"You don't really want that"

[MrDawn]

When you're fighting an urge of a bad habit, does it help when you ask yourself "you don't really want that, do you?"

 

[Crystal]

No. I'm having issues where my brain is just switching off when a bad bout of depression hits and I immediately and mindlessly grab junk food as a coping mechanism, to try and get an endorphine rush. Works for a couple of minutes and then ends in guilt. I wrote notes on every snack food near me, hoping it'd deter me. Nothing. So I'm working on that, but no, telling myself I don't want it isn't working right now

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I have pretty good self control. Sure, sometimes cravings will occur. Or maybe I'll see something food related on TV and it'll set off cravings, but that's it.

I stay skinny because I stop when my body says I'm full. I don't go to Target with a certain item in mind and then spend and hour buying up a bunch of shit I don't need.

The largest impulse buy I've ever had was my Mustang. No research was done. I searched online for used Mustangs almost immediately found one I felt I could afford then went to the dealership and told them I wanted it.

I won't say I don't buy stuff I don't need, but I will say I know when to definitively say "Yeah, I definitively don't need that." Clothes are pretty easy for me, because I can go into a store see that nothing is of my taste and walk out. I don't follow seasonal trends.

Also, I tend not to snack because I will end up not eating my meals in full.

 

[Kat]

No, not really. I feel like most bad habits are things you do want in the moment but have some kind of long term consequence you don't want. So what does work for me is to ask, "is this worth it?" If I want to save money and am tempted to buy something frivolous, is it worth whatever I'll have to give up later? If I want to lose weight and am tempted by a donut, is it worth giving up other food later/having that extra weight/having to work out extra? If I'm tempted to stay up too late, will it be worth being miserable in the morning?

Actually what I ask is "how pissed will future me be about this?" and it does work pretty well. Occasionally the answer is "very, but she can do nothing to me about it, so sucks for her", and I will later curse my past self for being such a selfish dick, but hey, you gotta live in the moment sometimes.

 

[Gloom-is-good]

I ask myself "is it worth it?" too! Trying to work on my health and I have to be more selective with what I'm consuming. Do I love cupcakes? Absolutely! Do I want to spend that extra 200 calories on a generic cupcake? Nah.