Push Pull Health
With a temper as short as her legs, Fiona joins Ben every week to forcefully "Push Your Health From The Pulls Of Life."
Expect Foul-mouthed narcissistic ramblings on fitness, nutrition, film, and life's daily rot.
This weekly audio & video expansion on the world-famous 'The Daily (ish) Rot' email and video ramblings also includes:
Usefully Useless Fitness and Diet Advice.
Half-arsed film reviews.
The exploitation of children.
True Crime recommendations.
Nutritious leprechaun-inspired recipes (short and to the point)
Narcissistic wisdom.
WHO THE FU*K ARE WE?
Howdy...
I'm Ben, the only 'health' coach (not a life coach) who allows you to embrace your Rotten attitude towards exercise and nutrition!
Empowering You to give the middle finger to your yo-yo diet and half-arsed exercise routine in JUST 30 Days!
Are you sick of yo-yo-ing from one restrictive diet and hideous exercise plan to the next, begging for it to end so you can slip back into old habits, only to start the same rotten cycle again?
And again.
Push Pull Health
#25 | In The Pursuit of Discipline
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What does your rotten health attitude struggle with most?
“Discipline Isn’t About Being Perfect—It’s About Having a Plan When You Can’t Be Arsed”
This episode unpacks the real reason most people fail at consistency—and spoiler alert—it’s not because they’re lazy.
Ben and Fiona tear down the myth that discipline is about grinding harder or punishing yourself into results. Instead, they reframe it as structure, systems, and having your own back when you least feel like it.
Key Takeaways:
- Motivation is unreliable.
If your whole plan depends on “feeling it,” it’s already dead in the water. - Discipline is structure, not self-punishment.
It’s about removing choice in moments where choice becomes chaos. - You don’t need to be perfect—just consistent enough.
Fiona shares how learning to bounce back from slip-ups (instead of spiralling) was a game-changer. - Slipping up doesn’t mean starting over.
A bad day is just a bad day. Not a reason to torch the whole week. - Messy repetition > heroic effort.
Progress comes from doing the basics even when it feels crap, not waiting for a magical fresh start.
Straight from the buff horse's mouth:
Ben:
“You don't need to be motivated. You just need to have a plan that works on the days when you can’t be arsed.”
“People think discipline is about being hard on yourself. It’s not. It’s doing what you said you’d do even when the mood you said it in has long fucked off.”
Straight from the stubby leprechaun's mouth
Fiona:
“I used to think discipline meant I had to ignore every craving. But now I realise it’s about not letting a bad day become a bad week.”
“It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it badly, repeatedly, until you get somewhere.”
With a temper as short as her legs, Fiona joins Ben every week to forcefully "Push Your Health From The Pulls Of Life."
Expect Foul-mouthed narcissistic ramblings on fitness, nutrition, film, and life's daily rot.
This weekly audio & video expansion on the world-famous 'The Daily (ish) Rot' email and video ramblings also includes:
Usefully Useless Fitness and Diet Advice.
Half-arsed film reviews.
The exploitation of children.
True Crime recommendations.
Nutritious leprechaun-inspired recipes (short and to the point)
Narcissistic wisdom.
WHO THE FU*K ARE WE?
Howdy,
I'm Ben, the only 'health' coach (not a life coach) who allows you to embrace your Rotten attitude towards exercise and nutrition!
Empowering You to give the middle finger to your yo-yo diet and half-arsed exercise routine in JUST 30 Days!
Are you sick of yo-yo-ing from one restrictive diet and hideous exercise plan to the next, begging for it to end so you can slip back into old habits?
Only to start the same rotten cycle again?
YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 30 DAY DIET KICK-UP-THE-ARSER
One, two, three.
BenShe's Fiona.
FionaAnd I'm, he's Ben. And I'm Ben.
BenShe's Fiona.
FionaAnd he's Ben.
BenAnd this is Pushable Health.
FionaPushing your health from the pulse of life.
BenI'm asking you to embrace your rotten attitude to exercise and nutrition. And empowering you to give the middle finger to your unrestricted diet and your half-assed exercise routine in just 30 days. Something along those lines. Something to that effect. We're in. Great. That's less than a minute. We've introduced the show. She's Fiona and I'm Ben. And let's go. Brilliant.
FionaOkay. What are we talking about? Terrible idea
Benthis though, isn't it?
FionaYeah, it's late at night.
BenRecording in the evening.
FionaI know no one
Bencares about this. No one cares about the woes. No one cares about me, that I'm tired. I just had to get that out there.
FionaI'm tired too, so I'm like, you're not. It's a shame. Terrible idea. Sorry, sorry.
BenIt's the tiredness.
FionaOh, okay. Makes you delirious.
BenAwful, awful idea.
FionaYep. Anyway. We're both ready for bed.
BenWe'll be getting straight into bed after this, yeah.
FionaOh.
BenYeah.
FionaReally?
BenWell, it's pushing,
Fionaeh? It's half six.
BenWell, who knows how long this will go on for?
FionaNot that long, trust me.
BenHalf six, exactly, yeah.
FionaRight. So what's our topic of discussion today, Ben?
BenDiscipline.
FionaYeah.
BenThat's the topic?
FionaIt is.
BenThe pursuit of discipline. Oh. Is that right?
FionaYes.
BenOkay.
FionaHow do you pursue your discipline?
BenWell, we're going to get into it. I'm not quite sure how these notes are going to turn out because I've sent you the notes. You have my notes.
FionaI do. I'm looking at them. And
Benbefore we recorded, you were just whinging about them.
FionaYes, because they don't make sense. There
Benmight be someone who's watching who can tell me how to take my notes, give them to you. And
Fioname to approve. Yes. I probably will never approve.
BenWell, I'm asking you right now on camera, how would you like me to deliver the notes to you?
FionaMaybe just a little... explanation about what you mean by it such as i have here it sucks to do it
Benright it was more about read these notes and then you go oh oh that looks interesting oh can we um can we expand on that
Fionaoh yeah of course podcast sucks too
Benno it doesn't
Fionasucks to do what i don't understand so yeah maybe just a little bit of clarity
Benokay
Fionawould be good right and just tell me exactly what you want me to read out
Benis this interesting
FionaProbably not. Okay. Let's move on then. No one cares. So discipline can only come from within, Ben. As your notes.
