Avoid Poor Dietary Decisions With the 10 Minute Rule
Humans are not always intelligent, especially when it comes to health and fitness. We suffer from certain cognitive biases – inherent errors in the way we think, that cause us to choose a piece of cake over fruit. You can use the 10 minute rule to avoid many of these.
One of the most common fitness biases is known as the ” current moment bias .” As Coach Mike Howard explained:
We, Homo sapiens, do not know how to predict the future scenario and how we will react to it. We are an instant gratification society prone to the roller coaster of hedonic adaptation. Unsurprisingly, most of us would rather experience pleasure in the moment and leave pain for later – even if the long-term reward is greater. This is a bias that is of particular concern when it comes to losing weight and improving health. A 1998 study confirmed the old adage “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” where 74% of participants chose fruit over unhealthy food when asked which week they would take from when they were hungry. But when day came, 70% chose chocolate.
You probably already know that you may not always be trusted in the future . You can use the 10-minute rule to protect yourself from the bias of the moment. When faced with an opportunity to make the wrong decision – for example, to eat this unplanned piece of cake – give yourself 10 minutes (or more) to think. If after 10 minutes you still feel the same, allow yourself to be pampered. If you let your fleeting urges pass, you are less likely to succumb to the bias of the moment.
Your Brain Is A Dummy: 5 Cognitive Biases That Hinder Your Fat Burning Goals | Burn the fat blog