THE THOUGHT BEFORE THE CHOICE

By Coach Adam
28:Tenn Fitness | Hendersonville, Tennessee

Most people don’t sabotage their progress with food.

They sabotage it with a sentence.

A thought shows up.
It sounds reasonable.
It feels justified.
And it quietly pulls them off course.

• “I deserve this.”
• “One day won’t matter.”
• “I’ll start Monday.”
• “I’m too tired.”
• “I don’t want to inconvenience anyone.”
• “I’ve already messed up.”

None of those is about hunger.

They’re about permission.

In The Beck Diet Solution, psychologist Judith Beck calls these sabotaging thoughts.

They’re automatic.
They’re emotional.
They sound intelligent.
And they’re usually wrong.

Here’s the problem:
Most people argue with their plan.

Very few people argue with their thoughts.

And that’s where the real work is.

I once heard that the single greatest skill in business, relationships, and life is communication.

Not just communication with others.

Communication with yourself.

The most important conversation you’ll have all day is the one happening in your head.

Discipline isn’t the skill.

Response is.

Dr. Beck doesn’t say, “Don’t have the thought.”

You will.

Instead, she teaches something far more practical:
Prepare the helpful response.

Sabotaging thought:
“I don’t want to inconvenience my family.”

Helpful response:
“My long-term health benefits them far more than a small dinner adjustment inconveniences them.”

Sabotaging thought:
“I’m too tired to train.”

Helpful response:
“I’ve never regretted training.  I have regretted skipping.”

Sabotaging thought:
“I already messed up today.”

Helpful response:
“One imperfect choice doesn’t require a second one.”

This isn’t positive thinking.

It’s strategic thinking.

At 28:Tenn, we talk about “Act in Spite Of.”

Act in spite of moods.
Act in spite of fatigue.
Act in spite of doubt.

We rarely say it this way, but it applies here too:
Act in spite of sabotaging thoughts.

You don’t need better motivation.

You don’t need a more perfect meal plan.

You don’t need a harder workout.

You need a better response ready.

The thought always comes before the choice.

Prepare for the thought, and you change the choice.

Consistency isn’t built by eliminating the voice.

It’s built by answering it better.