Hi all -
Interesting thread. I recently read an article on a "weight maintenance" site about this very thing, I think it's quite applicable.
http://refusetoregain.com/refusetoregain/2012/02/habit-and-reward-good-for-target-good-for-maintainers.htmlKey Quotes:
" It turns out that habits have three components: a trigger, a behavior, and a reward. The brain is actively engaged only during parts one and three. What makes the habit a habit is that the behavior component, no matter how complex, is run automatically. In other words, once the habit is triggered, it’s on autopilot."
“We’ve done experiments where we trained rats to run down a maze until it was a habit, and then we extinguished the habit by changing the placement of the reward,” Graybiel told me. “Then one day, we’ll put the reward in the old place and put in the rat and, by golly, the old habit will re-emerge right away. Habits never really disappear.”
"Since habits are created all the time and since we know their components, why not create our own? ....I’ve learned to get pleasure out of the feeling of being hungry on days when I have to bring my weight down. How have I done that? I associate that feeling with a pleasant day I’ve set up. I follow a pre-set reversal plan that I enjoy---usually to have a non-fat, skim mocha for both breakfast and lunch, a nutrition bar at 3 and to try to do some shopping if I can, which is fun and which distracts me. Then I have a huge salad and some protein for dinner. I look forward to these days rather than dreading them. The scale on the next morning’s weigh-in is a further reward."
I guess if you are trying to take on a habit or behavior that you initially view as unpleasant, try to make a habit/trigger and make it as pleasant as possible, so you look forward to these times. Suggestions already posted here like hot tea, using a space heater, finding a good music mix, etc, help, it seems.