Understanding the Signal vs. Noise in Personal Change and Healthy Living

Uncover the secrets to becoming a "Mindful Warrior" in an age of distraction! 🎧 Dive into this episode as we explore the intricate balance between desires and distractions, focusing on how our brains can trick us into unhealthy habits. We discuss strategies for overcoming addiction, emotional eating, and achieving mental strength.

Key Takeaways:
- Understand the concept of signal-to-noise ratio in personal growth.
- Learn practical steps to manage cravings and embrace discomfort.
- Discover why calorie counting could be your key to weight management success.

Tune in now to transform your mindset and take control of your life! 🌟

In this podcast this morning, I want to talk about the concept of signal to noise ratio and what that means in working with clients through the years. I would always center our therapy on what is it that you really want? Why are you here? What are you seeking?

Thinking of a young man I'm working with right now. Well, I'm not sure how young he is. I think he's in his 30s. And he's struggled with drug addiction throughout his life, been in and out of many treatment facilities, had periods of sobriety, and right now he's smoking again and trying to get off of nicotine. Our conversations are fascinating to me. I said, what is it that you really want? 

"Oh man, I want to be..." He totally has all the recovery lingo down. "I want to be clean and sober, man. I love God. God's in my life, and Jesus is everything, and it's love. And I want to be clean and sober. And I'm going to be clean and sober, man. That's it. I'm not going to use anymore. I love it." 

I go, okay, all right. And let's set some goals. I've been working with him for probably about three months now, and the conversation pretty much goes the same in parts of our sessions as I'm talking about what it is that he wants. I'll always say something like that: "Man, I want to be healthy and strong, and I want to be free of this." 

"It doesn't do any good, man. It doesn't do any good. I know when I get stressed, I go right to my drug of choice right now." He's been using pot in the past, but anyway—either of those two.

Yet when we get to the point of making a commitment for the week—what is your plan for the week? Because I will say to him, "Okay, all right, you're telling me all this stuff you really desire. So when we get off the session and the addictive voice starts hitting you again—and it's going to come—how are you going to respond to it?" And then that's when things get really interesting.

So my purpose is to help him recognize what I call the addictive voice: any thought or feeling of continued use of the substance. The signal is: "I want to really be clean and sober." So he's saying that to me, but the signal really isn't that strong; he's just saying the words. But I can see underneath it he doesn't really mean it. He wants to mean it, but he doesn't.

And so I say, all right, there are two parts of you: there's a part of you that wants to be clean and sober, and there's a part of you that wants to continue to use. Just acknowledge that the limbic, emotional part of the brain functions on the premise of instant gratification.

So the minute or second you start feeling emotional stress—boredom, loneliness, anger, stress, tiredness, hunger—any of those things—the limbic part of the brain's job is to get you out of that state. But it tricks you because the things that it draws you toward are addictive; like nicotine or excessive eating—they're not helpful for your body.

In our quest as human beings, one of the overall quests is to be healthy and strong in our bodies. Our bodies are the greatest gift that we have.

So the quest is to become—I keep coming back to this concept in my mind—and gosh, I gotta write a book on this stuff: Becoming a mindful warrior in the Age of Distraction. You know—kind of what is the new science of being mentally strong? How do we get the signal strong enough, set our course and get that signal strong enough so when noise comes it just beats off of it? It doesn't have the capacity to drag one back into addictive behavior.

The issue is the behavior because when you're smoking cigarettes it's not good for your body—it's just not. When you're smoking pot it's not good for your body—it’s not.

I have another individual I'm working with right now who's trying to get off pot. She's smoking constantly; she's so high during our sessions it's like she's nodding off continually—and I'm just going... The whole addictive thinking: yeah maybe someday I want to be clean but I'm going to work on that—but it's such a powerful drug.

But I want you to know anyone struggling with these things—it’s all coming from the limbic part of the brain—and it has everything to do with this concept of not being able to embrace discomfort.

