Willpower

[Havok]

I was wondering what you all do for situations needing a high amount of willpower. I have very little willpower. I rarely finish anything I set out to do. Here's a couple things I'm trying to work on, and if you can help in any of the areas, I'd appreciate it. Not completely epilepsy related, but all of these can have an affect on threshold so I thought it best to post here.

Weight: For most of my life I've been overweight. I was raised on southern food: Fried, fatty goodness. I keep trying to break out of the cycle of eating primarily junk, but having eaten this kind of food for so long, I can't bring myself to do it. It's slightly bittersweet because research shows it's not all my lack of willpower. High fat foods actually modified brain chemistry in mice and acted similar to narcotics. Food addiction? I'd agree. I'd like to break away to healthy stuff, but it just sounds disgusting everytime I go looking for the stuff to eat. The doctors say my sleep apnea causes the t/c seizures I have, and losing weight might get rid of them. For some reason the gravity of it just isn't helping me. Anyone have experience with this?

Working out: Somewhat in the realm of the weight issue, I need motivation to work out. As a college student, I primarily sit all day. I sit in class, then I go home and sit some more while studying all day. On top of it, I have days of varying degrees of depression that makes me want to do nothing but rot and watch movies. Tips here?

Anxiety: My anxiety problems are off and on. I've been doing a modified type of cognitive behavioral therapy for a couple years, and it's definitely helped. However, sometimes I just can't tell myself it'll be okay. I'll get so worked up that I can't go to class for vomiting. Any ideas on how to break through the bad anxiety times?

I had more but I can't remember them. On a side note, I feel like something is wrong because my cognitive ability is severely impaired since my partial seizures, and getting worse. Any odd words or typos are from that.

 

[Nakamova]

It always helps to have a partner -- someone exercise with you, or keep you on track.

There are also a lot of apps/websites that help with resolutions and goal-setting: A very successful one is www.stickk.com. It has you make a "commitment contract" that establishes stakes for not meeting that commitment. For instance, you can arrange it so that if you don't meet your goal, money gets sent to a group you hate. It also uses a referee system. Basically, you're outsourcing your willpower.

 

[Cint]

Epilepsy does cause some anxiety and cognitive problems for lots of folks, therefore it can effect one's willpower.

As far as your weight and working out, do you walk to and from school? Just a brisk walk after dinner every day can help drop a few lbs. and help with depression, also. It can raise the endorphins in your brain, making you feel better.

And with the weight, being overweight over time can bring on diabetes or high blood sugar if one keeps eating junk food, and believe me, that is the last thing you want.

Check out this article about willpower:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-willpower-paradox

 

[MuayThaiFighter]

I notice that the lack of exercise for me is not helping at all. I can't really kickbox or doing any hands on fight training, which is all that ever interested me. I have my days, I don't know if you can relate. Sometimes I can walk a distance, and some days I need to just come home because im feeling odd. What helped me was to lessen the degree I worked out. So I started taking the dog for walks and slowly started raising the time I was outside. But I agree, having a partner, even just to jog with can be a good motivator.

I hated eating healthier food but it made a huge difference in my seizure control. Stayed away from caffeine, and fast food. If you can even cut those two things out that can help lose weight, reduce anxiety and other benefits. If anything find one good dark green vegetable to eat I would start using that in your diet, on every meal.

 

[valeriedl]

It always helps to have a partner -- someone exercise with you, or keep you on track.

This a great way to keep yourself motivated to exercise. If you've got someone else to be there to do it with you and rely on you to do it with them then it helps you want to do it. The exercise doesn't have to be something heavy duty. I would walk with my cousin every day and I lost a ton of weight.

When you go looking for something that is healthy to eat, how do you know it's going to be disgusting unless you try it? You can't believe how many times I've eaten something that I swear is going to taste like crap and I end up loving it!

For anxiety try giving yourself time to relax before doing something. Sit down for an hour before what ever it is that's going to get you worked up and do something that you like to do. Listen to music, read, draw whatever. Get your mind off of what is going to get you anxious.

Good luck!

 

[Havok]

Good advice everyone, thank you. As for school, I drive there but it's a big campus so I end up doing maybe ten minutes of walking 2 or 3 times a day, 5 days a week. As for the partner thing, my girlfriend is going to try to help me with that. We have alternating schedules so most of the time it will be solely up to me, though. I have no friends

And I think my biggest problem with eating healthy is that I haven't been able to find really good healthy recipes that make me want to eat them. Plus, they tend to take some time to make and that's something I just don't have. If I start going to the gym it'll be worse. That's a major reason why I stopped doing keto awhile back in favor of Mcdonalds lol.

