Comments on: Want to Stop some Bad Habit? Do it MORE. http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/ Living life in Hawaii, things to do, news, and interesting facts about the Hawaiian islands. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:55:21 +0000 hourly 1 By: Vern http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-902 Vern Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:12:56 +0000 http://www.aimforawesome.com/2007/11/07/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-902 Unless you count 20 minutes of sitting in front of computer porn everyday, I've never really had a problem with anything addictive. I've definitely never seen a need to stop any computer porn viewing as I'm fine with that. Reality is - well, I don't need to tell you I'm sure. I think with eating - it's a different beast. You'd have to target specific things that you binge on and that you can't seem to stop yourself from eating - if you deem it to be a problem. I used to also do 50-100 miles in the hills on the bike and I'll tell you, eating a quart of Haagen Dazs coffee flavored ice cream was not any sort of issue in my mind at all. It was a necessity to replace the 3000 calories I just burned. If you eat a jar of peanut butter every other day - and you're morbidly and cantankerously obese (mad about it) then you might call it a problem. You might sprinkle ashes from your cigarettes into the peanut butter and force yourself to eat a jar. You might pair a spoonfull of peanut butter with a swig of some rank whiskey each time you get the urge. Can you eat a whole jar now? If the scenario gets more attractive to you after you've done it once - that's a clue that it's not aversive enough to you and you need to change the game up a little bit or you're going to seriously destroy yourself. I think if you really want to stop some behavior - you need to pair it with something that is so gut-wrenchingly disgusting that you couldn't possibly want to do the behavior again. There are such things - few of us push it to that limit when trying to get a handle on an issue. And, again, I'm with you on this - I love to bike far because I can eat whatever I want. Unless you count 20 minutes of sitting in front of computer porn everyday, I’ve never really had a problem with anything addictive. I’ve definitely never seen a need to stop any computer porn viewing as I’m fine with that. Reality is – well, I don’t need to tell you I’m sure.

I think with eating – it’s a different beast. You’d have to target specific things that you binge on and that you can’t seem to stop yourself from eating – if you deem it to be a problem. I used to also do 50-100 miles in the hills on the bike and I’ll tell you, eating a quart of Haagen Dazs coffee flavored ice cream was not any sort of issue in my mind at all. It was a necessity to replace the 3000 calories I just burned.

If you eat a jar of peanut butter every other day – and you’re morbidly and cantankerously obese (mad about it) then you might call it a problem. You might sprinkle ashes from your cigarettes into the peanut butter and force yourself to eat a jar. You might pair a spoonfull of peanut butter with a swig of some rank whiskey each time you get the urge. Can you eat a whole jar now? If the scenario gets more attractive to you after you’ve done it once – that’s a clue that it’s not aversive enough to you and you need to change the game up a little bit or you’re going to seriously destroy yourself.

I think if you really want to stop some behavior – you need to pair it with something that is so gut-wrenchingly disgusting that you couldn’t possibly want to do the behavior again. There are such things – few of us push it to that limit when trying to get a handle on an issue.

And, again, I’m with you on this – I love to bike far because I can eat whatever I want.

]]> By: Nathan P. http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-896 Nathan P. Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:12:33 +0000 http://www.aimforawesome.com/2007/11/07/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-896 I actually tried this, a few years back when I decided I was eating way too much. I bought a whole bunch of really good foods and ate until I got sick with the intent that it'd stop my occasional binges entirely. It backfired. I mean, I ate pretty lightly for the next week, it's true. The experience it didn't change my attitudes any though. It was just an unpleasant experience. I learned something important about myself with the attempt, though. I really love eating. I'm glad I did it, even though it apparently failed. Removing my attention from efforts to reduce the behaviour and putting said attention to ways to ameliorate it was a good thing. I sloughed off a source of stress and started exercising more to counteract my calorie-intense ways. I stopped gaining weight and gained a lot of endurance. I'm still fat, but I've accepted that negative to go along with the positive of eating delicious food. And I can bike 50 miles over hilly terrain! I actually tried this, a few years back when I decided I was eating way too much. I bought a whole bunch of really good foods and ate until I got sick with the intent that it’d stop my occasional binges entirely.
It backfired. I mean, I ate pretty lightly for the next week, it’s true. The experience it didn’t change my attitudes any though. It was just an unpleasant experience. I learned something important about myself with the attempt, though. I really love eating.

I’m glad I did it, even though it apparently failed. Removing my attention from efforts to reduce the behaviour and putting said attention to ways to ameliorate it was a good thing. I sloughed off a source of stress and started exercising more to counteract my calorie-intense ways. I stopped gaining weight and gained a lot of endurance.
I’m still fat, but I’ve accepted that negative to go along with the positive of eating delicious food. And I can bike 50 miles over hilly terrain!

]]> By: Mauigirl52 http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-167 Mauigirl52 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:32:04 +0000 http://www.aimforawesome.com/2007/11/07/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-167 Hi Vern, This makes total sense to me. I used to smoke and I actually quit twice before quitting for good. But each time I decided to quit, I smoked twice as much the night before so that I'd be good and sick of it the next day and not want a cigarette. It worked perfectly. I quit cold turkey all three times and really didn't have a problem with it (I only went back to it the first two times because something happened to upset me in my life and I decided to smoke again, not because I HAD to). And I've never gone back to it in 27 years now that I quit for good. But the aversion method does work. Now if only it worked with food! Hi Vern,
This makes total sense to me. I used to smoke and I actually quit twice before quitting for good. But each time I decided to quit, I smoked twice as much the night before so that I’d be good and sick of it the next day and not want a cigarette. It worked perfectly. I quit cold turkey all three times and really didn’t have a problem with it (I only went back to it the first two times because something happened to upset me in my life and I decided to smoke again, not because I HAD to). And I’ve never gone back to it in 27 years now that I quit for good. But the aversion method does work. Now if only it worked with food!

]]> By: Vern http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-147 Vern Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:12:00 +0000 http://www.aimforawesome.com/2007/11/07/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-147 Thanks Serey! I appreciate that you're reading and hope you find a lot to do at the site. Funny how many psych graduates go into something else for their career... or switch later. Psych is good for that. It's SO interesting that it's hard to pass up an opportunity to study and learn a lot about human behavior. Why we do what we do. Now that I'm mostly writing I couldn't imagine doing something else. Tech is great fun - but I've had my fun over the years. I do think about getting back into the mental health field again on some level - not for money - just for the reward. There were SO Many rewards working with kids in the big brother programs. Someday... Someday... Best of LIFE! Vern Thanks Serey! I appreciate that you’re reading and hope you find a lot to do at the site. Funny how many psych graduates go into something else for their career… or switch later. Psych is good for that. It’s SO interesting that it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to study and learn a lot about human behavior. Why we do what we do.

Now that I’m mostly writing I couldn’t imagine doing something else. Tech is great fun – but I’ve had my fun over the years. I do think about getting back into the mental health field again on some level – not for money – just for the reward. There were SO Many rewards working with kids in the big brother programs. Someday…

Someday…

Best of LIFE! Vern

]]> By: Serey http://www.aimforawesome.com/bad-habits/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-136 Serey Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:36:42 +0000 http://www.aimforawesome.com/2007/11/07/want-to-stop-some-bad-habit-do-it-more/#comment-136 Hello Vern, Saw your name on my bloglog community and made a quick visit to your site. However, I just got inspired with your photos and also your fascinating writings. Like you, I am also a Psych graduate but has been working in the IT & Telecom field for so many years now. I am still wondering myself how I got into this tech stuff... But like they say life happens. Good luck to you and all your endeavors. Keep on writing and taking photos. May I add you to my "Must See/Visit" links on my blog? Thanks!!! Hello Vern,

Saw your name on my bloglog community and made a quick visit to your site. However, I just got inspired with your photos and also your fascinating writings. Like you, I am also a Psych graduate but has been working in the IT & Telecom field for so many years now. I am still wondering myself how I got into this tech stuff… But like they say life happens. Good luck to you and all your endeavors. Keep on writing and taking photos. May I add you to my “Must See/Visit” links on my blog? Thanks!!!

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