"My purpose in life is to learn how to make my "Third Act" of life AWESOME."
"My God-given purpose is to share what I have learned with others."
3-Hacks 2-Quotes 1-Success Story
As humans developed, according to neuroscientists, the need to fit in, cooperate, and maintain long-term relationships put pressure on our early human brains to develop some kind of control over our four primitive impulses. Our brains developed a new brain or better said an evolving more complicated brain. This new modern brain is where willpower developed. This more modern brain controls our impulses and allows us to delay gratification to protect our long-term goals. The new brain that started developing over the primitive brain is called the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is where willpower and self-discipline are located.
If your train of thought is to sit on the couch, binge Netflix, eat potato chips and drink beer, your primitive instincts, the prefrontal cortex can step in and change your train of thinking to get outside, do some gardening, and eat fresh fruit and drink clean alkaline water.
Willpower-control exerted to do something or restrain impulses.
THREE HACKS
I. I WILL I WON'T
The clients that succeed in my program are the ones that say I will eat Doc Mac's menu and they also say I won't eat any more sugar-gluten bombs. The clients on my program grab onto The HOPE Rope tightly and say I will and I won't.
But...
The secret ingredient to them succeeding is saying I want.
Let's take a look at the definition of willpower again: "control exerted to do something or restrain impulses," in essence, I will and I won't. Let me be so bold as to redefine willpower.
Willpower is the ability to control what I will do and what I won't do to achieve what I want.
To say I will join Doc Mac's program and to say I won't listen to my mind tell me that I can do it on my own, you will need to ask yourself what it is that I want.
For example, your answer may be, I want to wear a size six dress by the time of my vacation to Aruba in three months.
But...
After optimizing health for over forty-two years and helping tens of thousands of women and men, I have found that the ones that succeed quickly and maintain their success are the ones that know their because.
So here is an updated definition of willpower:
Willpower is the ability to control what I will do and what I won't do to achieve what I want, because...
To me, the because is the most important element of self-discipline.
I will eat meals that keep my insulin bottomed out.
I won't eat meals that cause insulin to top out.
I want to feel comfortable in a size six dress.
BECAUSE I am tired of looking overweight in the pictures taken of me
To have the willpower you need to answer these four questions.
I will?
I won't?
I want?
Because?
Here is your first hack...Go write the answers down...now!
II. BECAUSE
If you didn't write them down, you probably lack willpower.
But...
If you know your "because," you may very well succeed without answering the first three questions.
That's how powerful because is.
You've probably read my train track metaphor. If you stand between the rails and look as far as you can see, you'll see that the rails conjoin. At this spot, is your goal.
Where you are standing is your purpose.
"Your because" is your purpose. Your purpose is the fuel that propels you to your goal. If your purpose is weak, you will travel like a locomotive from the 1800s. But...if your purpose is strong, you will travel toward your goal as if you were a bullet train. To reach your health goals you must know your "Because."
"My because:" is a picture of Vicky and me sitting in the front rows of our grandchildren's weddings as we travel from one to the other.
Here is the second hack...What is your because for achieving a certain long-term goal?
Science says you must write down your I will, I won't, I want, and because. If you do not write this down, guess what? You are running on your primitive mind. And what's that? Read on...
III. The Two Minds
Neuroscientists say that we have one brain but two minds. Remember Dr. Jecklel and Mr. Hyde?
“...I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth...that man is not truly one, but truly two.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll i Mr. Hyde
Neuroscientists have concluded that the primitive human brain was a small glob of neurons that made the core of the brain that sits atop our spines. Our primitive brain is that part of the brain in control of our self-preserving behavior patterns, which ensure our survival. This part of the brain is in charge of what is often referred to as, the four Fs:
Feeding,
Fighting,
Fleeing,
Reproduction
I won’t use that other f-word here.
This primitive brain is that version of us that acts on impulse and seeks immediate gratification.
Do you remember your college days? There are a few nights I don't remember too well. But I remember Jack in the Box Tacos at 2 AM, and yes there were a few fights, and yes there were times when I had to get the heck out of somewhere threatening, and I'm sorry but we boys did "talk" a lot about the fourth F.
