Willpower

[lorisparkle]

I know I maybe asking the impossible but I am really after some tips for increasing my willpower.

Depends what your weaknesses are and your lifestyle. But probably going to be just the basics.

I don't need willpower since cutting out most processed food. Within a week all my food cravings were gone.

So the main problem is when I come home from work and start cooking tea. I snack on whatever I can find.

I do also struggle not to eat the biscuits at work!

I’ve been trying to lose weight for what feels like my whole life. Not overweight but have about two stone that I’d feel a lot better without.

My problem is peanut butter. I’ve just eaten a kilo of it in a week. Not even on anything, with a spoon. I’ve tried not buying it, I’m moody and grumpy so give in.

No advice but looking for tips. I’m usually okay with my meals but the grazing just gets me. How do people stick to their meals? I’m like a frigging goat.

I hate to say this as it might come across quite evangelical and I don't mean it to. But if you can reduce ultra processed foods as much as possible it might surprise you.

Dr Chris van Tulleken did an 'experiment' where his diet was 80% UPFs (like a lot of the population). What particularly interested me was his brain scans afterwards. New neurological pathways had been created in the reward centres in his brain, which basically means the more UPFs he ate, the more he wanted, and the more reward pathways were created, which created this vicious cycle similar to addiction.

So don't be down on yourself about 'willpower', it's not that you're weak or not disciplined enough. But most prepackaged foods are UPFs, and they're changing the wiring in your brain to make you want more.

Our options at supermarkets are mostly UPFs, so it is insanely difficult to stop completely. But speaking on a personal level, once I realised that having one biscuit would make me want the second and the third, it was easier to not have the first iyswim. If I want a snack I try and find something that has less than five ingredients, and it's been a gradual changeover and awareness of the effect on the brain for me that has inadvertently helped with the 'willpower' side of things too. It's not about 'making healthy choices' (I eat way too much cheese ) but avoiding that rewiring in the brain that goes on when you eat processed food, and just keep eating.

@Sparklfairy that sounds really interesting. I will try giving up biscuits and other UPF and see if that helps. Biscuits really are my downfall and then once I have one biscuit, I want to graze even more.

@orangegato the snacking is terrible for me too. I have 3 teenage ds who are all tall, thin and eat for England! It means we have a lot of food around the house.

to eat non UPF means eating eggs, meat, fruit, cheese.

It’s impossible to overeat good food, it’s only the nutritionally defunct UPF everyone can overeat.

If you tried to eat a whole plate of cheese, you would give up very very soon if you didn’t have any bread / crackers. Same with eggs and meat, it’s almost impossible to overeat them (so long as not mixed with some UPF food such as fries).
Its not your willpower, it’s the highly addictive food you are exposing yourself to

Read 'Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson and the ultra processed food theory is really well explained.

Honestly I was the world's worst snacker but changed to his way of eating recently and have zero appetite between meals. Never thought I'd ever say that! No wheat, corn, sugar and low carb high fat.

Following.

Also following.

It is so true - crisps and biscuits are so easy to just eat and eat. Roasted veg and chicken for lunch today and hopefully the boys have eaten all the junk!

How much weight do you need to lose @lorisparkle

I need to shift 3 stone.

@JimiChoux I have got the last stone to lose. I was incredibly lucky growing up and could eat what I wanted but since lockdown (when I gained 2 stones) and now menopause the weight seems to go on really easily and is tough to shift. I am also having problems with UTIs and some people suggest cutting out sugar, caffeine and alcohol is really useful. Unfortunately I have a terribly sweet tooth so I am looking for willpower!!!

I have a 'savoury tooth' if that's even a thing sharing bags of crisps are my downfall. If the bag was magic and bottomless I'd be in big trouble!

Once I broke that cycle and realised I wanted more because my brain wanted another 'hit' - not because I was hungry or because 'it tastes so good' it became easier.

I'm not sure if you know, but UPFs are all designed to have the same 'magic' carb/fat ratio as breast milk, which I not only find grim, but vile trickery tbh. Appealing to a basic instinct we had as babies to essentially trick us into eating too much and making food manufacturers more money.

The sugar / fat thing is fascinating. When I was baking and creaming the fat and sugar together. I was thinking how a spoonful of sugar and fat separately are not that appetising but very easy to eat when mixed together.

Don't give up the things you want to eat and you're not a failure for having a few biscuits or whatever it is.

All these things you like can be worked into a healthy balanced diet, or seek out the lower calorie versions like fibre one bars the new cadbury delight bars for example, are they as good, no. But they hit the spot all the same. Restriction leads to binges and relapses.

I agrée with pp saying cut out upfs and sugar as far as possible. And the book recommendations. My tuppence worth is 1) have a low carb, filling breakfast like eggs or Greek yoghurt and nuts - makes a HUGE difference to me (even porridge make with proper rolled oats and no sugar or honey spikes by blood sugar and means I'm hungry by 11 and on the carb rollercoaster all day. 2) eat more lunch! I used to be ravenous when I got home after work and would stuff snacks. Eating more (of good quality food) ultimately meant I ate less

Do online shopping, not in-store. Get used to only putting healthy foods in your basket, no trigger foods (so for me chocolate is a trigger - once I start I can't stop so I don't buy it anymore)
Try fasting - this may sound extreme but I now have only one meal a day as my appetite has diminished so much. Once I start eating (so if i have breakfast) I get ravenous so I find it easier to just skip breakfast - then I found I didn't mind skipping lunch either. It'll take a few weeks to get used to but once you crack it you'll feel amazing.
Drink lots of water - always have a glass on the go, add ice and lemon if you don't like the taste. Staying hydrated will help fight off hunger pangs.
Look at slimming world recipes for low fat ways of cooking everyday meals. Basically centres around lean meat/no oil/butter etc. lots of veg.
You can still have carbs but I've found largely cutting them out (I still have the odd jacket potato) really helps curb my appetite - bread/pasta are other appetite triggers for me and I feel crap after I've eaten them.
When you feel like calling for a takeout, stop and ask yourself how you'll feel after you've eaten it (if you're anything like me that's greasy, bloated and disappointed in myself). Go for a walk, paint your nails, have a bath instead.

I find looking at weightloss/health accounts on Instagram very motivational.

Eat out or have a cheat meal once a month and have a few low calorie drinks (I have slimline g&t - much lower in cals than wine) - I do and am still consistently losing weight. Making healthy swaps means you don't have to deny yourself. If we go for Indian I have chicken tikka (no sauce) with salad and share a rice with dh. Before I'd eat 2 types of fat-loaded curry with loads of sides. and instead of having pasta when we go to the Italian near us I have steak and salad and share a pudding.

The more you eat the more you want (especially junk food). You have to break the habit of constantly snacking and yes, it requires a lot of willpower at first. Tell yourself it'll be hard and you'll feel hungry but that's ok - you can do it!