BenIt is, yeah. Well, no, I'll give you the notes because I want you to scan the notes and then I want your opinion. And then from there, I will then...
FionaFantastic idea. Fantastic. It's a fantastic idea, Ben. Right, right. But there's no clarity. So I don't have a clue what you're talking about.
BenRight.
FionaFor you to send a note, you know exactly what you're talking about. I don't. If I sent you a message saying, it sucks to do it, you'd be just like, what the fuck is she on about?
BenNot swearing.
FionaSorry, you'd be saying, what the hell is she on about?
BenChildren.
FionaThat's what you'd be saying.
BenI can elaborate though, that's the point.
FionaAnyway, before I start whinging about the position of the lights, let's get to it. Yes, the camera might go dead.
BenDiscipline can only come from... Oh, that's right. It looked like we were recording on a potato last episode. The quality was not good. A potato? Yeah, it was terrible. The lighting was atrocious. The quality on the camera was just still 1080p, but bloody hell. You can notice the difference. This is awkward. What's happened? You all right?
FionaYeah, I'm fine.
BenOkay. So what I've got here, haven't I? Discipline can only come from within.
FionaYeah, tell me a bit about Jocko and Goggins.
BenJocko and Goggins, right.
FionaWho are these buckles?
BenWell, we have talked about these people.
FionaOh.
BenI thought we'd touch upon them briefly at the start just to get them out of the way because they're on the extreme end when it comes to self-discipline. Discipline. Motivation,
Fionawillpower. Oh, what was that saying that you said?
BenJocko.
FionaYeah.
BenGood.
FionaNo.
BenNo, it was. It was the good thing. He has this thing. He's got lots of things about discipline.
FionaThere was a saying that you said about discipline that I was moaning at you in another podcast.
BenProbably Jocko.
FionaI don't know. I can't remember who it
Benwas. I think it was Jocko. It was the good, wasn't
Fionait? But I was just like... So I said, for
Benexample, you get fired from your job. You lose your house.
FionaI've
Benlost my house. Good.
Fionamy
Benwife's had an affair
Fionagood
Bengood any more about Jocko I don't big scary army guy he's really into the discipline I think on his Instagram he shows a picture of his watch and it's like I guess about 4am every day alright Jocko alright Jocko we get it you're up at 4 but it's discipline do you think Jocko wants to get up at 4am every day
Fionadoes he have any motivational quotes
Benno I'm sure plenty this is the thing about discipline Do you think these people want to be doing this?
FionaNo. Who would?
BenThat's where...
FionaBut then discipline would then, I know we're going to talk about it later according to our notes, but discipline will also become part of a routine as well. And it becomes part of a habit.
BenYes, of course.
FionaBecause if you're used to getting up at 4am, you'll just continue to get up at 4am. Discipline, yeah. Yes. But then it's routine.
BenIf you solely rely on motivation or willpower to get up every day at 4am...
FionaI'd be screwed.
BenYeah. Chances are, I feel a lot of people won't be getting up every day at 4am. You might manage it once or twice a week, but not every day. If you rely on willpower or motivation. David Goggins. Who's going to carry the boat? He's a character. You must have heard of Goggins. Stay hard. Black guy, bald. Very scary. Shouts a lot. You've never seen Goggins. David Goggins.
Speaker 02No.
BenHe talks about who's going to carry the boat. He was in the, oh no, what was he in? Oh God, what's Goggins in quickly? What was he in? The Marines? I think he was in the Marine Corps. And one of the tests that they get, they go through this hell week, which is just a week of hell, funny enough, where they just did lots of, lots of just horrible stuff, carrying boats, swimming, doing all sorts of stuff. And one of the tasks is they have to carry these boats, these inflatable boats, and they weigh, I don't know, 200 pounds and logs. They have to carry big logs as
Fionawell. I can't find anything.
BenAlong the beachfront, in and out of the sea, you'd have to carry these big boats, logs, whatever. One of Goggins' quotes that he's quite renowned for is, who's going to carry the boat? So when people are out there at 4am carrying the boats, freezing cold, people will then fall over. They drop out. The guys they were carrying the boats with. So then Goggins would then shout, who's going to carry the boats? And that would lift everyone up again. Oh my God. We're going to carry the boats, Goggins. Come on, let's keep going.
FionaBecause of the team. Because you're part of a team. Yes. But I
Benthink you can take it as a metaphor, can't you?
FionaFor
Benyour own life.
FionaYeah.
BenWhen the chips are down, when things aren't going your way, when you're having a bit of a smelly time, who's going to carry the boat? I can't do this anymore. I'll give up. I can't. I just can't push people's health from the pools of life anymore. No, that's it. It's over.
FionaI can't
Benrecord these stupid podcasts anymore. No, it's half six. No, it's too late. I'm knackered. This is going to be rubbish. Who's going to carry the boat?
FionaI did. Because I said, let's do it. Bloody hell, Goggins. So I motivated you.
BenI don't think so.
FionaJust go with it.
BenI think you're the one who's screaming who's going to carry the boat. Not me. In this case, it's definitely you screaming that. Sorry, are you listening? Are you switched off over there? No. Did you listen to anything I said?
FionaYes, carrying the boats, Ben. I know
Benthis is going to be a rough one,
Fionabut come on. I can't carry the boats, Ben.
BenRight.
FionaOkay.
BenFor what? Everything? For life? Everything. Right. Okay. What did I say then about Goggins?
FionaYou were saying about his motivation. You were explaining about the reasons as to why carrying the boats. It was more of a team thing. So that motivated the people to get up and carry the boats because there was nobody else to carry the boats.
BenRight. Okay. Yes. And it's a metaphor for life, isn't it? Yes. But the point with these two, and if we're talking about Goggins, is that the vast majority of people don't need that. They don't need that extremeness. They don't need Goggins in their life. I look at Goggins and I think, oh, great. I'm not inspired by Goggins. Not really. Because he's too OTT. His body's breaking to pieces. His knees are screwed. His feet. He's like, you know, he's just broken. But he's still going. Still running. Still doing all his stuff. I'm assuming he still does this. He does lots of his runs and he listens to people who leave negative comments. He has the audio of that in his ears that he listens to. Just people just saying horrible things. Apparently. Something along those lines. I don't know if that's a bit of a myth.
