Category: BDNF

atomic habits, bad habits, BDNF, emotional eating, good habits, habit, habit change, Interrupt a bad habit, The Fat Loss Habit, The Power of Habit

WHY WE ARE ALL SUSCEPTIBLE TO BAD HABITS

The nature of bad habits makes them irresistible to our basal ganglia, where all habits live. Our primitive brain is a sucker for a quick payoff.
Why do we allow bad habits to happen? When we are stress or not paying attention, our subconscious mind will choose bad habits over good ones. Every bad habit provides an immediate benefit. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t repeat them. When we are feeling tired and stressed, we are particularly susceptible to them. When our body’s cortisol levels are raised, our mind shifts from a pause-and-plan state to a more impulsive fight-or-flight condition. Our primitive brain takes control and seeks quick satisfaction. Our primitive brain isn’t concerned with abstract ideas or our long-term goals; it is in tune with our body’s sensations. We have one brain but two minds. One is driven by emotions, the other by logic. Which is in charge at any given moment is dependent on our stress levels. Stress triggers a fight-or-flight response that puts our impulsive mind in the driver’s seat. Relaxation, on the other hand, shifts us to a state of pause-and-plan. When you are about to give in to temptation, taking, a few deep breaths has been shown to improve our self-control.  Continue reading WHY WE ARE ALL SUSCEPTIBLE TO BAD HABITS

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atomic habits, BDNF, behavior change, change, mini habits, shrink the commitment, subjective fatigue, The Fat Loss Habit, The Power of Habit, tiny habits

MINI HABITS – Shrink the Commitment – Shrink the Resistance

Shrinking our habit commitment reduces our reluctance. This commitment is a floor and not a ceiling. If you feel motivated to do more, that’s great. Willpower is going to get you going. Motivation will determine how far you go. Continue reading MINI HABITS – Shrink the Commitment – Shrink the Resistance

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BDNF, ketogenic, low carb diet, the biggest loser

Popularity isn’t a Measure of a Diet’s Effectiveness

A lot of popular things aren’t effective. Almost any of the popular diets will work, but most are unsustainable.  The results produced by extreme exercise and diet programs aren’t any more sustainable than the programs themselves. Quickly done, quickly undone. When I argue that the results produced by a low card diet aren’t sustainable, people will defend it as if I was attacking a member of their family. A low-carb diet certainly wouldn’t be my choice, but if you can sustain it as a lifestyle, then go for it.

Why are extreme, overly restrictive diets and motivation so popular if they aren’t practical solutions? Popularity is no indication of effectiveness. Look at the popularity of the reality TV program, The Biggest Loser. Forcing 400-pound people to work out four hours a day on a low-calorie diet makes for good TV, but the results are abysmal. Virtually all the contestants fail to keep the weight off. Approximately 14 out of 15 contestants gain back all the weight eight months after the program ends.[i] Continue reading Popularity isn’t a Measure of a Diet’s Effectiveness

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atomic habits, BDNF, exercise and mental health, keystone habits, mini habits, Morning Exercise, The Fat Loss Habit, The Power of Habit

EXERCISE IS A KEYSTONE HABIT

Morning movement puts your body and brain in a good place. It improves your mood for hours. Why not start the day feeling fantastic. Even a mini-workout will elevate your state and build your confidence. I keep a 35-pound kettlebell in my living room, so I can perform a mini-workout whenever I need to re-energize. My standing desk is in our home gym, so I can grab an exercise snack whenever the mood hits me. 

Exercise is one of the few good habits that produce immediate gratification. I usually suggest people begin their fat loss journey with exercise, not because I think it is the most effective at reducing body weight because it isn’t, but because daily exercise is a keystone habit that leads to a whole host of beneficial habits, like eating better, sleeping more, decreased alcohol consumption, and a reduction in smoking. Australian researchers, Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng found that healthy habits lead to significant improvements in a wide range of regulatory behaviors such as less impulsive spending; better dietary habits; decreased alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine consumption; and fewer hours watching TV.[i]  Continue reading EXERCISE IS A KEYSTONE HABIT

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attitude, BDNF, habit, positive attitude, spirit of your day

A Simple Habit that will Influence the Spirit of Your Day

Did you know that you can influence the spirit of your day during the first few minutes after waking? During those first 20minutes, your mind is transitioning from the low 47 cycles per second (Hz) your brain operates during light sleep to the higher, 1230 Hz that is your normal waking state of consciousness. In this state, your subconscious mind is most impressionable. Have you noticed that how your day begins tends to carry over into the rest of your day? This simple habit has dramatically increased my percentage of good days.  Continue reading A Simple Habit that will Influence the Spirit of Your Day

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