How do you develope willpower?

Bearface115

Hey everyone!

I seem to be in a hole of temptations and i need alittle boost out of it. I wanna start my eating routine of LOW carb, lower cals, and high protein that actually works for me. however... i have wanted to start after thanksgiving and i cant seem to actually be 100% successful though the day. i always say to myself, tomorrow is the day... tonight i'll start .... the gym will take care of those calories that i ate tonight- so it's ok.....
Why do i make these excuses for myself when i know what to do and how to do it. This week i fell HARD off the wagon and i can't seem to find the willpower to stick to my healthy eating, as soon as i think healthy i think repulsive, even though i know how good it is and how good it tastes, i just immediatly think the worst kinds of healthy food and then i get discouraged.... What can i do to help that? Even though my OWN wedding is motivating like crazy, i find myself in that "comfort food hole"

anyone have any good advice that can push me to develope this willpower better and finally see success In other words.... what motivates you and builds your willpower? HELP ,lol! Thanks in advance!! :flowerforyou:

ninamm3

I have lost almost 38 pounds and not a single ounce of it had to do with will power. It was all about planning, allowing for certain things and being forgiving when I stumbled. It's about slow change and realizing that each time I have the power to make a good or not-so-good choice. I think about my goals and bigger picture. It all takes time but time keeps passing and I'm either getting closer to my goal or I'm not...YOU CAN DO IT!

SabrinaJL

I think you just have to get to the point where you want it more than you want anything else. I still have bad days, but when I do, I don't let it get to me. I don't beat myself up over it, I just move on.

mzenzer

It's about wanting it. I go through the same thing sometimes, and it's a constant battle in my head, even when I am in that zone. It's hard to explain why but sometimes I just "want" it more than others and then it's easy. Other times, I just don't care, and that's when I have to fight to eat right.

rochey1098

I think you just have to get to the point where you want it more than you want anything else. I still have bad days, but when I do, I don't let it get to me. I don't beat myself up over, I just move on.

This.

For me losing weight feels much better than eating anything nice but I still treat myself

sunnyskyjb

I have trouble with motivation to lose weight sometimes too. So I also appreciate the suggestions and stories. Good post!

RenCara

I found that it was more important to do it than not to. I also got very picky to only consume foods that were 'worth it' to me to consume. I truly became a food snob. It helped me lose my original massive weight loss and I should re-tap into these days to get back on track.

Good luck!

eddie8131

The seed of willpower is essentially self-efficacy (just believing you have what it takes inside you to resist the temptation and stay on your eating and exercise plan). How do you learn to start believing this? You need the support and encouragement of others IMHO. This is why MFP is such a powerful tool. While it is true that you are the only one that can make the choice to eat something or to exercise, others encouraging you and supporting you will make these choices come easier. Other things that help are recognizing high-risk situations and learning to deal with them. For example, I avoid work potlucks altogether at this stage of my recovery as I know I just cannot resist stuffing my face.

So seek out the support wherever you can find it. Also take time to support others, I have found this to be so helpful to me. They will often return the favor. Best of luck to you and congrats on your upcoming nuptuals!

moushtie

Don't try to be 100% successful. Be 90% successful. None of us are perfect!

Focus on one specific thing you are going to do, and when. Don't try to do it all at once. Are you going to focus on your exercise first? Or your overall calorie intake? Do you need to get to grips with planning your meals? Or maybe increasing your water intake?

I once read something about goal setting. List 10 different things you could do to help you lose weight. Be specific. ( Don't say, "I'll be better about exercising this week" say " I will go for a walk/to the gym on these days at these times")
Rate each item on your list on a scale of 1 to 10 of how difficult you will find them. Then next to them rate it on how much it will help you.
Pick one or two things from this list to tackle this week. Start with the easy ones if you need to build up some confidence/willpower. Like making sure you drink your water, or get your fruits and veggies in. For a whole week, just focus on that, and don't obsess over the rest. At the end of the week, congratulate yourself on the goals you have achieved ( even if not 100% perfect). Then next week, you can pick the next hardest thing, and add that to your goals. Try to keep the habit from the previous week if you can! Eventually, your goals will become your habits, and you can move on to the next step.

This process is designed to stop you from overloading yourself with trying to be perfect on every aspect all at once. None of us are perfect, and all of us would struggle to try to change everything overnight.

I hope this gives you an idea of how to start. Willpower is like a muscle, and like all muscles, you have to start building it up with small things first. Nobody starts a strength training program at the highest possible weight first, so don't break your willpower by piling everything on at once!

Art_lover

I have the same issue with motivation. Most people I know who lose weight don't remember that moment that it was "easy" but do say they took it in steps. My problem is that I take 2 forward and one back and can't seem to get on board.

I really appreciate the positive attitude of the people who posted, and I will definitely take into consideration the concrete suggestions from moushtie.

Xtina_Beba

Hey everyone!

I seem to be in a hole of temptations and i need alittle boost out of it. I wanna start my eating routine of LOW carb, lower cals, and high protein that actually works for me. however... i have wanted to start after thanksgiving and i cant seem to actually be 100% successful though the day. i always say to myself, tomorrow is the day... tonight i'll start .... the gym will take care of those calories that i ate tonight- so it's ok.....
Why do i make these excuses for myself when i know what to do and how to do it. This week i fell HARD off the wagon and i can't seem to find the willpower to stick to my healthy eating, as soon as i think healthy i think repulsive, even though i know how good it is and how good it tastes, i just immediatly think the worst kinds of healthy food and then i get discouraged.... What can i do to help that? Even though my OWN wedding is motivating like crazy, i find myself in that "comfort food hole"

anyone have any good advice that can push me to develope this willpower better and finally see success In other words.... what motivates you and builds your willpower? HELP ,lol! Thanks in advance!! :flowerforyou:

Well I always go grocery shopping on full stomach & I only buy healthy foods. I always pre-plan my meals for the week. If I eat any junk food or processed food it makes me feel groggy and lazy so I chose foods that make me feel good and gives me energy.

caterpillardreams

I have lost almost 38 pounds and not a single ounce of it had to do with will power. It was all about planning, allowing for certain things and being forgiving when I stumbled. It's about slow change and realizing that each time I have the power to make a good or not-so-good choice. I think about my goals and bigger picture. It all takes time but time keeps passing and I'm either getting closer to my goal or I'm not...YOU CAN DO IT!

\

wow u took the words right out of my mouth. Earlier todayI was sitting at home both kids were sleeping and all I wanted to do was sit and watch tv. In my head I was thinking of excuses, its holiday weekend, its Saturday you can rest, its almost nightime why workout now. There was this little voice I did not want to hear and kept trying to silence telling me "get up and move" after a few minutes I just got up and worked out. I did not even want to finish my workout and kept thinking of sitting down but I just pushed through and finished and now that its all over I am glad I did it.
There will be many times u have no motivation. You just have to do and fifgt for what you want.

mquarry

I recently changed the way I think into "no excuses".

There is no excuse to not get healthier. It will benefit everything. It's how I exercise, it's how I eat. I occasionally go off a bit, but if you don't give into your cravings, they will consume you. The key with that is moderation. You don't need to eat an entire package of cookies, you just need 2 cookies. You will get the same satisfaction, and none of the guilt.

Good luck on your journey.

koosdel

I got mine on eBay.