Tricks to get willpower back when out of the zone

squidgy10

I have always struggled with weight but since age 17 ish have been very strict with myself and had quite strong willpower. I took up exercise and took up sport at university. I have never been as slim as I would have liked as always teetered at top end of healthy range.

Since having my second child (now 4) I have struggled with my willpower when it comes to food. I want slim more than food in the long run but struggle (especially when I'm home with my daughter) not to pick at bad stuff that's in the house. I log everything and exercise but am not eating healthily enough.

I know ultimately only I make my choices, but how have you increased your willpower when out of 'the zone'. I exercise and push myself to do that even when I don't feel like it, but food is another issue!!! Tricks and tips please.

kommodevaran

I don't have any bad things in my house. What bad stuff is in your house, why, and can't you get it out?

I don't go in and out of zones, and I don't have any more willpower than before. I just do, live and try to make it easier to make better choices.

lorrpb

As the above poster said, I don't have zones and I don't rely on willpower. I established a plan regarding what I would eat and how I would keep moving. I follow the plan regardless of how motivated I feel, what zone I'm in, or how strong my willpower feels that day. My only trick is to constantly remind myself of how awful I used to feel. I don't want to go back there, but if I'm not moving forward, I'm falling back. So I choose to follow my plan and get it done.

SW 301
CW 169
GW 150

squidgy10

I never used to buy anything in that I knew would be calorific & tempting. That way, I would have to walk to the shop to get it if I really wanted it. Now, my hubby has snicker bars in multi-packs, kids have multipacks of wotsits & cheese snacks. It's that type of thing that I might pick at, which is a waste of calories but can be tempting. I admire that you don't need willpower. I too make a meal plan but sometimes cravings make me want to veer from it.

kommodevaran

Your could ask your husband and kids to keep their candy away from you, and if you do the shopping, it's you who are responsible for what comes into your house. If you have a meal plan filled with things you like, there is no reason why you wouldn't want to stick to it. But if you try to force yourself to eat stuff you dislike just because it's supposed to be healhty, while there's sweets all around you, you're in for a tough ride

rosebarnalice

log log log log log. If I log what I eat when I'm not in the zone, I find it helps me get back there really fast.

maxit

I suggest maybe a different angle for you. Telling yourself "whatever you do, don't eat the snickers and the wotsits" is interpreted by your mind as "eat the snickers and the wotsits." So my suggestion would be to have healthy, lower calorie snacks around - fresh fruit, vegetables, for example - and when you find yourself making a beeline for the wotsits detour to the apple. Apple first. If you are going to take snickers and wotsits out of the equation, I think you will have more success at adding something in.