Creating Willpower

Creating Willpower


May 16, 2010 by Joe Gigantino
What is willpower? Have you ever tried to define it?

My guess is no. In fact I believe the reason we don’t ask this question is because we can blame willpower if we don’t follow through with our goals. We prefer to allow the mystery to exist. Haven’t we all heard someone say that they either didn’t have enough willpower or somehow lost their willpower?

Many of us still believe that willpower comes and goes with the wind. It’s unpredictable with uncertain loyalty. Although it seems rather odd, I witness many people using willpower as an excuse to cushion their fall from reaching goals.

Willpower: is energetic determination…and that’s it!

The first thing we all need to realize is that willpower is available to each and every one of us. It’s not handed out at birth based on your genetic blueprint or later in life based on size or smarts. It’s truly there for the taking and it’s FREE. It’s important to realize that based on your lifestyle (conditioned or habitual behavior) you should be able to determine your level of willpower.

What do I mean by this? Well, I ‘m sure we all understand that the longer we habitually do something a certain way, it is that much more difficult to change. Whether it’s sleeping patterns, watching TV, exercise or how we eat.

Examples:

For the person who routinely gets up at 6:00am and starts their day off with a brisk walk; it would be reasonable to assume that they would have the willpower to successfully begin an early morning workout program with a trainer at the gym. Another person who routinely sleeps in would be at a different willpower level and would most likely fail if they tried to establish the same early morning training program at the gym. A more realistic expectation would be for the latter person to gradually build their willpower by setting their clock to get up a half hour earlier each day. As this first step becomes conditioned (usually 3-4 weeks) they then are ready for the next step. Along with my first person that regularly got up early, they too (after 3-4 weeks) are now ready for the next step in their progression to reach their health and fitness goals; to lose weight, get fit etc.

I have personally used this system of creating willpower to accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself. These simple steps of progression can make huge differences! Understanding the concept of willpower can make great positive influences on your life.

Stop saying “I don’t have” or “I can’t” and start saying, “I do have the willpower to…” “I will!”

As we begin a new week, my hope is that each one of us recognizes exactly what level we’re on. Let’s “set our alarm clocks ½ hour early”.

As you prepare yourself for the next step, we would enjoy hearing from you. Leave your comments so we all can benefit on how ‘creating willpower’ is bringing you closer to your goals!

The Feet God Gave Us Are Best!

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 158th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, MAY 18 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.

Segments include:

*Sole Runners. For decades, new models of running shoes have boasted ever-greater amounts of padding, cushioning, support systems, high-tech gel and air pockets, and fatter, wider, thicker soles. Runners welcomed the ever-more-complicated and ever-more-expensive new models with open arms, happy to spend up to several hundred dollars a pair. So why is the biggest movement in running suddenly all about less cushioning, or even running barefoot, with no padding at all? Some maintain there has never been any evidence that more and more padding prevents, or even reduces, the number of running injuries. And a group of runners who insist that the less padding the better – that the human foot is designed to run most effectively with direct contact to the ground--is gaining more and more followers. Correspondent Bernard Goldberg explores this hot-button topic and looks for answers to why less is more. Interviews include author and running enthusiast Christopher McDougall; Harvard University scientist Dr. Daniel Lieberman; and Nike footwear design director Tobie Hatfield and Nike senior researcher Jeff Pisciotta.

Invisible Shoes are a modern spin on the traditional barefoot running sandal — durable, stylish and affordable — and so light and low-profile it’s like you’re not wearing anything.

Thanks to Chris McDougall’s inspiring and exciting best-selling book, Born to Run, runners are discovering the magic of barefoot running.

Many people describe how barefoot running has improved their running, healed old injuries, strengthened their feet and legs, turned flat feet into feet with arches, and much more.

The biggest problem with barefoot running, not surprisingly, is all the stuff on the ground that can hurt and cut your feet, plus all the dirt you have to wash off when you’re finished running.

That’s why you’ll want a pair of Invisible Shoes.

In his book, Chris describes huaraches, the running sandals of the Tarahumara Indians: a strip of rubber from an old tire and some string or lace to hold it on.

Invisible Shoes are a hi-tech but inexpensive version of huaraches made with modern materials.

All our huaraches are made with the 4mm Vibram Cherry sole material. This professional-grade rubber is used on shoes costing hundreds of dollars, and is built to last. It has one smooth side for your feet, and a lightly patterned bottom for traction. So far nobody has outworn the soles of their Invisible Shoes. The 4mm gives great protection, whether you’re running streets or trails, while also providing the most barefoot feel you can possibly get.

We also make our huaraches with colorful polypropylene and nylon lace. They’re soft, strong, don’t stretch, are waterproof and, maybe best of all, look really cool. Plus, they keep your cost down.

You can have fun with the DIY huarache project by getting the Invisible Shoe Kit, or you can have us make your Custom Invisible Shoes for only a bit more.

