Weight loss motivation

Why does motivation peak at the beginning of the weight loss process and then disappear somewhere? What can reduce motivation and who can be the best motivator? These questions interest many people who want to lose weight. In this article, we will look at the reasons that prevent you from starting a new, "harmonious" life.

It is an obvious fact that a person, regardless of gender and age, is not indifferent to his own appearance and the appearance of other people. One of the most interesting things to do is to look at an attractive person and fantasize about their character and lifestyle. Our own appearance is also under our close attention. We try to understand our preferences and perhaps hide something from both ourselves and others.

We work on our self-image throughout our lives; You can imagine how important the impression we make is to us! This is especially true for women.

The paradox here is that external attractiveness is often more important than health concerns.

Human is a social entity. Therefore, it is important to consider the role of appearance as a very powerful motivating factor. But the question arises: why then are overweight people so often deprived of this factor for creating the image that a person has needed so much since ancient times?

What is motivation

The term "motivation" is derived from the word "motive" (Latin movere - 'to set in motion, to push'). Motivation is not only a set of internal but also external forces that stimulate some type of activity. The main motivational factors are needs and emotions. Hunger, sexual desire, thirst and insecurity are always accompanied by emotions.

Emotions are a psychological factor. For example, positive emotions indicate a met need, while negative emotions indicate an unmet need. Due to the higher emotionality of women, it is they who often experience strong emotional stress.

Experiencing an unmet need causes discomfort and a desire to eliminate it. For example, if a woman is unhappy with her weight, she wants to get rid of this deficiency, and it seems that there needs to be a lot of motivation to achieve the goal.

So why are there problems with this driving force? How to find motivation to lose weight? It is important to understand that human activity is multi-motivated, that is, it is simultaneously influenced by different motivations that may conflict with each other. This is where the problems start.

Factors of lack of motivation

• Lack of information. First of all, ignoring the psychological causes of excess weight. Although it is worth noting that nutritionists and dietitians are increasingly talking about the possible causes of overeating in their clients.
• Lack of support even if your loved ones wish the best for you. So they may think everything is fine with you anyway. If you cannot find support around you, you can contact a psychologist.
• The unscrupulousness of specialist candidates and their focus only on quick results is traumatic for both health and soul. They do not teach how to maintain the achieved results, what to do in case of relapse.
• Constant breakdowns and relapses (which require the support of a professional when working with eating disorders) reduce motivation and mood.
• Slow weight loss with the right comprehensive approach as a result of choosing short programs. An example of such a choice is the goal of "Losing weight by summer. "

These factors negatively affect motivation when losing weight and lead to your inability to cope with the problem on your own. A person who loses weight goes through certain stages: At the beginning of the weight loss marathon, after group enthusiasm, strictly following the recommendations, and then the enthusiasm disappears. Apathy ensues, protest is frequent, and then a collapse ensues.

food addiction

Almost every overweight person has a food addiction. This result is evident due to the connection between well-being and behavior. So a person who does not have any addiction will change behavior when his health worsens.

If the behavior does not change and continues to harm the person's health, we can talk about a hidden reason for this situation. With excess weight comes a number of physiological problems (illness, lack of energy, poor skin and hair condition) and psychological problems (low self-esteem, shame, guilt, constant anxiety, depression, chronic depression), but one should not rush to change anything, Then he continues to overeat, so we are talking about food addiction.

Food is used every day, among other things, as an antidepressant and tranquilizer, to silence the emotions and feelings that arise in the race: diet - collapse - guilt - diet. Food comforts, improves mood, and even relieves pain.

The child's psyche develops on the basis of "double relationships": mother - child, mother - milk, mouth - stomach, care - support. Food meets important desires from the beginning of a baby's life.

For her, delicious food is the ideal mother. A mother who understands and accepts anyone or everyone. It is important to remember that food has not only physiological but also psychological significance for a person. It is a powerful regulator of psychological balance. Therefore, working with excess weight, food addiction, breakdowns, setbacks, relapses is very difficult and takes a lot of time.