 

[huskymom]

being on a diet can suck. Here is the best thing that I have found..don't take food you love away. If you can, have it just once a week. I love DQ blizzards, so every Saturday with out fail, I have one. You could do that with McDonalds too. I'm with you, I don't cook and my husband loves to. We don't have a lot of extra time for it though. I just make sure that we don't have a lot of junk in the house, so then we have to come up with something else. This will sound strange, but we eat sandwiches most nites. Like pbj or something like that. Best of luck to you!

 

[Nakamova]

I just make sure that we don't have a lot of junk in the house.

This really works for me, because it takes advantage of my innate laziness. If I don't have sweets or junk food in the house, then I am too lazy to go get them, and I eat healthier as a result. I'm not much of a cook, so I'm pals with the microwave -- you can bake a potato in 5 minutes or less, or defrost a decent frozen dinner, or steam veggies. I'll also hardboil a bunch of eggs and keep them in my fridge for an easy, quick protein source.

 

[cazzy]

my oleman has it so he banned from being in my bedroom...it is a dangerous thing and you do need loose weight...you in vicious circle...we all entitled to have part of the week to have a pity party in fact i think it healthy and human.....i not telling you to do what i do take fat pills xenycol but may give you kick start if see some weight come off quickly but make sure you do it properly talk to dr about it.
then look at sex life but something you need take in hand yourselfor not.have you tried meditation or yoga for many it helps,in my case going out getting love affair did trick then realised what an arse he was kicked him in the nuts(metaphorcally)empowering my life in a way thought i never would....that what you got do empower yourself start with weight

 

[Havok]

my oleman has it so he banned from being in my bedroom...it is a dangerous thing and you do need loose weight...you in vicious circle...we all entitled to have part of the week to have a pity party in fact i think it healthy and human.....i not telling you to do what i do take fat pills xenycol but may give you kick start if see some weight come off quickly but make sure you do it properly talk to dr about it.
then look at sex life but something you need take in hand yourselfor not.have you tried meditation or yoga for many it helps,in my case going out getting love affair did trick then realised what an arse he was kicked him in the nuts(metaphorcally)empowering my life in a way thought i never would....that what you got do empower yourself start with weight

I'll be doing keto again, and taking xenycal will be a bad idea lol. Thanks for the tip though. I'm making out a plan right now to get on keto, and eat the things I like. Then, I'll shift into healthier fats, and then onto healthy carbs. We'll see if it sticks.

 

[Chelsea]

I just started doing yoga [anxiety reduction], and healthier eating.

Increasing physical health and psychological well-being is a start--the rest falls into place. Those are the aspects of life with E that I can control.

There are several tools I use: (a.) meditation (b.) having realistic expectations of myself (c.) bike riding (d.) feeling good about myself (e.) a positive attitude (this takes some willpower most days) (f.) faith!

Hope this helps. Have a blessed evening!

 

[Loopy Lou]

I have the same problem with weight, especially since i started on Tegretol. It's plateaud (can't spell tonight, sorry!) at least now but is proving difficult to lose. Mind you, i'm on the "can't afford to eat" diet at the moment, so you never know lol.

Are you a creative sort of person? Some meals can be made so simply and healthily in the kitchen, for example making a pasta sauce out of what you have in. Plenty of fresh veg etc.

I'm also all for not having junk food in the flat although of course i'm naughty sometimes. Generally if i don't have it in, i can't be bothered going out to get it Working out is a tough one. I spent a good few years paying gym memberships but there was large periods sometimes when i couldn't go for various reasons. I'm just trying to walk more.

As for the anxiety - there will be no quick fix for that. Keep doing what you're doing with the behavioural therapy, you'll get there. Endlessly stressing about things makes small things seem like a mountain to climb, i'm sure many of us here can emphasise with that.

 

[Chelsea]

I have the same problem with weight, especially since i started on Tegretol. It's plateaud (can't spell tonight, sorry!) at least now but is proving difficult to lose. Mind you, i'm on the "can't afford to eat" diet at the moment, so you never know lol.

Are you a creative sort of person? Some meals can be made so simply and healthily in the kitchen, for example making a pasta sauce out of what you have in. Plenty of fresh veg etc.

I'm also all for not having junk food in the flat although of course i'm naughty sometimes. Generally if i don't have it in, i can't be bothered going out to get it Working out is a tough one. I spent a good few years paying gym memberships but there was large periods sometimes when i couldn't go for various reasons. I'm just trying to walk more.

As for the anxiety - there will be no quick fix for that. Keep doing what you're doing with the behavioural therapy, you'll get there. Endlessly stressing about things makes small things seem like a mountain to climb, i'm sure many of us here can emphasise with that.

Good morning, LoopyLou--I gained significantly on Tegretol, to the tune of 100 lbs. Eventually, I stopped the medicine without MD approval, and suffered significantly. The neuro put me on Lamictal. If anything beneficial about Lamictal, I have lost the 100 lbs originally gained. Go for it, you CAN lose the weight. It's difficult to muster willpower on a medi that makes you hungry all the time. I was hungry CONSTANTLY on Tegretol.