FionaSo what, he gets somebody to record them so he can listen to
Benthem? Potentially. Or maybe he does it himself. Maybe he just reads the comments to himself, records them, and then it's like, Goggins, you suck. No one cares what you have to say, Goggins. We don't care about carrying the boat. And he's just running on and listening to that.
Speaker 00Oh. I'd listen to that.
BenLike, it's obscene. But my point is, this is going to be a slightly rough one. It's a rough episode, this. The point is, most people don't need that level of extremeness. They don't need that level of discipline. They don't need it. You know, Sally, mother of two, doesn't need to hear Goggins talk about who's going to carry the boat. Not really.
FionaWell, not because they're not going to understand it.
BenYou just need to go, right, Sally, you don't need to go for a four-hour run this morning. Can you go for a 20-minute walk?
FionaJoin a walking club. Right.
BenCan you just start doing something like that?
FionaHmm.
BenBecause if you say to Sally, right, Sally, who's going to carry the boat? You need to get your ass out there and start going on a two-hour run. Between picking the kids up from school, you've got to go on that two-hour run every single day. Oh, but bloody hell. What about loose women? That's not at 12. No, Sally. No more loose women.
FionaOh.
BenWho's going to carry the boat? Go hard. Get your trainers on and get out there. If you just say to Sally, right, you can still watch loose women, but before or after, Can you go for a 20 minute walk?
FionaOr you could buy a walking treadmill and watch loose women on the treadmill.
BenRight, okay. Potentially, yeah.
FionaThere you go, killing two birds with one stone.
BenRight, okay. But that's, you know, you've got to pay for the treadmill. Maybe just watch loose women and then go for the walk afterwards. Yes. Or do a 20 minute workout. Not a huge fan of the HIIT workouts at home, but if that's what gets you going, that gets you started and you can commit to it two to three times a week, no problem. Start there.
FionaEveryone has to start somewhere.
BenExactly. So the point of Goggins and Jocko, they're just a bit extreme for most people.
FionaOkay.
BenGoggins in particular, he's really extreme.
Speaker 00Okay.
BenDid
Fionaany of that make sense? Yes, it did. Did it? It did. Did, dud. Oh, where are you going? Ooh, striptease. Ooh, take it all off.
BenOkay, de-robed. God almighty. Just can't get comfortable tonight.
FionaWhat is going on over there?
BenI don't know. I'm just trying to get comfy.
FionaRight. Another point. Go
Benhard.
FionaOh.
BenWho's going to carry the boat?
FionaRight. People haven't learned it's worth it if they have never achieved it. Explain.
BenHere's one more from Goggins, Fiona. Yeah, I heard that. There's a clip on where he's on Joe Rogan. You know Joe Rogan.
FionaI do.
BenHe's talking about how he has to sometimes look at his trainers for 30 minutes before he goes out and puts them on. Sorry, before he puts them on and goes out.
FionaIt's to look at them.
BenYes.
FionaFor 30 minutes.
BenYeah.
FionaRight, who's got time for that?
BenWell, that goes into the point of you think these people are like superheroes. You think Jocko and him, they were just born disciplined.
FionaOh, he's building up the motivation. But
Bensometimes he just doesn't want to go out and he looks at his trainers for half an hour before he puts them on. Because he knows what happens when he puts his trainers on. He goes for the six hour run.
FionaWell, why doesn't he just go for two hours? It's not enough. Or six.
BenIt's not enough. You've got to stay hard. Hmm.
FionaOkay.
BenWho's going to carry the boat?
FionaYeah, but...
BenRight, okay, anyway. Yeah, let's go.
FionaPeople haven't learnt it's worth it if they've never achieved it. I think that's very good.
BenIt's my own words.
FionaOh.
BenDo you know what I mean by that?
FionaYes.
BenOkay. Well, please elaborate then. So
FionaI'll never know what it's like to have a six pack because I've never had it. No,
BenI'm not going to that level, no, because we don't need to be chasing six-packs
Fionafor most people. Or the feeling of, you know, going to the gym, becoming a routine, because I have never achieved that. Because I always, after a couple of weeks, I'll say, yeah, I've had enough of it. And I've never achieved, I feel great when I'm going to the gym, but I've never had it as a part of a routine in my life. So I've missed out because you get a good, you have to go to the gym now. You have to go to the gym. Yes. Yes.
BenYes. What pain are you willing to accept? What pain are you willing to accept every day, most days, every day?
FionaWhat do you mean pain?
BenIf it's not painful, it's almost not worth doing. That's the thing about embracing your own attitude. I'm saying embrace your own attitude, which means your attitude remains rotten throughout. It doesn't mean embrace your own attitude and then you start loving the exercise. You start loving being conscious of what you're shoving in your gob. No, of course not. Your rotten attitude remains throughout. It's just you need to start embracing it and doing something because you're not doing anything.
FionaBut then it gets easier as time goes on, doesn't it? Going to the gym.
BenDoes
Fionait? Not particularly. Because the first step is the hardest. It's signing up. It's going to the gym.
BenYeah. The micro steps. Yeah. The micro steps of
Fionadoing that. Once you're in there doing anything, it's great. And you feel good afterwards. Then you're excited to do it again. And then you take a couple of days off and then it's back to square one. Hard to do it again. For me, personally. You're disciplined because it's become part of your routine and your habit. So if you break that habit or that routine, then you feel like crap. Because you say, why have I gym today? Why didn't I do this today? You beat yourself up over it.
Speaker 01Yes.
FionaSo it's not about you being disciplined. Because you are disciplined because you've become so disciplined, it's part of your routine and habit. It's the motivation that is your problem because sometimes you might lack the motivation. But because you're disciplined, you're still able to push yourself to go.
BenOf course, yes. I can still get it done.
FionaYes. Whereas somebody who is not motivated or disciplined, it's a completely new habit. It's a completely new routine. And I have to change things in my day to do.
BenWell, no, people are reliant on motivation and willpower. That's the difference. They're relying on it. And if they're only relying on that, chances are it's not going to get down. If they're relying on willpower or motivation alone to get themselves to go outside for a walk or to go to the gym, nine times out of ten, it might not be there. Motivation comes and goes.
FionaYes. Even for yourself, it comes and goes. But you still... Do it because you're disciplined. Yeah.
