Willpower.
KarenJean91
Posts: 283 Member
I can't seem to find mine. Yesterday was my mom's birthday so there was cake and ice cream. I didn't even think twice about MFP while shoveling the crap on my plate. I'm sick of saying "Okay, tomorrow I'm going to stop eating crap" ....... it never happens. I've had the willpower to not eat meat for 6 years, but then again there are alternatives.I just wish I could muster up some of the willpower I used to stick with my pescatarian lifestyle, and eat healthy. I'm also doing Insanity and I know i'm not going to get results if I keep going over my calories with junk. I'll do so well for a long time and then just stop.
I don't really know the point of this post, whether it was for advice or just to vent. Sorry.
I don't really know the point of this post, whether it was for advice or just to vent. Sorry.
0
Replies
-
I can't offer you any advice because I struggle with my willpower as well. The situation you described sounds so much like me it's uncanny.
I've asked lots of people the question - can you obtain willpower or is it inherent? It's hard to get a straight answer, but I think it's something you need to build slowly and it will get easier with time.
What I've been trying is to give myself little 'awards' or 'pats-on-the-back' for saying no to something I usually have a hard time resisting. It feels really good. I have a visual motivator on my fridge door so I can see when I have small successes and small set-backs. I'm always looking for new ways to increase my willpower.0 -
I don't know if this will help or not, but here's something that has worked for me.
I have chosen one food a month to cut out of my diet - permanently. I focus on that one food for the month - but don't add back in any of the old ones. I began with things that I don't even particularly like, but find myself eating. This is a clue to me that I am eating for social reasons, or mood reasons...etc. Here are a few that I began with. I need to get back in the habit and add some more!
Donuts
Birthday Cake
Corndogs
Little Debbie Dessert Cakes0 -
I don't know if this will help or not, but here's something that has worked for me.
I have chosen one food a month to cut out of my diet - permanently. I focus on that one food for the month - but don't add back in any of the old ones. I began with things that I don't even particularly like, but find myself eating. This is a clue to me that I am eating for social reasons, or mood reasons...etc. Here are a few that I began with. I need to get back in the habit and add some more!
Donuts
Birthday Cake
Corndogs
Little Debbie Dessert Cakes
If I do this, does it man I can't have any more birthdays? I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm NOT going the rest of my life without those things. That's a life not worth living.
Corndogs? That's Fair Food. There's no calories in Fair Food!! You eat it standing up!0 -
Personally, I'm not going to cut sweets out of my diet for special occasions. I don't bring cookies, cakes, or pastries into my house because I know I can't control myself. But if I'm at a celebration I take a small piece of cake, enjoy it, and fit it into my calories as best I can for the day. The occasional cupcake or Krispy Kreme isn't going to make me fat again, as long as they stay occasional!0
-
get it back.
such a strong word
use the POWER!0 -
Thank you everyone for your support and ideas. I have never felt this crappy about myself, ever. I think this is the day I get my willpower. I don't want to feel like this ever again.0
-
I have pictures of really FIT women I am motivated by pasted here and there, and I made a list of the "WHY I WANT THIS" and put it on the fridge and the wall beside my computer.
It says:............................................................
REMEMBER what this is for!
• To FEEL better
• To LOOK better
• For MY HEALTH
• For MY FAMILY
• Class reunion
• SUMMER IS COMING!!
I want to:
• LIKE my legs.
• LIKE my back.
• get the butt back that I had when I was 30.
• have ABS!
• get RID OF the “love handles”
• turn my arms into GUNS!!
..............................................................................................................
I made it 2 columns with special font and VERY COLORFUL so I like to look at it and it stands out.
Hope this helps!!0 -
I have pictures of really FIT women I am motivated by pasted here and there, and I made a list of the "WHY I WANT THIS" and put it on the fridge and the wall beside my computer.
It says:............................................................
REMEMBER what this is for!
• To FEEL better
• To LOOK better
• For MY HEALTH
• For MY FAMILY
• Class reunion
• SUMMER IS COMING!!
I want to:
• LIKE my legs.
• LIKE my back.
• get the butt back that I had when I was 30.
• have ABS!
• get RID OF the “love handles”
• turn my arms into GUNS!!
..............................................................................................................
I made it 2 columns with special font and VERY COLORFUL so I like to look at it and it stands out.
Hope this helps!!
That is a magnificent idea!!!! I KNOW that will help me............. thank you!0 -
Eat the cake, log it, and eat well the rest of the day? I don't eliminate anything, because I love food! I just try to keep within my range, and if I go a little over don't beat myself up and start fresh the next day.0
-
i still eat the cake, just try and not eat the whole cake. The only thing I want to cut out as much as possible is fizzy drinks, as i feel better for it.
Will power is a hard one, and every day is different. I think if you have a reason to lose the weight this time, keep remembering it. I am off on hols in Oct and want to look nice for a change. So i remember that and its forcing me to excerise and try and eat a bit better.0 -
There's a point now and again where I am faced with something I could easily scoff down.
But I want my new lifestyle and the joy it brings MORE than whatever momentary pleasure is in front of me.
You need to want to do this more than you want to binge on that piece of cake.
Being on track and seeing the changes makes you much more happier in the long run.
Don't sacrifice what you want the most for what you want right now0 -
I don't know if this will help or not, but here's something that has worked for me.
