Willpower eh? now what is that exactly..

Two weeks ago I talked about the opposite of willpower, which I called "other power"

Essentially I was looking for those things "outside ourselves" that could help in tackling problem habits which most of us don't want to continue in our day to day lives.

What is it we all mean when we talking about having "willpower"?

It's one of those funny things, we all have an idea of what willpower means to ourselves personally, but I was struggling to come up with a decent definition.

This being the internet I goggled willpower and let the democracy of internet search give me the definition (thanks Wikipedia - interestingly there isn't a page on willpower just links to other pages)

·  Self-discipline, training and control of oneself and one's conduct, usually for personal improvement

·  Self-control, the ability of a person to exert his/her will over the inhibitions of their body or self

So something about training the mind and the ability to exert control over your own body / self. This is really interesting because I often hear people talking about how they "have no willpower". We often don't think that willpower is something we can train - like a muscle - but surely it must change throughout our lives - so there must be a way for us to change it for the better - to be more focused on what we want.

The second part interesting part of willpower that is the idea of control. Surely the only thing that we have control over in our lives are our choices. But I find myself deciding to do one thing one day, but the following morning deciding that the exact opposite of what I want...

It's like there are many different "me's” all deciding different things at different times. Usually it's whatever is easiest or what will give me a little bit of comfort at that particular point.

Thinking about willpower in this way - is a bit more fun than thinking "I'm weak" or "I just can't do it" - but as a little argument within me, where different “me's” want different things.

The GetFit.com willpower training method

Based on this, the psychology team at getfit.com have developed a fun little training technique based on "self-talk". Self-talk is the way we talk to ourselves about what we are doing. But with this training method you are going to name the different "you's" that are talking when there is a situation that you feel Willpower is required.

We've all seen the cartoons with Donald Duck with an angel duck on one shoulder, and the devil duck on the other. I don't think that this is a helpful way of viewing the different "you’s" that you might appear when making a decision, but it gives you an idea of what I mean... Remember that both "you's" will be looking to make your life better, just going about it in different ways.

1. When a challenging situation arises - recognise it
- After all if you just react on instinct you won't be thinking at all

2. Stop and take some time to be aware of your thoughts and feelings
- This is where you can recognise the different "you's" who want different things

3. Give a little description to the different "you's" that are present
- This one is tired and wants a treat, this one is thinking about fitting into jeans.....

4. Act as a judge as to what type of "you" each would result in
- This first one will only look after my short term needs, this second one is thinking for the long term

5. Make a decision based on what you want to be in the future
- I'd rather be able to fit into jeans than have a treat just now

6. Just do it - no more thinking - you've made the decision, move on.
- Don't get caught up in guilt or brow-beating, you've made a decision - accept it and whatever goes along with it.

Remember that there is always some trial and error with learning anything new. Willpower is just you being clear with yourself about what you want and that there are some costs associated with getting what you want.

Of course willpower is not the entire picture, for the next few weeks we'll be tackling how to establish healthy habits - so willpower can take a back seat!.

Just can't shake this feeling.....

Wow - Hasn't everyone been sick recently?

At our offices, out with our friends and especially at home with family we've been noticing how there are a lot of sniffles, coughs and slightly panicked walks to the toilet.....

This got us thinking about, what if anything can we really do about it?

Most magazines have articles about the next wonder fruit / herbal supplement etc. to boost your immunity. While we're not going to say none of those articles have good information, at some point I guess we need to face reality and ask -

What can we do if we are sick? and how do we get well sooner?

Of course I think everyone got the message about hygiene a few years ago when H1N1 (Swine flu) reached epidemic levels both on the ground and on the media headlines. There was some great adverts which literally showed what a sneeze could spread... But while being aware of hygiene is important, particularly when dangerous infections are spreading, I think most people accept that they will catch the odd sniffle

But just to say that once you are sick you may as well just get on with it, might not be the best idea.... Surely if you have an infection, why put yourself in a place where you can catch another? Avoiding places that have a large numbers of people moving through it, or places where the ventilation is not great, means that avoid being exposed to any other "bugs" that are out there.

