The Importance of Willpower for Weight Loss
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I really liked this post. Losing weight and getting healthy does come down to willpower and discipline. However, losing weight is the old 80/20 dynamic. With 80% being diet, if you are eating smaller healthy meals , compared to your usual diet, you will lose weight. Exercise just gives your body that boost to burn calories quicker.
I do similar things, like ill take the stairs instead of an escalator or a lift, all the small things add up0 -
I could see your way of describing this as useful to some people, but really, what it boils down to when it's all said and done, is priorities.
If something is important enough, you will make it happen.
Work is the perfect example. No matter how much you don't want to do it, or hate it, or are tired, you make it happen anyways because it's a big priority to you.
Fitness is a bigger priority to me than losing weight, therefore, I'm far more likely to make it to the gym than to count my calories. It's not willpower or a lack thereof, it's a matter of what's important enough for me to make the change or do what I need to do.
I give up a lot in my life to pursue my sport - from working 3 jobs to being at the gym for 2 hours a day, that means I'm giving up a lot of social activities, free time, time at home, even dating. I don't find these choices hard to make, because racing is that important to me. Not that every day is easy, or there aren't days or weeks when I wish x, y, or z was true, but the reality is what is important is what we will do.
I think its hard for people to drum up "willpower" when they see it as an all or nothing approach - if they can't change everything, then why change anything, which is where I feel like your post is going. Make a small change a priority, and realize that an all or nothing approach probably isn't going to work for most people.0 -
HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
I give up a lot in my life to pursue my sport - from working 3 jobs to being at the gym for 2 hours a day, that means I'm giving up a lot of social activities, free time, time at home, even dating. I don't find these choices hard to make, because racing is that important to me. Not that every day is easy, or there aren't days or weeks when I wish x, y, or z was true, but the reality is what is important is what we will do.
I think its hard for people to drum up "willpower" when they see it as an all or nothing approach - if they can't change everything, then why change anything, which is where I feel like your post is going. Make a small change a priority, and realize that an all or nothing approach probably isn't going to work for most people.
You're saying "racing is that important", but can't we assume that you also enjoy it? In that case, it seems to me that willpower isn't as big of an issue. The definition of willpower set out by the OP was the energy for things that you don't particularly want to do. If you hated racing, and still made those sacrifices, that would take some willpower.
But at any rate, I don't see where what you're saying is all that different than OP... set your priorities and use your limited willpower on those things. I didn't take it as an "all or nothing" approach at all.1 -
HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
I give up a lot in my life to pursue my sport - from working 3 jobs to being at the gym for 2 hours a day, that means I'm giving up a lot of social activities, free time, time at home, even dating. I don't find these choices hard to make, because racing is that important to me. Not that every day is easy, or there aren't days or weeks when I wish x, y, or z was true, but the reality is what is important is what we will do.
I think its hard for people to drum up "willpower" when they see it as an all or nothing approach - if they can't change everything, then why change anything, which is where I feel like your post is going. Make a small change a priority, and realize that an all or nothing approach probably isn't going to work for most people.
You're saying "racing is that important", but can't we assume that you also enjoy it? In that case, it seems to me that willpower isn't as big of an issue. The definition of willpower set out by the OP was the energy for things that you don't particularly want to do. If you hated racing, and still made those sacrifices, that would take some willpower.
But at any rate, I don't see where what you're saying is all that different than OP... set your priorities and use your limited willpower on those things. I didn't take it as an "all or nothing" approach at all.
I think I interpret willpower a bit differently because too many people see it as this mystical thing that some people have and others don't, and I don't believe that is true in any way, shape or form (barring someone who has an illness of some variety of course).
