ChefDude

I have no idea why, but I have a cast iron will power - much stronger than any sensible person should have.

there are a lot of people who talk about losing weight/stopping smoking/etc and i wonder what stops them succeeding? is it mostly environment? or wrongly wired brains?

Anyone have any super strong/p!ss poor weak stories of will power or comments on the human condition?

Saxo Boy

Often the problem is one of replacement. I would imagine that if you have cast iron strong will power it is also the case that your life is generally fairly "together" and you are generally content.

Most people that smoke, drink excessively, or overeat do not want that behaviour for themselves. They often try to give it up but that activity is replacing something that is missing from their lives.

I have had a fairly miserable few years and I have struggled with my weight. If you take the last year - which has been beyond brutal - there has been very little joy in my life. However, if I tuck into a big greasy pizza and chips there is a chemical dance in my brain. I feel it from the moment I take my first sniff to the moment I take my last bite. It's not a mental think, it's a chemical thing.

Now here is the problem, when you have little else to be happy about it is near impossible to deny yourself those tiny pleasures. For this reason many people cling to their vices.

I believe that if you want to fix a will power/addition problem then you have to find out what is making you miserable/uptight in the first place.

dpb

Im going to give up the booze for the summer just like last summer

Miniman

iTrader: (2)

I think it's a realisation of what you as a person can/cannot do. I set out a couple of years ago to lose a load of weight. While I know I can do it, I also know I'll not be able to stop eating Easter Eggs at Easter and too much food at Christmas, etc. Pretty much this was after 15 years of eating far too much of the wrong stuff, so it would definetly require will power to change.

But my goal wasn't short term and I knew that. On a weekly basis probably my activity level versus good eating looks crap, but I've not used that as an excuse to stop. On a yearly basis it's worked out well and I have lost a couple of stone and am much fitter.

I think far too many people will just give up at the first opportunity (ie too many Easter Eggs), whereas I realise that my instance short term will power is crap, but long term it's great. So you could say I've never given up (cast iron will power?) - others would say I give up on a monthly basis!

ChefDude

This makes sense to me.

Mollymoo666

iTrader: (1)

Will power has never been a problem for me, even though I have tried to convince myself that it is. About 10 years ago I dropped 5 stone through healthy eating and exercise, I bulked up a little to put a stone back on as I was too thin. For 8 years I maintained a healthy balance of diet, treats and exercise to stay within half a stone of the same weight. When I left my job 2 years ago I stopped bothering and over that period regained all the weight, stopped exercising and became unfit. The problem was that I was enjoying the lifestyle. I convinced my new gf that I had no willpower. Then in December the Docs informed me that some health problems I've been having are being massively exarcebated by my weight. I instantly decided that as soon as Christmas was out of the way I would drop the weight. Over Christmas I maintained the same weight by combining exercise with the usual excesses of food and drink. On the 5th of January I changed all my food habits and started swimming and cycling. 1/2 a stone is already gone with plenty more to go. Suddenly my imaginary will power issues have disappeared

dpb

Thats the dopamine isnt it - you dont actually even need to take a mouthful

GlesgaKiss

Ever written one of those life story posts and then decided at the last minute not to post it? I just did.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Yes it is dopamine - you just need to find different ways of triggering it.

Saxo Boy

I did.

I wore a solid inch of my length and went blind.

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

Decided after seeing myself in a couple of magazine interviews that I had to lose a bit of beef, that was end of December, went on low cal diet 1st Jan and have just over a stone off so far. I dont see it as will power, more resolving to see something through to an end.
I have a rough figure in my head of what I want to lose and once I am happy there, I will begin introducing a more "normal" eating lifestyle again. Dont get me wrong, I had a couple of slices of pizza on Sat night but have found an hour most evenings to get out and walk/run has made the biggest difference.
As soon as my three daughters are in bed, I leave the wife in peace for an hour and off I go.
So far so good, a couple of inches off the waistline already and trousers and belts are into the tightest notch and still a little room to play with.
Will power, nah. Desire, definitely.

ChefDude

before this gets out of hand, you'd better specify which magazine

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

Im a bloke so dont be getting any ideas!

JTaylor

I thought it said Brenda76.

davegtt

Its not about will power, its about keeping occupied, most of these things we need to quit are habits and routine. Its finding stuff to keep the time and mind busy and away from the vice

Wish

iTrader: (2)

I gave up smoking and it was really really hard but i did it and that was over 15 yrs ago.
I gave up drinking alcohol 18 that was easy as I didn't really like the smell or taste.


I now want to loose weight and have done for 2 yrs but I just can't do it :-(

Luan Pra bang

Thing is the draw of certain things is stronger for some than others. I stopped smoking and drinking last year as I decided that I wanted to try for once to be genuinly fit and healthy. Smoking was hard drinking strangely was very easy. With regard to eating I found that when training 4 days a week at the gym it was easy to eat healthy as you were losing the benefit of hard work if you don't.

PaulC72

I enjoy food too much to want to give up eating, the fact I am getting fatter from it is only a byproduct of which I am not too bothered about.

I am very content with my life and my job as I enjoy both but I don't smoke/drink either.

Jamescsti

I lost just under 3 stone last summer I found that the first week was the hardest, I gave up eating bad food completely, no take away or fast food, no chocolate, switched to sugar free drinks.
First week I felt $hit, really bad, clearly it was my body detoxing from all the rubbish I had put in. After that I felt better than ever.
I imagine it is the same what ever you are giving up be it alcohol ( I don't really drink either) or smoking.
Part of my motivation was people commenting on how much weight I had lost, I just have to think about how I used to be to stop me reaching for the take away menus

Luan Pra bang

Its an interesting but little talked about fat that while some people are fat due to bad diet some will find it almost imposssible to remove any significant number of fat cells. For many dietng causes the muscle mass to shrink and fat level to stay the same, you can shrink a fat cell but it is almost impossible to permanently get rid of one with out a proper bit of starvation or drug use.

dpb

Indeed ,and another is the less you eat and the more you exercise the less chance of laying down fat to start with