The Willpower Myth. Do You Need It?

The Willpower Myth. Do You Need It?

I want to set the record straight when it comes to willpower and weight loss.

I want to get right to the point.  If you struggle losing weight, and willpower is one of the things you believe holding you back, then I have good news for you.

(Please keep reading)

Let me make this extremely simple. You do not need willpower to lose weight!

Let me explain why…

We all know we have two parts of our brain…

Your conscious also referred to as the analytical side of the brain control about 10% of your behaviors including goal setting.   And your subconscious! It controls over 90% of your behaviors, habits, beliefs and it also controls your nervous system (heart beat, blinking eyes, breathing)

And here is where the confusion sets in.

Willpower is a conscious behavior that means it is not needed to lose weight.

However the biggest mistake we make is with our internal programming.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  You go out to eat and have a really fattening meal, or you blow off your work outs for a couple of days (cause you are busy) or just flat out get sick and all of a sudden you lose momentum. Your natural reaction is to say you have no willpower to work through these events.  Unfortunately this is life and stuff (keeping it clean) happens that has nothing to do with willpower.

The problem comes with telling yourself you have no willpower.

Why? (big time important)

Your brain take everything literally by telling yourself you have no willpower you actually shape and reinforce this negative image of yourself.  Remember if you tell your brain a lie loud enough, long enough it will believe it whether it’s good or bad for you!

So what’s the solution?

Focus on changing your self-talk, your internal image and your habits will follow.

Here is two simple steps to changing all three.

There are two very powerful ways to change your brains “Self Talk” or “Image.”

The first is to create and impress positive affirmations. The most obvious way to do this is writing them down. However, I see many people make a very big mistake when writing affirmations. They write them in the future tense.  Your subconscious does not know the difference between the past and the future; it takes everything literally.

So if you say,

I will exercise.

I will start eating healthy foods.

I will eat less food.

You subconscious supposes that you will take action or accomplish that goal sometime in the future. Instead you must state your affirmations in the now, or present tense:

I enjoy the benefits of exercise.

I have lots of energy.

I crave and eat healthy foods.

I am a fat burning machine.

I become satisfied very quickly.

The second way to create a new healthy image is through the use of visualizations. Visualization is simply the creation of a new idea or belief, where you paint or create a new scenario. The conscious or intellectual part of your mind responds to words on the other hand the subconscious responds to images, colors, sounds, smells and so on.   However most people do it all wrong. They might understand how a visualization works but the execution of it is done incorrectly therefore the lasting change so desired is not achieved.

In order for a visualization to have a lasting affect on the non-conscious it must be done while you are in an alpha-state of consciousness. You might recognize this state as you are driving, or reading a book and your mind wonders off. You will also go into this state right before you fall asleep or wake up. In this state of very light hypnosis your non-conscious becomes open to change and creativity.

Once you create these automatic positive thoughts and instill them in the subconscious part of your brain, they work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week…three hundred sixty five days a year!

The best way to get  into an alpha state is with the aid of a Hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy has proven itself to be a very effective means of permanently rewiring the brain. But one-on-one counseling sessions are so expensive, you’re telling yourself. Fortunately, there are affordable alternatives.  And the good news is that thanks to today’s technology, hypnosis can be performed extremely cost-effectively from the comfort and convenience of your own home.