Bit late here, but I just read Baumeister's whole book. Sad news for lefties: the "use your non-dominant hand" tip doesn't work as well for us (probably, researchers think, becasue of a lifetime of accomodating right-handed tools, etc.). Still--sit up straight and read this book, which is fascinating and helpful at the same time! - 1/17/2012   9:02:04 AM

Jennj11-- Your message is on-target! -- These two tips for helping will-power are not solutions for me. (and if I were to brush my teeth with my left hand, I would still be tempted by wrong foods, however, my teeth would suffer) lol :-) - 11/1/2011   2:17:39 PM

REALLY? That's it?

I agree witht he above sitting up straight always a good idea. .... but seriously if it was all just that simple, we'd all be at a healthy weight! - 11/1/2011   8:25:52 AM

Paul McKenna says in "I CAN MAKE YOU THIN" that we all have the willpower to resist eating ANYTHING, and there is no such think as saying we just can't stop ourselves from having some certain food. He says it is because if we had a piece of chocolate cake and it fell on the floor in a pile of nasty dog hair and other yuck, we would NOT pick it up and eat it then. So, he says when we can stop ourselves from eating that nasty dog-hair cake, we CAN keep ourselves from eating anything else IF WE WANT TO. I certainly know I wouldn't eat something gross, so I think he has a valid point. - 11/1/2011   1:27:07 AM

Listen, if somebody put that delicious-looking slice of chocolate cake in front of me, I'd find a way to eat it with both hands tied behind my back! LOL! Sorry, but sitting up straight and brushing my teeth with my nondominant hand are really not going to help me improve willpower. Besides, I'm ambidextrous... ; ) - 10/31/2011   5:59:34 PM

Makes perfect sense to me. You CAN do what you think you can't! You are not a slave to your emotions unless you give in to them. Don't be a victim! - 10/31/2011   4:52:12 PM

Interesting article, although I can't say I agree that it will increase your willpower. I can see how using your nondominant hand to eat will cause you to eat slower which can cause you to feel full and stop eating, thereby reducing calories which is needed to lose weight. I don't quite get the part about sitting up straight, but good posture is always something good to practice and if there is a bonus to it, then that's alright too. - 10/31/2011   3:02:24 PM

I don't believe that you can change your willpower. it's an emotion and emotions change a lot. It's about redesigning our lives so we don't fail. It's about putting exercise in our lives on pupose, about making good choices when we shop for food by sticking to list of healthy things we made and supporting our selves with positive people to support us. - 10/31/2011   1:41:29 PM

I think there might be two parts to it.

One is that by "changing" a habit that we don't have a pre-conceived notion we can't, we prove to ourselves that we have that ability.

The other is that something like using our non-dominant hand takes being aware of the times we favor the dominant hand. How else to improve our self-control than by making us more self-aware. Can't exercise will-power if there's no will involved. - 10/31/2011   12:28:04 PM

Well, I'll give it a try & see how well that works - 10/31/2011   11:37:32 AM

Gosh, that chocolate cake looks delicious!! - 10/31/2011   11:32:40 AM

Although I agree with pps that I expected more (but hey, it's a guest blog from Woman's Day...that's not rocket science, guys) these ARE good suggestions.

If you use your non-dominant hand, or conscientiously sit up straighter--you are paying attention. Most of will-power depends on paying attention (without obsession) to what you want to change. So...weird as it sounds, these are good places to begin. - 10/31/2011   10:59:49 AM

I don't understand the point of using my non-dominant hand..... how will that help exercise willpower? - 10/31/2011   8:44:51 AM

I agree with Karate Kid...Really? Use your left hand and sit up straight? THAT'S your big plan!? How about I keep busting my tail in the gym and it will be "all for not" if I eat this one stupid peice of cake. - 10/31/2011   8:39:19 AM

That's it? Using your left hand and sitting up straight? Sorry, SP, I expected more from this article. - 10/31/2011   7:54:57 AM

Think about every 'bad' food as it relates to my goal; will it be worth it? - 10/31/2011   7:30:38 AM

that Got garbled sorry. other articles and ads kept poping up. - 10/31/2011   6:40:08 AM

I found that the year that I made it a point to fold my napkin cranberry after a meal (paper or cloth didn't matter) was the year that I had the most control over my nutrition and exercize. It was the year I had the best results. This interesting article has me thinking it's time to choseTh another simple task that I always do every day every meal. - 10/31/2011   6:38:41 AM