BenWell, like you said, what did you say at the start? I have to go to the gym because it sets me up. Yeah. Because if I'm going to turn up for everyone else and myself and work and clients and be a half decent human being, it must get done. A couple of things that must get done
Fionaevery
Benday.
FionaI was saying if you didn't do that, if you didn't go to the gym.
BenI'd be a
Fionamuch worse person. Yeah. But that's because, again, it's become part of your routine to do it. Whereas if I didn't go to gym, I'd be just like, oh, probably should have done that. Anyways, that's for dinner.
BenRight. So it's not worth it. They haven't learned, have they? So people haven't learned it's worth it if they've never achieved it.
Speaker 00Right. Yes.
BenOkay. I think that sort of made sense.
Speaker 00Yes.
BenOkay. What else? What else is on that fantastic set of notes I gave you that's worth discussing?
FionaGoing back to the gym, going back to your diet when you were miserable for so long.
BenI used to struggle with the idea of why people would choose to go back after they've done a diet, after they've lost a good amount of weight, after they've got into an exercise routine. Also based on what I just said about you don't really ever enjoy it.
FionaDo you mean go back? How do you mean go back? Well, they
Benbasically start again.
FionaThey might
Benput the weight back on. They might stop exercising completely. So they might go back to where they started. And unfortunately, people go even worse. They go back to where they started and some. They become even more deconditioned. They put on even more weight.
FionaYes, because it's easier to sit in front of the sofa and have a glass of wine or whatever than go down to the gym, isn't it?
BenIt links in with the fact that you never really do enjoy it. And that's okay. the right attitude. For the vast majority of people, you may never really truly enjoy exercising or being conscious of what you're shoveling in your gob. There's always going to be that level of pain. That's okay. There needs to be a bit of pain. If you're skipping into the gym and it's like, oh my God, just so happy to be here every day. Oh, it's amazing. Oh, I just love watching what I eat all the time. It's great. That sort of defeats the point. There needs to be a bit of pain.
Speaker 02Yes.
BenBecause if it's not painful, then it's almost too easy. If it's too easy, you then don't need the discipline. If it becomes too easy, if you can do it on autopilot, then, oh no, it's not realistic, is it? Embrace your rotten attitude, but your rotten attitude remains. It doesn't go. You don't embrace it and then, oh God, I'm free. The rotten attitude's gone. I just love exercise. Oh, I just love being conscious of what I shove in my gob. I love it.
FionaIs anyone like that at all?
BenNo, but that's what people, I think that's what people think. That's what people think they need to achieve. They need to go, oh God, how do I achieve this? How do I achieve really enjoying exercising? Look at all these people. All these people just loving it. Turning up to the gym all the time. Oh, I'm so jealous of them. They just love it.
FionaThey
Benlove going to the gym every day. They love being conscious of what they shove in their gob. They just love it.
FionaWell, you're probably the only person who's actually fully honest with it. Because, you know, before when I used to go to the gym and all of that type of stuff, you'd never usually hear people say, oh, yeah, I really struggle with the motivation to do it. But I have to do it. Because you're honest. You say what a pain in the arse it is to have to do.
Speaker 01Yes. For
Benthe most part.
FionaYeah, you're just like, it's crap. And you kind of understand the motivation side
Benof things. Well,
Fionait's
Bennot
Fionaa graph, yeah. It's got to
Benget done. And a lot of people, they may never reach that level where it has to get done. But you need to get pretty close. You need to get as close as possible to the point of when you don't do the exercise, when you aren't conscious of what you're shoving in your gob for a sustained period of time. Say you have over Christmas and periods of time where you... You let loose a little bit. You don't exercise as much. You go off your diet if you're on a diet, whatever. You need to get to the point or close to it where, for example, with Christmas coming up, that in the new year, you're chomping at the bit to get back to it.
FionaWhat do you mean chomping at the
Benbit? You're chomping at the bit to get back to routine.
FionaOh, right. To
Benget back to a routine. That doesn't mean you're looking forward to it as such. You're just chomping at the bit because you know you need that routine. I struggled with why people just happily went back to where they were before, before they started an exercise routine, before they started being more conscious of their diet. But for the most part, I think it's because they spent the whole time miserable. Yes, it was painful, but it was just utter misery. That's what a lot of people just associate that with. Yes, a bit of pain, but just misery. So much pain. Because they want the quick fix. Right, okay. Take a few seconds. Let me have a glass of drink. Glass of drink, do you
Speaker 02want that?
FionaWell, that's the thing. If people don't see the results after, so after a couple of days or a couple of weeks, they don't see the results that they want... such as I'm a size 16 today in two weeks time I want to be a size 12 it's unrealistic so people then just give up because it's so miserable trying to do it because they're doing it to the extreme like oh I'm giving myself two weeks to lose seven pounds or one week to lose seven pounds so I'm going to go into starvation mode or I'm going to do this for the whole time starvation mode we've talked about that yes you know what I mean though But they're just so restrictive with everything. They're going to be completely miserable for that length of time. And then they're still not going to get the results that they want because it's so unrealistic. They just give up and just like, oh, frig this, moving on.
BenBut the quick fix is based on motivation. It's being motivated to
Fionado it. Yes, to continue it.
BenHaving the willpower to do it. I've got the willpower. I've got the motivation to do it for a certain period of time. But that's it. So if you base it on just that and you don't think, oh, do you know what? Well, this needs to be a long-term thing. To make this a long-term thing, I need to be more disciplined. I need to start learning self-discipline. Because if I don't, if that's not the goal, then chances are this is going to be a short-term thing.
FionaBut everything is going to be a short-term thing because everyone has goals. So, oh, I want to go to that wedding in three months' time. it's still a short term goal yes
Benit's almost like it's almost like every time someone goes right I'm ready to start a diet I'm ready to start I'm ready to exercise I'm ready to embrace my right attitude it's almost like okay are you are you willing to forget about the goals don't like the word goals goals is an end point isn't it it's okay what happens if you don't reach the goal
Fionayou give up
Benbut there's an end point oh I've got a goal of doing this right okay but then what well let's just get there first it's like okay fine that's okay I want to lose 30 pounds well let's let's lose one let's lose one
FionaLet's
Benlose one and keep it off.
FionaOne's better than none.
