The Motivation To Lose Weight
We all know diets work. Every book, article, regimen, fitness plan, you
name it works as long as you actually do it. Getting the motivation
to follow through is arguably the most important part of losing weight.
The information will always be there, but the motivation....that's the
elusive piece of the puzzle, the thing that everyone wants and few of us
have. How do you get the motivation to get started, stay on track, and
most importantly, to get where you want to go?
How To Get To The Core Of Weight Loss Motivation
We get emails from people in everyday sharing their frustrations and
challenges with weight loss. About 60% of them say they lack the
motivation to stick with their weight loss program. They report that
they do well for awhile and lose some weight, but inevitably fall off
track- whether due to a loss of focus or some other kind of
self-sabotage.
As a Personal Development Coach specializing in weight loss, and who was
originally trained as a psychotherapist, it's very easy for me to give
them advice, but as I sat down to write this article, I thought it might
be nice to really start at the most
basic, fundamental level of understanding motivation, and to then work up from there.
So armed with my trusty Mozilla Firefox I did a quick Google search for a
basic definition of the word. Here is the first thing that Google gave
me to consider (it came from an online dictionary associated with
Princeton University):
"the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a
desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and
the condition of being motivated."
So let's pull some key words from that definition and see if we can come
up with a useful way to apply the concept to weight loss.
Action Toward a Desired Goal:
Taking action here implies that there is a desired goal in place, so the
first thing that you must be absolutely clear on is 'what is your
goal?'
The challenge here is that it's usually not sufficient to just come up
with a number. 20 pounds or 30 pounds isn't going to cut it. You've
known that for perhaps years, and telling yourself "I need to lose 20
pounds" over and over again hasn't gotten the job done. Just having a
number in mind is not provocative enough of a goal.
So consider: the better question to ask is,
"Why do you really want to lose weight"?
At first glance, this may sound like an obvious question, but if you're
struggling with your weight, you need to ask yourself this question
again and again until you have a very clear answer.
Why are you looking to lose weight?
To feel more confident to start dating again?
To get into your favorite pair of jeans?
To feel sexy for your husband or wife?
To look good at your upcoming high school reunion?
Because the doctor told you you're pre-diabetic but that there is still a chance to turn it around?
Because you're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?
You have to become crystal clear on your "Why".
This is the first step in establishing a goal.
Now let's look at the first half of that equation, the part about
'taking action'. When you get clear and write it down, how motivated to
take action are you? Do you feel your emotions stirring? Are you
feeling the pull to get off the couch? Are you feeling the readiness to
break your bad habits and make changes to your diet?
If you're not, then you probably need to do some more work on your
"Why", because your "Why" is the foundation of your motivation.
Here is a hint: some people are more naturally motivated towards
pleasure (the thought of looking great in a summer dress, meeting a
guy/girl, running a 10K), while others are more motivated away from pain
(being single forever, having to start taking insulin, having to see
their high school friends while being heavy).
The trick is to find out which one- "Towards Pleasure" or "Away From
Pain"- is more compelling to you in terms of your weight loss, and to
focus on that. Write down all the reasons that cause you to begin
to stir and want to take action. This is just for you, so be bold and
write everything down, even if it's very personal. This is a very
important step that cannot be overlooked.
That Which Gives Purpose
Building on your "Why", what is your deeper purpose behind losing weight?
How will your life be better if you lose the weight?
Create a compelling picture for yourself that is rich in detail of how your life will be better.
What will you be doing?
Who will you be doing it with?
Where will you be?
Will the
motivation to exercise come naturally?
How will you feel when you're there?
What clothes will you be wearing- or not wearing ; ) ?
In case you didn't notice, all of the above examples were written in
"Towards Pleasure" language. But maybe you'll find that doesn't work so well for you- maybe it doesn't quite give you a sense of purpose.
If not, how about if you change the wording around a bit? Remember, some people are more motivated
"Away From Pain".
If this is you, you'll be more stirred by this question: "So if you
don't lose the weight, or if it continues to get worse and worse, how
unhappy and miserable will you be?"