As for the racing, sure, I enjoy that - the grand total of 14 days of racing I have in a year. The other 351 days a year are not exactly "fun." Plenty of racers out there who enjoy racing plenty but it's not such a high priority that they are willing to make sacrifices that others are willing to make. I don't believe I have more willpower than they do, my priorities are just different.0 -
Willpower is a limited resource. Further, willpower is a diminishing resource. When you use willpower, you reduce your remaining amount of willpower by an amount greater than that which you already used. This isn't just about choosing to minimize the willpower cost of losing weight. It's also about minimizing the actions you spend willpower on. When it's gone, it's Katy bar the door.1
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“Good decision making is not a trait of the person, in the sense that it’s always there,” Baumeister says. “It’s a state that fluctuates.” His studies show that people with the best self-control are the ones who structure their lives so as to conserve willpower. They don’t schedule endless back-to-back meetings. They avoid temptations like all-you-can-eat buffets, and they establish habits that eliminate the mental effort of making choices. Instead of deciding every morning whether or not to force themselves to exercise, they set up regular appointments to work out with a friend. Instead of counting on willpower to remain robust all day, they conserve it so that it’s available for emergencies and important decisions.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Willpower is a limited resource. Further, willpower is a diminishing resource. When you use willpower, you reduce your remaining amount of willpower by an amount greater than that which you already used. This isn't just about choosing to minimize the willpower cost of losing weight. It's also about minimizing the actions you spend willpower on. When it's gone, it's Katy bar the door.
IMHO, @try2again and @JeromeBarry1 did a really good job summarizing the post.0 -
A third piece of "willpower getting stronger" is - for lack of a better way of putting it - is where the ruts in my way of thinking are, since it's always easier to drive my thinking in the ruts rather than break new trails. Getting out of the habit (pattern) of thinking. . .
THIS! Recognizing this and consciously working to make a change, getting out of the ruts, is what's needed to succeed long term.
The longer I'm on this weight loss journey, the more I occasionally fixate on 'trigger' foods. I needed a way to break that fixation.
Like in the Movie ‘UP’, near the end, when Russell sees Carl and Kevin in trouble. Russell climes to the porch of the house. Planes continued to attack, but Russell manages to stop the dogs in the planes from attacking by yelling 'SQUIRREL!!'. This distracts the dogs in the planes, breaking their fixation on Carl & Kevin, and making them all collide together.
Like what Russell did, the key is to break that concentration/fixation.
I do a variation of this when I start feeling myself getting fixated on something, be it work break room donuts, samples at Costco, or even the peanut butter jar in the pantry. I have to internally yell STOP, and think about a non food topic, or anything else I enjoy, like motorcycling, to break my concentration.
Conditioning myself to not fixate on trigger foods really helps keep me on track.1 -
Just want to point out that the quote in the above comment by @azironasun didn't come from me.
And also that the post you praised, @ahoy_m8 , was a quote from the article, so I can't take any credit 1 -
I've actually been thinking about the original post for a couple days now. Although I agree with it, something was nagging a bit. I finally figured out what it is. I think it's not the actual willpower that is finite, it is actual strength.
Willpower is simply a function and tool of strength, which is certainly finite. Occasionally you can use willpower to to push your strength further than you believed, but there comes a point where no matter how hard you will yourself, you just don't have the strength to fight anymore. I personally think that the original post is otherwise 100% on, if the word willpower is actually changed to strength. Especially about realizing where your limits are currently, and finding ways to pick and choose what is most important, in order to conserve what you beed to succeed.
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »
I would really like to see OP condense this down. I recommend this post a lot in the forums, but always with an apology about the length! I fear many of the people that could benefit from it will skip it because of the length
I suppose I could attempt to re-write it as a condensed version if people think that would be useful. I do tend to be long-winded as I want to make sure I am making myself clear but I get with limited time a lot of people might just opt not to read it at all given the length.3 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »
I would really like to see OP condense this down. I recommend this post a lot in the forums, but always with an apology about the length! I fear many of the people that could benefit from it will skip it because of the length
I suppose I could attempt to re-write it as a condensed version if people think that would be useful. I do tend to be long-winded as I want to make sure I am making myself clear but I get with limited time a lot of people might just opt not to read it at all given the length.
I know what you mean... I am exactly the same way. Ask my kids 0 -
I have not thread through the whole thread yet but OP while reading your first post I am reminded of what it is called decision fatigue.
I'm not the OP, but I had never heard of this so went looking to read up on it and found this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html
I have read the article, it was an interesting read. Conclusions I got from it resonates with my personal beliefs and once more proves to me that the whole dieting movement is here to make us fat.
My plan at the moment is to write a Sheldon-like weekly menu, at least for dinner since lunches are usually family meals that are result of compromise among all family members.
Dinner I usually prepare only for myself, so I have plenty of space for optimizing there.