BenThe goal is always the end point. It's a start and finish, isn't it? And that's, again, it's not the point. Motivation, start and finish. Willpower, start and finish. I think in the future, I'm going to ask everyone, right, okay, we need to make sure that you're willing to accept that you need to become disciplined. We're doing this to make you more disciplined. I'm not going to start shouting about the boat and say good at everything. I'm not going to start jockeying you or... Goggins, you.
FionaGoggins. Goggins.
BenGoggins. Forget about the goals. We need to set you standards, rules, whatever. Rules for yourself that you need to live by forever. Standards that you want to set to yourself. Standards you want to set for yourself. And the point of this is at the end of the 30 days, the first 30 days, you're not going to be disciplined, but you're going to be on the right track. Mm-hmm. Because if you don't have that in mind, this whole diet, this whole four-week, six-week thing, you're going to be motivated. You're going to be driven by motivation. Willpower is going to come and go during the 30 days. That'll come and go just during the first 30 days. Motivation and willpower start depleting bit by bit. By the time it gets into the 30 days, it's gone all completely. You're like, God, I'm knackered. I need a month off.
FionaDo you find out what clients... Hang on, what? Usually after the third or fourth week, that's when they start to lose the motivation, the willpower, the discipline.
BenWell, potentially, yeah. It depends how extreme it is. Well, not the Push for Health studio or on the app. It's not extreme. We go, here's 30 days. Let's just follow this for 30 days and go from there. But naturally, people, for the most part, can be a little bit extreme because they might have in their heads, oh, I might only be here for 30 days. And I probably shoot myself in the foot a little bit because I say about the whole 30 day thing. In just 30 days. Yes.
FionaBut all that
Benmeans is that I will put you in a position in 30 days for you to continue this. Either here with me or elsewhere. Not to sack it off. Not to go back to what you were doing before. That's what's getting lost in translation I feel.
FionaAnd it's up to you to continue that. Yeah. As in decline.
BenHow do people think they're going to solve all their problems in 30 days?
FionaQuick fix.
BenThey might have another 40, 50 years left, yeah?
FionaYeah.
BenWhat are you going to do then? Setting yourself rules that you live by. Standards.
FionaYour environment will do much of the heavy lifting if you align it to where you want to go. So you were saying previously about living in an obesogenic environment and that type of stuff.
BenYeah, I think we've touched upon the old obesogenic environment quite a lot, to be honest. Yeah, if you're surrounded by cookies and cakes and they're everywhere and they're in the cupboard and every time you open the fridge, there's a massive chocolate cake in there.
FionaThose bloody eyeballs yesterday.
BenYou're trying to lose weight. This is Halloween recently.
FionaTemptation.
BenIf you're trying to be more conscious of what you're shoving in your gob, think about your environment. Think about your food environment. It's the same if you want to start getting better with exercising. If you want to start walking a bit more, maybe join a walking club. If you want to become a bodybuilder, you should probably be around bodybuilders. If that's what you want to do. If you want to step on stage and put the fake tan on and starve yourself, you should probably be around people that are doing that.
FionaYeah, but I'd find it very difficult to be, if I met, if I came into the Possible Health Studio and you were walking this big massive bodybuilder, like ripped, like steroided up and all of this. I'm literally like envisioning, envisioning Arnie Schwarzenegger. I'd run a mile.
Speaker 01Arnold who?
FionaSchwarzenegger. I'd run a mile because how can you ever relate to me who's struggling with weight when you look like that?
BenWell, that's, yeah, that's an interesting point, Fiona. I think there is something to that. There is something to that. I don't know how far you push it, where you've got, well, personal training, alcohol anonymous, whatever. Chances are the people that will be running groups or will be a personal trainer will have some skin in the game, will have some experience. They may have been an alcoholic. They may have been a drug addict. If I have clients coming in who have struggled with their body image, with binge eating, emotional eating, weight going up and down, well, it helps that I've had that as well. if I've just been chiseled to the bone my whole life and I've had a ripped six-pack and I've never had a problem with binge eating or emotional eating, my weight's never gone up and down, I've never been quite rotund.
FionaRotund.
BenRotund. Rotund. Heavy.
FionaBigger. Yes, yes, I get it. I understand what it means. Oh,
Bensorry. I apologise. Yeah, if I hadn't experienced that, then it's harder for me to then relate to
Speaker 02Sally
Bencoming in, mother of two. Yeah. Put on a bit of weight after the children. Never exercised before. Hasn't exercised since school, so 25 years ago. Never been conscious of what she was shoving in her gob. And there's me going, oh, yeah, in my vest, nipple out, going, yeah, just, Sally, I've got you. I've got you. I know exactly. Oh, all that stuff you just said, I know exactly where you're coming from. Do you?
FionaYeah, I don't think so. See, that's what I mean. I'd struggle with that a lot.
BenRight on attitude.
FionaYeah.
BenI feel most people to a degree, they might not word it that way, but they've got a pretty smelly attitude when it comes to exercising. The idea of dieting. I'm your guy.
FionaYou are.
BenCome embrace it. What would you say about people who are in this position? If someone came in who was struggling with binge eating and I myself... used to binge eat and I still do say I was, I was still struggling with binge eating. We can communicate and, and she could tell me about stuff or he could tell me about stuff regarding binge eating that I can relate to because I'm actually, I've done it. I've been there and I'm currently doing it still now and again. So in one sense, I am the perfect person for Sally, but am I?
FionaWell, you might be a bit too relatable if you're still currently doing it, and therefore you might be more easygoing about it, even though you're not going to be giving out to people. But you have more of an understanding, so you'd be probably more empathetic towards the reasons as to why.
BenRelating, but properly being able to relate. Not just, oh yeah, I've known other people like you.
FionaYeah, so you might be more easy on that person. Instead of saying, right, you need to do this, you need to track, you need to whatever, whatever you say. Right,
Benso yeah, okay. So that could be a good thing, but then could that also be a bad thing? If someone's talking about mental health, they've struggled with their mental health in the past, but they are also going through a period of pretty poor mental health. And they're talking to a room full of people who are all struggling in their own way. And at that precise moment, they are also struggling massively. So they can relate. But are they the right person to be helping those individuals right that second? Alcoholics. Yes, I used to be a former alcoholic. The person leading the group. But they relapsed yesterday.
FionaBut they wouldn't be doing that then because there's provisions in place.
