Weight Loss Motivation 101
The Basics About Weight Loss Motivation
I get emails from people 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.
So, 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.
(more…)
