14. How To Lose Weight and Create Healthy Habits Without Willpower

Everyday, one way or another you exert willpower. But why do we struggle with it even if we use it so often? Many people believe that they can improve their lives if only they had more willpower.

Today I’m talking about willpower on the podcast, the role it has in your life, the part that it plays in your relationship with food, and how to create health habits without willpower.

Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle that gets tired and decreases power to be used for other things. I hope you listen in and join me on this podcast to know more about this topic and how you can use it to your advantage.

• [02:42] Willpower is like a muscle that can get fatigued when overused.
• [03:46] There are many studies that show that willpower can be strengthened with practice. This can be done through habit formation.
• [03:58] One study shows that people with strong self-control spend less time resisting desires than other people did. People with good self control mainly use it to develop effective habits and routines at school and at work. Habits eliminate the need for will power and self-control.
• [04:31] Habits help us to conserve brain power and self-control. It takes self-control to establish the habit but once that habit is in place, you’re good to go.
• [04:55] You are the sum of your habits - those things that you do consistently. Your health and wellness are not destinations. It’s a way of eating and living on a daily basis; doing those small things day in and day out  on an ongoing journey to be your best.
• [05:36] The habit loop is the habit form process which consists of three things: 1) trigger, the thing that triggers your habit; 2) routine, it’s the behaviour itself or the action you take; 3) the reward is the benefit you get from the behavior.
• [07:45] If you want to get good at something, be consistent with it.
• [09:08] Habit stacking is one of the most powerful ways to build new habits without relying on willpower.
• [09:40] It is possible to create eating habits without willpower.
• [11:50] The power of micro habits is in gaining momentum. Momentum creates motivation.
• [12:20] The great thing about creating habits is that it gives you momentum in other areas of your life too.
• [13:05] Your environment is stronger than your willpower. Environment or location is the most explosive trigger of mindless habits.
• [14:40] Most of the time, your habits and behaviours are simply a response to your environment.

 

Links

 

• Unbreakable Book
• Episode 4: How To Lose Weight Without Diet or Exercise
• Episode 11: 5 Sneaky Habit Triggers that Derail Your Weight Loss
• The power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
• Willpower - Roy Bauwmeister