Where do we find the motivation to lose weight?
We all know that dieting is a head game. When your mind is made up, nothing else matters. If your head is in the right place, the most wonderful temptations won’t get you off track.
If you have truly decided that you’re tired of being overweight and sedentary, you’re going to change your lifestyle and lose weight. That is simply all there is to it. Being inspired is a powerful, glorious feeling!
Sustaining the desire to lose weight is a tricky thing. Often we try to get inspired by external factors. We want some person or some product or some plan to encourage us.
I’m of the opinion that real inspiration, the kind that sustains us through a long, grueling process, comes mainly from within.
In all my years of trying to lose weight and be healthy, the most important thing I discovered was that the “driving force” often comes later in the weight-loss process. Many of us believe that we have to have it to get started.
I say START and the inspiration will come!
Following a diet plan for two weeks will almost certainly result in weight loss. Once we experience weight loss, we begin to feel better about ourselves. We begin to believe that we can do it.
We begin to see that decreasing the amount of food we eat and increasing our activity really does burn fat. We begin to feel a little more comfortable in our clothes. We begin to see our eyes looking brighter and less puffy. We notice that our rings fit better. We begin to believe that it’s POSSIBLE to make a change. Guess what? THAT’S CALLED MOTIVATION!!
In a perfect world, we would all have the necessary motivation to eat in a way that was healthy.
“Diet” would be a dirty word and we would all eat to live instead of live to eat. There’s no denying that eating reasonable amounts of healthy foods and exercising regularly are the smart ways to go. Sometimes though, when we’re having trouble sticking to a healthy lifestyle, it’s necessary to shake things up!
I’ve discovered through trial and error that two weeks is the maximum amount of time that I can make myself do something without “motivation.”
I also find it helpful if what I’m doing is something new and different to me. That’s why I’m always interested in short-term diets that will jump-start weight loss. After two weeks of following a plan, I have a good chance of experiencing a level of success that drives me to want more.
At that point, it’s time to trade in the short-term diet for something healthier that can be sustained for a longer period of time. Are you ready to make a change?
- Many people find it motivating to have a hot pair of jeans or a sexy bathing suit or a great picture of themselves at an ideal weight in a conspicuous spot.
If that works for you, by all means go for it! Try on the jeans weekly. Take your measurements monthly.
- Set small, manageable goals to stay on track and treat yourself to a pedicure or a massage for every five or ten pounds.
- Reading books, magazines, or websites about dieting can also be helpful.
Although new books are being published all the time, there really isn’t a lot of new information about dieting and weight loss out there. We pretty much know what it’s all about.
Examining it from a different perspective, hearing it explained differently, or reading a different spin on old information can be very inspiring.
- Meeting with a group of friends (or strangers) with like goals can motivate you and help you stick to the task. Sharing in someone else’s success can spur your own. If people in your group depend on you, not wanting to disappoint them can be a motivating factor. I have personally found Weight Watchers meetings to be very inspiring!
- Posting positive messages to yourself on your fridge and around your house can provide motivation.
- Create a positive mantra and say it over and over throughout the day.
- Visualize how you want to look and the steps that you must take to achieve that goal. Visualize the details and not just the big picture.
- Visualize the choices you’ll make prior to social functions and other challenges that you face.
- Plan for success and see yourself being successful. Imagine that powerful feeling of success!
- Having something special to look forward to can be very motivating to some people.
- Try to plan several things each year that help you stay focused on looking healthy and strong.
This could be something as simple as a special gathering with family or friends or something elaborate like a special vacation.
Start working on yourself several months prior to the event and make a little time each day to sit still and visualize how you want to look and feel on the big day!
- Utilize a weight loss journal to help you keep track of your feelings, desires, and goals!
- Remind yourself often why you’ve undertaken this very important journey to reclaim your health!
