Originally published on: 7/15/2005 8:37:13 PM
Dr. Carol made an interesting statement when I went in Thursday night for my 1st appointment after the chaotic month where I wasn't able to go in (weight was flat zero for the month). She basically said that willpower gets you to even (neither gaining nor losing) and the medication she prescribes help push the situation into the losing state. Why is pretty simple. When you're eating more than your body needs, you're not eating out of hunger. Willpower will, indeed, get rid of the excess beyond hunger. However, once you dip below "maintenance eating", your body protests. That changes the willpower equation. Now, you're not just trying to curb your emotional or other psychological eating issues, but actually fighting physical hunger. While willpower still comes into it, it's at an entirely different level and the medication makes it doable.
The funny thing is: most of the overweight people I know aren't really gaining much weight. They gained it over a period of high stress, holidays, etc. and *just never lost it*. It added up over the years. Their willpower does work 48 weeks out of the year, just fine. I hadn't gained weight in 4-5 years before starting the loss program. My willpower was sufficient to avoid further gain, but the weight I gained in 1997-2000 has stuck with me since then.