Breathe Magazine

Most people view eating right and exercising as an exercise in willpower.  Many people also think that willpower is something you are born with: some have it and some don’t. 

Willpower is a mental muscle- the more you use it, the stronger it gets.  You can’t expect to just be able to resist your biggest culinary weakness, or hop out of bed and go to the gym everyday if you don’t start small.

Willpower is all about impulse control and immediate gratification.  Americans are the shining example of immediate gratification- we want everything fast, right now, the second we “need” it.  Emails, blackberries, fast food, credit cards- it all weakens our impulse control which then weakens our ability to say no to those sinful treats or that warm bed when we should be in the gym.

So how do you get more willpower? 

You work out your willpower muscle, just like you would any other.  Start small, and with the things that tempt you most.  If food is your issue, wait a few minutes before you dig into your meal.  Or put your fork down in between bites.  Or eat half, walk away, and finish a few minutes later.  Not every meal, mind you, but every once in a while to keep your willpower in check.  These little exercises will slow you down, and show that you control what and how you eat, instead of the food controlling you and you shovel it in before you even realized what happened.  You aren’t going to die of starvation- you’ll learn that you don’t need to give in and eat anything that’s set in front of you.  Then, when the big temptations come, you can say, “No, I don’t want any cake, I’ll wait until I get home and make something healthy.”

If making it to the gym is your hang up, you need to find out what is keeping you from it, and set your willpower sights on that obstacle.  Get sucked into work and can’t break away? Set an alarm every hour or two, and shut down your computer for 10 minutes, then get back to work.  The company will not implode, your emails will still be waiting for you, and it will be easier to shut it off, and actually get into the gym, when the time comes.  Not a morning person, but it’s your only time to make it to the gym?  Set your alarm, and when it goes off, get out of bed, touch the wall on the opposite side of the room, and crawl back into bed.  Getting used to getting up, even for a few seconds, will make it easier to will yourself to get out of bed and stay out of bed- and get your butt in the gym.

Give it a try.  Test your willpower every so often to keep it strong and healthy, so you can whip it out when you really need it.