I have been told so many times that getting fit and losing weight is “easy” for me because I have such strong will power. Every time I hear this I want to scream or punch the person spurting nonsense out the hole in their face… I don’t think will power is an easy thing for anyone. I just know what I want and I know what it’s worth to me.

There are all those cliché sayings like “Nothing tastes as good as being slim feels” but they have a point… there really is no food that will reward you the way that buying a dress in the size you want to be will. The problem is that many people forget that when confronted with a buffet table. But we all have those moments... it's not just a gift you're born with to be able to walk away from the croissants.

It's also not a one time subscription kinda deal. It's a daily renewed decision. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's really, really not. 
As a kid when I wanted to make myself run faster (usually to get under the underpass faster, not for anything worthwhile like cross country!) I would imagine I was being chased by tigers. I put a new perspective on the effort I put in and the importance of my outcome. Of course, at 7 I probably didn't see it that way, it was just a method that made me run faster somehow!  Yet even now, the same practice rings true. The fear of tigers chasing me is probably beaten out by the ever present reality that there are no tigers running wild, but it has been replaced with the exhilaration of finishing a race, the joy of buying a mini skirt, the fun of running around with my kids without puffing and resting. It's remarkably more fun to run towards things than away from them, but if you really really want them.. you have to work, you have to run.

I dont think there is a scale to measure will power on. You either do or you don't want something enough to say no, or to run further, or to hold that move a minute longer, or to put the plate down and admit you've had enough. My strength of will may be tested by making myself get out of bed at 6 to go for a run even though it's cold... yours may be tested by the smell of hot chips from a certain restaurant that has far too many secret herbs and spices. In either case our victory is the same, and the competition is not between us but is within us (man that sounded cheesey!). We beat our own personal bests and worsts.

A personal favourite quote of mine is "Discipline turns talent into ability". Which implies that even those born with the skills and the the knowledge, must work hard to actually see the results, or to turn that sand into pearls.

What bothers me about the people that say it’s easy for some is that it robs me of my feeling of achievement. I struggle to say no to a lot of things (namely ice cream, chocolate, cheesecake… need I go on… cos I can!) and when I do walk away it’s a victory for me… imagine if you win a race and someone says to you “well its easy for you…”Don’t rip people off of the effort they put in. Perhaps the feeling you’re having is not so much it’s easy for the other person but rather it’s “too hard” for you… in which case it’s something you need to work on and perhaps the person with the super will power can give you some pointers!

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