How many of us have sworn off sugar, sweets, bread, French fries, or something else in an absolute manifesto to the world that for X amount of days you will be perfect…only to actually make it 1 or 2 days?
Yea, me too. : (
So I started thinking about why we put so much pressure into the idea that we must have this massive amount of will power to resist temptation in order to reach our goals or to slim down?
Let’s take a look at will power more closely: Will power is like a muscle – it can increase in strength with time and practice, but it also has it’s limits – and if it is getting flexed every time you see something that you have sworn off – whether in real life, on TV, on social media, or where ever – it gets worn down.
And that’s not the only thing that wears it down – it can also be worn out by nonfood situations. Studies show we spend up to three hours a day resisting impulses like sleeping in instead of going to the gym, or splurging on a nice pair of shoes instead of saving for the trip we want to take in a few months.
Every type of ‘will power’ draws from the same mental place, and that will power muscle gets tired by the end of the day!
Then, when it gets tired and we succumb to temptation, we bash ourselves with talk like, “I’m not disciplined enough,” “I’m not motivated enough,” “I’m not organized enough,” or “I’ll never reach my goal.”
All of which tell us we aren’t enough. And that’s simply not true!
What’s more, add this negative self talk to the can’t’s you’re placing on your world – I can’t eat this, I can’t have that – and these restrictions add more stress to your body, which adds more cortisol to your systems, which makes you crave sugary, fatty foods…the exact thing we are trying to avoid! Ahh!!!!!
So, instead of focusing on the idea that you need more will power, I want you take power by allowing yourself not to be perfect, by allowing yourself moderation, and by allowing yourself to purposefully pause to choose whether you want a few bites or not. This purposeful pause should only take about 5-10 seconds, and during that 5-10 seconds you should be asking yourself, ‘Do I really need this? Is there something else that will satisfy me and make me feel better in the long run?’
This purposeful pause is a short amount of time but it can make huge difference in the way you resist indulges and impulses.
This is by no means a free pass to indulge whenever you feel like it. But in the case that you do have a few bites, your mentality does not go to a place of defeat. Rather, it comes from a place of power and ownership.
And remember, if you do have 1 Swedish fish, or 1 Timbit, that does not mean you should throw in the towel and eat the rest of the bag! One will not make or break your goals, if you don’t make it a habit. Take ownership of it and make the rest of the day great.
Final thought: Stop obsessing about will power and start making empowered choices.
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