Similarly, you may want to create a compelling negative picture for yourself.
If you don't lose the weight, what are you going to miss out on?
What opportunities will you lose out on? Maybe the ability to enjoy
healthy time with your family late into your life? Or maybe it'll mean
you continue to go out to go to restaurants and take vacations by
yourself.
How will your health deteriorate if you don't lose weight?
What does the hospital room look like where you'll have to go for dialysis treatments?
So create a compelling picture for how your life is going to be better
if you lose the weight, or worse if you don't. Cultivate this picture
until it gives you a clear sense of purpose. When that purpose is
there, you will be much close to taking the necessary action.
Remember, that while uncovering your "Why" and the deeper purpose that
motivates you is a first step that cannot be skipped over, we all get
busy and stressed, and it's very easy to lose our focus. At least until
you build some positive, forward momentum and get comfortable with your
new habits and behaviors, you may have to remind yourself of your "Why"
and your deeper purpose again and again every day.
Write down your answers on an index card and put in by your bed stand or
tape it to the bathroom mirror. Every morning and every night remind
yourself why you really want to lose weight. Remind yourself why you
need to begin taking action today, what the payoff will be if you do,
and what the cost will be if you don't.
This is not the only step on the journey, of course, but it is an
important one that you have to master early on. Getting the right
support in place is also extremely important, as is learning how to
handle the stress and challenges of daily life in a healthy,
constructive way that doesn't cause you to abandon your weight loss
efforts or turn to food for emotional comfort.
Some Simple Eating Adjustments That Will Boost Your Motivation
One
very important thing we have observed at PEERtrainer over the
years is the difficulty people have sticking to plans where they have
to track every detail of their eating. Or where they have to stick to a
very strict nutritional regimen that some nutritional guru has
convincingly laid out for them. The problem isn't that these plans work.
They often work incredibly well. The issue arises when one inevitably
falls off track.
Often what happens when people fall off track, is that they either beat
themselves up or they just say "screw it" and accelerate their downward
spiral. The issue here is simply one of "expectation." Their plan is
expecting too much of them. If this pattern sounds familiar, you will
want to check out a new and free tool called the "PEERtrainer Cheat
System" that you can quickly learn and start to use.
By Joshua Wayne, MA
Don't make any of these common diet mistakes. Shop wisely and eat well to lose weight and keep the pounds from coming back.
The
best way to cut calories and cut fat from your diet is to cook your
food yourself. That way you can control the ingredients and serving
size. Healthy cooking doesn't have to be complicated. These techniques
and recipes will get you started.
Everyone
ends up at a fast food restaurant once in a while. Learn how to make
better choices and get out of the drive thru lane without ruining your
diet.
Some
diet plans are designed to help you lose weight and improve your
health. If you have special needs as a dieter, use one of these plans
and work with your health care team to get healthy.
Get basic information about the most popular weight loss programs and find out which plan is the best one for you.
Increase your metabolism and tone up faster. Find a 
What's
your favorite coffee drink? When I go to Starbucks, I order a "venti,
nonfat, sugar-free hazelnut cappuccino on the dry side." Yes, I am one
of those coffee drinkers whose drink name is so long that it is almost
laughable. Last week, while I was ordering the drink at a New York
Starbucks, the lady behind me asked me how many calories were in the
drink. She was shocked that I knew the answer.
The
trend in weight loss diets these days is to decrease - or eliminate -
starchy carbohydrates. High starch foods, like white pasta dishes,
don't always contain many healthy nutrients and they are often high in
fat and calories. But what if you absolutely love pasta? You don't
have to cut out pasta completely. Just use common sense, portion
control, and these quick tips for making your pasta dish a little bit
healthier.
If
we only ate when we were hungry, life would be so much simpler. Fewer
of us would be overweight and losing weight would be a piece of cake.
But life just isn't that easy. We often eat because we are bored and we
frequently snack out of habit. And sometimes, we eat to manage our
emotions.