>>12486308This makes sense, but I think there's probably some individual variation and an issue with local and global optima.
For example, you could decide right now to cut all your excesses and then 3 days later move to Tibet and become a monk and do nothing but meditate all day every day. Within a week or two your dopamine system would likely start feeling rewarded just from this lifestyle. You would likely adapt and be content and fulfilled from this lifestyle and could potentially sustain it for the rest of your life.
But should you? Is it the best thing for you given potential alternatives? Is there a potentially massive opportunity cost? Does it just put you in a local optimum without you ever finding a global one?
I don't necessarily agree with the whole "spend a week doing nothing but lifting and reading". This is a way to upregulate DA receptors, but it's not the only way. On the other hand, I see how full abstinence from unhealthy and addictive things is sometimes the only thing that works for some people.
This is also probably aimed at people who are really interested in lifting. If that doesn't apply to you, make it studying, programming, solving math problems, or whatever else instead.
My advice would be to first try something less extreme and more generic: just space pleasures apart. Make things like masturbation and recreational internet use and even maybe drug use occasional treats instead of daily routines. You'll both enjoy those treats far more when you do partake, and will be way more productive during the gaps between them.
If you really can't space things apart (e.g. only slack off on weekends), then you can try this total abstinence approach, but I'd still replace the lifting with something else that intrinsically interests you if applicable (though also include exercise as part of your activities, of course).