BenYes, but you see what I'm trying to say? In one sense, that's the perfect person to be helping them because they get it.
FionaThey
Benget it more than anyone. But at the same time, well...
FionaWell, it makes them more relatable, doesn't it? If you went in there to somebody who's never, who has completely absenced the whole life or abstained from alcohol for the whole life and was this person talking about alcohol addiction, you would never relate to that person because they wouldn't understand the trauma, what addiction does to the person and to the family because they've never experienced it themselves. So it'd be very difficult to relate. I think, anyways. I'm assuming so.
BenSay someone comes in to me. Let's finish on this. There's something there, but we may have touched upon it another time. Someone comes in to me and I'm big. Big guy. And I'm overweight. I'm pretty high on the old BMI. I'm a personal trainer. And I'm saying, I help people lose weight every day. I help people embrace their right to exercise and nutrition. But I've got this top on that is quite ill-fitted. And I'm... struggling with my own diet and I'm not exercising but I'm then asking people to embrace their own attitude come join the gym I can help them lose weight I can help them exercise but I'm not doing it hmm but I know what to do I've gone through periods in my life that I've been great with exercise and my diet's been on point oh I've been embracing my own attitude it's been great
Fionathat's more about image Jordan isn't it
Benbut I'm currently not doing it hmm I'm not practicing what I'm preaching. There's a cure for every addiction. You just need to renew it every day.
FionaWhere's that on the notes?
BenNo, that's on my notes.
FionaWhy do you have different notes to me?
BenNo, I don't think I gave you all the notes. I think I added more notes.
Speaker 00Oh, of course.
BenI'm pretty sure I mentioned this on the last episode, actually. And I just forgot. Which was? I forgot to, I don't know, the Hocus Pocus one.
FionaIt's just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.
BenYes, I forgot to expand on it.
FionaSomething
Bencalled ego depletion.
FionaRight. So Roy Baumeister's ego depletion theory is based on the idea that willpower is a finite resource.
BenFinite?
FionaThat can be depleted over time, especially after consecutive tasks requiring self-control. Key findings from his research include glucose as a fuel for willpower. So this suggests that willpower relies on glucose as a fuel source. He found that blood glucose levels drop after tasks requiring self-control, which can lead to a decreased performance in following tasks if glucose is not replenished. In experiments, participants who performed tasks requiring high levels of self-control, such as resisting temptation or focusing intently, showed reduced glucose levels and then performed worse on subsequent tasks needing willpower. Very interesting.
BenRight, yes, Carol DeWick. So we're going to compare Roy's work to Carol DeWick. She did a book called Mindset. Fixed Mindset versus Growth Mindset. Have you heard of her? No. Heard of those mindsets? Nope. Well, you can sort of work it out, can't you? A fixed mindset. What's a fixed mindset?
FionaDon't know. No room
Bento grow.
FionaYes, I'm not going to the gym. Right, yes. I'm not
Bendoing that. I can't do it.
FionaFreak that.
BenI can't be, I'm overweight. I'm a big slob. I'm gross. I'm going to be like this forever. Nothing I can do about it. Fixed mindset. Growth mindset. You know what? I've got to try and get some self-discipline.
FionaI'm going to go to that gym and I'm going to lose my mind. I'm going to
Benstart carrying the boat.
FionaYep.
BenI can't do it now. I'm nowhere near carrying the boat, but... I'm going to start trying to do something about it. I'm going to start trying to find a way to embrace my raw attitude. Yeah, very good.
FionaSo Carol Dweck's findings challenge the assumption that willpower is purely constrained by physical resources such as glucose. Her research...
BenHmm. Well, it's late. It's late, Fiona. I'm struggling. I can barely get... A sentence out.
FionaHer research suggests that beliefs about willpower play a more significant role than physiological factors in determines people's resilience during successive tasks. Mindset over glucose. So Duhigg's research reveals that willpower is not necessarily limited by glucose levels. Rather, it is shaped by one's belief about its availability. If individuals believe willpower is finite, They
Benare
Fionamore likely to feel depleted and perform worse on subsequent tasks. Conversely, if they believe willpower is unlimited, they are less likely to experience fatigue and can maintain high performance across multiple tasks. Duex experiments shows that participants with a non-limited mindset about willpower perform better on demanding tasks and were more likely to persist regardless of glucose consumption. This suggests that one's belief about willpower significantly influences their actual stamina and capacity for self-control.
BenGood. Wow.
FionaSo who do we believe? Does it
Benmake sense? When you read these out, does it make sense?
FionaProbably not, because I can't read things out
Benloud. Well, this is the thing. I mentioned ego depletion. I've mentioned it a few times. And on the last episode, I had notes about it. And I forgot to follow up. I don't think ego depletion is completely woo-woo. I've talked about ego depletion based on people at the end of the day, after a long day, a massive slog.
FionaLike today.
BenRight, yeah, this is a huge slog. This is horrendous,
Fionaactually. No, I mean like today. We're doing this at the end of today.
BenYeah, this is a slog. We've had a busy day. This is a slog. This is bad. Well, I've eaten. I'm not depleted. My glucose isn't depleted, I don't think.
FionaYeah, but we're in a food coma.
BenI'm tired. And if people, for example, have been really busy all day and have just not had a chance to eat or have just snacked, I think there's something to it. Hmm. And also if they feel or they've heard that willpower depletes over the course of a day, if they've heard about ego depletion or if they're running off motivation or if they're running off willpower for the most part, chances are they could still get to the end of the day or they could still be in a situation where they will make a decision based on the fact that they feel willpower, motivation is depleted based on the fact that they've got this finite mindset and also how they've eaten during the day if they have just been snacking during the day and they've not had a proper meal which a lot of people do a lot of people are busy at work so they just snack and they get to the end of the day and they're starving and they're stressed and everything else yeah maybe the glucose comes into play a little bit
Fionawell yeah because I used to always say if I work out I want to work out in the mornings yeah because what am I going to do on Tuesday when I work out I'll be coming from work I'll be starving I'll be able to work out Freaked out. I have to eat.
BenRight. Okay. I'll have a little snack then. Yeah, that's fine.
