I was talking to my mom on the phone today and we were talking about my going over my points by 89 points last week. She made a comment about “not having willpower” and that got me thinking….
Do people fail at weight loss because they have no will power? Or, do they fail because they are make poor decisions? And is there a difference between the two?
After pondering for a good hour, here is what I have come up with…
I think people fail at diets because they have no willpower. Diets, in my personal opinion, are something you go on for a temporary period of time. ie: Get the stomach flu go on the BRAT diet. Drop 5 lbs in 2 days, eat a cheese cube when you feel faint and only a cheese cube (Devil Wears Prada lovers will get the reference)
I think people fail at lifestyle changes because they are either not 1) committed or 2) made a poor decision(s). I think once you get over the hurdle of committing to the life style change there is no end in sight. Its not something you stop, it something you no longer commit to. And the decisions you make on a daily basis combined become your lifestyle.
Two years ago I decided to make a lifestyle change. I decided that I wanted to live a healthier life. I joined weight watchers because I know it had good tools for weight loss. I also adopted Clean Eating as a style of eating. A year later, I decided that I needed a break from the weight loss practices that I was following. For a year my goal has been maintenance. But I have not abandoned Clean Eating.
This past summer I decided that I wanted to resume my weight loss efforts. And last week I rejoined Weight Watchers because I have the most success when I use their tools to lose weight. Those tools are weekly meetings and the tracking software.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Weight Watchers is just a set of tools. They help me count and the meeting provide structure. I have to make decisions (good or bad).
So where am I going with this…..well. I don’t think my going over by 89 points was a matter of willpower. Mainly because I’m not on a “diet” that I will go off of when I reach my goal. I will scale my portions so that I won’t lose, but I’m not sure that much will change. It really didn’t over the past year. I think last week I made a some bad decisions (who knew that highballs were 7 points a piece!! now with points+). I don’t think it was a matter of my willpower. I went over my allotted points and I think there is more to weightloss than just the number of points.
What do you think? Does willpower play role in weightloss? Are commitment and willpower the same thing? Are bad decisions and lack of willpower the same thing?
I think the word “diet” itself is why people fall off. As someone who struggles with weight constantly, I personally know that I never stuck with any changes if I referred to it as a “diet”. To me, it’s a lifestyle change. The word diet to me seems temporary, when in reality dieting should be a permanent change which is why I see it more as a lifestyle change or readjustment. It still leaves room to have weeks where you are over 89 points in your case, but it doesn’t derail you entirely from your overall big picture.
I think people have the best intentions, take it too far, and loose that willpower. When I did WW (both times) I almost ALWAYS went over my points every week, but still lost or maintained. You said it yourself, you still lost a pound in the first week, even going over 89 points. It just goes to show you what a concentrated effort can make. When I track every bite, I might go over, but I still lose or maintain. It’s when I don’t track, that I gain, because I loose self control. I think if you take it TOO literally, you can’t maintain that focus long term, and go off plan. I find that being OP 5-6 days a week and then enjoying some splurges works best long term. Keep up the great work!
Interesting…I think they are different. I use willpower every time I encounter food. The commitment comes with the readjustment if my willpower failed.
Tabitha I think you hit the nail on the head.