tomorrow
(maybe a noun)
a land of make believe where 99.9% of all human drive, productivity, motivation, and achievement is stored.
Procrastination, that ugly P word. It means to put off intentionally and habitually, to be slow or late about doing something that should be done, to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant, boring, or you are ambivalent, have low to high grade anxiety or fear in getting the task done. Dr. Tim Pychl, New York Times, says: “Procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem.” The driver of procrastination is avoidance – avoiding or managing a bad mood.
It is, if we are being transparent, an art form manifested in the ideas and words we concoct: “I’ll start after this weekend after I…”, and the action we take to avoid or manage an emotion – a short term response to a negative emotion – putting off unpleasantness, inevitables, insecurity and trading sudden pleasure for future pain. Procrastination is not laziness and is greater than art. It’s actually science, strategic delaying. On the streets of the 19th century, the populace called a procrastinator a tomorrower for their tomorrowing. Nowhere is this phenomena seen in its raw, nebulous, and powerful form, especially in the realm of dieting.
The Great Diet Delay
It’s a special kind of person and a special kind of procrastination that happens with dieting. These people use to just crastinate, but they get so good at it they went pro. If you’ve ever uttered one of these phrases, you are pro, even elite:
- “I’ll start next day/week/month/year.” (Choose or circle one)
- “Monday. No wait, next Monday. This Monday is just a test run.”
- “The holidays are coming up! It makes more sense to wait until they’re over.” (said any time between September and January.)
- “I should probably read a few more diet books before I commit. Research is important.”
- “I’ll start tomorrow.”
Why We Procrastinate on Diets
When the new year started in 2025, you probably started out with a goal to lose weight. Forbes Magazine reported that resolution number 4 for Americans is to lose weight. 23% of adults quit their New Year’s resolution in 4 days. The Metric goes up to 43% by the end of January. The study also found that 92% of adults will not follow through on a resolution. Another survey says the average New Year’s resolution lasts less than four months. As we end March and round the corner to April, it’s the four month mark for the Tomorrorwers. The advent of Spring though is another wave and surge wherein people endeavor to diet and lose weight.
Here are a few reasons for tomorrowing dieting. Do any of those listed below resonate with you? We left a blank which you can fill in the comments that stop you. Please share as you’re in a no-judgement zone and your honesty will help our community.
- IG (Instant Gratification) rules all – That artisanal Dulce de Leche donut exists now. The six-pack abs exist later. Our brains aren’t great at choosing “later” when “now” tastes like frosting.
- All-or-Nothing Thinking – One slipup and suddenly the day, diet, and the plan are over, “Well, I already had one cookie, so I might as well eat six more and try again next week.”
- Fear of Failure – If we never start, we never have to admit we couldn’t stick with it. Genius, right? Wrong!
- Paralysis by Analysis – GLP1, Weight Watchers, diet De Jour, Injections, Keto. With a million diet options, we spend so much time researching that we never actually pick one.
- (Insert your own)
How to Beat Procrastination (Even When You’d Rather Not)
I always tell my patients this math equation:
Strategy > Willpower
As a Weight Strategist and pioneer in the emergent field of Behavioral Nutrition, I with my colleagues I have worked with over 20,000 patients. I have personally helped heads of state, sports legends, families of presidents, and some of Hollywood’s most famous bodies become and stay trim. I call them the winners at weight control – those who lose the weight and keep it off for a lifetime.
If you’re ready to finally stop putting things off (or at least think about stopping), here are some tips:
- Start Small – Instead of waiting for the perfect time, just make one change. If the word change is too strong, let’s use the word substitution. In today’s food culture, the choices for low calories and low-fat foods are so vast that there are enough to accommodate every personal taste and preference. Studies show that if you don’t have your favorite food, but you have your second favorite, you are better able to control it.
- Can you substitute soda for water? Add veggies to one meal. Baby steps, people.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh! Remember the more you say “tomorrow”, the more you’ll weigh tomorrow. 🙂
- Learn to ‘Trimspeak’ – “A little taste never hurt nobody.” Taking a taste makes it harder. Many individuals have a long history of abusing a single food or type of food. In those cases, it’s easier to rule out the food entirely.
- Accountability Help – Announce your plan to a friend who won’t let you off the hook. Bonus points if they’re annoyingly fit and won’t stop texting you, or if a friend is too close. Book an appointment with your discreet, accountability coach, Dr. Gullo.
- If you’re not ready for commitment yet, follow me on my YouTube Channel for more tips.
- Error Correction – The first thing to do after making a mistake is to stop it as soon as you can. Don’t say: “I blew it.” Say: “Stop now!”
These are only some of the insider tips that I give to my patients. Release yourself from the burden of being perfect; stop tomorrowing. If you are reading this instead of doing what you’re supposed to be doing, congratulations! You’re celebrating National Procrastination Week exactly as intended. You got so much procrastination done today. Your next chess move is to schedule an appointment with me in person or virtually.
Remember: to procrastinate is human, but to get it done is divine. Now go forth and delay responsibly, my friends!