willpower

Friends Help You Be Healthy

Matt and I go to our friend’s Dan and Isa’s house every Thursday evening for dinner and a French lesson. In July we’ll all be going to France–Isa’s native country. Sometimes we make pizza, sometimes we order it–our dinner varies, but frequently revolves around pizza followed by some kind of dessert.

A couple of months ago when Isa and I went for a walk, passing by the creamery in Old Wethersfield, we went in and I passed on ice cream. I love the ice cream at the Wethersfield Creamery, but I was trying not to eat dessert during the week. Isa was stunned and praised my will power. I’m not sure I deserve the credit. I think my will power would deserve praise if I could eat small portions of sweets, but I can’t seem to. Give me a taste of something sweet and I tend to want more.

That Thursday at our French lesson, dessert did not come out. Dan and Matt were disappointed, but Isa explained that I didn’t eat dessert during the week so she […]

Friends Help You Be HealthyMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:58-04:00

Weight Loss Factoid

The National Weight Control Registry, who followed 6,000 people who lost weight and kept it off, discovered that those most successful worked out at least 30 minutes a day.

Weight Loss FactoidMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:25-04:00

New research has shown that willpower is just like a muscle. You have to train it to strengthen it and it can be overworked and exhausted. That means that by the end of the day it’s harder to have willpower since activities during the day have depleted it’s stamina. It’s not just about food choices and fitness. We use willpower to get up in the morning, not gossip at the office, and not speed in the car.

Try and help your willpower succeed. Use these two tips:

1) Get a good night’s sleep
2) Plan and make dinner in advance so that you don’t have to use your willpower later in the day. Having everything already prepared will mean you don’t have to make a decision to eat out or cook something easier and less healthy.

WillpowerMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:31-04:00