The Invisible Shoe Kit comes with complete instructions (which, actually, you’ll find here) for making your own hi-tech huaraches.
For the Custom Invisible Shoes, you’ll provide us with an outline of your feet and we’ll take it from there, returning your better-than-barefoot Invisible Shoes in just a few days. (Instructions about making the outline and submitting it to us are here.)

By the way, huaraches aren’t just for running! You can wear them anywhere you go. They’re great for walking around and you’ll get many of the same benefits when you do.

Support the Tarahumara — When you buy Custom Invisible Shoes we donate 10% of the profits to Norwas de Rarámuri to support the indigenous people of the Copper Canyon.

Remember that F.E.W. (Food, Exercise Water) Program we were on?

Well this article talks about the importance of Hydrating and alkalizing for health!  There was alot of truth in that program...it's just too bad that the organizers could't provide a more personal level of follow-up!

So don't discredit the value of drinking water for weight loss because it has so many other positive health benefits. 

My trainer told me to kick it back in gear yesterday. He increased my weights on the incline press, did more ab work etc. I personally know that I had slacked off on drinking my 12 glasses of water per day.  I will appreciate this article as a gentle reminder that all has not been in vain!

Hydrate and Alkalize for Health
Sunday, May 02, 2010 by: Dr. David Jockers, citizen journalist
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(NaturalNews) The chemical reactions in all plants and animals that support life take place in an ionized water medium. Water not only provides the medium to make these life sustaining reactions possible, but water itself also is often an important reactant or product of these reactions. The entire chemistry of life is based around water chemistry.

At the cellular level, water plays a significant role alongside cholesterol and saturated fat as the very bonding adhesives in the cell membrane. Together, these important structures keep the cell strong and help it to resist toxic and infectious invasion.

Some of the many critical roles water plays in the body include:

1.A medium for every metabolic (energy producing) reaction in the body

2.A generator of hydro-electric and magnet energy within the cell giving the body the power to live and function (the bodies most efficient energy sources)

3.A fluid to capture and pull out toxins in the urine and feces

4.Lubricates and protects joints, organs, & tissues

5.Expands sarcomeres (muscle cell units) allowing for optimal cross-bridge attachment and greater muscular power, strength, & endurance.

6.Electrolyte balance within and out of the cell.

Most people in our society carry an excess of acidic wastes. This creates a significant burden in the body. The blood stream must be at a 7.365 pH level, if it rises or falls one tenth of a pH unit it creates an extreme emergency. If blood pH moves two tenths either way, it's lethal. Fortunately, our body has a very sensitive buffer system with our respiration rate and kidney excretion to maintain blood pH. With chronic acidity, these systems get overrun and the body must turn to alkaline minerals within tissues to provide the necessary buffer.

Result: Alkaline buffering minerals are stripped from:

Our bones & teeth (calcium) Our muscles & nerves (potassium)

Our arteries (magnesium) Our joints (sodium)

Excess acidity = stored in fat cells

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism January 2009

"When fruits and vegetables are metabolized they add bicarbonate, an alkaline compound, to the body," said lead author Dr. Dawson Hughes. "Our study found that bicarbonate had a favourable effect on bone reabsorption and calcium excretion. This suggests that increasing the alkali content of the diet may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults."

Other research has shown that cancer thrives in an acidic, low oxygen environment. Heart disease and blood vessel disorders are related to low magnesium levels in the smooth muscle within the arteries. Joint degeneration is attributed to poor sodium and fluid content within the synovium that surrounds the joint. All of these effects are due to the common cause of excess acidic wastes within the tissues of our body.

High-altitude mountainous cultures such as the Hunzas in Pakistan and the Vilcabambans of Southern Ecuador have some of the healthiest, longest living people in the world. Many have lived for over 120, even up to 150, strong and vibrant years. One of the unique things about these people has to do with their water supply. Most of their water comes into the villages from snow melt where it picked up highly alkaline minerals in the natural colloidal form as it passed through the mountains on its way down to the villages. Therefore, the water these vibrant cultures are consuming contains an alkaline pH. Based on this notion, water with high amounts of alkaline elements is one of the best ways of regaining your pH balance.

How to Manage Your Feelings

I've been having a rough rough rough month!  I have finally discovered.....or come to grips with the fact that I'm an emotional eater!!! Figure that! My choice of comfort food however is very simple. Either Fries or popcorn!!! Here's an article to hopefully bring this whole idea of "Emotional Eating" under control.

How to Manage Your Feelings

By diane_petrella on May 06, 2010 11:00 AM in Dieting & You

By Diane Petrella, MSW, CPCC

If you’re like most dieters, you sometimes use food to cope with difficult feelings. Instead of only eating when physically hungry, you may turn to food when emotionally vulnerable. Understanding what emotional eating means is a great first step! The next step is to ask yourself, “What am I feeling?” and instead of turning to food, ask, “What do I need?” Here’s a guideline to help you identify and manage your feelings so they’re not managing you.

