What do you all do to strengthen willpower???

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2015
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    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.

    Your post simply didn't seem responsive to the thread to me.
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    Sorry. My mistake.
  • Batgirl2292
    Batgirl2292 Posts: 19 Member
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    I watch movies when I walk/run, lift weights, squats and the like. Most of them are either Batman movies or I watch a couple of horror flicks, anything that draws my attention from the actual activity so I can be distracted. Or, I find new music and listen to that on full blast in my earphones--I recently added two albums worth of Disturbed songs in my phone so I can stay distracted. Or i dive into my fantasy land: I pretend I'm Batman's sidekick and he's jiving me to get more fit, stronger--sometimes I kick the air and punch, so I can get the full motivation. Or I drink a coke and then I have all kinds of f*cking energy and I don't know what to do with it! I hope some of this helps you; I never reward myself with cokes or candy; I give myself a session of meditation with yoga or some music, and just give myself an out-of-the-body experience. Sometimes, I eat an apple dipped in caramel. It is wonderful.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    There are a bunch of studies going on where the subjects are put through a variety of tests that challenge their self-control, along with brain scans to figure out part of our brains get activated. The tests don't always involve food. It might be a risk or word game. Here are some examples I found:

    http://www.pnas.org/content/111/7/2470.short (video game)

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740812000745 (word game)

    I'm a diabetic type 2 in remission. It's not a lack of willpower that compels me to take sugar if I'm low on sugar. It's survival. And logical.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.

    lol what has that to do with the thread......
    And sugar isnt bad....TOO MUCH of anything your body cant have is bad.

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.
    2n9ycimpkblh.gif

    Why cut out food that I have no problems with? Why should my diet be one tailored for diabetics when I have no medical signs that I have it or am predisposed to have it? I have problems with penicillin, so everyone better stop taking it.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    I've provided many examples in my little rant. There's habitual (morning run for coffee), social (office cake), locational (vending machine), and familial (dinner time). Each is their own situation that may require a different strategy to overcome. It might mean avoiding the coffee room for a while until that sort of temptation isn't such a big deal any more.

    Not to just me too all your posts in this thread, but I really like this. One of the things that frustrates me about the usual "how can I cut down on [insert food]" threads is that it really depends on what the particular challenge is. Usually breaking it down like you did here and understanding why it's a challenge is the first step in figuring out a strategy.

    Too often I've seen people bemoaning that they lack the willpower to stop eating when they grab a bag of chips and plan to eat just a few. Well, obviously. That doesn't mean you have poor willpower (or are somehow unusually susceptible to whatever the food is). That means you lack a sensible strategy.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I wonder how determined the people in the experiments are, as opposed to those who never want to be overweight again.

    It's pretty conclusive that people are notoriously bad at planning for long-term risk. Like saving for retirement or quitting smoking.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/03/17/why-were-awful-at-assessing-risk/6530753/

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/wrong-about-risk-blame-your-brain/?_r=0
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.
    Because it's possible to lose weight while eating crappy, sugary, delicious food.

  • ribye
    ribye Posts: 59 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I read before and after posts and articles watch inspirational movies, like challenge of a lifetime, think of swimming with my kids. Remind myself no taste is worth the feeling of being in shape. weigh myself to stay reminded of where I am and want to be. Anything to see others succeeding
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    I don't rely on willpower. I focus on eating nutritious foods that I love, in amounts that leave me completely full and satisfied and then I don't eat again until I'm hungry. That means I eat full meals and I don't snack.

    I also don't eat foods that cause cravings, leave me hungry for more, or even worse, make me hungrier than if I didn't eat at all. They are not part of my regular, everyday diet. If an occasion calls for some delicious desserts or a weekend would be better with pizza I indulge but I limit those times -- it's not every occasion and not every weekend. It sounds a little grim when I type it out but it's really not.

    Best wishes figuring out a satisfying diet that you don't need willpower to stick to. :smile:
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.
    Because it's possible to lose weight while eating crappy, sugary, delicious food.

    Yes, but in the long run, you will not sustain your weight.
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.
    Because it's possible to lose weight while eating crappy, sugary, delicious food.

    You are right, you are opinionated.
  • kdcancan
    kdcancan Posts: 40 Member
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    I know myself well enough to keep certain foods out of the house and to allow myself some sweets. I'm in it for the long haul, not a diet, but a way of eating that includes whole foods and exercise. If I have ice cream in the house. I know I'll eat all of it whether a scoop or half gallon. So if I want ice cream I go out for it. I don't like chocolate very much so I keep some high quality dark chocolate since I know I won't eat much of it. We also don't keep potato chips in the house. If I have that salty craving I'll make air popped popcorn with a spritz of extra virgin olive oil and salt. Satisfies but I don't binge on it. I've found that if I eat real food I don't snack on junk.
  • DiabolicalColossus
    DiabolicalColossus Posts: 219 Member
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    "Willpower" is wank.

    I rely mainly on routine, because I like self created structure.

    Not eating too much in the way of snackage is part of my routine.

    I still have the things I want, but smaller amounts of them.

    And there are plenty of days where I want to eat mass quantities of them.

    At that point, I take a step back and think about whether or not it's worth the calories, while drinking a glass of water.

    I don't always drink enough, and sometimes thirst feels like hunger.

    So I try that first.

    If I legitimately want the food, I'll have a little more and deal with the caloric consequence.

    If I don't, I move on.

  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    asflatasapancake wrote: »
    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.
    Because it's possible to lose weight while eating crappy, sugary, delicious food.

    Yes, but in the long run, you will not sustain your weight.

    So everyone must avoid sugar or they will fail at maitaining their weight loss? Interesting. I guess I'm screwed then.

    No, but he makes it sound like we can eat mostly "processed food" with sugar (crappy foods) and everything will be fine if we have a caloric deficit. I disagree.
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    How many undiagnosed prediabetics and diabetics do you think are out there? Millions. The first sign of diabetes is hyperinsulin response upon sugar load. Doctors do not test for this. I am just saying, please don't freak out about it. There is a book written by a doctor in Chicago where he tested almost 14,000 people from ages 3-90 over a period of 25 years and he found out that a high insulin response to glucose load is the first sign.

    You shouldn't be running around giving people advice as if they are in your situation or have some undiagnosed condition.

    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.

    And why exactly do you have to take it where you feel the need to criticize what people eat?

    I thought we agreed, as people to take care of ourselves by eating better and losing weight, that crappy food should be stopped, for the most part. It is ok now and then. But it should not be in the house on a regular basis if we want to get healthy. That's all.

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