So, I'll create a 7 days dinner plan with not too much variation and without going into any extreme (low fat, high fat, low carb, high carbs...). I think it can work as one step in optimizing that decision making fatigue.
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i just stumbled on your post and i think it was exactly what i needed to read in this moment. I have just started my journey (again!). This time around i am ignoring all outside advice. For lunch, frozen dinners. It's prepackaged, it's easy to transport and I actually look forward to lunchtime. It takes so little extra willpower for this change and it keeps my calories at lunch in check. I still have freedom at dinner time. Deciding to just watch my calories and fit in a 20-30 minute walk is all my life will allow for right now, but it's more than I was doing last week so i'm headed in the right direction.2
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I get this but I really don't think people really have a realistic idea of when they are "out of willpower". You really have no idea of how strong you really are until you push yourself past whatever your perceived "limits" are. That's the true "awakening" of a human being to their true potential. You don't achieve anywhere near what you are truly capable of by telling yourself "well I'm all out of willpower for today". I guess we should redefine what "willpower" really is. It's not some substance that you are given a ration of each day. The word willpower means that I have the power to do these things (or not do these things) because I have decided that I WILL! All of us have had, at some point in our lives, had that experience of doing something strictly because someone has told us that it cannot be done, so we go out and do it just to show them. What really makes us successful in life is not willpower, but commitment. People who are committed to a goal, put that goal first in their lives and they don't walk away from the commitment because they are bored or tired or disappointed. They see those conditions as temporary, but their commitment as being permanent. I'm committed to being a healthy weight and I won't give up that commitment because it's hard or I'm tired today or am at a party. I might slip and I might binge once in a while, but my commitment is still there and that is what helps me to refocus my efforts the next day or the next week. You have waaaaaay more power than you think you do and you have waaaaay more willpower than you think you do too. Dig down deep and find it.3
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I agree with the original premise of the OP in terms of willpower or whatever we call it being a limited resource. It also seems many folks have very specific connotations for some of the terms used here. I started thinking of this idea of limited resources in terms of bandwidth - something many of us can relate to in a digital world.
To me it works to think of each of us as having a limited amount of cognitive bandwidth at our disposal at any one time - there is only so much we can think about at once. This bandwidth is divided between decisions and thoughts about work, responsibilities, and diet or exercise choices. If we are doing something at work that requires most of our cognitive bandwidth, we may make a poor dietary choice because we literally lack the mental capacity to think about it too deeply. Later, when our cognitive load decreases, we beat ourselves up because we think of a reasonable choice we wish we might have made.
I'm thinking of something as simple as tying a shoelace or shooting a free throw. In the beginning it requires a great deal of thought (cognitive bandwidth) to learn one of these skills. The reason we practice though is that as we gain muscle memory the cognitive bandwidth required for the activity decreases and the process is perceived as being "easy".
Isn't weight management similar in some ways? People use different strategies - predetermined food choices, keeping some items from the home, etc as a means to reduce the cognitive load required to make a choice that leads to their desired outcome. The habits we form are very much equivalent to the muscle memory example. Forming habits requires a good bit of cognitive bandwidth, but as a habit becomes ingrained it uses less bandwidth over time.
I hope this adds to the conversation. I wanted to throw it out there as another way of looking at things.8 -
Willpower like nearly everything is a limited commodity. While I question the psychological study that established this, it simply make sense that the truth is closer to limited than unlimited. The key lying with those who implement mechanisms which strengthen a positive feedback loop reinforcing willpower and goals.
The ugly truth is that most give the bare minimum. Only the fewest of the few give their best. Even these are only aware of their potential when they let go of the limitations they set for themselves. Our brains quit long before our bodies do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUKoKQlEC4
What is truly sad is that the majority won't even try.1 -
Somebody being browbeaten into performing a pointless task proves what exactly?1
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leonhnchan wrote: »In my opinion, forget willpower. You can't reply on it. You can't even rely on motivation. Rely on DISCIPLINE which means you do something even if you don't feel it. DISCIPLINE is what will move you forward in the long run. Don't feel like getting up to run when you said to yourself the night before you will? Do it anyway. That will work towards developing the discipline to do it anyway. The problem is if you skip it, it will be much easier to just skip it the next time you're supposed to do it.