In order to be mentally strong we must be able to befriend a little discomfort.

It's the same thing with eating—I’ve come to learn from my own experience and research is clear on this about 80% of our eating is emotional eating—we don't actually need it for our body.

The greatest hack for keeping your weight under control and manageable is simply this—and man it really is this simple though very challenging—we gain weight when we take into our body more calories than we burn; period.

I don't care what food you eat; I'm not an advocate for any diet—no diets—the research is so clear on that—in time—I think I was reading something recently—97% of those who begin a diet a year later are worse off than when they started because they just don’t stick with it.

So my advice—from my own experience and from what I've read—is just counting calories: eat whatever you want but keep track of your calories; it's called naming and pointing.

For example: I'm not going to deprive myself of a chocolate chip cookie—I absolutely love them—but here's the deal: when I started getting serious about my health and weight I'd always had this little roll around my stomach.

I'm 65 going on 66 now but no matter what I'd look in the mirror—even if I'd tell myself “You look good”—I'd see that flab around my stomach.

I'd be out in a swimming pool with grandkids sometimes taking videos and pictures—and I'd look at myself thinking “Oh my gosh no matter what you're doing you've got this flabby roll around your stomach.” And I couldn’t lose it.

Here's the bottom line: when I started getting serious—naming and pointing by counting calories—I could not believe how many calories were coming from emotional eating; running to cabinets between therapy sessions even though I'm exercising every morning.

This convinced me: how your body looks 75%, 75-80% has more to do with what we eat—not so much what as how much we eat.

Because literally I could work out three hours—I love exercising; committed—but then I'd actually gain weight sometimes! How’s that possible?

Ah! Then I started noticing something called the Hawthorne effect—that which we observe changes how things happen—and so by counting calories closely observing how much was eaten and how it made me feel—it came down simply how many calories consumed.

I'd have these amazing chocolate chip cookies from Trader Joe's on a plate—and I'd ask “How many calories per cookie?” About 100-150 calories each.

So I'd look at one cookie name it point: “This chocolate chip cookie has 150 calories.” My calorie count today trying figuring out where I'm at; what do I need do lose flab?

I'm going count calories keep below 2000 today just monitor.

At naming & pointing that's 150 calories; I'll eat that but I'll eat less elsewhere savor more—the cookie was one best experiences ever!

Previously I'd bake dozen cookies in half hour then eat four—that's 600 calories plus lunch plus dinner plus snack before bed—it added up—3-3500 calories daily—kept weight on no matter exercise because putting too many units energy in body

Calories are units energy—they're fantastic—not negative—but don’t put more energy than used because stored as fat weighs down

To be overweight stresses heart other parts body research very clear

So get yourself where need start vision start working signal remind self through positive affirmations “This who I am; this weight within few pounds; healthy fit strong.”

Keep strengthening signal day by day hour by hour notice noise distraction align behavior signal change begins happening

Total combination exercise amount energy via calories

Weight has more do with how much eaten than exercise because can't exercise enough burn if eating too much—you put back on

Anyway test see how works life work process becoming mindful warrior age distraction

If want improve health American Psychological Association suggests—and I can't fully agree but those seeking mental health treatment anxiety depression addiction should get prescription every time: start doing something physical wherever at body type don't compare start moving consistent basis regular exercise

Many coaches out there questions email me innergoldmail.com say “Heard podcast what exercises work client manage discomfort strengthen signal over noise?”

Signal: "I want healthy strong fit body within few pounds."

Noise: "Let's have cookies snack" that's noise—we got eat enjoy love but less more feel better all around

Gluttony overeating no good limbic system wrestle make peace understand beast screaming yelling prefrontal rational cognitive brain can make signal strong say nah okay deal discomfort strong healthy body live these exercises calories today simple hack improve health okay guys test own life observe name point count calories surprised maybe extremely surprised units energy putting body