Will Power Fatigue

Will power allows us to behave in ways that we would like, and to avoid behaviors that we would prefer to avoid. Competing with will power is desire and aversion. We desire to eat a second helping, or to splurge on a pizza. Some part of us is averse to the time and effort investment required to exercise. Applying will power is work, and like any other form of work, too much for too long is not sustainable.

I like to think in terms of will power in terms of Will Power Intensity, and Will Power Duration. If you are extremely averse to something it can take a great deal of will power to do it anyway. Likewise, if you have intense craving for a particular food, significant will power is required in order to pass it up. Over time, continually applying will power (especially high intensity will power) will break down your resistance, and you will likely snap, and give everything up all together.

fitUprising is designed to manage both Will Power Intensity, and Will Power Duration. The intensity of will power required to behave in the way that you would like can be managed through finding healthy things that you enjoy, forming habits, and by shaping your environment (among other things). These will be discussed in other posts. The remainder of this post talks about Will Power Duration.

Work, Rest, Work

While working with my therapist on weight loss, I learned this important concept: Work, Rest, Work

Athletes well know that allowing for recovery after a workout is an important part of any training regime. Give your body a rest, so that it does not break down, and will be fresh and ready to go next workout. This maxim also applies to mental processes. After a hard days work, it is important to rest your mind and body, so that you are fresh and ready to go the next day.

For my wight loss endeavors, I have applied the same principal. Monday through Saturday, I plan my eating and movement, weigh myself each morning, and make daily adjustments in order to meet my Saturday weigh-in goal. FitUprising is designed to make this process as low friction as possible, and to feel like gaining health rather than losing weight. But, there is a component of discipline involved. This discipline is important, but too much discipline for too long is destined to fail. We need a break. That is why I take Sunday’s off. I don’t schedule any movement, and I allow myself to eat what ever I like (although I try to be reasonable).

• WORK: Monday - Saturday: Diligently working toward health goals
• REST: Sunday: Take a break
• WORK: Sunday: Rested, and ready to attack the next week

A Small Gain On Your Off Day IS Progress

It is easy to think, “Hey, if I had not taken Sunday off, and gained that pound, I would be closer to my goal, I hate to take a step backwards”. I am here to tell you, that without that step backwards, it will be harder to continue your journey forward. When you are climbing a mountain, if you don’t step back every now and then, and rest, you may not make it to the top. For weight loss, we are here to make it to the top, which takes time, and rest.

I have actually started to schedule my weeks so that I lose more then my target weight for Saturday weigh-in, giving myself some weight “In The Bank”. Then on my Sunday off day, if I feel like bacon and eggs or a nice pizza, it is completely guilt free, and I know I have some weight to give back. This giving is rest. It is a break from will power, and it will make you feel like you don’t have to be perfect all of the time.

Keeping the Finish Line In Sight

When running a race, there is a finish line. You know your effort will be required for a finite amount of time. When you visualize the finish line, you keep going, because you know this level of effort won’t be required forever. You also know that you will feel the gratification, the reward, of putting in effort, and finishing the race.

I find the same dynamic to be true for weight loss. If I have a Saturday weigh-in, and I still have some weight to lose to meet my goal, I am able to plan a disciplined day, and stick with it, because the finish line is in sight. Knowing the following day is my off day, I know that even if I feel a bit hungry today, it is not the end of the world. I have a break coming up, the finish line is in sight. This makes it easier to finish strong.

Your Healthy Habits Help Keep Things Reasonable

All that being said, I also find that on my off day, I don’t feel like going totally crazy. My healthy habits that I have been developing lead me to a place that I don’t even feel like totally jumping off of a cliff. I don’t feel like eating a half-dozen doughnuts. I don’t feel like downing a pint of Ben and Jerrys. I may feel like a Pizza or a nice Mexican Dinner combination. I may feel like a bowl of Raisin Bran (or two). Those are fine, those are not jumping off of a cliff, those are taking a step back and resting.

Future related article

• Managing Resistance (both mental and physical)