Despite the negative light in which he is casted in the Wikipedia link shared here, I practice his methods but very gently snd by paying attention to your own mind and body using the methods from Eckhart Tolle among others that include practices from Yoga.

Wikipedia considers his endurance an innate (freak) character than a systematically built ability.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Hof

I was listening to a weight loss practitioner on a National Public radio interview and what he described was a very insightful interpretation of his experience. He had begun the weight loss medication to bring under control his clinical numbers that were in the danger zone for metabolism. It worked spectacularly well and he did not regret his decision and intended to continue it. However this is how he described his experience with the weight loss prescribed medication: it was as if a thousand voices in my head clamoring for food suddenly fell silent. Selecting what to eat was now a task as he did not feel like eating but did so following a deliberate choice based on what food he need to meet the goals that were metrics of health.

He spoke about the fact that to him it was apparent that it was not an addiction only but a source of joy to interact with people by sharing food. The simple joy of Thanksgiving dinner table was the anticipation to try various dishes. That was now completely lost.

If I put on my biochemist’s training hat, I would say his experience is temporary and that of a beginner. The reason is homeostasis or a reversal to the mean that the biochemicals in our bodies will exert. In simple terms, this dramatic effect he described for taking the medication will cease to work as dramatically.

However the subject of this essay is to examine how the magic bullet chemical (weight loss drug) approach compares with exerting a deliberate gradual exercise of will power, which is the practical takeaways I got from watching all of Wim Hoff’s videos both subscription based and freely available.

One key takeaway for me from Wim Hoff is about mindset. One has to have the mindset that mind can prevail over matter (genetics and circumstances).

The second takeaway was imagination matters. He speaks about visualizing the future. Before you go to bed, imagine yourself waking up and stepping in to the shower and having a pleasant warm water shower. Then you turn the dial to the coldest stream from the shower and now imagine that you will get shocked and uncomfortable yet it will be just fine and just 15 seconds the first time will feel good when it is over as you will be fine and better for having done it. This is the use of will power as a muscle to build habits to change into a new normal or change the homeostat in the body gradually to a new setting.

What is the difference between using will power versus pharmaceuticals is this. Will power is a very broad general skillset applicable to every aspect of our life whereas the pull based approach is highly specific to one outcome and even for that to sustain the goal you will need to exert will power.