This is not always easy - you have a job, you have kids, you have responsibilities - but an awareness of this fact can help you reduce some of the non-essential tasks that might expose you to further illness.

There is no cure for the common cold. I guess we all know this but it doesn't stop us from dosing up on every vitamin and cold remedy we can get our hands on..... This is a sensitive point, because cold and flu remedies don't claim to make you better quicker. But it's a point that needs to be repeated once in a while. If taking medications that give you the impression that you are better, will reduce some of the other points in our list, then are they the best idea? I guess all that can be said here is that cold remedies are not cold cures..... so you need to take care of yourself in other ways as well.

Smoking, Alcohol, Reduced sleep and high fat foods can reduce your natural immune response. I guess these aren't revolutionary things to hear, but it links to the point above - if you don't feel sick, you can kid yourself that you're over that bug and just get on with life... or the old friend comfort eating raises their head and gives you the excuse to "get a treat" instead of what you might eat if you were thinking about your health. We or our friends have all taken a cold remedy before a night out on the lash... I guess the question is, how long do you want to have a cold for?..

We've been talking about the power of the mind a bit recently. The power of optimism to overcome infections is well documented. People who are more pessimistic tend to get more coughs /colds and take longer to fight them off. Incredibly enough - optimistic people have a bigger immune response to a virus or germ contact. While you can't just decide to be more optimistic, you know what they say knowledge is power - changing your outlook could help!

The main reason why coughs and colds go up during the winter is because of the weather. But not in the way you might think. Cold weather itself cannot cause a cold or "a bug". The best answer to why that we have heard is because cold weather encourages most people to stay indoors with other people, and then allows the injection to be spread around more. So ironically, not letting the weather dictate what you do, might improve your chances of catching something.... this really just goes back to the first point about avoiding situations where you are more likely to catch a cough or cold.....

Why is it so hard to do what's good for us?

It struck me this morning that if I did everything that I suggested to people when they ask for some advice, I'd be the healthiest person in the world! (I'm not, by the way)


But I'm not the unhealthiest person either. Thinking about this some more, I saw that it's never as simple as doing what you're told, or even doing what I know is good for me.
   I've realised that it's not even as simple as doing what I've already decided to do...


The shocking truth (and it is a shock to discover it again and again) is that with all the will in the world, I can't decide to be a healthier or happier person - I need something else to help me along the way.


This week, I thought we'd revisit some of the tried and tested methods that we use at getfit.com That don't include willpower - you might call this "other power" as they rely on things other than yourself.


The Bribe / The Bet / The Buddy

Creating some positive social pressure can make things more interesting.

For example I have a friend who bet a mate that he would lose 2 stone by his birthday - if he didn't, he would wear a tube top out on his birthday. Needless to say - he lost the weight. But there are less extreme examples that this....

The Bribe - is about getting something that you want - from someone who is supportive of your efforts

The Bet - is about the pain of defeat or the sweet taste of victory, a competitive friend /frenemy is ideal

The Buddy - just telling other people about your plans makes you 30% more likely to suceed - but only tell the people you could label a "cheer leader", keep it quite from those you might call "the nagger"


Bring some awareness to it - but don't react

So often it's easy to just react to the day....

The stressful situation at work kicks of the thought "here we go again.... they always do this"
That thought is not nice - you could say it feels like a hot poker - you've got to get rid of this feeling
Instinctively you reach for something that will distract you from that feeling - a biscuit, a cigarette,
sometimes you don't even have time to react and instead you just ignore that feeling and it festers.

By the end of the day (or the week) you feel horrible and end up using food, alcohol or something else as a coping mechanism to get you feeling "back to normal"
There is an alternative - it's not a quick fix, but it does get easier with practice....

When that event happens, take 3 minutes out of your day - stop.
Notice your breathing
Notice your body (your feet, legs, back, shoulders, arms, neck & head)
Notice how you feel (don't let your mind take over on this - stick with the feeling)
Notice what thoughts you are having (treat them as you would a cloud passing in the sky - there is no need to engage with your thought at this stage.

Holding all of your experience lightly, just tell yourself that it's ok, that this is my experience and I can feel it fully.

Take the last 1 minute just to stick with your breathing, however it is, and be aware of your entire experience.

