Components of Will Power
What do you think will power is? Do you think of it as some great mental power which directly controls unwanted behavior? Will power is actually a learned behavior, not something you simply have or don't have. You all have the ability to develop it! The following outline is from an book that still has some very valid ideas which promote will power. It is called How to Get Yourself to Stay on any Diet by Charles F. Wetherall.
- Decisiveness: I've already discussed this in a previous blog. It is by far the most important element to having success. You simply will not succeed until you have honestly made up your mind to follow through.
- Strength: This is the "muscle" of will power.
- Desire: Within the context of will power there has to be a 'wrenching" desire. You must want weight loss bad enough to make all the needed changes in your lifestyle to accomplish this goal.
- Focus: You need enduring focus to get to your goal. There has to be a genuine and deep commitment.
- Belief: There has to be a core belief you really can achieve this weight loss.
- Persistence: I call this "stick-to-it-ness.
From the list above what are your weakness? Every week I will continue to touch on one of these more in depth. Be prepared for the holidays!
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Posted by: Elizabeth | Nov 8, 2009 3:13:01 PM
Roy Baumeister at University of Florida has done lots of research on self control. He says it's like a muscle. It both can suffer from fatigue and can be strengthened. I think these concepts are overlooked when it comes to weight loss. Many dieters are doomed for failure because they assume they have no willpower. They think you either have it or you don’t, not realizing you can actually increase your willpower with the right tools. And wouldn’t the easiest diet be to strengthen your willpower, so that one day you wake up, able to calmly step away from a second helping or pass on dessert?
http://yodiet.com
“Find Your Willpower!”
Posted by: Elaine Murphy, BA, CNC | Jan 30, 2008 10:45:32 PM
Hi Ray,
You make a good point. I also have many clients that under eat in that same way.
It's like trying to run a car without any gasoline. There are still many that just plain overeat though too.
Posted by: Elaine Murphy, BA, CNC | Jan 30, 2008 10:36:01 PM
Hi Dr. Parker,
I totally agree with you, sooner or later we need some discipline with food intake. No diet in the world is the magic bullet.
Posted by: Ray Powell | Jan 29, 2008 10:58:57 PM
There are 30,000 diets out there. Half of them are dangerous and medically unsafe. What I find after practicing Bariatric medicine for over 10 years is that people do not eat. One of my main jobs day in and day out is that people don't eat all day long then they over eat once per day.
I have to explain to my patients that the human body is not a logical machine. It is a SURVIVAL MACHINE.
more to come.....
Posted by: Steve Parker | Jan 28, 2008 7:35:13 PM
I hope your blog becomes more widely read. Too many people underestimate the role of willpower in a weight-loss effort. Or worse yet, they say it isn't possible, it always fails, or "you don't need it with THIS diet."
-Steve Parker, M.D., author of "The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: Lose Weight, Feel Better, Live Longer"
www.Advanced MediterraneanDiet.com
Posted by: Elaine | Jan 28, 2008 1:02:34 PM
Hi Emily,
I have addressed health as a motivator on numerous other blogs.I personally think we can use both health and looks to keep the motivation high. The more solid reasons we have to lose weight the better. And, yes, accountability is big. It's probably why so many people join programs - they have to be accountable. It's important at some point to learn this for permanent weight loss! It's probably one of the many reasons why people gain their weight back.
Posted by: Jay | Jan 28, 2008 10:23:18 AM
Great blog, glad I found it.
Solid comments on will power.
www.jaycohen.blogspot.com
Posted by: Emily | Jan 28, 2008 9:09:10 AM
This sounds like great advice, though I would replace the concept of losing weight to meet a goal with eating better to be healthy. The difference is that one is short-term and the other long-term. One thing that has helped me a lot is accountability. When I have to either write down what I eat or report it to someone, it strengthens my will. Belief is key for me -- believing that how I eat will make a difference. Thanks for the blog!
Posted by: Elaine Murphy | Dec 21, 2007 10:57:49 AM
Hello Charles,
I totally believe the truth in all that you are saying. You should certainly do more books on weight loss! Your style is not only informative and valuable but fun to read as well! Thank you for adding more insight to the subject.
Posted by: Charles Wetherall | Dec 20, 2007 9:13:55 PM
Just because Jenny "works" for you this time there is no assurance it will work for you next time. And without an act of will -- a purposeful change in eating lifestyle -- it will not.
Willpower is, with respect to being overweight, an act of finality: you change the way you live because you are willing (and I might add, contented) to do so. There is no internal argument. You are wholly convinced of the need to substantially change the way you feel about food (or certain foods).
If you're really a student of this stuff, I suggest you read "The Act of Will" by Robert Assagioli. It's a powerful book and well worth the effort.
Posted by: Elaine | Nov 20, 2007 3:45:13 PM
It's great Jenny is working for you! Just make sure you do their maintenance to follow through because you will have to make those decisions once again! Also read my blog on "The Decision to Lose Weight" on October 6th.
Posted by: Laura | Nov 19, 2007 12:52:14 AM
Brian Wansink of Cornell thinks it's all about the number of decisions we have to make. The average person makes over 200 food-related decisions per day! We do have willpower, but each time we resist temptation, we "use up" a little. Making decisions uses glucose, and low glucose means hunger. For me, the solution was to go with Jenny Craig (lost 75 pounds in 9 months). No decisions here until you're ready to make them--buy food, microwave food, eat food, lose weight. No willpower required.
Posted by: Elaine | Nov 16, 2007 8:51:08 PM
Sorry, but that is the way the blogging fore mat is set up at ND. I have no control over it.
