Willpower

I heard a great interview on public radio this past weekend with the author of a book published Aug 2011 called "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength". They were discussing willpower and weight loss and I thought there were a few very interesting points that I would share. 

1. People who give themselves continuous feedback on results are more likely to succeed. One study showed that people who weighed themselves everyday were more successful at losing weight than those who only weighed themselves once a week. It certainly has been my experience (see blog below).
2. In order for your brain to function optimally and exercise willpower, it must have glucose. If you are not getting enough nutrition, than your resolve will weaken; a dietary Catch-22. This sounds like one more good reason to eat back those exercise calories and ensure your daily calorie deficit isn't too low. 
3. The author mentioned that the people with the best success set moderate, reasonable goals, like 1 lb a week. This goal would also ensure that brain's getting enough fuel. 
4. People that exhibit the most willpower construct their lives to routinely avoid situations that test their resolve and so they have a store of willpower for when they really need it. 

The discussion was intriguing and made me add the book title to my "want to read" list.