FionaIt's that easy, isn't
Benit? Without completely binning ego depletion, I still think there's something there. And also if there's, if you're doing lots of hard tasks back to back, if you're doing lots of tasks that are really grim back to back, yeah, again, I'm on board with the whole willpower and motivation, they don't really deplete. That is in your head. But if you're doing lots of tasks back to back from a psychological perspective, it's hard, it's hard to, I think it's hard to fully remove the idea of you've only got so much energy for certain tasks. I don't mind the idea that we're running as, I don't mind the idea that we're, come on, please. Fuck's sake.
FionaIt's like a skipped CD. It keeps going and going and going.
BenYeah.
FionaSorry, darling. Proceed.
BenWhat was I saying?
FionaYou said it four fucking times. No, I didn't. I
Bendidn't say it once.
FionaI said two or three words three or four times. Yeah, I can't remember what you were saying.
BenRight, so what's your opinion on it?
FionaWhat, to equal depletion? Well, yeah, it makes sense.
BenWell, compared to...
FionaCarol.
BenYes.
FionaIs that her name? Carol. Well, um... I kind of get what both of them are saying. Because obviously you have to have the willpower to do it, regardless if you're feeling shit. If you've got the willpower to do it, you will just do it.
BenNo, but the point is it goes back again to...
FionaDepletion.
BenThis horrendous episode. Self-discipline. Discipline. The point is if you're disciplined, if you can ingrain the discipline, ego depletion, take away the science, take away the glucose stuff, for the most part, probably runs more on willpower and motivation, which in your mind, if you're running on both of those day to day, and that's what gets you through the day, chances are you're going to think they will be depleted. They deplete. If that's what you're running on, that makes sense. The whole battery theory, what's his face? Oh, Mr. Trump. He's talked about how he runs on a battery. He hasn't got the energy to exercise because he's just too busy.
Speaker 02So
Benhe's not on board with the whole world. If you exercise, you become more energized. Realistically, the only reason this is getting done is because I'm disciplined.
FionaYeah. And
BenI'm
Fionajust doing what I'm told, so I'm disciplined.
BenIf I wasn't disciplined, there is no way in hell on a Sunday evening when I'm half dead, I would turn that camera.
FionaBut it's motivation as well, isn't it?
BenYes, but if I was relying just on motivation and willpower... Yeah, we wouldn't be doing it. This wouldn't
Fionabe happening. I'm glad not.
BenThis would not
Fionabe happening. I'd be having an episode of Brassicon right now.
BenYes, right. Okay, finishing off then, Fiona. Right, so, Dweck.
FionaWho? Oh, right.
BenWhat's your...
FionaDweck.
BenCarol Dweck. Yeah. What's your opinion on it then? Summarise.
FionaOh, I can't do that, Ben.
BenWhat's your opinion on the fact that it's a limited belief, isn't it? Your willpower will be... It doesn't run out.
FionaNo. It will only run
Benout if you think it does.
FionaYes. And it's all these different factors that impact on it, I suppose. Would that be the word?
Speaker 01Yeah.
FionaYes. Impact. That's not the right word I'm looking for. No, I don't know what the word I'm looking for is.
BenBut I think the fact that it's based more on mindset can be very useful for a lot of people. Yes. So the ego depletion thing Let's move that. Let's get rid of that.
FionaWell, the ego depletion thing is a bit science-y.
BenLet's get rid of it. So for some people, pretending it doesn't exist. Because if they read that, they're like, oh, well, there you go then. What am I meant to do? Ego depletion. Glucose levels. They haven't got a clue what they're talking about. They don't know what it means, but they see that and go, oh, God, yeah, well. What am I meant to do? I've had a long day. Ego depletion. I'm knackered. The willpower's all gone. Motivation's all gone. I'm going to have to eat the pizza. What more can I do? I can't go to the gym.
FionaI think people struggle... Oh, sorry, this is completely going off topic. But I'm assuming people will struggle more in wintertime with motivation with the darker evenings. I do. I was thinking that yesterday about... What day was it? There was a day that you had a client at like six o'clock. Must have been Friday. And I was at your mum's and I was thinking, God... who's coming in training at six o'clock like it's dark
Benwell it's not too late is it really yeah I know six o'clock that's about right that's after work
Fionain my head it's dark and it's just like absolutely not for me fair play to them
Benokay right I guess we're not talking about the film then
FionaThe Pursuit of Happiness
Benyeah
Fiona2006 8 out of 10 on the IMDB
Ben8 out of
Fiona10 yeah That's quite good. A struggling sailor's man takes custody of his son as he is poised to begin a life-changing professional career. Oh
Bendear.
FionaThat's that.
BenDiscipline, you turn up for these.
FionaDirector Gabrielle Muccini. Do you have
Benanything to say about the film? It
Fionawas a very nice film.
BenOkay.
FionaIt was one of those films where you feel as though you are ruching for him and you do want him to get the job, but obviously it's very...
BenWill Smith.
FionaYeah, it's Will Smith. And, well, actually, I don't really mind him, to be fair. But...
BenHe's not a bad actor, is he? He's just got that messed up situation at home.
FionaYou kind of know how it's going to pan out. It's based on a true story as well. But you kind of know how it's going to pan out. You know that he's going to improve because... Well,
Benbecause
Fionait's based on a true story, yeah. Yeah, but you do know how it's going to pan out anyways. But it
Bengoes back to what I've said before. Was it the last episode? Because it was bleak. There was another episode recently which I was harping on about. You don't hear from the losers.
FionaIt's very emotive, would be the word.
BenYou only hear from the winners.
FionaLike that scene where he's in the bathroom.
BenHoly... Sorry, are you not listening to what I'm saying?
FionaYou're not listening to what I'm saying, Ben. No, no,
Bensorry, I was talking.
FionaSo was I, and then you butted in. No,
Benno, no, it linked to what you were saying. It was directly linked to what you
Fionawere saying. So anyways, very emotive scene when he's in the bathroom where the sun's lying on him and he's there like with the tears filling in. He's trying to control his emotions, but he's struggling. Found that was quite emotive. And then when he found out he got the job, it was a very different situation, but it was the exact same response that he had. He was still trying to contain the emotions, but there are different emotions. And then you only see him lose that little bit of control when he went outside and was like...
BenYes, that was,
Fionayeah. So yeah, it did touch on a chord, but you knew how it was going to end. The wife hated
Benher. No, yeah, sorry. We could probably do a slightly better review, but there's absolutely no way I'm talking about this film now. I'm done. I'm done. I'm sorry. And I don't... The ego depletion, I'm not on board with it, but bloody hell.