Causes of low motivation

In the process of working with excess weight, a person is simultaneously affected by multipolar motives: on the one hand, the fear of losing the ideal image and condemnation from society, on the other hand, the fear of losing a powerful tool for maintaining the emotional state. balance.

Emotions and feelings that disrupt the balance of those who lose weight are very serious situations. The most common are: shame, guilt, fear, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, melancholy, boredom, fatigue. We experience many different emotions and feelings every day.

Let's consider some of them in detail to understand the depth of the problem and do not rush to condemn yourself the next time motivation wanes. Try to understand where the motivating factors come from.

1. burnout. This is a loss of power after long-term operation. However, this need does not require eating, but sleep and rest. However, in addition to physical fatigue, psychological fatigue can also occur if repressed emotions take up too much energy. The inability or unwillingness to seek other means of self-regulation causes tired people to grab food. The idea of constantly overcoming oneself for the sake of something or someone is combined with the inability to replenish resources by resting. How to solve a problem? Take a walk in the fresh air, meditate, read a book, plan to go to bed early, take a magnesium bath.
2. Boredom. Do you know that waiting too long leads to burnout and permanent boredom? Considering the loss of meaning in life and the seeming meaninglessness of what is happening, it is pointless to talk about motivation to lose weight. Melancholy, despair, emptiness. . . Strong and complex emotions cause discomfort, and in case of food addiction only food helps to cope. How to solve a problem? Find something that ignites your passion! When was the last time you drew? Did you buy a new book? Have you tried cooking a new meal?
3. fear of hunger. Genetically and historically, fear of hunger causes increased appetite. For this reason, many people eat much more than their stomach capacity allows. A festive table or cabinets and a refrigerator full of food will definitely reduce motivation. How to solve a problem? Don't forget to drink water! Eat slowly, without being distracted by gadgets and conversations. The salad plate should be deep; A bowl is ideal. The size of a flat plate should not exceed two palms. Do not forget about the principle of balance - the correct combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates helps satisfy hunger for at least 3-4 hours.
   Quick notes on macronutrient and water intake:
   • protein - 1 g per 1 kg of weight;
   • fats - 1 g per 1 kg of weight;
   • carbohydrates - 3-4 g per 1 kg of weight. Don't forget the fibres! The norm is 20-30 g per day;
   • water - 30–35 ml per 1 kg of weight.
4. Shame and guilt. These are the two strongest emotions. Weight loss is often a process full of ups and downs, setbacks and setbacks. And whenever a relapse occurs, the person experiences shame and guilt for his weakness. And to punish himself for this crime, he goes on a strict diet, which again leads to a breakdown. And so on in a circle.

I eat, which means I exist. One of the causes of overeating is a passionate desire to feel active. A society where material values are the measure of social success leads to a set of negative emotions that you cannot motivate unless you work on them.

How to set the right goals to increase motivation?

So negative emotions interfere with weight loss. In other words, consciousness is overloaded with experiences that take away the energy needed to activate the power to lose weight. And the range of these emotions is very wide: from finding yourself to fighting loneliness.

It turns out that there is a desire to lose weight, but the motivation quickly passes. The fact is that those who dream of losing weight ignore issues that are truly important to them and are guided only by secondary, superficial desires when formulating motivation.

Many girls really want to lose weight, repeatedly force themselves to do it, but at the same time they remain overweight, trying different methods. Have you ever thought this was weird? The only correct strategy: It is important to strive not to get rid of something, but to achieve something.

The most important way to increase your motivation to lose weight is to have a clear vision and plan for that "something. "Goal setting trainings are also based on this secret, and this secret actually teaches you to "keep your wishes true. "It is difficult to lose weight if you do not understand in detail what losing weight will give you. It's not easy for a girl to refuse another piece of candy if she doesn't remember the swimsuit she'll be parading in on that beach and getting those looks. No rational principles of nutrition can help you lose weight without exciting fantasies about yourself and how you feel in a slim body, in different clothes, in different life situations.

Swimsuits aren't the only source of motivation. The body of overweight people experiences serious stress. The consequences of fat tissue accumulation and muscle tissue deficiency are premature aging, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, impaired detoxification processes. . . This is not a complete list of the consequences of excess weight.

