Why Willpower Will Not Help You To Lose Weight

     How many times have you been told that losing weight is easy and it's simply a matter of willpower? There are many diet plans available today that involve starving the body in order to lose weight. In nearly every case we are told that all we need is willpower to be able to stick to the diet and of course if we cannot stick to the diet we are made to feel as though we are weak and we are failures because we have no willpower.

What they never tell us is that sticking to such a restrictive diet is almost impossible because in most cases our bodies are missing out on vital nutrients they need. You see, our bodies are very good at telling us when they need something, but unfortunately sometimes, our thoughts become jumbled and we receive mixed messages about what our bodies actually need. This is why we then get emotional cravings for food. That's why restrictive diets that require willpower are always doomed to failure, because in the end we always have to give in at some point and as soon as we do give in we go back to our old eating habits and put all the weight back on (and sometimes even more).

So if willpower isn't going to help you, then what is? The answer is that you need to change the relationship you have with food so that you can continue to eat the foods you enjoy in sensible amounts. You will then be able to put together a weight-loss plan that you will be able to stick to. Now, before you panic, I need to tell you that I'm not talking about hypnotherapy or any sort of psycho-babble. I'm simply suggesting that it is possible to re-programme your mind in relation to how you think about food, so please don't go all scared on me here.

Think about it, the harder anything is to do, the more likely we are to fail, so why should losing weight be any different? If you have a horrible diet plan that you struggle to stick to, it is only a matter of time before you throw the towel in. So if you go on a really restrictive diet and spend hours toiling away in a gym, you are more or less doomed to fail from the word go. On the other hand if you have a healthy eating plan that allows you to eat the foods that you like, you are much more likely to be successful.

By changing the way you think about food in order to change the relationship you have with food, you can lose as much weight as you like, as fast as you like and keep it off without starving yourself to death and without going anywhere near a gym.

There are also other things you can do to help speed up weight-loss and again they are nothing to do with willpower. Here are just a few suggestions:

- Try eating 5 smaller meals each day instead of 3 large ones.
- Eat the largest portions during morning meals and reduce the size of portions as the day goes on.
- Drink plenty of water (about 8 glasses each day)
- Eat slowly.
- Do some exercise (even if it's only a brisk 30 minute walk 3 times a week).

Remember, It's not about willpower, it's about changing you relationship with food.

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