Name Your Feelings

Use the following four key words to identify what you’re feeling and to find the right strategy to experience relief. Transfer the list of feelings and related strategies to an index card to easily carry with you. Add additional ways of coping that have worked for you in the past. Writing creates clarity and reinforces your commitment to change. And you’ll have a handy tool to use when necessary. Use the Stop-Breathe-Reflect-Choose strategy to further help you interrupt the emotional eating cycle.

SAD – MAD – GLAD – SCARED

Feelings can be identified within four broad categories. When you know you’re about to eat for reasons other than hunger, ask yourself “Am I sad, mad, glad or scared?” Then review the list of feelings associated with that category. When you’ve identified what you’re feeling, allow yourself to first experience the emotion without denying it or pushing it away. But if that becomes too difficult, practice using new coping strategies, instead of food, to experience some relief. There are no good or bad feelings. All feelings are ok. It’s what we do with them that matters. Four categories of feelings and suggestions for managing them follow.

SAD

Blue, unhappy, glum, dissatisfied, dejected, lonely, disappointed, guilty, ashamed, hurt, isolated, miserable, heartbroken, gloomy, depressed, despairing, grief-stricken, melancholic, hopeless, helpless, distressed, rejected, abandoned, alone, empty.

Comfort Yourself: Write your feelings in a journal; talk with a trusted friend; have a good cry and allow your tears to release the sadness; drink a soothing beverage like a cup of herbal tea; read from an inspirational book or magazine; pray; repeat a comforting affirmation like “I allow these feelings to wash through me and I open to the peace within”; wrap yourself in a blanket and rest; take a walk; be in nature; work on a craft project; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie; watch a sad movie as that may help you release your feelings and provide relief.

MAD

Angry, bitter, frustrated, annoyed, irritated, exasperated, livid, loathing, disgusted, hostile, hate, aggravated, defensive, enraged, infuriated, furious, resentment, irate, outraged, antagonistic, mean, aggressive, rage

Calm Yourself: Do something physical to release built up tension from your body, e.g., take a brisk walk outdoors, walk up and down stairs, vigorous cleaning like vacuuming or washing a bathtub or floors; talk with a friend; write a letter expressing your mad feelings without intending to send it (this is only advisable if you can comfortably release your feelings without exacerbating them); pray; listen to calming music; do a word puzzle or another detail oriented activity as a way of creating structure; breathe to the count of ten and repeat as necessary until you feel calmer; repeat affirming words as you breathe and with each inhalation say to yourself, “Calm” and with each exhalation say, “Let go”.

GLAD

Happy, elated, delighted, cheerful, loving, hopeful, appreciative, satisfied, joyful, excited, peaceful, enthusiastic, pleased, proud, caring, grateful, carefree, confident, secure, nurturing, content, blissful, ecstatic, relief, thankful

Celebrate Yourself: Share your uplifting feelings with a friend; write down your feelings to reinforce them; sit quietly by yourself and relish in this glorious state; buy yourself flowers; buy flowers for a friend and share your happiness; start a fun hobby you don’t often take the time to do.

SCARED

Anxious, panicky, afraid, nervous, worried, frightened, terrified, fearful, uneasy, apprehensive, concerned, insecure, vulnerable, weak, unsettled, tense, edgy, upset, confused, shocked, overwhelmed, pressured, unsure, trapped, cautious, suspicious

Compose Yourself: Use this grounding technique to settle yourself: Sit or stand straight with both feet placed firmly on the ground and your shoulders back and square. If sitting, hold firmly onto the sides of the chair. Breathe steadily for as long as necessary to begin to neutralize the intensity of your feelings. Unless your safety requires immediate attention, affirm and repeat to yourself, “I am safe” or “in this moment all is well”. Do something physical to release stress as both angry and anxious states produce tightness and tension in the body, e.g., take a brisk walk, climb stairs, vacuum, wash floors. De-clutter a closet or drawer because when you organize your outer world you organize your inner world. Talk with a trusted friend to help put things in perspective.

Boredom is Not a Feeling

If you eat when bored the problem isn’t simply the lack of an interesting activity to occupy your time. Unless you’re trapped in an unrelentingly dull routine, chronic boredom signifies an underlying lethargy and lack of interest often associated with depression. If you often “feel bored” ask yourself what you are truly feeling and then use an appropriate strategy, instead of food, to cope.

Get Support

The suggestions above are not a substitute for professional counseling to deal with chronic states of sadness, depression, anger, rage, anxiety and panic. If you struggle with these feelings on a consistent basis give yourself the gift of support and seek out a therapist or life coach to assist you.

Your thoughts....

What strategies can you add to the list?

Diane Petrella, MSW is a psychotherapist and life coach. She offers her clients a spiritual approach to weight loss and helps them develop a loving, respectful relationship with their bodies. She can be reached at diane@dianepetrella.com.