^^^this^^^ and ^^^this^^^ becomes your will power through consistency of discipline development. thanks for your post.1 -
willpower fades. commitment and habit is what leads to success1
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Iamnotasenior wrote: »I get this but I really don't think people really have a realistic idea of when they are "out of willpower". You really have no idea of how strong you really are until you push yourself past whatever your perceived "limits" are. That's the true "awakening" of a human being to their true potential. You don't achieve anywhere near what you are truly capable of by telling yourself "well I'm all out of willpower for today". I guess we should redefine what "willpower" really is. It's not some substance that you are given a ration of each day. The word willpower means that I have the power to do these things (or not do these things) because I have decided that I WILL! All of us have had, at some point in our lives, had that experience of doing something strictly because someone has told us that it cannot be done, so we go out and do it just to show them. What really makes us successful in life is not willpower, but commitment. People who are committed to a goal, put that goal first in their lives and they don't walk away from the commitment because they are bored or tired or disappointed. They see those conditions as temporary, but their commitment as being permanent. I'm committed to being a healthy weight and I won't give up that commitment because it's hard or I'm tired today or am at a party. I might slip and I might binge once in a while, but my commitment is still there and that is what helps me to refocus my efforts the next day or the next week. You have waaaaaay more power than you think you do and you have waaaaay more willpower than you think you do too. Dig down deep and find it.
This was a great post and true in a lot of ways. The problem with willpower when it comes to dieting is you are fighting with yourself. So in a battle of will to eat what you want vs the diet will who is going to win? What if regardless of renewed commitment each day the will to eat edges out your diet will more days than it doesn't?
The least path of resistance doesn't rely on more willpower it relies on less. Why fight with yourself anymore than is needed? Take care of your hunger. Take care of your cravings. Take care of whatever you need to so that at the end of the day you are happy and satisfied. If you are not, try and learn what to do different tomorrow and keep learning so that you won't be at odds with yourself. Don't get too stuck on a single notion and learn to compromise.
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Iamnotasenior wrote: »I get this but I really don't think people really have a realistic idea of when they are "out of willpower". You really have no idea of how strong you really are until you push yourself past whatever your perceived "limits" are. That's the true "awakening" of a human being to their true potential. You don't achieve anywhere near what you are truly capable of by telling yourself "well I'm all out of willpower for today". I guess we should redefine what "willpower" really is. It's not some substance that you are given a ration of each day. The word willpower means that I have the power to do these things (or not do these things) because I have decided that I WILL! All of us have had, at some point in our lives, had that experience of doing something strictly because someone has told us that it cannot be done, so we go out and do it just to show them. What really makes us successful in life is not willpower, but commitment. People who are committed to a goal, put that goal first in their lives and they don't walk away from the commitment because they are bored or tired or disappointed. They see those conditions as temporary, but their commitment as being permanent. I'm committed to being a healthy weight and I won't give up that commitment because it's hard or I'm tired today or am at a party. I might slip and I might binge once in a while, but my commitment is still there and that is what helps me to refocus my efforts the next day or the next week. You have waaaaaay more power than you think you do and you have waaaaay more willpower than you think you do too. Dig down deep and find it.
This was a great post and true in a lot of ways. The problem with willpower when it comes to dieting is you are fighting with yourself. So in a battle of will to eat what you want vs the diet will who is going to win? What if regardless of renewed commitment each day the will to eat edges out your diet will more days than it doesn't?
The least path of resistance doesn't rely on more willpower it relies on less. Why fight with yourself anymore than is needed? Take care of your hunger. Take care of your cravings. Take care of whatever you need to so that at the end of the day you are happy and satisfied. If you are not, try and learn what to do different tomorrow and keep learning so that you won't be at odds with yourself. Don't get too stuck on a single notion and learn to compromise.
I think it's more of an issue of your present self vs. your future self. Are you willing to sacrifice in the present to reap the gains in the future? ...or do you sacrifice your future for immediate gratification?1 -
I think it's more of an issue of your present self vs. your future self. Are you willing to sacrifice in the present to reap the gains in the future? ...or do you sacrifice your future for immediate gratification?
