Chapter 2: The Will Powers

         Over the last few months I have been asked, “How did you do it?” and “What's your secret?” If I had to sum it up in one simple thought it is a matter of Will Power.

Typically when I tell people this, they say “Oh, you're Will Power is stronger than mine.” My first thought is, they just don't want it bad enough, but my second thought makes me wonder is that even true?

I generally think of Will Power as what drives me to do something and reaffirms discipline in my method of thinking and doing. However, something needs to drive the Will Power and that would be determination.

There are many things that can influence your level of determination and cause you to stay back or move ahead. I found that whenever my determination was low, all I needed was a single thought to get it back up again. That single thought could be a number of things, but for me it was and is my goal. Now it’s time for you to decide upon yours.

Instead of an ideal weight I decided to focus on an ideal dress size. I want to be a size 9-10. So I made this my goal. Come hell or high water, I would lose the weight to fit into this dress size.

Believe it or not, my Will Power has varied from month to month, but every time I get really down and childish about my dieting, all I have to do is remind myself of my goal. I picture me wearing the dress and then suddenly the Tasty Kake Eclair goes back on the shelf rather than in my mouth and on my waistline. The best way to think of Will Power is to think of it in levels, and I call them the Will Powers:

Level	Spelled Out	Defined
Will0	Will to the Power of 0	You have no Will Power at all and you are doing nothing to help progress you towards your goal. Activities Involve: Nothing  Apathy about health and nutrition
Will1	Will to the Power of 1	Taking the first step and creating the ability to do something about your health and weight. You are formulating a goal. Activities Involve: Thinking about getting healthy  Drinking more water than you do other beverages Added 20 minutes of exercise to your weekly routine and life  Reading this blog or other self-health materials Researched how much weight you should lose to get healthier  Did something healthy, etc.
Will2	Will to the Power of 2	Taking charge and following a program and directly influence your behavior and the course of events and have a goal in mind. Activities Involve: Applied one or more activities to your life from Powers 1 Set a healthy weight loss goal Bought a scale and/or a pedometer Decided upon a health program and regiment  Added another 20 minutes or more exercise to your weekly routine and life Purchased any fitness equipment, dusted off any old equipment, or joined a gym – or developed a run/walk routine. Replaced soft drinks with water or green tea Choose a fruit or vegetable over junk food Made a conscious effort to limited calories, sugars, carbohydrates or sodium in your diet, but increased fiber, protein, and potassium  Did something healthy, etc.
Will3	Will to the Power of 3	Learning more about your health and knowing what to do to make your goal happen for you Activities Involve: Combined and applied the knowledge and activities to your life from Powers 1-2 Researched something to improve your health  Learned your BMI Turn over packages regularly to review the Nutrition Facts on your food Got a physical Started to chart your progress
Will4	Will to the Power of 4	Taking the knowledge you learned and applying it to your life so you are managing and doing what needs to be done to stay the course Activities Involve: Combined and applied the knowledge and activities to your life from Powers 1-3 Maintaining a fitness schedule Maintaining a record of your progress Reminding yourself of your goal Adding more goals to your goals  Getting rid of all poor health choices so that only the healthy options remain
Will5	Will to the Power of 5	Nothing keeps you from your goal. Knowledge, awareness and bold determination are driving you to you goal, worry free Activities Involve: Combined and applied the knowledge and activities to your life from Powers 1-4 regularly  Maintaining a fitness schedule and adding more or changing your fitness routines to your plan when it becomes stagnant  Your goal is clear in your mind You know what you have to do to stay the course. You face all health challenges with enthusiasm and a cool head

I feel that every day you have a certain level of Will Power, as does every step of your progress. If you manage to stay in Will Powers of 4 & 5, you are doing well and on your way to achieving your goal. When doubt, frustration and procrastination set it, you lose some of the power you gained, and usually end up in Will Powers 1 & 2. If you do something healthy every day, whether it is drinking one glass of water over soda, or choosing to have less sodium in your day, you are always at a least atWill Power of 1.

When you know you are at Will Power 1, and you feel as though you could easily slip into Will Power 0, review the Activities Involved in Will Power 1, and see if there is one thing on that list that can keep you moving forward. Chances are, simply doing one thing will lead to another, and then another, and before you know it you will be up in Will Power 4 & 5 in no time at all. If you have the mind to do it, you have the power to get through it!

Mind over fatter! After all, this is your kingdom, and you have the power. The only person that can take it away from you is yourself.