Willpower or Physiology?

Is willpower really a thing? I hear it all the time, “I just have no control when it comes to…” Insert your favorite food. Can you relate? I think we all can. Did you know many things go into our ability to control our diet?

Willpower is associated with behavior, but what if physiology is also playing a role here? Is it really all on you when you crave that sweet treat or can’t control your portion of pasta?

Physiology?

Blood sugar control, for example is something physiological that has nothing to do with willpower. Find out more about those physical changes in the blog “Desserts & Blood Sugar Control”.

Behavior?

Willpower is a complicated behavior when it comes to the food we eat. If I told you now, you can’t eat a donut, you are likely to want it more. So ask yourself, why are you avoiding that donut in the first place? Is it because you are trying to lose weight? Eat healthier?

The Secret

As a dietitian, I know a secret… it’s possible to have that donut and also lose weight and eat healthier. Because if you allow yourself to have the donut and know that if you ever wanted a donut, you could have it… that’s a powerful piece of knowledge. It allows you to stop focusing on the donut. Because the reality is, if you tell yourself you can’t have it, you will obsess on the donut. And most likely, once you do let yourself have a donut, you won’t eat just one, you will eat many. Because you will tell yourself, ‘after today, I won’t eat any more donuts’.

Recently, on my podcast “The Secret Life of Dietitians”, my co-host Amy Keller and I dished all about willpower “The Willpower Secret”. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. Here is a link to our website where you can also listen. CLICK HERE

If you struggle, you may want to have one of our dietitians take a look at what you are eating and see if there’s something that can help you take back some control… We are accepting new clients. Call 614-706-3495 or Schedule a discovery call today!