What do you all do to strengthen willpower???

Verdenal wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

BZAH10 wrote: »

I prefer the term "wantpower". If you WANT something badly enough, you will find a way to attain it. To me, "willing" something to happen is like shutting your eyes tightly, making a wish, and hoping it will magically happen.

It's just the opposite to me. Wanting is like trying. Do or do not, there is no try. When I will it to happen, it happens.

I spend Christmas with cookies and fudge everywhere. Easter with candy everywhere. Beyond what I've planned for, I just leave it alone.

If it's important enough, you'll manage it. If it's not, you'll give in.

Why don't we assume that the OP isn't wired as you are, otherwise she wouldn't have asked her question?

Why don't we assume that I wasn't responding to the OP, but to the person I quoted?

Verdenal wrote: »

DeguelloTex wrote: »

BZAH10 wrote: »

I prefer the term "wantpower". If you WANT something badly enough, you will find a way to attain it. To me, "willing" something to happen is like shutting your eyes tightly, making a wish, and hoping it will magically happen.

It's just the opposite to me. Wanting is like trying. Do or do not, there is no try. When I will it to happen, it happens.

I spend Christmas with cookies and fudge everywhere. Easter with candy everywhere. Beyond what I've planned for, I just leave it alone.

If it's important enough, you'll manage it. If it's not, you'll give in.

Why don't we assume that the OP isn't wired as you are, otherwise she wouldn't have asked her question?

No one is making assumptions. We are all offering our different view points on willpower and how it works for each of us. Differently. Because we are all different.

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Willpower (self-control) is overrated. It is a limited resource, so I wouldn't depend on it in all situations. The attached article describes self-control like a pool rather than a muscle, that once depleted, takes a while to build up again.

http://now.uiowa.edu/2012/06/your-brain-no-self-control

I develop strategies where I might experience challenges to limit their impact. For instance, having a healthier snack on hand if I'm travelling, so I don't give in to poorer choices. I have a snack late afternoon when I have my energy slump, so I don't cave to automatic eating when I get home. I make my salad in the morning (my energy peak) to be available as a better choice during the evening (energy slump).

jgnatca wrote: »

Willpower (self-control) is overrated. It is a limited resource, so I wouldn't depend on it in all situations.

So is the sun's hydrogen. That something is limited doesn't mean it can't be sufficient.

Some people may have more success with other approaches, but that doesn't make willpower overrated.

I know this might sound odd but I will watch an episode of my 600 pound life! That really gets to me and then I have no more desire for that food.

Here's what gets me. People try loading this impossible diet plan on themselves so they've got an internal dialogue going on all day, "NO" to the habitual stop at Tim's in the morning, "NO" to office cake, "NO" to the vending machine in the coffee room, "NO" to second helpings of pasta at supper, "NO" to the garlic bread on the side, and then BAM, willpower shot. Triple serving of Ben & Jerry's with hot chocolate sauce to finish off the day, with a side order of all dressed crinkle chips with full-fat ranch dip. They feel like a failure after negotiating a minefield of temptations all day. They weren't a failure. Their willpower ran out. Not because they were weak, but because at some point, everyone's willpower depletes.

I'd rather they take on one challenge at a time and succeed every time. When I succeed, I feel stronger.

Now, I've fielded all these temptations and more, but I shot them down one at a time. It is now habitual to take the better choices, while choosing to give in to a "temptation" under control, once in a while.

jgnatca wrote: »

Here's what gets me. People try loading this impossible diet plan on themselves so they've got an internal dialogue going on all day, "NO" to the habitual stop at Tim's in the morning, "NO" to office cake, "NO" to the vending machine in the coffee room, "NO" to second helpings of pasta at supper, "NO" to the garlic bread on the side, and then BAM, willpower shot. Triple serving of Ben & Jerry's with hot chocolate sauce to finish off the day, with a side order of all dressed crinkle chips with full-fat ranch dip. They feel like a failure after negotiating a minefield of temptations all day. They weren't a failure. Their willpower ran out. Not because they were weak, but because at some point, everyone's willpower depletes.

I'd rather they take on one challenge at a time and succeed every time. When I succeed, I feel stronger.

Now, I've fielded all these temptations and more, but I shot them down one at a time. It is now habitual to take the better choices, while choosing to give in to a "temptation" under control, once in a while.

We covered this subject in a psychology class a few years ago. There have been several studies done on the theory of willpower depletion and that seems to be the general thinking. Have someone exert willpower and then have them exert it again a short time later and some will give in. Have them exert it again and most people will start to give in. I think it's why "everything in moderation" works better for many people. If instead of telling yourself "no" over and over you can say "yes" to one tiny serving (a 30 calorie miniature chocolate instead of a 250 calorie chocolate bar) then your willpower isn't being depleted and it's easier to say "no" to the next thing. The same with building a treat into your day. It's easier to say "no" when you know you're going to be able to indulge later. The trick to making this work is setting yourself up to succeed by having those tiny treats on hand or built into your daily plan.

It also helps to keep anything that will undermine your success out of the picture. Don't buy foods you know are triggers.