What I am getting at is that when you drink too much alcohol, your primitive brain takes over because we put to sleep our modern brain where willpower exists.
You see...
As humans advanced, we developed more complicated brains. This newer brain allowed us to tame our primitive urges. If we didn't develop this newer modern brain, we probably would have 4-F'ed ourselves to extinction. This newer modern brain is called the prefrontal cortex. Neuroscientists have found that there are distinct regions within the prefrontal cortex for I will, I won't, I want, and our because.
In one study, the participants were asked to guess how many decisions they made a day about food. They guessed 14. Then they were asked to carefully track their decisions for one day. The study found that the true amount of decisions we make about food in a day averaged out to be 227.
Science has found that...here is your hack...if you pay attention to your decisions, your prefrontal cortex maintains control over your decisions. If you are not paying attention to your decisions, your primitive brain maintains control over your decisions.
The key to willpower is to recognize that you are making a decision, a choice, to go with what will achieve your long-term goals over making a choice that will satisfy instant gratification.
For example, if you have a tinge of hunger around four o clock in the afternoon and you are not having dinner for hours, your primitive brain will always choose what is easiest. You get up to grab a bag of potato chips.
Your prefrontal cortex with its I will, I won't, I want, and because mechanism will kick into action. It will make you aware that you are in the process of making a choice. You will realize that the potato chips are not going to support your long-term goals.
THE MORE AWARE YOU BECOME THAT YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF THIS OR THAT THE BETTER WILLPOWER YOU WILL HAVE!
TWO QUOTES
Kelly McGonigal Ph.D., The Willpower Instinct.
Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who is known for her work in the field of 'science help' which focuses on translating insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support health and well-being. ...Wikipedia
"...because it paid off for our ancestors, our modern brains still come equipped with a well-preserved instinct to crave fat and sweets. Fortunately, we can use the brain’s more recently evolved self-control system to override those cravings."
Vince Lombardi
One of the greatest football coaches ever.
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
ONE SUCCESS STORY
Here is an email we received from one of our clients, Jen.
I’m a 45 year old woman, ex CrossFit owner/coach in menopause with BiPolar. I found Doc on Facebook. I was fed up with my 35# weight gain I attained in the last 2 years. I thought was from my medication so I tried changing my medication several times & I tried cutting calories, working out etc. nothing was working. I finally came to the conclusion it might be because of my hormones and I had no idea how to lose the weight for the first time in my life. I was depressed, lost my sex drive, grumpy because I had to spend money to buy new BIGGER clothes and just felt stuck. I’ve always been thin and this new look was just a huge issue for me. I stopped going out & avoided taking pictures at all costs! I was shocked when I lost 10# my FIRST WEEK!! I knew I was on the right path. I haven’t seen the scale move in 2 YEARS! I’m now 5# away from my goal in a little over a month. I started at 167# and I’m now at 140#. I feel sexy again!! I have my sex drive back, I can fit into all my old clothes and it’s drastically improved my attitude. I’m even doing better at work! I wasn’t hungry and even cheated twice! There was no crazy workouts, I’m fact no workouts at all just brisk walk in the morning. Again I’m so happy I did this & I’m telling all my friends who are struggling to lose weight to check his program out. Thank you so so much! My Best, Jen S
WAY TO GO, JEN!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL GREAT?
Once your hormones become disrupted, you will...
Gain Weight
Not be able to lose the weight no matter what you do
Suffer from sleeping disturbances
Suffer from hormonal induced anxiety and depression
Lose your interest in being intimate.
Lose your motivation to be social
If you are suffering from these symptoms, please, talk to me.
I do not charge you to learn the steps you will need to take to be happy with your body and yourself again.
Click the link below to schedule a conversation with me.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
This is our middle daughter, Vanessa. And this is our fifth grandchild and our first granddaughter, Aluna. We spent the week in San Diego celebrating Vanessa's birthday, and of course, babysitting little Aluna.
❤️ Doc
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