Recipe for a Will Power Pill

H_Factor

I posted this as a blog (my first one), but wanted to share it on the message board as well.

Folks, there are two primary categories of reasons why we do not succeed with a commitment to a healthy lifestyle.....physical and mental. I'm writing to address the often tougher stumbling block, the mental side of the journey. Sure, its nice to have friends, co-workers and MFP pals to encourage and motivate us along our journey. Its also nice to read other folks' success stories, which are often very inspiring. However, it is my opinion that for a lot of folks to truly fight back against mental stumbling blocks, its necessary to dig deep into your own personal vault. It will be easier to dig deep and do this exercise when you are motivated and are not experiencing any mental challenges. I hope this helps those who choose to create their own Will Power Pill.



Recipe for a Will Power Pill:



For those of you who have been on the diet roller coaster/yo-yo, start at #1. For those of you who are getting on the healthy lifestyle train for the first time, you may skip to #3.


1. Identify the mental and physical reasons why you have fallen off the wagon before. Why have other diets and lifestyle changes failed for you? What were the stumbling blocks, mentally and physically? Give this some time because its not easy to think of the reasons for your previous set-backs and I want you to be as specific as possible. You may not think of all of the reasons at once and its okay to add to or amend your list over time...in fact, I encourage it. I know this time around, when I feel like a stumbling block is around the corner or I'm mamsy pamsying it, I dig deep and think about how I faced a similar issue on a previous attempt...and how I handled it wrong. Understanding what is going on within your own mind and body is key to correcting the issue when it surfaces again.

2. For each stumbling block you identify, come up with ways to combat the stumbling block this time around. What are some ways to handle the situation differently this time around? What are you going to do differently?

3. Create your own "will power pill" by writing down a list of at least 10 specific things you HATE about being overweight. be brutally honest with yourself. what is it that you really don't like about your lifestyle? Also, since pro and con lists are usually good, write down reasons why you ENJOY being overweight...why you ENJOY your current lifestyle. I suspect for some people, their list of things they enjoy about being overweight will be longer than the things they hate...and for those folks, hey, you're good the way you are. The key is to be happy about yourself. If you really are happy about an overweight lifestyle, embrace it. However, since you're here on MFP, I suspect you really aren't happy about the overweight lifestyle. commit to all of the reasons why.

write down your answers to all of this. you could put them on your MFP profile or somewhere else that is readily accessible to you. you will want to read this often. whenever you feel your will power waning, read what you wrote. I find that reminding myself of things I hate about an overweight lifestyle can really help me re-focus. It really is a will power pill that I take. it is the only "supplement" that I need.

Good luck to you on your journey. You can succeed.

StaceyL76

This is GREAT! Thanks!

One thing I realized with the 2 runs this week as that I was not pushing myself nor asking enough.. I was staying in my comfort zone. It takes dedication to push outside that comfort zone.. I am on it.

StaceyL76

This is GREAT! Thanks!

One thing I realized with the 2 runs this week as that I was not pushing myself nor asking enough.. I was staying in my comfort zone. It takes dedication to push outside that comfort zone.. I am on it.

StaceyL76

This is GREAT! Thanks!

One thing I realized with the 2 runs this week as that I was not pushing myself nor asking enough.. I was staying in my comfort zone. It takes dedication to push outside that comfort zone.. I am on it.