SueInAz wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

Here's what gets me. People try loading this impossible diet plan on themselves so they've got an internal dialogue going on all day, "NO" to the habitual stop at Tim's in the morning, "NO" to office cake, "NO" to the vending machine in the coffee room, "NO" to second helpings of pasta at supper, "NO" to the garlic bread on the side, and then BAM, willpower shot. Triple serving of Ben & Jerry's with hot chocolate sauce to finish off the day, with a side order of all dressed crinkle chips with full-fat ranch dip. They feel like a failure after negotiating a minefield of temptations all day. They weren't a failure. Their willpower ran out. Not because they were weak, but because at some point, everyone's willpower depletes.

I'd rather they take on one challenge at a time and succeed every time. When I succeed, I feel stronger.

Now, I've fielded all these temptations and more, but I shot them down one at a time. It is now habitual to take the better choices, while choosing to give in to a "temptation" under control, once in a while.

We covered this subject in a psychology class a few years ago. There have been several studies done on the theory of willpower depletion and that seems to be the general thinking. Have someone exert willpower and then have them exert it again a short time later and some will give in. Have them exert it again and most people will start to give in. I think it's why "everything in moderation" works better for many people. If instead of telling yourself "no" over and over you can say "yes" to one tiny serving (a 30 calorie miniature chocolate instead of a 250 calorie chocolate bar) then your willpower isn't being depleted and it's easier to say "no" to the next thing. The same with building a treat into your day. It's easier to say "no" when you know you're going to be able to indulge later. The trick to making this work is setting yourself up to succeed by having those tiny treats on hand or built into your daily plan.

It also helps to keep anything that will undermine your success out of the picture. Don't buy foods you know are triggers.

Willpower in what kind of situation with what kind of options?

Do you think this kind of breakdown in willpower would apply to, say, Jessica Biel if she were asked out enough times? I'm asking for a friend.

ihatetodietalways wrote: »

Your brain will always win over your willpower.

From where does your willpower derive if not from your brain?

@DeguelloTex , I know you are responding to @SueInAz , but I thought I'd throw in my two cents anyhow.

DeguelloTex wrote: »

Willpower in what kind of situation with what kind of options?

I've provided many examples in my little rant. There's habitual (morning run for coffee), social (office cake), locational (vending machine), and familial (dinner time). Each is their own situation that may require a different strategy to overcome. It might mean avoiding the coffee room for a while until that sort of temptation isn't such a big deal any more.

Do you think this kind of breakdown in willpower would apply to, say, Jessica Biel if she were asked out enough times? I'm asking for a friend.

Most definitely yes. There's a case study. My Date with Drew.

I am a diabetic. If my sugar gets low enough, there is no willpower in the world that will keep me from eating, especially sugar. My body needs it and it makes me get it.

A few things:

First, I keep in mind what I'm trying to achieve and why it's important to me. Not eating the cookie that appears in my office just because I am not supposed to eat cookies (for example) would be hard. Not eating it because I have a good plan that involves eating a certain number of calories and some specific foods to help with specific goals (losing weight this week, being energetic for my workout, which is connected with goals like training for some event, saving room for my planned dinner I'm excited about), make it much easier, since it makes sense to me. And if I decide once in a while that it won't kill my goal to change my plans I don't beat myself up--I just think about whether it was helpful or not and if not I reemphasize my focus.

Second, I try to put together sustainable habits and I remember that it becomes easier. I've had a few weeks where I was eating maintenance and pretty carelessly, to be honest, since I felt I needed a bit of a break, and getting back to it can be hard. But after a few days the routine comes back and it's not hard anymore. Of course, this depends on it not being an overly strict routine but one I can imagine being happy with.

And third, I really like:

jgnatca wrote: »

I develop strategies where I might experience challenges to limit their impact. For instance, having a healthier snack on hand if I'm travelling, so I don't give in to poorer choices. I have a snack late afternoon when I have my energy slump, so I don't cave to automatic eating when I get home. I make my salad in the morning (my energy peak) to be available as a better choice during the evening (energy slump).

I do the same thing. And when I find myself failing to comply with a plan I think about why that was--often it's something like too little sleep, putting myself in situations where I'm working late, will be really hungry and stressed, and have no food available that I want to eat. Then I'm more likely to eat whatever's around (usually nothing that fits in my calories or with my nutrition planned). Same with traveling without being prepared. I've tried to learn from these situations and try to plan, and if I know I won't be perfect--for example, when I get stressed at work and decide not to bring lunch since I've failed to make it in advance--I try to have a backup plan that works okay (like places I'm fine with buying food from) and not to beat myself up for everything not going according to the perfect plan. (This is also why I hate stuff like "clean eating" where the perfect seems to be the enemy of the good enough for now.)

I usually remember something I saw recently. it was an of a girl looking at a pastry and her though was I can crave that for 2minutes, but I've been craving a thinner healthier me for many years. and plus I don't exclude sweets from my diet, I just know where to leave room for them, and I also allow myself to have cheat days 1 or 2 x a month, where I can eat whatever I want. I still log it even knowing that I will go over my limit, but at least it's there and in my face and I try to do better on my next cheat day.

ihatetodietalways wrote: »

I find it funny that fitness pal is for losing weight, but people are very defensive about cutting crappy sugary foods.

+1