11 Aug Is Weight Loss All About Willpower?

I was visiting family last week when an old friend popped by. We started talking about my work, and he said, “Well, weight loss is just about willpower really, isn’t it?”

“Actually, no, I totally disagree with that,” I replied. (This would become a statement our friend probably came to regret making!)

Here’s what I said, and why I feel strongly that weight loss is not simply all about willpower…

WHY WEIGHT LOSS IS ABOUT MORE THAN WILLPOWER

“Say I’m working with someone who isn’t getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep is disrupting the hormones that regulate their appetite, driving up their hunger levels and causing them to overeat. What makes more sense? Supporting them in getting better sleep, so they don’t experience such overwhelming hunger? Or just telling them to use willpower?”

“Or I’m working with a client who has an underactive thyroid, making it harder for them to lose weight. Do I push them to be more disciplined? Or do I work with them to improve their thyroid function so that their metabolism improves, making it easier to manage their weight?”

So many people come to us believing that it’s a lack of willpower preventing them from successfully managing their weight, but there is so much more to it than that. Often, these other factors aren’t things our clients are aware of until we start working with them.

“Also, there’s this tendency to live on bland and boring food when people focus on losing weight. No one derives joy from eating grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Or sad, flavourless salads. Pushing yourself to eat miserable meals and depriving yourself of the enjoyment of food takes willpower. I want my clients to eat delicious, satisfying meals that are simple to prepare. Then they don’t feel deprived and find it easy to continue eating healthily long-term.”

I also explained how the food environment we live in is constantly sabotaging us. Combine readily accessible, designed-to-be-addictive, ultra-processed food, with our evolutionary predisposition to seek out high-calorie foods, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Until the government clamps down on the food companies pushing these products, we are, on a population level, fighting a losing battle.

I feel passionately about this because I’ve met far too many women and men who blame themselves, thinking they lack willpower. The reality is, so many other factors are at the root of their weight challenges.

WORK WITH US

My team and I take a root cause approach to supporting people in losing weight and optimising their health. Our goal is to help you gain clarity on the factors that have prevented successful weight management in the past. And to create a tailored strategy to help you overcome those challenges and achieve long-term success. Rather than relying on willpower, we want to help you establish healthy habits that feel easy to stick to and become second nature.

Of course, self-discipline plays a role, but weight loss is about so much more than willpower.

If you’d like to speak with me about how we can help you improve your health, lose weight, and establish healthy habits that stick long-term, you can book a call with me here.