What do you think?

[Shaolin Temple]

True or False, and why?

Dieting is mainly a battle between willpower and biology.

[houston911]

biology?

[Shaolin Temple]

biology?

Yes, biology. What do you think gives you the temptation to eat a glazed donut? It's chemical reactions in your body, signals to your brain and your senses coming into play. Instead of the word biology, think of it as temptation!

So, the rephrased question is do you think dieting is a battle between willpower and temptation?

[Seven One Three]

yup.

ill use to eat clean for a week or two, then go binge on a full box of pizza, for the next 2-3 days....and that always set me back to where I was before....it made me eating clean a waste of time. :(

how did I stop doing it? I just decided id be more happier getting to where I wanted in half the time, its just not worth it.

[Shaolin Temple]

One for true and zero for false so far.

Don't post all at once

[Lethalweapon007]

True or False, and why?
Dieting is mainly a battle between willpower and biology.

Normally, no.

But in regards to exercise or to achieve an overall better quality of health?

I'd say Yes.

It becomes a battle of willpower (determination) vs. temptation (habit) if you strive to adhere to a diet you're unfamiliar with.

[houston911]

i think its gotta be true

hardly anyone(that ive seen) that really needs to lose weight, like the reeeeeeeeeally over weight people ever follow through with their diet. I think theres gotta be something inside of someone that is telling them that they have to eat, even when they arent hungry. its kinda like a drug addiction

[I_Spits_Da_Truth]

True or False, and why?
Dieting is mainly a battle between willpower and biology.

Much more willpower than biology IMO. I say this because all of us, for whatever cause, people are capable of making great sacrifices when the situation warrants it. Overall health doesn't dawn as a very high priority for most young people because they have that feeling of invincibility and are not looking to the future in that respect. It's only as you grow older and problems become imminent that you FINALLY wanna make a change. Most times at this point, it's like trying to teach an old dog new tricks....in the sense that it's possible, but incredibly difficult. Take care of your body when you're young and then it'll take care of you as you age. Don't look at eating healthy as a diet, but as a lifestyle. If you do, then it becomes more of a chore than a necessity.

[CelestialSiren]

True. people have pretty much said why.

[Blue Fuge]

Much more willpower than biology IMO. I say this because all of us, for whatever cause, people are capable of making great sacrifices when the situation warrants it. Overall health doesn't dawn as a very high priority for most young people because they have that feeling of invincibility and are not looking to the future in that respect. It's only as you grow older and problems become imminent that you FINALLY wanna make a change. Most times at this point, it's like trying to teach an old dog new tricks....in the sense that it's possible, but incredibly difficult. Take care of your body when you're young and then it'll take care of you as you age. Don't look at eating healthy as a diet, but as a lifestyle. If you do, then it becomes more of a chore than a necessity.

I second this.

[InnoSINce]

i think its gotta be true
hardly anyone(that ive seen) that really needs to lose weight, like the reeeeeeeeeally over weight people ever follow through with their diet. I think theres gotta be something inside of someone that is telling them that they have to eat, even when they arent hungry. its kinda like a drug addiction
I agree that it's like an addiction and definitely biologically related, but your willpower can increase once you get educated on having a healthy lifestyle and learn strategies to help you resist temptation. People have all kinds of chemical imbalances going on...problems with norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, blood sugar regulation--everything is messed up. The stress people deal with in their everyday lives alone can cause their mind/body to be out of balance, so they physically crave foods attempting to chemically balance things out. In order to even feel "normal", they need to eat a lot of food...same way alcoholics and drug addicts more than likely feel. Does that make them have a lack of willpower? No, because it's an actual need for them. They just need to treat the true root of the problem, but most people just look for quick fixes and it's never gonna help them...they'd rather stay the way they are than go through withdrawal stages because it's extremely difficult to fight against your body and what it's used to.

[whoisanita]

Depends on what you mean by dieting.
Do you mean reducing your caloric intake for weight loss or do you mean permanently changing your habits for over all wellness puposes (which may mean addition as well)?

I agree with a lot of things said, but I do want to emphasize the biology aspect, especially when I think of estrogen fluctuation levels in women that trigger very legitimate (and healthy) cravings (different from hunger or from binge eating due to distress). Think about pregnant women who crave food they normally don't eat - their body is trying to get a diverse source of nutrients. People with blood disorders also don't have the opportunity to exercise will power without facing unhealthy consequences. Learning about the glycemic index made me realize that even after I ate healthy things like mangos and bananas, my cravings and desire for food intake went up twice as much in an hour inorder to make up for the sugar spike I perpetuated on myself.

When your body is screaming for something specific so that it can achieve balance, it's important to listen to your body. Learn how it reacts to what types of food cause many things can trigger appetite increase or loss.

[Big H]

More Willpower than anything. I refuse to believe that being Obese is a disease or physical issue that can't be corrected. The problem is that most do not have the willpower or determination to stick with a diet through the hard times. People begin dieting, see results but then hit a wall, and stop completely. Its fact that the human body adapts to a new metabolism and lowered calorie intake, but through proper dieting and exercise added with a little variety, any diet can be a long-term success.

[Shaolin Temple]

Many of you come with great points, but I have to disagree (not entirely, but mostly).

I will try to make this short. I believe that it is not a battle between willpower and biology in regards to dieting. Sure, in few instances I will agree, but generally speaking, I think that this mentality people have where they have to will their way and beat temptation and that strong signal the brain receives from the Ghrelin hormone,which is responsible for sending hunger signals to the brain. The hungrier someone is, the more amplified the signal gets and more frequent the brain receives the signal. What am I getting at? Eventually willpower will succumb to biology.

I haven't really been posting much, but I've read some threads about the temptations of eating pastries and whatnot. I am not perfect either. I pleasure myself with Tiramisu :yes: But I can go weeks and months without cheating - and during that time I rarely have any temptation to indulge myself with the evil pleasures that will feel good while you are eating it, but you end up hating yourself minutes later.

Instead you use biology on your side. Think about it like this . . . If you exercise and get into your workout groove for months and months, eat 6-7 smaller meals a day so you are never hungry, sleep well, get a decent amount of sex/love (it helps with hormone balance and also keeps your satiety levels in check in the way food and sleep do), you will never have to force your body NOT to eat the glazed donut.

You know those times when you are full and the waiter asks you if you want any dessert, but you can't even think about food. Well, are you willing your way not to eat the chocolate mousse cake? No, because you are satisfied.

I rarely feel the need to fight biology by using willpower when it comes to dieting. I think it's more for exercise, but in that case I rather use the term "desire."

[2gunsup]

damn just ate a cinnamon bun that was on the table lookin at me