I think the problem many people see isn't about sacrifice in the present for future success, it's about sacrifice in the present for no discernable gain down the line. Many peoples' experience of deferred gratification is that the deferment is permanent and the gratification never arrives.0 -
I think it's more of an issue of your present self vs. your future self. Are you willing to sacrifice in the present to reap the gains in the future? ...or do you sacrifice your future for immediate gratification?
Last I checked my future self isn't here to help me today. Nope when I have struggled it was with me vs me. Oh and if I am hungry eating chicken and broccoli satisfies that hunger making it immediate/instant gratification.
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Iamnotasenior wrote: »I get this but I really don't think people really have a realistic idea of when they are "out of willpower". You really have no idea of how strong you really are until you push yourself past whatever your perceived "limits" are. That's the true "awakening" of a human being to their true potential. You don't achieve anywhere near what you are truly capable of by telling yourself "well I'm all out of willpower for today". I guess we should redefine what "willpower" really is. It's not some substance that you are given a ration of each day. The word willpower means that I have the power to do these things (or not do these things) because I have decided that I WILL! All of us have had, at some point in our lives, had that experience of doing something strictly because someone has told us that it cannot be done, so we go out and do it just to show them. What really makes us successful in life is not willpower, but commitment. People who are committed to a goal, put that goal first in their lives and they don't walk away from the commitment because they are bored or tired or disappointed. They see those conditions as temporary, but their commitment as being permanent. I'm committed to being a healthy weight and I won't give up that commitment because it's hard or I'm tired today or am at a party. I might slip and I might binge once in a while, but my commitment is still there and that is what helps me to refocus my efforts the next day or the next week. You have waaaaaay more power than you think you do and you have waaaaay more willpower than you think you do too. Dig down deep and find it.
Not sure I agree. This is all well and good if people have one goal and one committment, but they don't....they have lots of goals and lots of commitments and prioritization occurs but prioritization doesn't mean you just do one and ignore the rest, it means you find balance with the limited resource you have. I called that resource willpower, you want to call it commitment instead fine, but it is limited and the notion that you can just summon an infinite supply of time and energy by willing it to be so I do not subscribe to. Call me cynical, I think it is just being realistic.
Rather than pretend all you have to do is believe hard enough and you can accomplish anything I think it is more likely to lead to success if you are more realistic in your goals and make sure you resource them appropriately.2 -
garystrickland357 wrote: »I agree with the original premise of the OP in terms of willpower or whatever we call it being a limited resource. It also seems many folks have very specific connotations for some of the terms used here. I started thinking of this idea of limited resources in terms of bandwidth - something many of us can relate to in a digital world.
To me it works to think of each of us as having a limited amount of cognitive bandwidth at our disposal at any one time - there is only so much we can think about at once. This bandwidth is divided between decisions and thoughts about work, responsibilities, and diet or exercise choices. If we are doing something at work that requires most of our cognitive bandwidth, we may make a poor dietary choice because we literally lack the mental capacity to think about it too deeply. Later, when our cognitive load decreases, we beat ourselves up because we think of a reasonable choice we wish we might have made.
I'm thinking of something as simple as tying a shoelace or shooting a free throw. In the beginning it requires a great deal of thought (cognitive bandwidth) to learn one of these skills. The reason we practice though is that as we gain muscle memory the cognitive bandwidth required for the activity decreases and the process is perceived as being "easy".
Isn't weight management similar in some ways? People use different strategies - predetermined food choices, keeping some items from the home, etc as a means to reduce the cognitive load required to make a choice that leads to their desired outcome. The habits we form are very much equivalent to the muscle memory example. Forming habits requires a good bit of cognitive bandwidth, but as a habit becomes ingrained it uses less bandwidth over time.
I hope this adds to the conversation. I wanted to throw it out there as another way of looking at things.
I think that is an excellent summary of the point I was trying to get across and said much more succinctly, thank you. In retrospect using such a loaded term as "willpower" may have been a mistake because I see a lot of misinterpretation of what my main point was on the basis of the use of that word being different for different people. I think bandwidth works nicely...has less emotion tied to it so it is less likely to get a strong negative reaction.4 -
Bumping as a reminder to myself to allocate my bandwidth with a view to my biggest priorities.1
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19 kilometers per day is great0
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Nice article. A strong willpower gives better results.0
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Just AWESOME THANK YOU.0
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