Why Willpower is not an Effective Weight-loss Technique

When attempting to lose weight, there are certain motivators you can use to ensure that you achieve your goal. For most people, this is willpower because they believe they can achieve their weight loss goals by strictly avoiding eating certain foods, following various weight loss rules and sticking to them for a certain period of time. However, various studies conducted on the issue of willpower and weight loss have suggested that you might be fighting a losing battle by using willpower to push you through the weight-loss process. The following is a look at why willpower isn’t the key to losing weight:

It is a short-term solution

Generally, willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations so as to achieve long-term objectives. Willpower might therefore help you to lose weight over a short period, but it becomes very unrealistic in the long-run. For example, if you believe the only way to lose weight is by avoiding eating carbohydrates , there is a high chance of success in the short run. However, unless you plan on resisting the urge to eat carbohydrates for the rest of your life, then your plan is flawed. Since weight loss is a long-term goal, where you have to lose weight and then maintain it, willpower is not an effective solution.

Physiological scientists have stated that willpower is a limited resource, which can be depleted within time. Therefore, you might have a very strong willpower that pushes you through the weight loss process, but there is always the risk of it dying out. The problem with this is that the moment your willpower fails, your body will start compensating for all the times you failed to indulge. Without willpower to hold you back, chances are you will end up gaining more weight than you have lost.

It makes the weight loss process harder

The essence of willpower when it comes to weight loss is to deny your body the food and treats it craves most. While this can be an effective technique if your willpower lasts long enough, the strain placed on denying your cravings might impact negatively on your weight loss progress. When you use your willpower to control what you eat, it makes the weight loss process appear to be a hard one. This makes it easier to give up on your weight loss goals since they appear unattainable.

What is the alternative to willpower?

With willpower being an ineffective weight loss motivator, it is necessary that you find a solution that works. Fortunately, there are other alternatives that you can use to help you achieve your weight loss goals. Below is a look at some of them.

Change your eating habits

Instead of relying on willpower to resist the temptation to indulge in the wrong types of foods, you can change your eating habits. Develop a healthy eating habit, where you only consume Healthy food . Habits once developed are not easy to stop. Therefore, once you start eating healthy, it will be easier to maintain the habit than having to rely on willpower.

Figure out your motivators

Another alternative to willpower is to find a strong motivator that pushes you to lose weight without straining your efforts. For example, if your weight loss goal is to become healthy, you will have a strong motivation to carry on.

Set realistic goals

The only reason you would need willpower is if the weight loss goals you have set are not realistic. Realistic weight loss goals are easy to achieve, and they will motivate you to achieve more. Therefore, you can always raise the bar a little higher after you achieve your goals. This is more effective than setting hard-to-achieve goals.

Avoid your temptations

Instead of trying to resist temptations, a more effective solution would be avoiding them. For example, if your temptation is to eat fast foods , a better solution than using willpower is to avoid buying them. As long as you do not come into contact with your temptations, you won’t need to use a tremendous amount of willpower to avoid consuming them.

Must Read: 5 Simple Ways to Eat More and Lose Weight at the Same Time

When attempting to lose weight, it is easy to believe that the only way you can succeed is by having a great amount of willpower to push you through. However, such a plan is designed to fail in the end as it leads you to believe that success is extremely hard to come by. You can easily succeed in losing weight by focusing on your goals, having a positive attitude and developing healthy habits.