When we want to change our
bodies, the obvious solution is to simply start exercising or take up a new
hobby or play sports. This is the solution to the problem, but before these
events take place, the mental block that is motivation rears its ugly head.
Motivation is basically the
driver behind why we will and won't do certain things in our life. We have to
find some way of pushing ourselves to do the things that we need to do to get
to where we want to get to.
Everyone has different
levels of motivation for different things, and it really comes down to what the
person values more in their life.
Now in regards to
motivation for weight loss, this issue has to be address correctly otherwise
things can be affected in the long term.
When you first decide that
you want to lose weight, there has to be some kind of motivational reason
behind this decision. There could be any number of reasons why you want to lose
weight, they could be personal or family reasons or even peer pressure.
Many people will really
struggle with this hurdle, as they are not doing what they want for the correct
reasons. If you decided that you want to lose weight, because you are so
unhappy with your body, and you want feel better about yourself, then you this
is your motivation to lose weight.
There is a real purpose for
the reason, and when you have a purpose for a decision, the actions you take
are normally more much focused and decisive.
Let's take the other
scenario that you want to lose weight for a family member, then this reason is
a fairly strong reason to lose weight, but it is not going to motivate you as
hard as doing it for yourself would be.
Now to find motivation,
this can come from many different places. One of the best ways to find motivation
is to buddy up with a friend who wants to reach the same goals as you and you
both motivate and spur each other on to lose weight. This can work really well,
because you feed of each other's energy.
Another great way to get
motivated is to set a date to reach a goal by. When you set a date you set
yourself a challenge, by doing this you will become more motivated to reach the
goal. A good way to bring this up even more is to give yourself an incentive to
reach the goal, this will also help you with motivation.
The next strategy to help
you find motivation is to make sure that you are going into a new challenge
with a clear mind, with no bad obstacles that can cause a hindrance to your
progress. Motivation is very hard to find and keep when your life is run down
with financial stress, health issues and family problems.
A common mistake that
people make when they want to lose weight is that they put pictures/posters of
size zero models on the walls in their houses. The idea here is that you will
become more inspired to reach the desired figure in the posters, but that
opposite is actually true according to extensive research.
The reason why this theory
is less affective for motivation is that people are more likely to become
discouraged by creating unrealistic self-standards. This will then cause a lack
of motivation and the person will most likely give in on reaching their ideal
body shape from the poster.
Another common reason why
people lose motivation to lose weight is that they focus too much on the
numbers. When you have decided that you want to lose say 10lbs within 2 months,
all of your energy and focus is centred on this one goal, and if you do not
reach it, you will feel bad and most likely lose motivation. This should be
avoided.
Another reason why people
lose motivation when they are trying to lose weight is because they do not have
a plan of action in place from the start. A weight loss goal or program should
be treated like a business plan and specific details should be written down and
put on paper to help the individual stay motivated.
When creating a plan of
action to lose weight, there needs to be a few factors tailored into the plan,
realistic, measurable and free from any in-effective strategies. If you have an
unrealistic plan of action for your goals from the start, you will lose
motivation very quickly and most likely give in on the goals that you want to
reach.
A very useful way to stay
motivated towards your weight loss goals is to give yourself rewards every so
often, when you have reached a certain milestone. A good way to do is by
starting off with small incentives or small prizes and makes the prizes bigger
as you reach your ultimate goal. This practice is often overlooked but very
powerful as you have something to work towards each time, this provides a new
lease for motivation.
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