Do you know someone who’s frequently talking about losing weight, yet, for whatever reason, can’t stick to the basics necessary to get the job done? For many onlookers the failure is often mind-boggling as the only thing that seems to prevent success is willpower. As it turns out, willpower may not be the obstacle to success after all.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen recently examined a group of volunteers and paid specific attention to not only what they ate, but also their executive function skills (a person’s ability to do such things as reason, problem solve, plan, prioritize, and multi-task). Recently, Dr. Julia Allan presented the findings at the British Science Festival. What was revealed was that that the people who had poor executive function abilities were more likely to forget about the healthy foods they originally planned on consuming. They instead opted for less healthy and more sugary-type foods. In other words, for these people it wasn’t just an issue of willpower. Instead, it was concluded that their failure to commit to their prior decision to eat healthier foods could be directly linked to their poor memory.
If you feel you, or someone you know, has an awful memory that’s wreaking havoc with your diet, rest assured that there are scientifically proven ways to train and improve memory. As well, telling people you spend time with about your decision to eat healthier can only help, as they can remind you about your plans if or when it appears you’re about to break your commitment. You could also leave yourself notes and various other constant reminders such as pictures strategically placed in the areas of your home where breaking away from healthy eating plans is known to frequently occur.
