Right then chuck, if you're looking at this on a willpower basis alone, you're on a hiding to nothing. Willpower doesn't necessarily have to be overcome, it just has to be managed.
The rest of us may be doing well because we've discovered for ourselves a few useful tools:- 1) habit, 2) distraction, 3) a change of approach and 4) results.
As you will have read, the first week is hellish. You are fighting against umpteen years of habit, which doesn't change overnight. Your body screams at you to be fed. It will tell you to eat that which it is used to, but once it realises it's not going to get fed, it quietens down a bit, which for me was after about a week. That is normal, and is not permanent. You body resists the change to it's alternative fuel source (See my post elsewhere about the 'dual fuel car analogy'), and you are effectively 'withdrawing' from a carb addiction. But it's temporary, it passes soon enough and is a blessed relief when it does.
Apparently according to certain NLP practictioners, it takes 21 occurrences of the 'new practice' until habit forms - which is a week of 3 times a day, or 3 weeks if you're doing something new daily. Therefore whatever it is, you cannot crack it overnight.
Therefore you need to engage the next tool - distraction. Instead of what you've always done, eg sitting in front of Corrie and having the snack itch - go do something else, preferably something absorbing for an hour, bath, read a book, go for a walk (lovely evenings at the mo), do your nails, tidy the wardrobe, crochet,
whatever - just anything, preferably not including the kitchen. If the danger time is, say, after the kids have gone to bed, then this is now *your* time, and if you previously rewarded yourself after a tough day with food, you need to adjust your thinking that your 'reward' is doing something constructive for
you. Eating random stuff is not constructive (otherwise we wouldn't be here) so now is an opportunity to do something new with your time. You just need to do something different than you've done for several months/years, just one evening at a time.
Regarding the change of approach - you need to adjust your thinking. Don't think of this in the 'long term', don't think 'I can't do it for weeks'. You can do this 'just for today'. Even if that is too much of an unbearable thought, you are only actually dieting for a maximum of 5 hours at a time, from pack to pack. and after your last pack, it's only going to be about 3-4 hours till bedtime, and if you manage to distract yourself for an hour or two, then the evening will pass in a flash.
You need to think pack to pack then a day passes. Manage this, and a week will pass. You will get the first week's results which will give added impetus, and by which time your body will stop shouting at you, ketosis will have kicked in, your blood sugar level will have evened out, and more importantly you will have started to form new habits. It only takes a week. (Or, of you prefer, 21 packs, and 7 evenings of doing something else...)
Thereafter, it will get substantially easier. New habits will get steadily more entrenched, the previous ones begin fall away, you might have found you enjoy your distractions, varying results keep rolling in. Then there are other problems to face, but no-where near the first week 'hell'.
But most of us still choose to do this 'just for today'. It's a positive choice, doing something for the good of ourselves, rather than a grudging 'need to change
or else...'. (Or even worse, 'I hate myself because I'm fat so must do something about it'. :cry: How is anyone going to succeed if they dislike themselves that much?)
So apart from the first paragraph, where did I mention willpower?
Now, we're not all perfect, by no stretch of the imagination. I, for example have replaced a few iffy habits with a few others - I've had 'days off' when (4 weeks in) I was too much of a coward to be upfront with the family about doing a VLCD. I'm still also an idle bugger, using replying to this (and listening to the Archers Omnibus) as an excuse for putting-off doing the garden, while on my second coffee and stopping mid-way for a smoko. I also drink far too much fizzy pop. But the VLCD is temporary, and I'll address all of those later. I ain't superhuman, and if I try to tackle everything that's 'wrong' in my little life in one hit, I fear the house of cards will come crashing down...
So, don't be so hard on yourself - the problem may be with your thinking and approach, and not your willpower. You are perfectly normal.
Anyway, if there's anything specific you have a problem with do come back and we'll all natter further.
there goes the Archers theme #dum de dum de dum de dummm# I'm off to slaughter the lawn
