Don't worry about willpower, distract yourself

Poor willpower is unavoidable. It is in short supply, and the area of the brain where it is stored has a lot of other jobs to fuss over, so willpower tends to get the short straw. It is inherently unreliable. We need other strategies.

A famous piece of research, the Marshmallow Test, by Walter Mischel of Columbia University, shows that the ability to distract yourself is really helpful in achieving your goals. He invited young children the chance to eat one marshmallow now, or to wait 20 minutes and get an extra marshmallow later on. Some succumbed to eating now, but those who held out were using their powers of distraction.

When we are making plans to lose weight, the goal is in the future, but the temptations are now. We need to find ways to keep that long term goal in sight. Distraction is one way. (This is a cognitive behavioural technique.)We all know that we eat less when we are really busy and focused. So what things allow you to get really involved? Finding one may make all the difference.

Another good cognitive behavioural technique has been developed by Peter Gollwitzer of New York University. He has identified that short strategic implementation plans make all the difference. For example, if your goal is to cut out snack foods at home, then he suggests making If Then plans. Find out the problem situation, such as coming home from work tired and snack-focused. So maybe the answer is, If I come home from work tired, then I shall put a ready meal in the oven, and go for a walk for 10 minutes. What If Then statements might help you?

And hypnosis will help you embed them so deeply that they become automatic. Great.

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Our bodies don't like diets

If you have ever dieted, you will know about the weight loss plateau. That weight level that seems to stick, even though you are still being careful about what you eat. This weight loss plateau is one of the reasons why dieters get frustrated - so much care and control and you stay the same weight. The thought comes to mind "Why bother?" and we can all sympathise with that.

Rudulph Leibel of Columbia University has shown that there is a biological mechanism that tends to defeat efforts to reduce our weight. What happens is this: When the body sees that food is getting short, it reduces its metabolism, often rapidly and substantially, in order to keep you fit to survive these hard times - with enough body fat to keep you ready for efficient reproduction. Your body is really only interested in this part of you!

So as you reduce your food intake, your body is reducing the calories it needs for maintenance, and so you are chasing a moving target. So diets don't work.What can you do?

Small, regular changes to your eating habits will avoid the big weight changes (5%-10% of body weight) which trigger this effect. Increasing your activity even just a little will also help. Get yourself a pedometer and check how many steps a day you are doing, and do a bit every day to increase the steps within your normal daily behaviours.

www.carolinebrowntherapy.com