Why Willpower Doesn't Work - Part 2

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. - Mark Twain

In my previous post, I discussed how knowledge and willpower is often not enough to reach your goals. Lasting, sustainable results come from changing your behavior patterns.

Changing your habits is challenging and requires persistent effort and hard work. On average, it takes about 21 days or 3 weeks to form a new habit. When we break down how change happens, it actually involves a 6 step process.

1. Pre-Contemplation: A person who denies or fails to recognize the problem. "Hey, that's not fat, it's muscle."

2. Contemplation: Being "on the fence." Acknowledging the problem without being ready to change it. "So what if my pants are tight, the ladies still love me."

3. Preparation: Getting ready to change. "All right, I'm ready to get motivated. Let me call Mary and make an appointment."

4. Action: Changing behavior and actually "doing it." "Wow, eating healthy never seemed so easy. This plan Mary put together for me is brilliant!"

5. Maintenance: Not falling off the wagon and "living it." "Eating healthy is just like brushing my teeth everyday. If I don't do it I feel gross."

6. Termination: The behavior has been tamed and no longer poses a threat. "I'm a lean, mean, muscle machine."

When folks try to go directly to action too quickly without being ready for it, they often relapse or return to their bad habits as quickly as they vowed to change. We then often beat ourselves up for being so "weak" or not having any willpower when in reality change is a process. We need to change our mindset from one of immediate action and automatic success to one of progress in which we advance from one stage to the next. Sometimes we relapse or fall back into our old behavior and might have to revert to a previous stage of change and re-evaluate. The trick is to get up, dust yourself off, get back on the healthy eating horse, and keep moving forward.

If you're ready to make some changes in your nutrition but need some help, contact me for an appointment today. An investment in your health is always a good one.

Why Willpower Doesn't Work - Part 1

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.

- Unknown Author

The other day when I was in the locker room of my local "Globo gym", I overheard a conversation between two other ladies. One said to the other:

"Wow, your spot on the floor in the aerobics class has gotten really popular."

"Yeah I know. I hardly get to stand in my spot anymore. Other people keep taking it."

Okay, you might be scratching your head right now if:

A. You're not a woman, and
B. You've never taken an aerobics class before

While some of you may be slightly perplexed at this notion of staking an imaginary claim on the floor (and getting upset when others don't respect it), we see the same thing happen when at school or a conference where seats aren't assigned. We tend to sit in the same spot even though we aren't required to. Yes, we're definitely creatures of habit. This can be a good thing when our habits are supporting our goals and not such a good thing when our habits become detrimental to a healthy lifestyle.

In terms of nutrition, we all know what healthy habits we should be following. Eat more fruit and vegetables, limit fast food, drink alcohol in moderation, etc, etc...

In theory the concept is simple. In reality the execution is challenging.

Why? Because overcoming our natural inclination to be a couch potato and eat delicious, calorie-laden food is difficult. Knowledge and willpower is not enough. We must retrain our brain so that we change the root of our behavior.

Changing our habits is crucial because seeing the results of our efforts takes more than 1 day. Do you expect your body to be magically transformed after doing 1 workout? I hope not but if you do I think I figured out who's buying all those exercise products off of infomercials. It's the same thing with nutrition. Eating one healthy meal doesn't solve all your problems and eating one "unhealthy" meal doesn't cause all your ills. It's all about consistency.

So how do we go about changing our habits? Most behavior change involves 6 stages. Stay tuned for my next post where I'll reveal the steps to making lasting healthy habits.