Source: http://summertomato.com/iron-willpower/
Photo by Kalexanderson
“I need to get motivated.”
“I need to stop being so lazy.”
“I wish I had her determination.”
“I need to just DO IT.”
I constantly hear people saying these things when they talk about eating better, exercising, or losing weight.
It’s also ingrained in the psyche of our culture. “No pain, no gain.”
Of course, these are all just different ways of saying you wish you had more willpower.
I get it. Willpower is an amazing thing sometimes. And having a strong reserve of it certainly has its advantages.
But there are also serious disadvantages.
I spend a lot of time here on Summer Tomato talking about how willpower doesn’t work for long-term goals. That our brains are built to run on habits, and that self-control should be used sparingly since it takes up so much mental energy.
Whether you agree with this premise or not (apparently this guy doesn’t), today I want to show you that even if you could get healthy through the strength of your iron will, you shouldn’t want to.
I know, because I have really strong willpower. And I used it ruthlessly for 15 years.
When all the other ki…