I have chosen one food a month to cut out of my diet - permanently. I focus on that one food for the month - but don't add back in any of the old ones. I began with things that I don't even particularly like, but find myself eating. This is a clue to me that I am eating for social reasons, or mood reasons...etc. Here are a few that I began with. I need to get back in the habit and add some more!
Donuts
Birthday Cake
Corndogs
Little Debbie Dessert Cakes
If I do this, does it man I can't have any more birthdays? I don't know if that's good or bad, but I'm NOT going the rest of my life without those things. That's a life not worth living.
Corndogs? That's Fair Food. There's no calories in Fair Food!! You eat it standing up!
That's why I began with the things that I don't like the most - I actually hate birthday cake, so why am I eating it!?
Now my cokes on the other hand.......:embarassed:0 -
I made this post a week ago and it's helped a lot of people get back on track. (I don't get paid for it, it's a personal blog, don't report me)
http://journey2competition.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/discipline/0 -
For me, I find that in times when I feel like giving in, I just focus on how good I feel in the times that I've said no when I really wanted something. That feeling to me is way more satisfying than anything food can give me!
Edit: However, if I reaaally want something. I am going to work the rest of my day to allow for it. And just remember, you will have times where you give in and you will have days where you go over.0 -
Planning my splurges/cheats in advance has really helped with my willpower. I'm able to keep myself in check the rest of the week knowing that once I get to that particular day, I'll be able to enjoy whatever it is I've planned to have with zero guilt.0
-
Planning my splurges/cheats in advance has really helped with my willpower. I'm able to keep myself in check the rest of the week knowing that once I get to that particular day, I'll be able to enjoy whatever it is I've planned to have with zero guilt.
This. For me I can never say never. I pre-plan splurges so I can eat them guilt free and still stay on track. Example. I live for cookies. No joke,, a girl scout came to my door just 10 minutes ago to deliver my order of two boxes of thin mints. I will put them in the freezer and after my weigh in day next Tuesday I will plan a day when I can eat four, or maybe even eight of them. You can work in 160-320 extra calories if you know they are coming. It may not be next week as my son's 2nd birthday is March 1. On that day I will have two slices of cheese pizza, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream and a chocolate cupcake. Yes, it is a seven hundred calorie bonanza. But I wouldn't miss celebrating it for the world.0 -
log it, log it, log it! i found that being truly honest with myself and logging every single thing i ate really made me realize the choices i made. i also used to show it to my husband because he researched all this healthy eating stuff. i wanted to make him proud of the choices i started making... and then i realized the choices were DELICIOUS!
i used to have a slice or two of cake, an handful of cookies, and whatever else was out for dessert at parties. i used to have at least two servings of whatever appetizers were put out. now, i choose ONE cake or 'main' dessert to have a SMALL serving of (slice of pie or cake, a scoop of ice cream, etc.) and two cookies if they're not too big. and i always take a bit of fruit now. for appetizers, i take a small bit of everything i want: 6 or 7 small pretzels, two pieces of bruschetta, three or four pieces of pumpernickel bread and a scoop of spinach dip. i fill the rest of my app plate with celery sticks, carrots, tomatoes, whatever veggies are out, and one spoonful of dip (unless it's hummus, then i take more!). this way i can still have everything i want, just smaller bits. it started out challenging - i had to choose what i wanted more. but now i realize i don't even WANT more food than what i take. and i feel proud that i have the willpower that i never used to have.
i think that's what it's about - feeling good about yourself. am i still heavy? yes. i'm still REALLY heavy. but i'm making excellent choices without depriving myself and am already healthier than i used to be. and now it's so much easier to keep making even healthier choices!0 -
Eat the cake, log it, and eat well the rest of the day? I don't eliminate anything, because I love food! I just try to keep within my range, and if I go a little over don't beat myself up and start fresh the next day.
This!0 -
Wow, thank you everyone for your responses!!0
-
That willpower will come back.. I lost mine at Christmas time and have been on a downward spiral.. I found my willpower today and have been bang on track.. Good luck hun.0
-
Thank you everyone for your posts. I just logged on to find some motivation and encouragement - I've had no willlpower the last month or so. Only logged food every few days if I remembered... Also eating heaps of junk and feeling flat and sluggish... Still exercising so keep eating all those cals as well (and then some). Some of you have been on such a big journey that I suddenly realise I have no excuse to be to slack! I'll start today - not tomorrow. Thanks!0
-
So here are my strategies: I ask do I really really really want this certain food..like will I be tasting it in my mind and drooling or am I bored.? Then if I truely want it I take a half cup of whatever it is..cake cheeseburger whatever and take my first bite I ask myself is it amazing and worth the calories cause if its amazing I eat the whole portion and step away..if it tastes like poo or stale ect I toss it.why would I waste a cheat on that.
Next if I start going through a string of "bad days with poor choices. I go try and put on a pair of jeans or dress I really want to fit into.or I look at mfp at my progress grab something healthier than my craving like fruit or yogurt for sweets or rice crackers almonds for salty see if it works.
Otherwise sit on your hands talk to yourself like a five year old (in your head)! And say no ..remembering how awesome you will feel if you resist the urge. But remember one or two bad days once in awhile won't kill your progress. Last but not least if you eat something sinful do the excessive for it after :-) you are not alone we all go through. It. Think about summer comin!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions