When it comes to pushing away the potato chips and picking up the walking pace, it’s easier said than done. Dr. Donald Hensrud, a Mayo Clinic physician specializing in nutrition and editor of “The Mayo Clinic Diet,” often hears from patients that they don’t have the willpower to undertake weight management.
“I think everybody has willpower. It’s not a matter of willpower, there are powerful forces causing us to eat more and to do less activity,” says Dr. Hensrud.
It’s a matter of coming up with strategies to deal with the challenges.
“… and these strategies need to be practical, realistic and enjoyable enough to be sustainable. We can’t just not eat. We have to eat. Nobody has perfect habits.”
He says coming up with strategies to eat healthy, low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods can be a way to game the system, and not just rely on willpower.