Don't tell yourself what you must or mustn't do - just act as you feel you should with a new awareness of how you are feeling.

Both of these techniques are used through the GetFit Health Coach program.
Along with a personal health assessment and lifestyle analysis there are six programs to help tackle healthy eating, being more active, worrying, problems with sleep, low mood and stress management.

What is Happiness Anyway?

A conversation we're having at getfit.com right now is about happiness and what it means to be "happy".

Our sister site TheWellnessShop.co.uk addresses what it is to feel down in the dumps with our programme Beating the Blues. But we thought that it could be a good idea to take some time to think about what happiness is from a personal perspective, and like everything we do, a scientific perspective.

The best scientific description of what it means to be happy is the PERMA theory from the area of postive psychology. This week we'll be tweeting about these and giving little thought on how you can start seeing the positives in your life (even if things aren't going so well).


Because like the saying goes "you are what you eat”,

We think it's not too far from the truth that "you are what you think"

At least that if you focus on the negative, it's much more likely that you'll be a negative person. So to give the opposite a go for this week, we'd encourage you to focus on the positive or see the good aspects of whatever happens. Missing the train can sometimes mean that the next one is less crowded...


Positive emotion: This is the "feeling good" aspect of being happy


Engagement (being in the flow): This is the "absorbed and challenged" aspect of happiness


Relationship (and social connections): We are social beings after all, so feeling supported and loved is a vital aspect of happiness


Meaning (and purpose): Happy people tend to have something that gives their lives meaning - This can appear as religion for some, family for others. But I guess it could be thought of as that thing that gets you going and inspired...


Accomplishments *(and winning): It doesn't need to be winning at the expense of someone losing. Accomplishing a difficult task or finishing an adult learning course gives a sense of growth and development. It could be as simple as getting through a difficult day without giving in to negativity


Just remember that you can have all of these things but your outlook on them is just as important.
Some people call this optimism...



A Happy dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favourite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favourite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favourite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favourite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favourite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favourite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favourite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favourite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favourite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favourite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing!

The sunshine vitamin – Vitamin D

We are lucky enough to live in a country that has a lot of wealth and resources. Most of us will not struggle to meet the basic requirements of living and have diets that, even if they can be a little excessive sometime, meet most of our body’s nutrient requirements. However there is still one nutrient deficiency that is widespread in most developed countries – That nutrient is vitamin D.

This is not a completely new story; the Victorians battled epidemics of rickets which caused bone growth to be stunted and the characteristic “bow-legged” deformity that affected them from the remainder of their life (if not treated). These are extreme symptoms but they illustrate the power of vitamin D.

In modern times, in industrialized countries, serious deficiency in children has been eradicated, but a shocking 25% of the UK population does not have adequate stores of vitamin D in their body (during winter months). The problem is worst in the most vulnerable in our community – pregnant, elderly and young children, but this is still an important issue for most people.

So what are the effects? – the best reasons to top up this summer.

Bones: Vitamin D is the main gatekeeper for calcium in your body. Too little and your body starts stripping your bones of calcium. This is the cause of osteoporosis and osteopenia (bone pain and weakness that can effect even adults!)

Brain: Vitamin D has effects on the brain. There is growing research into vitamin D and mental health through the lifespan from Schizophrenia to depression.

Cancer and diseases: Low vitamin D levels linked to Cancer, Heart disease, diabetes and general immune health.

95% of the vitamin D in your body is due to the sun, while vitamin D is present in foods (oily fish, eggs, and fortified cereals) these are not an important as what you do in the next few months.

The rule of thumb for vitamin D and sun

-      The season needs to start with an S (that’s spring and summer)

In countries that are at a higher latitude (that’s close to the north of south pole), the angle of the sun during winter means that the UV rays that your body uses to make vitamin D is filtered out. So the warmer summer months are the only time you can create and store your own vitamin D

-      You should have a short shadow

The middle of the day, when the sun is above you the UVB rays will be at their strongest. At this time, your body will create a good amount of vitamin D with just 15 minutes exposure to 5% of your body.

