Lifestyle Change Without Willpower

ellelit

i am currently reading 'the ultimate weight solution" by Dr. Phil, and am really enjoying it. one of the things that i found most interesting is that he says there is no willpower in long term weightloss. he says that it is a lifestyle change, and the changes come from "programming" yourself to eat healthfully and exercise. i thought that i had no will power when i would overeat, but if i look at it as overeating is how i have always been programmed to eat, it makes alot more sense. i have to change my programming and the way i view food, not just tell myself i can't have something and rely on willpower, still reaaaaly wanting it, until finally my "willpower" breaks down and i overeat. if i reprogram my relationship with food i'll never get to the point of even needing willpower. that's the theory anyways.

any thoughts?

ellelit

i am currently reading 'the ultimate weight solution" by Dr. Phil, and am really enjoying it. one of the things that i found most interesting is that he says there is no willpower in long term weightloss. he says that it is a lifestyle change, and the changes come from "programming" yourself to eat healthfully and exercise. i thought that i had no will power when i would overeat, but if i look at it as overeating is how i have always been programmed to eat, it makes alot more sense. i have to change my programming and the way i view food, not just tell myself i can't have something and rely on willpower, still reaaaaly wanting it, until finally my "willpower" breaks down and i overeat. if i reprogram my relationship with food i'll never get to the point of even needing willpower. that's the theory anyways.

any thoughts?

CrystalBella

I do agree that this is a lifestyle change... This should be someting we keep up even after our goals are hit... Deiting is something you do every so often... I promised myself that I would never diet again..

jenken99

thisis true it has to be alife style changeother wise you will end up in the same rut if you start eating the same way you had before you started..
dr. phil a br:drinker: :bigsmile: illiant man!!!!

carajo

I totally agree!!!! Diets only last for so long, if you fall back into old habits, here come the pounds!!! Good point stating there is no willpower in long term weight loss, and the re-programming makes perfect sense! Good luck with your lifestyle change!!!!!!!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:

msarro

I'm not a fan of Dr. Phil (blame the degree in psychology... he tends to not be very well liked in academia). BUT I do agree with what he's saying. When I tried to lose weight simply to lose weight I failed 100% of the time.

I thought, "this isn't the life I want. The only person stopping me from having the life I want is me. Why am I stopping myself from having the life I want?" In that moment of clarity it was like everything changed. It wasn't about losing weight, it was about having the life I want. It was like it empowered me to change anything about who i was. Literally overnight I started looking up everything I could to improve myself, from self hypnosis stuff to books on nutrition. So I really haven't had to use any willpower I suppose - everything is just me working towards what I want. The weight loss is just a byproduct of that.

PS: You should really watch the movie Stranger than Fiction.

GIGINATOR

I agree, everyone that asks me "what kind of diet are you on?", I reply "None". I have just changed the way I eat. I still have my treats, I just make sure I allow for them. This has definitely been a learning experience and I know I can stick with it because I'm not missing out on anything:flowerforyou:

mommared53

I like the "there is no willpower in long term weightloss" because willpower is something I definitely lack.

DjBliss05

I think it goes hand in hand with deprivation. If you are making a lifestyle change, then theoretically you aren't depriving yourself of anything. In my mind, deprivation leads to binges, and that isn't going to get you anywhere!

I really like reading books that apply to my life and was thinking about checking out this one. Thanks for the recommendation! I also have a psych degree and I am a fan of Dr. Phil! Just saying!