FionaCan I just say...
BenCan I just... Can we go back to my point
Fionaquickly? Oh I'm so sorry darling. Yes proceed.
BenWe only hear from the winners don't we? So unfortunately there's lots of people like Will Smith out there who have done maybe lived a similar life and never got off the street.
FionaYes.
BenNever got to that position.
FionaIn this movie all the homeless people actors they were paid $8.14 minimum wage for the hours that they worked.
BenOh well they're homeless were
Fionathey? Yes they're actually homeless people and they were paid to get a wage for doing it.
BenOh that's nice of them.
FionaThat's good.
BenYep.
FionaA bit of trivia for you?
BenWell, actually, there's not much to say about the film, is there, really? No, it's... It's about, yeah, perseverance.
FionaYeah. Discipline, yeah. Yeah, he was very disciplined, but sometimes he wasn't very nice. But you understand why he wasn't very nice, because he was obviously... The wish was on his shoulders, wasn't it? And he wasn't sleeping. He put too much pressure on himself.
BenHappiness is... You're always pursuing happiness.
FionaYes.
BenYes. So the reason he used the word pursue is like, oh, okay, why do you say that when it comes to happiness? You're always pursuing happiness. You're never fulfilled. The hedonic treadmill. Jefferson, he was talking about the hedonic treadmill. That's what he was talking about. That's a disgusting review.
FionaIt's embarrassing. Can I just say, the one time that we did a really, really shit review, the camera stayed on the whole way
Benthrough. It's still on.
FionaThe whole way through. That's
Bena shame. That's a shame. It's
Fionafine. It's fine.
BenBasically, Will Smith is only getting up in the morning because he's disciplined. If he was relying on motivation and willpower, he wouldn't have done it.
FionaYes.
BenThat would have been to please that a long time ago.
FionaAnd you know what? He got there.
BenRight.
FionaGoodbye.
BenNo, hang on. Hang on, sorry. Oh, right, he's got more. Okay. Well, let me finish off then because the review was a disgrace. Let me finish off on a couple of... A definition of discipline. We should have probably opened with this because that would have made sense. How do you define discipline?
FionaHow do you define it, Ben?
BenWell, there's a few. There's a few definitions of discipline. But Ryan...
FionaJust one.
BenRyan Holiday, he's... Have you heard of him?
FionaYep.
BenObstacle is the way.
FionaObstacle is the way.
BenDestiny is...
FionaDestiny at all.
BenWhat's the... What's the other one? What does he do? Discipline is destiny. Ego is the enemy. He's
Fionavery good. Yeah, he is, yeah.
BenStoicism. You know, Marcus Aurelius and...
FionaAll them buckles.
BenHoliday asserts that discipline is the ability to restrain your base urges in pursuit of what's best for you. Oh,
FionaI like the way he used the word pursuit there.
BenWhen you're disciplined, you act with moderation and you prize your ability to have total control.
FionaTotal what?
BenOver yourself.
FionaControl, I think he said.
BenListen to you too much. Long day.
FionaProceed.
BenLike all humans, you face temptations. But you can resist these temptations when you need to. And if you do choose to indulge in them, you do so with restraint. Are you okay there, Fiona?
FionaYeah. I've literally just gone completely over my head. That
Benwas very good, actually.
FionaWell, read it again then. Wasted on you. I literally didn't take a word in.
BenHere's another one. Abraham Lincoln.
FionaOh, I know him.
BenDiscipline is choosing between What you want now and what you want most.
FionaWhy don't you start with that one? That's not very simple. Why do you have to always go with the complex ones?
BenRight. Okay. What's this one? Oh, I've got something from Mark Manson about pain.
FionaGo on then.
BenWhat pain do you want to endure? What pain do you want?
FionaNone.
BenChoose your regrets.
FionaOh, okay. What do
Benyou want to suck at? Okay. Okay. That will do. That
Fionawill do. That was just...
BenNo, but it's fine. It's one of those. It's fine. You should be able to turn up and get these done whenever. And at the end of the day, it's just an excuse. It's just an excuse. It would have been so much easier not to do it. And it's just an excuse. It's just an excuse, Fiona. It's discipline. Discipline has made us turn up today. I forgot what else I was going to say.
FionaI do think that we're best off scheduled for our 8am morning stuff. Probably, yeah.
BenYeah, yeah, yeah.
FionaI do think
Benthat. But then also you have to do another 80 of these at least.
FionaHow many have we done? 15,
Ben16. So you've got to do another 84, 85 of these. It's just part of the course.
FionaYou've
Benjust got to keep turning it.
FionaAnd then it comes more natural. You've got to
Benpractice what you preach.
FionaBecause if I
Benwouldn't have turned up and I wouldn't have put this subpar performance in, what does that say?
FionaI take my performances. Oh, where were you,
BenBen? What about the episode on discipline? Oh, yeah. I just didn't have the motivation to do it. Oh, hang on a minute.
FionaThat doesn't make sense.
BenYeah, it was late on Sunday. Long day. It's just the willpower wasn't there. Oh,
Speaker 01okay.
BenOh, dear. Right. How ironic.
FionaWe showed up and we did it. That's the main thing. Goodbye.
BenPushing your health. Come on. Push
Fionafor life.
BenPush for health.
FionaPushing your health.
BenThey do get better. This is a rough one.
FionaI mean, the pulls of life.
BenThere's an app.
FionaThere is. There's an
Benapp. You can join the app. There's so much on the app. So much on the app. Access to me. Hundreds of videos of exercises. All sorts of guides to keep you disciplined. To help you learn self-discipline. 30 days.
FionaJoin. I'm actually starting 30 days.
BenYes. Only join though. Only join if you're willing to become self-disciplined. Don't join for 30 days if you're relying solely on motivation and willpower. Because chances are, you get to the end of the 30 days, you might not have reached the goal. Oh. Oh.
FionaThere's something there. There's something there. You just need to say goodbye. Remember, no pain, no gain.
BenSelf-discipline.
FionaNo pain, no gain.
BenSorry?
FionaNo pain, no gain. Okay. Is that a movie?
BenPain and gain. We've already talked about that.
FionaAll right, goodbye. Okay.
BenPushing you
Fionaoff. Wonderful as a life.
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