It is better to forget about the abstract words that once did not help you find harmony - "I will lose weight, become more confident, healthier and more beautiful" - and start thinking about those joyful moments that await you.

A correctly set goal is the best source of motivation in losing weight.

List of basic rules for goal setting:

1. Your goals (in our case these are thoughts about being thin) should be framed in a series of small events (stories, scenarios, dates, essays - whatever you want), with you in the leading role, in which you describe in detail the situation you are in. You will be very comfortable thanks to your slim body. These stories should begin with a detailed description of your figure with (or without) this or that clothing, followed by your appearance as a whole, including accessories, hairstyle and make-up; your behavior in this situation (how you came, sat down, turned your head, moved your eyes, etc. ), and most importantly - descriptions of your feelings and sensations (how you feel your body, how happy you are, proud of yourself, how confident and satisfied you are). As a result of this design, fantasy acquires the energy found in emotions that charges you with the desire for happiness and guides you even if you are not fully aware of it.
2. Important: In your goals, explain only what you will gain, what you will become with harmony, not what you will get rid of! And it's all in the present, as if it's already happened. You can't write about disappearing folds, swelling, shortness of breath for your own purposes! Describe slender legs, elegant ankles, slim waist and easy breathing. Our unconscious, our inner girl, can no longer see what is not there. You just need wishful thinking - then the unconscious will perceive these images as a fait accompli and will make your body lose excess weight.
3. You should have several such fantasies or stories, at least seven. They should be reflected in different areas of your life: personal life, communication with loved ones, work, entertainment, health, self-realization. Everyone has their own list. After all, you need harmony not as an end in itself, but as a way to improve life in all its manifestations. Being thin alone does not bring happiness, but oddly enough, it can be planned in the form of such pleasant situations associated with being thin. Remember that achieving your goals should bring you true happiness, not profit; so that these goals are appreciated and supported by your inner child. That's why you dream and write goals.
4. Each of your goals should have a time and space framework, so that at a certain point in time you can say to yourself: "Ah! It's over! I'm motivating myself. I'm losing weight. "
5. In order for goals to be achieved with certainty, they must be realistic and depend only on you. For example, you cannot plan that someone will fall in love with you, but you can assume and describe your self-confidence, joy, pride and admiration in some important situation, and your mood will work. . .
6. Your goals should be both immediate and short-term, and distant and long-term. You will need to distribute them throughout the entire weight loss period, so that as they gradually occur, they will "warm up" you and encourage new achievements. You need to be proud of yourself, praise yourself and reward yourself for every goal achieved. Don't forget to update your "merry plans" as you progress. There is only one condition: The reward must not be in the form of a donut or a hamburger. What would you like? New dress, going to the theater, meeting friends? There must always be at least seven goals. Once the goals are finished, the weight will stop.
7. If in the process of dreaming, thinking and writing goals you feel joyful excitement, impatience and an itch in your fingertips: "Oh, I wish I would hurry up! "Oh, how I want this! How wonderful it will be! "You can "test" your favorite product while mentally weighing an already completed goal. Imagine its smell, its taste. . . Which one prevails? If the product is still preferred, your goal may be incomplete or not quite right.

Goals are a powerful driving force in your fitness journey. Working somewhere deep within consciousness, they will point in the right direction.

What to do - step by step plan

This article is not an instruction or action guide. It may be difficult for you to start analyzing the possible reasons for your lack of motivation. As practice shows, when working with excess weight, there are significantly less motivating incentives than demotivating ones, so the latter needs to be studied carefully.

• Determine the appropriateness of the goal: Do you really have the desire to lose weight?
• Don't forget the importance of a balanced diet. Lack of vitamin D, chromium, B vitamins and whole fats in the diet causes increased appetite.
• Seek professional help. If you are convinced that you have a desire to lose weight and this is valid today, it is better to seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist, because it is often difficult to cope with the problem on your own due to internal resistance.

And before you start applying the knowledge you have gained, we will give you the main advice: do not fight with elusive fat, force yourself to lose weight. It is important to establish friendships and partnerships with your own body. The most rewarding source of motivation is yourself.