The lesson here is, you don’t have to sunbath, you don’t have to burn and you don’t need to be an outdoors-sort-of-person to get enough vitamin D. So when your outdoors for a long time sunscreen and hats are a great ideal to protect against damage to your skin, but 15 minutes outside at lunch will do a lot to top up your vitamin D ready for the long winter, which is really a famine in terms of this key vitamin.

Is sugar the enemy?

You’d be surprised at how much we’re asked this question at www.getfit.com – Particularly at this time of year, with Easter eggs galore and the number of Buy-one-get-one-free deals you see at the checkouts of retail stores.  

Like everything at getfit.com we suggest moderation in everything, but that’s not to say the occasional blow out will not happen in our team – in  our office Easter egg hunt! But for most of us, most of the time, the question does remain – sugar, how much is too much, what type and when, is all sugar the devil…?

This week we are tweeting some of the worst and the best things about sugar and some little known facts that we hope will give you pause for thought before you decide to never touch the sweet stuff again!

 Sugar - how much is too much?

From a scientific perspective too much sugar is more than 10% of your total intake of energy. (for an average woman that is 48 grams (or 8 teaspoons) and for an average man that is 64 grams (or 10½ teaspoons).

Good carbs, bad carbs – can you explain?

It’s easy to polarize things as either “good or bad” and this can be helpful when trying to make changes to your eating patterns. At getfit.com we prefer to use rules of thumb, which allow you to make your own decisions with some helpful guidance. With carbohydrates here are the ones we use.

If it’s bread-like brown is better

So breads, pasta, cereals, rice and the like, the best choice is always whole meal or “brown”

If it’s sweet look to Mother Nature

Never demonize a food that comes straight from Mother Nature. Fresh fruit is the best choice, as you get further away from “as nature intended” the choices get worse.

Does sugar get turned straight into fat?

Despite the picture that most magazines and holistic experts can paint, sugar does not get “sent straight to your hips”. But this is not to say that it doesn’t have an effect on your weight. Your body doesn’t like to turn sugar into fat – it’s actually quite an involved “metabolic job”. Your liver and fat cells are capable of turning sugar into fat, but only in some extreme circumstances (for example when you many more calories than needed AND eat no fat and no protein). In practice your body likes to store sugars in your liver and muscles ready for use during aerobic activity (like walking or sports).

But here is the important part – Sugar increases insulin, which gives your fat cells the message “time to soak up and store some fat”. If you eat high sugar foods that also contain fat (hello chocolate!) then your body will be ready to store the fat in that food. So the sugar doesn’t get turned into fat, but it makes the fat in your food much more likely to be stored (and in the places you don’t want them!).

Healthy Eating Tips for Eating Out - The Basics

Eating out is no longer the 'once in a while' treat it used to be - for some it is an everyday necessity, and for others it's an essential part of their social and/or business lives.
Whenever you eat out, there are some clever tricks that will help you to choose healthy options wherever you're eating!
First of all, never forget that whenever and wherever you eat out, you're in control. A restaurant is privileged to have you as their guest (if they're not, there's many that will be) - they're there to supply you with a service - you're 'employing' them to cook your food for you (and do the washing up), regardless of whether it's the cafe down the road or in a Michelin star restaurant.
Also remember, food served in restaurants usually contains 50% or more calories than the food you'd serve at home. Add to this the fact that portion sizes have increased over the years; eating-out can become a real risk to any weight or health management plan. But with a few little tricks and a good idea of what you want to achieve, restaurants need not become 'no go zones'.

Tips & Tricks

• If you can't get the nutritional information of food, assume that it's high in calories.
• Order your food with your goals in mind. Ask yourself if what you're ordering helps or hinders your personal health goal. Portion sizes are important - if you control the portion size then the calories will look after themselves.
• You can control what arrives on your plate - just make sure those serving you know what you want.
• By being polite to the waiter you'll find they will normally bend over backwards to help out.
• Restaurants want you to enjoy your time with them because they need your custom (they are a business after all) - so never be afraid to change a dish, ask for the dressing to be left off or order a selection of side orders instead of a main course. Don't ever compromise your goals to make it easier for the restaurant - you're in control!
• Learn more tips and tricks of healthy eating with your own health coach account