or personal training extra calorie burning.

All right, time to rock that motivation for the week and get cracking on your health and fitness! And read this cover to cover so you can get some tips on cutting your cravings….with some special insight in to some of trainer John’s own vices and why this particular quote has some special meaning…

Oh and I’d love to hear your comments at the end!

Thomas Dewar, creator of the Dewar’s scotch whiskey, once said

“Minds are like parachutes.  They only function when they are open.”

So are you approaching your fitness goals with your mind open or your mind closed?  Are you looking at situations and challenges you’re having by seeking a solution or are you just sticking with the status quo and not making any progress?  This can be a tough process but difficult changes are usually the ones that lead to the best results both for your physique and your health and wellness.

Why does this hit home for me you might ask?  Well, two particular vices I have are with drinking diet soda and a satisfactory adult beverage in the evenings.   Scotch actually (but JWB, not Dewars).  I found myself consuming way to many diet sodas and sometimes having 1 or two cocktails at night (scotch or wine).  GASP you say!  All I can tell you is that your trainers are human and as we guide you through the process of rocking a great body and staying healthy we can struggle just like you.

The fact is that you have to be open to change.  You have to recognize that most of the negative things that you do to your body – consuming too much food, alcohol, diet drinks, not enough exercise, etc – are just habits.  And like anything else, bad habits can be changed and good habits created.

I started with a detox for a few days.  Yes, difficult but many of you have done it.  Then comes the time where you make choices.  Choose to continue down the path of taking care of your self or revert back to old habits.

The key lies in re-working your “habit loop.”

Example #1:

I like the burning sensation of carbonation and taste of diet soda (yes I know I’m weird).

Trigger = bored or feeling deprived.

Routine = drink a diet soda

Rewards = how I feel and the “ahh” after the first sip.

Solution = Disrupt the loop.

Now I go for a pelegrino or any sparkling water.  Same trigger and reward possibly but DIFFERENT routine and much better outcome for my body.  And IF I choose to have a diet soda from time to time, I am in control and I make a conscious choice.

Example #2:

I feel I deserve a scotch after a long, hard day of work.

Trigger = Getting home and feeling tired, stress, etc.

Routine = Glass of wine or scotch

Reward = the “ahh” feeling again and euphoria that this is somehow making me feel better.

Solution = Disrupt the loop

I make a wicked tea with the Good Earth Sweet & Spicy (no sugar and tastes like a hot tamale…love it!)  Same reward and if need be I grab another pelegrino.  Now adult beverages are saved or occasional date nights and/or weekends only.

The fact of the matter is that all you have to do is CHANGE YOUR ROUTINES!  As long as you get some type of “reward” in the end to satisfy your brain and possible craving, you will succeed.  The same holds true for sweets vs. fruits, bad food choices, lack of exercise, etc.  It will take some true thought on your end to determine what is really the trigger and possible new routines but in the end, YOU CAN DO IT! (for more on new habits, check out an awesome book by Charles Duhigg, “The Power of Habit.”)

Want a few more reasons on why you want to reduce your alcohol consumption? Click here to check out a blog post I did awhile back and check out the calories involved as well as how alcohol breaks down in your body and can be so detrimental to fat loss.

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

1) Identify just one or two habits that are negatively affecting your health and fitness goals.

2) Write down what triggers these bad habits, the routines therein and the rewards you receive.

3) Brainstorm ways you can “disrupt” the habit loop, create healthier habits and get your health and wellness back on track.

4) Stay dialed in to these changes for a minimum of 21 days.

5) Rinse and repeat.

Let me hear your comments below and perhaps what habits are on the chopping block for you!

Till next time, have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer