In the book Stumbling on Happiness, author Daniel Gilbert says, “The human being is the only animal that thinks about the future.” He then goes on to explain the evolution of the frontal lobe, the part of our brains that give us the ability to plan for the future, and choose between 2 options while weighing its consequences on the future.

The book also details the story of Phineas Gage, a foreman at the Rutland Railroad Company. One day, Gage had an accident wherein a metal rod pierced his skull, damaging his frontal lobe in the process. He survived and went on to live a normal life, as normal a life you can lead with a rod in your skull, that is.

But the scientists in Gage’s age were unaware of the consequences of losing the functionality of the frontal lobe. Later scientists would go on to discover the startling effects of frontal lobe damage. A man in a car accident suffered a similar kind of damage to Gage. When he was interviewed about what he planned on doing in the future, he tried to respond, but shared that his mind just cannot come up with anything. His mind was a total blank.

It should be clear that planning for the future is a necessary part of living in society. It is no different when it comes to weight loss. Kim Kardashian once said in an interview, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” This simple mantra is profound in its simplicity. Eat too much, and you will feel the effects later on. So think about that the next time you get that sudden urge to snack on junk food. A little forward thinking can help you a great deal in the future.